PLATFORM : Poverty Not a Crime

Franklin Delano Roosevelt stated that “(T)he test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” Unfortunately, Santa Monica’s leaders seek to placate “those with much” by depriving “those with little” of their dignity.

The no-camping ordinance adopted in April, along with stepped-up enforcement of other laws, make criminal the daily lives of many homeless people. The proposal to regulate food distribution will make outlaws out of ordinary citizens whose sole offense is their desire to feed the hungry. These actions represent the first time that Santa Monica has embraced the harsh measures used by other cities to drive the homeless away.

The existence of homelessness in our society is unjust. Someday we may be asked what we did to help the victims of poverty during these dark days. We each have a responsibility to do work that will allow us to answer with pride. Part of my answer will be that I refused to make poverty a crime.