Homeless problems of downtown

Re “Homeless Patient Policy May Shift,” March 25

Seriously, does the Hospital Assn. of Southern California think that requiring written consent before dumping patients in skid row is going to make a difference? Realistically, it has to know that a hospital could easily have been able to get a consent form signed by Carol Ann Reyes. That solves nothing!

JAN MCQUADE

Thousand Oaks

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Re “City Targets ‘the Shuffle’ on Skid Row,” March 23

Politicians never seem to understand that when they create laws that force hotel owners to give “rights” to their occupants, someone has to pay for these new contractual rights. Just because a hotel is in skid row doesn’t mean it can lose money without consequences. Unlike government, when private hotel owners have a shortfall, they will have to change their bottom lines or their losses will drive them into bankruptcy.

If the “shuffle” laws are enforced, what alternative does the hotel owner have other than raising the rent for rooms, or refusing to rent to the poor altogether? So, in the end, the poor are forced to pay for state-mandated terms of occupancy that they may not desire. This is just an unintended consequence of misguided politicians who force rules on third parties without understanding the financial situation of a business they want to regulate.

ERIC TAYLOR

Sunland

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The video of Reyes, hospital-garbed and disoriented, being dumped on the curb is a sad reflection of what we’ve become. Contrary to the saying, “A society is judged by how it treats its poor,” we get an A in taking care of our rich. What happened to us? We used to be the good guys.

ALBERT OBREGON

Sunland

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There are many people who could be among the homeless with the right circumstances. I am single, self-employed and not wealthy, but I donate to charities. Would it be possible for The Times (or someone) to start a fund to ask for help with the homeless situation downtown? There must be other people like me who would donate. The money would go directly to building the facilities to get these people off the street and back on their feet, if they are able. I know there are organizations like the L.A. Mission, etc., but they cannot handle it all.

CLEORA LEIST

Hacienda Heights