MY WRITE
It’s half way through 2005, and the plague that well-meaning city social engineers brought to our community is still upon us.
Over the last 25 years, the city has spent tens of millions of dollars on direct services to transients. The indirect costs of police, paramedics, medical care and other related expenses would probably add up to millions more.
So, it was interesting to see Julie Rusk, manager of the human service division, acknowledge in a recent posting on surf-santamonica.com that the city funded “‘continuum of care’ has failed the most chronic of homeless people.”
On average, there are about 1,100 transients at any time in Santa Monica. City-funded homeless services enable hundreds of them. Example: OPCC’s (formerly the Ocean Park Community Center) drop-in center offers mail boxes, sack lunches, counseling, clothing and other basics indefinitely, no strings attached.
Many transients refuse to take part in services although they take advantage of the daily food handouts provided by numerous groups and individuals.
Providing food handouts and free services, literally forever, without requiring some kind of response — such as being committed to getting off the streets — is nothing more than enabling. That’s why we have so many “hard core” street people, many of whom have been here for 20 years and longer.
The city’s “continuum of care” (called the “continuum of misery” by some transients) is predicated on the theory that people want to get off the dole and into productive society. Unfortunately, that theory doesn’t apply to most of our hard core homeless.
It’s been well documented that two-thirds of our transients have mental or physical problems and/or are alcoholic or addicted to drugs. Many don’t have the ability to live an ordered life and would prefer the activity and adventure of “being a free spirit” on our streets.
I see no problem with helping people who will use the help they get. However, despite what our politicians insist, it’s NOT the responsibility of the good people of Santa Monica to save everybody who comes here from around the world because they can’t get services where they’re from.
Councilman Bobby Schriver phoned a few weeks ago. He was annoyed by a comment I’d written (SMDP, May 23, page 4) about his suggestion of hiring a $200,000 a year homeless czar — a person of national reputation who would have the juice to work with other communities to ensure “they share the burden.”
I told Bobby I didn’t think it was Santa Monica’s duty or obligation to pay someone to encourage surrounding communities to step to the plate. Bobby disagreed, then acknowledged that it might take more than a year to get something accomplished.
Jeeez! Does that mean we will be paying for a homeless czar for two years, four years or however long it takes to get results — plus expenses that haven’t been approved yet? When is enough, enough?
In the meantime, the city added another $170,000 to its annual human services budget for two employees to administer the “continuum of care” and add whatever new services or programs that cross their bureaucratic minds. None of this is going to reduce the number of drunks, mentally ill and antisocial vagrants on our streets, but it’ll cost more and attract additional transients to our red carpet.
The real answer to the “vagrant” problem is as plain as the red nose on an inebriate’s face: Reduce services, eliminate food handouts and use “tough love” on those who are here to freeload, panhandle and take advantage of our hospitality.
If it’s tougher here, the freeloaders will follow the course of least resistance and go where life is easier. Think of it. With our displaced transients hanging out somewhere else, those communities will have to provide services. We won’t need a “celebrity” to convince them to pitch in.
Maybe we could take the money not spent supporting vagrants and do something good for this community for a change — like make it livable and resident friendly again.
Imagine the benefits if millions of dollars were directed annually to our schools, libraries or recreational facilities, or even to subsidize the increasing costs of solid-waste collection, wastewater and stormwater runoff.
One can dream. (Bill Bauer is a freelance writer and longtime Santa Monica resident.)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 8, 2005. Read the original PDF.