11TH STREET — Toilets will make life better here.
So says City Hall, which may soon deliver port-a-potties to 11th Street as a means of helping residents and businesses deal with a day laborer situation many con-tend is out of control.
Those concerned about crime in their neighborhood — not to mention excrement on their sidewalks — asked City Hall in August to step in and help regulate the illegal immigrants who gather in this part of town while waiting for work.
The issue is not a new one for Council, which already voted to install toilets in the area two years ago upon resident requests, but apparently never followed through.
For decades, day laborers have loitered near 11th Street and Olympic Boulevard on the sidewalks, keeping a watchful eye on traffic coming and going from the Salvation Army outlet, Bourget Brothers supply store, the old Fisher Lumber site and other businesses from which they might be called upon to help with construction, landscaping, home improvement, moving and other “fix-up” jobs.
However, residents have grown weary of the blight created by the masses, which can number up to 175 people on a given day. On Tuesday, a few of the residents returned to City Hall and reminded elected leaders help was needed.
“I haven’t seen anything that’s been done about it over a month after the fact,” said Charlie Bunin, a Santa Monica resident who first spoke about his concerns at the Aug. 9 council meeting.
Miriam Mack, Santa Monica’s economic development manager, said City Hall believes port-a-potties may be the solution.
“It would make the day laborer conditions better and perhaps alleviate some of the negative impacts in the streets,” Mack said. “It’s something we can do immediately to see if that’s a help and go from there.”
City Hall spokeswoman Judy Rambeau Franz said the suggestion may go before the council as early as Oct. 25.
Meanwhile, employees who work in the area think City Hall is off to a good start, but more may be needed to combat the problem in the long run.
Kirby Fortenberry, who works on the 1600 block of 11th Street, said the illegal immigrants who line up near his office often number in the hundreds and aren’t productive in the same manner citizens are.
“Because they’re paid in cash, they don’t pay income tax — only sales tax,” Fortenberry said. “It’s not fair to other hard-working people.”
Fortenberry also said he was concerned about public safety.
“We have women who work into the night,” he said. “When they go to their cars, you think it’s a good idea if 40 men are standing around?”
John Stevens, who works at True Value Hardware store, said oftentimes some of the day laborers are drunk by noon if they don’t have work.
“It’s like anything else,” Stevens said. “There’s always a percentage of those who want to work, and others who just want to talk to friends and drink a beer.”
“There’s always a percentage of those who want to work, and others who just want to talk to friends and drink a beer.” — JOHN STEVENS True Value Hardware employee
Stevens said he supported the idea of creating a day laborer center which would allow those willing to find work in an organized manner and minimized associated risks for both employers and employees.
Councilman Richard Bloom said he will urge staff to contact officials in Pasadena, who he said seem to have a successful program for regulating day laborers.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 29, 2005. Read the original PDF.