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# Voice from the past is housed but still homeless
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/voice-from-the-past-is-housed-but-still-homeless/
- Published: 2004-10-08T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T05:16:19.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless, Homelessness

*By CHARLES SPRINGER*

(Editor’s note: Charles Springer is a former Daily Press columnist who lived for several years on the streets of Santa Monica.) I guess you have been wondering where I have gone. Well, I have been getting my life back in order. I went into a rehabilitation center up in Acton, Calif., to recover from the effects of living on the streets for eight years and a marijuana addiction. I was only smoking mostly at night to sleep, but it was enough for me to finally recognize it and deal with it. Now I am TOTAL- LY clean and sober — as I was when I became homeless.

I am now living at the U.S. Veterans-run West Side Residence Hall, and it is exactly as I have described all the programs I have experienced in my life. I guess as long as there is homelessness, there will be places like this to house and feed them.

You might say, “Well you should be grateful for what you have: food, shelter, clothes.” You might say this until you have to come to places like this. I am not saying it does not do good for people; I am saying that there should not be any need for places like this in this country at all. Especially for those of us who served and are serving our country.

This is the richest and most powerful country in the world, yet there are approximately 2 million or more people unemployed, 1 million or more homeless. And that is a “conservative” estimate. This is not counting the thousand who are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan who are messed up and slowly winding up homeless, with drug addictions and combat-related psychological and physical problems.

Can anyone say Vietnam? Meanwhile, our most “benevolent” ruler is throwing hundreds of billions of dollars to Iraq through Halliburton to rebuild another country. I wonder how many people who are reading this want to see another four years of this kind of sapping of their money and resources to rebuild Iraq? How many of you want to see our jobs go to other countries “for the sake of democracy and freedom”?

I have been looking for a job for about one month now and have close to or more than 100 resumes out there in the field of graphic design, animation and/or any related field I can think of in which to get a job. And I have to settle for a $7 per hour position as a dog sitter. Many of you might say I should be grateful for that, I have to settle for it to be in this program. I was told to “be humble” and “take anything” by people who are working in their chosen professions.

I feel there is a fine line between humility and humiliation, between letting go of ego and losing your self esteem and self worth for the sake of getting a job.

I wonder if Mr. Bush had ever settled for “anything.” And if he had, would he or any of our leaders be where they are today if they had done this? Hell, we can’t even see if our “fearless” leader’s military career is real or not. Maybe Mr. Cheney would trade jobs with me to “become humble” or Mr. Bush would trade jobs with me to “let go of ego.” Maybe Mr. Rumsfield would like to have a $7 per hour position to show his support for the president’s wonderful economic plans for our nation and the “good jobs” he has created since he came to office.

Yes, I am back and still giving you a first-hand perspective on homelessness as I document my climb to success, if any such thing exists any more in this country for the average American citizen and those who have served his or her country. I am back to give you my perspective on what is happening in the world at large from a homeless point of view. (Charles Springer is now housed but still considered homeless. He is still a freelance artist and writer. He can be reached at chaz\_59@yahoo.com).

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 8, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/100804.pdf?ref=smdp.com)