By Michael Beattie
What is the price of a human soul? What price do we put on compassion towards our fellow man? How much money do we need to make before we are willing to help those less fortunate than ourselves? Is it true, as the saying goes, “The true measure of a society can be judged on how they treat their poor?”
Poverty in the world today takes many forms and wears many guises. Frequently while watching the television or reading the paper, we see images and hear many stories about the poor people in other countries. While watching these ads on TV, I can’t help but feel bad for those who are in that situation.
Part of the problem lies in being led to believe that this only happens in poor, third world countries that may be nothing more to us than places we learned about in grade school geography. We are unwilling or unable to admit or believe that this could ever happen in a rich and powerful country like America.
Wake up people! This is going on right outside your front door (literally in some of your cases)! Homelessness in America is happening at an alarming rate and as the economy declines, it is only going to get worse not better.
The decision that the Santa Monica City Council made on Oct. 8 answers that question. They decided that business and money take precedence over the basic human rights of poor people. Ironically, the people who will be most affected by these ordinances will be the homeowners and renters outside of the demilitarized zone of Wilshire to Pico and from Ocean to Lincoln. Where do you think that people are going to sleep? Let me put it to you this way; make sure you check behind your car before you leave for your tax-paying job in the morning!
While Mayor Mike Feinstein was brought to tears and had to pause during his turn, my respect for him grew by the minute. He called this draconian ordinance what it really is. While his fellow council members pretended that it was a needed health issue to protect the poor who eat there, he pointed out that there was no evidence to support that claim because no one was getting sick at these food lines. And because it was purposely done right before election time, it was just a disguised plan to rid this city of poor people. The mayor looked ashamed and disgusted to be sitting with the rest of the city council, with the exception of Mayor Pro Tem Kevin McKeown.
Never in my wildest imagination did I ever think this or any other city would make it a criminal offense punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine for feeding poor people or sleeping in a doorway in front of a closed business. This is just absurd.
Don’t misunderstand me; I believe that the Bayside District and others do have legitimate complaints and that these problems need to be addressed. I just do not think attacking the food sources of poor people is the answer. Food and sleep are basic needs of human beings. To regulate that is criminal.
Arguing about who’s right and who’s wrong solves nothing. The business community has a power that no social service agency does. They have the power to create JOBS! In my own experience, there is nothing more important than helping someone feel better about themselves and to become a productive, taxpaying, dignified member of society...to be self-sufficient.
Put your money where your mouth is. Instead of saying that nothing works and there’s nothing we can do, this is our last hope to suppress the behavior of a few individuals who may or may not even be homeless. Consider a partnership with the Santa Monica Homeless Shelter (SAMOSHEL). The facility is full of people that have taken the first step towards self-sufficiency by deciding to change their lives. We are drug-and alcohol-free, have a variety of job skills and, most important, the willingness to work.
Business leaders could hire a few people from the shelter every six months, provide them with the necessary skills to do the job while paying them a low wage. After six months, the business could pay them more if they are getting good results. If this is approached in the right manner, the Workers Investment Act (WIA) could even be applied to further save your business money and increase profits by compensating you for up to half the salary for up to six months while in training.
The benefits to you and the rest of the community would be economic growth, less drug and alcohol abuse, rental property would increase and there may be less poor and homeless people hanging around your doorsteps. All it takes is you to be willing to give someone a chance. Who knows? You might even have an epiphany and come to understand how hard it can really be to dig yourselves out of a situation that is easy to lose hope in.
The only way things are going to get accomplished is by cooperation not subjugation. Call the new executive director of SAMOSHEL, Mr. Theodore Dues (310) 581-9825. Take a tour, meet some of the clients and find out what’s really going on. All it takes is willingness to try.
(Note to City Council: That will be $40,000. You no longer need to waste any more money on studies about what you can do to help poor people become self-sufficient!)
Michael Beattie is homeless and living at SAMOSHEL.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 11, 2002. Read the original PDF.