A letter to the editor of the Los Angeles Times. Well written and says what I have been saying for the last two or three years.
To the editor: While columnist George Skelton focuses on the possibility of higher taxes in order to address the homelessness problem in California, he does not discuss what makes any policy solution next to impossible: NIMBYism.
There are more than 150,000 people out on the streets in California, but few people are willing to accept any kind of housing for these people in their neighborhoods, where it may affect the value of their homes, businesses and so on. Yes, it’s tough dealing with people who have mental health issues, problems with addiction and little (if any) access to help.
Tell that to business owners and residents in places where homeless encampments are part of everyday life. Someone is sleeping in front of your storefront in Sacramento or defecating in an alleyway in San Diego, and you’ve got to deal with it. But for the rest of us, for the most part, it’s out of sight, out of mind.
Gov. Gavin Newsom cannot help people find their moral compass. That is on us. Until then, there will be no solution. The money involved and where it will come from is really a secondary issue.
Edgar Kaskla, Garden Grove
The writer is a lecturer in the political science department at Cal State Long Beach and the author of the book, “California Politics: The Fault Lines of Power, Wealth and Diversity.”
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