Onus of Population Increase of Homeless: Wet Streets Cause Rain?

Was Los Angeles City Controller Galperin's 6/05/19 post on Next Door, about the 16 percent increase in homeless population, calculated to buy time for the Mayor & City Council to curate an excuse? It generated over 1000 comments. The comments varied from testimonials, solution oriented thoughts, predictable blame-game blasts and accusatory back-and-forth rhetoric. However, very few people gave the City Officials (both Mayor and City Council Members) an escape route.

One response sums it all: "Stop re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic!"

Furthermore, a week later and the same day Mayor Garcetti publicly took all responsibility, Council Member Blumenfield also chose to post on Next Door. It only served to divert some attention and responsibility from his fellow seat holders for the homeless population increase; to discussion about a bill in committee dealing with the State controlling towing of cars.

Ironically, the visible encampments and homeless issues have less to do with parked automobiles and more to do with the encroachment of people and possessions into streets, sidewalks and highway landscape. Those who are living in their automobiles can quickly pack up their chairs and belongings. Tent and shopping cart dwellers cannot. The growing homeless population, whether in cars or on the sidewalks, has become a serious threat to public safety and health.

Last week, the City officials were correct in addressing the illegal dumping of trash. It was pointed out the illegal dumping was most likely NOT only by homeless but rather by corrupt business owners and residents with a limited budget or maybe moving away.

BUT no one is addressing the biggest public safety issue always on the horizon. An earthquake the size of 1994, where people were forced to live in parks and their front yard. Where a week of sizable aftershocks further stressed the population and infrastructure. Where power was out in huge segments of the city. Where the first responders were so busy the National Guard was called in to enforce curfews. While the reports of crime was virtually undetectable is there a guarantee human decency will be repeated, whether by homeless or renters or homeowners? Or will we see a repeat of the Woolsey Fire where opportunists came in by boat to loot homes belonging to evacuated residents ?

Ironically, both the Assembly and Los Angeles City Council are Democratic majority think tanks. So solutions from the Sacramento sect may not align with the Los Angeles pack but they obviously cannot make this a partisan blame. The money, the legislation, and the votes for solutions have been controlled by a one-party majority, with an agenda, for decades.

It would behoove the citizens of Los Angeles to circulate FOURTEEN petitions to remove all the City Council members (the 15th member will be elected in August) and pair up each one to recall the Mayor. The efficiency of this method will send a message across the country. Remember, the FBI is already investigating much of Los Angeles Municipal offices so there is a high probability of multiple seats up for a costly special election. A full recall would be more efficient.

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