By Julien Thompson Santa Monica
Why not have all the “children and tourists” fed at a single cafeteria one block square across from City Hall instead of going to all these high-toned eateries in Santa Monica? Each of the present small restaurants could operate in the new food block. And such patrons would not be going “where they are not wanted...”
Sounds pretty stupid, yes? Well so does corralling the foodless into the slaughter pens of the shelters. The Salvation Army is a multi-billion-dollar-a-year charity. It operates the Santa Monica shelter. A chief source of shelter earnings comes from its referral of clients to other agencies. So to get a sandwich or a food plate, contemporary thinking seems to be to refer the unfortunate where (s)he may not appropriately fit. Witness the present horror stories told about activities in Samoshel.
Santa Monica’s original idea seems to have been to feed publicly its hungry so they need not steal to survive. Maybe it needs tweaking. The health department should issue permits. But a head-hammering session with business big shots who pay $50,000 a year plus merchandise to sell on a Promenade cart is also “inappropriate.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 5, 2002. Read the original PDF.