Sue Choi has asked the questions that many Venetians have asked? She has researched other cities with problems in search of these answers.

Venice is only one percent of the population of Los Angeles, and yet, Venice has a larger percentage of homeless than any other city. Why? Venice has been most benevolent, and now because of this, more? Again, why? Has this Venice benevolence not created the problem? These are questions Choi has asked and more.

By Sue Choi

Why is Venice victimized by the man who is supposed to be representing us within the City at large?

Is he serving the interests of the other neighborhoods at our expense?

Why is Venice forced to donate the largest amount of square footage to homeless projects, more than all the other 14 districts combined?

Why are a total of 10 out of 15 council members not contributing any of their district real estate to help the homeless?

The net impact of Bonin’s vision will cram a majority of new homeless services for the entire City of LA into Venice, and will this not welcome new homeless from across the country to Venice?

Why not spread your projects out across your district?

Pay attention, Bonin. We are watching. Read these articles.

The following are portraits of cities with good intentions, who have found their good intentions have gone horribly wrong.

Follow the trajectory of other towns that welcome street living and increase their homeless services. The homeless population only inflates as more services are provided; it does not decline. It’s an endlessly increasing spiral of transients coming into town and onto their streets. Be warned, poor planning, even with good intentions, is turning these cities into homeless destinations.

HONOLULU: “28 percent of her shelter and food budget is spent on NEW ARRIVALS from the mainland… I think that we really need to begin to look at who’s really homeless — not by choice and by misfortune — and who’s really HOMELESS BY CHOICE, and have a different solution for the two different populations.”
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story…

PORTLAND: Even though this article tries to present Seattle’s homeless village as a success, deep in the article they admit otherwise. “The homeless population in Portland has steadily increased since 2007 even while national rates have dropped by 11 per cent during the same period. The Oregonian has characterized it as a problem “spinning out of control…WE’RE VICTIMS OF OUR OWN SUCCESS,” says Josh Alpert.”
http://thetyee.ca/News/2016/02/01/Portla…

SEATTLE: “The boisterous meeting Friday featured tearful testimony, audience members shouting over City Council members, and a cry for “recall” when Councilmember Mike O’Brien said homeless people have a right to sleep somewhere. The tone was unusual for archliberal Seattle. Like some others, Bryant, a Seattle resident, said ENABLING PEOPLE TO LIVE IN TENTS WAS NOT COMPASSIONATE BUT CRUEL.”
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news…

LONG BEACH: “The bottom line is there’s a resource issue. The TRADITIONAL WAY OF DOING THINGS ISN’T WORKING.”
http://www.presstelegram.com/social-affa…

NEW YORK: New York has the largest homeless population in the country. The rise in the homeless population “has been largely driven by two trends: More people are seeking shelter within the city system, and those people are then STAYING IN THE SYSTEM LONGER, according to advocates for the homeless.”
http://www.wsj.com/articles/official-new…

SANTA CRUZ: Apparently Santa Cruz is finally learning one thing. The tent city for homeless idea died because their county supervisor realized that POOR EXECUTION wreaks havoc on a community. Per his words, “the BEST SOLUTIONS AREN’T THE ONES THAT POLARIZE THE COMMUNITY SO STRONGLY. THEY’RE THE ONES THAT UNITE.”
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general…