The Roots of the NYC and LA Homeless Problem

Mayor Gil Garcetti of Los Angeles along with Mayor DeBlasio out of New York have been dealt a very bad hand regarding the media and social butt whipping that these two are taking on the homeless issue.

Coalitions and activist can shout at these politicians until they are blue in the face, but it will not change the reality on the ground or the situation. There are not only limitations to government but there are also limitations on the political effectiveness of shouting mobs & media shaming.

In New York City via income inequality and crony capitalism, the wealth divide is staggering. This was not the doing of Mayor DeBlasio but actually started back under Mayor Bloomberg via gentrification projects. Large areas of New York City were deliberately designed by Mayor Bloomberg and people like Donald (small 't') trump to price out blacks and Latinos.

Gentrification was a deliberate strategy under Mayor Bloomberg, who wanted a more older white demographic that reflected himself, and now these problems have been inherited by Mayor DeBlasio. So, do not talk to me about Mayor DeBlasio until you get your basics down. Been there; done that & seen it all.

The L.A. Issue:

For at least a decade, I have blogged about the endless ‘homeless dumping’ in L.A. County. Not only is the homeless issue a problem in Los Angeles, Ca but it is also a problem in New York City.

In Los Angeles, we had other counties and even other states that simply bussed in their homeless folks and dropped them off on L.A.’s Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles.

Every Mayor, prior to Garcetti, had a hand in allowing this homeless crisis to happen; but now it falls all on the shoulders of our current Mayor.

The homeless dumping in Downtown L.A. has always been an issue but now it’s a really big problem, all of a sudden, because developers are trying to develop overpriced real estate in the areas, where the homeless population have traditionally been placed or dumped.

• Not only are businesses and developers trying to refurnish the more seedy areas of Downtown Los Angeles but these same ‘good-doers’ are refusing to pay proper taxes and often times, the developers will develop real estate, displace poor or working poor communities of color and simply use tax loop holes to not pay any local or state taxes on their properties.

What can a Mayor, of any city, do about a problem when there aren’t enough funds in the budget to tackle the problem? I have often been faced with a daily annoyance of being tasked with solving community problems via community organizing but if the funds aren’t there; then the public is simply preaching to the choir.

There is a campaign called MAKE IT FAIR (closing tax loop holes in Prop 13) and they, along with myself, have been lobbying to make developers and big businesses pay their fair share of taxes in California State, in an effort to provide more low income housing.

Once we get these funds in place; then we will be in business and then Mr. Garcetti can get some work done but this homeless problem was the creation of political corruption, long before he even set foot into office……but he did beg for the job.