By John Zarchen Santa Monica
Kevin Herrera’s article (SMDP, March 8, page 1) on the homeless census in Santa Monica is one of the finest piece of journalism I have ever read. Imagine, a 28 percent increase of homeless people in Santa Monica caused by what? “The services we provide” says Stacy Rowe, director of the city’s homeless unit. Really, Stacy?
How about doing away with all of the services and redirecting my tax dollars to the schools or the roads or the parks or the beach or the bay or any number of worth-while endeavors, rather than squandering it on bums who have made bad choices in life and are now living off of the sweat of other hard-working Santa Monicans?
Kevin, a little advice: Why don’t you ask Bobby Shriver and Stacy Rowe what they are doing to reduce the services to the homeless? It is clear and obvious that it is the idiotic policies of the City Council that have attracted so many of them to our beautiful community, and I guarantee not a single Santa Monica resident would say “I want more homeless people in our community,” so what is our governing body doing to achieve this reduction? As a journalist, did it occur to you to ask that question? Your article restates the obvious over and over again without one iota of critical thought. Kevin, did it occur to you to ask Bobby Shriver what he means by “now we have a good thing going.” What the hell does that mean — we have a good thing going? Bobby, I got news for you, the wacko legislators continue to run this city into the ground. I say end all homeless services now. The result will be a 28 percent reduction in homeless people in less than a year, mark my words.
To all Santa Monica’s who agree, write to the Daily Press. Come on folks, what do you want your hard-earned tax dollars spent on, homeless services or schools?
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 15, 2006. Read the original PDF.