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# Vote your conscience this election and help the poor
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/vote-your-conscience-this-election-and-help-the-poor/
- Published: 2002-10-26T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T00:49:10.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Community, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless

*By Michael Beattie*

Gentrification; the deliberate and systematic process to purposely remove poor people from any given area or segment of society.

Another pretty word for economic discrimination. First you remove their sustenance, then remove as many options as possible for the basic human need for sleep and do not allow them access to affordable housing in the community in which they have chosen to live. Last but by no means least, remove or close down as many health care facilities exclusively designed for low-income residents as possible. After all these things are accomplished, make it a crime punishable by law to be poor. This is the end result of gentrification and Santa Monica is well on its collective way to accomplishing this goal.

On Nov. 5, voters from all over California will be able to make the choice on whether or not they want to be a part of this growing trend to subjugate poor and homeless citizens and drive them out of their individual cities. Luckily it will not be left in the hands of the Santa Monica City Council who have recently shown that it is not willing to allow poor people their basic human rights of food, sleep, or affordable housing due to the self important business community who, by their very nature, have absolutely no use for people who have very little or no money to spend on their over priced products.

Proposition 46, a $2.1 billion bond measure that provides emergency shelters for battered women, affordable housing for seniors, low-income families and homeless shelters with social services. It also will provide down payment assistance to teachers, police officers, firefighters, veterans, emergency shelters and rental housing for seniors. Proposition 46 sets aside $195 million to build emergency shelters and $910 million to build permanently-affordable rental housing for homeless families with children. (California Voter Information Guide).

Proposition 46 is an essential tool for addressing the housing needs for those among us who are less fortunate than most people who can afford the high cost of rent in this city and elsewhere around the state. Affordable housing and short-term emergency shelter are imperative to the lives and well being of anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves in a situation in which it is extremely difficult to find a way out, no matter how great the desire.

Over the past few months we’ve been hearing all sorts of political excuses and so called reasons to justify the decisions that have been made in Santa Monica recently. By making it illegal to feed poor and hungry people, still one of the most ignorant things I’ve heard that an elected governing body has been allowed to do, is the first step towards gentrification. Hopefully California as a whole will speak out against this growing practice. According to the State Department of Housing, 360,000 Californian’s are homeless. This includes not only those who, by choice, are homeless, it includes families with children, senior citizens who can’t afford housing within their Social Security income, veterans, mentally ill, and more people from more different walks of life than I can describe.

Some of you have been led to believe it’s just criminals who are homeless. That’s just not even slightly true. Although now, when I get arrested for giving a hungry person a sandwich, it’s a crime. Apparently there are a lot more poor and homeless people than just criminals and the decisions that you make will affect more than just those who you may see in Palisades Park or the Promenade. There are many diverse groups of people who will be positively affected by this proposition.

Although we will need to pay it back over 30 years, think of how many people you can personally help just by checking YES. Listen to your conscience and do the right thing. No more excuses, reasons, or imaginary justifications needed. (Michael Beattie is homeless in Santa Monica and is staying at Samoshel, one of the city’s homeless shelters.)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 26, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/102602.pdf?ref=smdp.com)