By Rich Cooper Santa Monica
Re: “Clean sweep the only answer to SM woes” (SMDP, May 28, page 4). I couldn’t agree more with Mr. Bauer. The quality of life in Santa Monica has been ruined by the homeless/transient problem. Taxpayers continue to fund programs that don’t do the job. The Third Street Promenade is a disgrace. Police stand by sipping Starbucks while the transients monopolize the nearby fountains and benches. Palisades Park is another blight on our city. Who could think of a family picnic when the manicured grounds are swarming with homeless? Finally, our great city having spent millions more, is in the process of building the finest hotel for the homeless — the new Santa Monica Main Public Library. There should be an ordinance concerning a basic level of hygiene that must be met in order to enter public libraries/places. How many of us have given up on the library entirely because we can’t bear the stench of our “neighbors?” Ever try to take your child to the restroom and see a man bathing in the sink? We pay for these libraries and have been driven out of them. We pay for these parks and no longer can use them. Where’s the compassion for the working class? As I write this, homeless are illegally picking through the recycling bins outside my home and hurling garbage all over the alley. When is enough enough? Now. This problem must be solved. Get rid of these City Hall politicians once and for all. It’s time for the liberal, politically correct agenda of City Hall to be swept clean.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 2, 2004. Read the original PDF.