Letters: Not just skid row

Re “The homeless and their stuff,” Editorial, Sept. 7

The Times fails to understand that the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision preventing the city from removing abandoned property left on public property impacts all areas of Los Angeles, not just skid row.

The decision puts a tremendous burden on city sanitation crews and police to address the accumulation of tons of “stuff” left on sidewalks, parkways and streets. This is an acute problem in many parts of Los Angeles, especially at Venice Beach, where hundreds of young travelers enjoy a meth-fueled lifestyle of beach camping, skateboarding and late-night partying at the expense of local residents who just want to sleep at night. Letting these people store their stuff wherever they want just enables this noxious behavior.

I applaud City Atty. Carmen Trutanich for fighting on residents’ and business owners’ behalf.

Mark Ryavec

Venice

The writer is president of the Venice Stakeholders Assn.

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