By David Busch, member, “Making Change…” the homeless newspaper Santa Monica
Editor: RE: “More Panhandlers... pg. 1, 7/09/02. As a homeless resident I am shocked — as I am sure many other readers and residents are — at the one-sided view that seems, with regularity, to be taken by this newspaper in its news section on the important issues concerning homelessness in Santa Monica. A paper that truly supports a positive business environment does the business community no favor by just presenting business’s — and the virulent anti-homeless’s harping views — about homeless people; and not seeking out, equally, the many other representatives of dedicated organizations advocating for more enlightened, productive, approaches to solving homelessness in Santa Monica.
The high calling of a general interest newspaper journalist is to give, with regularity, the balanced information that the public needs to form their own informed views — in order to build a responsible caring, prosperous, community. I suggest consulting groups like OPCC, The Westside Hunger and Shelter Coalition, Children Helping Poor and Homeless, (CHPHP) and the “Homeless Awareness Project” at the Leo Baeck Temple — or our own homeless “advocacy” newspaper, “Making Change…” for fairly balancing the views of police and business in this community on homelessness. Regarding the Promenade, current police practices are exacerbating the community homeless tensions.
Wealthy, privileged, Santa Monica’s homeless population is about 1 percent of the city. This can be confirmed by reading the homeless census on the city’s own home-page. This 1 percent is very close to the entire countywide homeless population. Additionally, about one in six persons on this planet, today, is pretty much homeless — all intelligent people keep this in their perspective.
Best wishes.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 12, 2002. Read the original PDF.