By David L. McCammon President, PEGUS Research Salt Lake City, Utah
(This letter was originally addressed to Mayor Bob Holbrook.) I recently in part hosted — along with a Japanese drug company — a large meeting in your city. I am extremely busy and time is precious, but I felt compelled to take the time to pass along comments regarding that event.
I own and operate a pharmaceutical research company in Salt Lake City, Utah. My work requires considerable travel throughout the USA. As well, it requires that we host many meetings in various communities. We spend thousands upon thousands of dollars in these communities each year.
Much to my initial delight, we had decided to hold our most recent meeting in Santa Monica. My wife and I grew up in Orange County and had visited your city a year ago for a weekend get away. We looked forward to this event being hosted at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel from March 22-26. We hosted a meeting of approximately 70 people who came from various places in the USA (e.g., Kansas City, Minneapolis, Richmond, Atlanta, Dallas). As with similar events, this meeting resulted in money spent in your community for hotel nights, meals, taxi transportation and entertainment.
The hotel was a grand experience for those attending, and your community overall was viewed with initial very positive comments. However, as time went on the comments from attendees turned toward what was viewed as a significant homeless population issue. Not only just the sheer numbers of homeless, which was surprising to our attendees, but also a sense of aggressiveness from these people seeking money. Some of our women attendees felt uneasiness about venturing out alone. The sad part of this was that these attendees ended the meeting most often commenting on this issue and not the great things about Santa Monica. As well, imagine how they speak of their experience upon their return home this past weekend to friends and family.
Now our fellow attendees understand the social problem and are very compassionate people. They, as do I, understand that this is not an easy problem to address, and we do need to take care of those living on the streets. We simply were struck by the size of the problem, the strong approaches by some homeless seeking money, and no doubt it did diminish all of our view of the city. I must say I noticed since we were here a year ago that the problem was much worse in my view.
All of the above, though, pale to an experience I had Saturday night, March 25. My wife and I were enjoying the evening on the Promenade. We had finished dinner at the Gaucho Grill, enjoying a stroll along the Promenade, and were leaving Z Gallery at about 8:30 p.m. As I turned and got about in the middle of the Promenade, a homeless man suddenly stood within inches of my face. So close that I felt threatened and stepped back. He stepped again even closer demanding money. At this point I stated “no” and said to please step away from me. He at that point punched me in the chest. All the people in that area turned and focused on this exchange. This man continued to threaten me and my wife as I stood there. I was extremely angry but felt it best not to escalate this, though frankly I am not a timid man and I am a fit man after years of weightlifting and exercise. I let him know strongly that he had a few seconds to depart. As he raised his fist again, I strongly told him the next swing would be his last. Finally he seemed to sense that what I was telling him was true and he ran off.
Then Sunday morning, March 26, as we had breakfast at Barney’s Beanery on the Promenade, we got to listen to all types of vulgarity, yelling and urinating against walls. It did not speak well of the city, I must say.
In all my time, in all the cities I have visited in the USA and the world, I have never experienced anything like this. My Saturday experience coupled with the size of the problem in your city is staggering to consider and to address. I would assume residents, business owners and city officials are very concerned. If I owned a business in that area, I would be very concerned about the impact on business.
We again understand that the homeless need to be cared for, and we all have a human responsibility in this regard. We support programs here in Salt Lake City to help address that problem. Yet at the same time, those who live in and/or visit a community have rights and expectations for safety, comfort, etc.
Due to this experience, my wife and I personally will not return to your city nor will we host any additional meetings in Santa Monica. I doubt the money my firm not spending in Santa Monica will have any real impact of course. We are a small company sponsoring eight such meetings annually. However, it does not take more than a few companies like mine who feel the same to begin to make an impact. As well, you now have 70 people going back home saying negative things that impact future visitors and their decisions about where to go. The sad part is I frankly very much enjoy your city for the most part. We love to ride bikes along the entire boardwalk, shop and dine in your community, go to Harvelles, and Santa Monica has so much going for it.
Unfortunately we will not be back, and I doubt the Japanese drug company will return as well.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 31, 2006. Read the original PDF.