Friday, May. 16, 2008

Gene Lieb: Decide to help homeless -- or not

The issue of what to do with homeless people has been debated in most cities across the county and everyone has opinions as to how to fix the problem.

Perhaps we're looking at the problem in Los Baños the wrong way. Every one of us has something in our lives that we don't like. It may be the high price for gas, the lawn having to be mowed each week, or the heat or wind or whatever. Our lives are filled with "issues" that we must deal with. The homeless issue is no different. We must find a solution. We cannot say it doesn't exist or that the homeless people simply should go to another town.

They are not going away. And as the city grows, so grows the number of homeless people.

So what do we do? We could go about our lives, ignoring the people sleeping outside and asking for money. But for how long? Another six months, a year, two years?

The homeless issue will not fix itself. People sometimes lose their jobs and their homes, some give up on life, some become dependent on mind-altering substances, some beg for money, and some break the law and wind up in jail. What a wonderful life.

There are people who are reading this and saying to themselves, "I didn't cause the homeless problem. It's not my fault that people are sleeping outside with no food."

And you're right. You didn't cause it. Unfortunately, there will always be homeless people and they will do whatever they need to survive.

The question is what are we going to do about it? The city of Los Baños doesn't have a homeless department. No city staff member is traveling through the city feeding, clothing and finding shelter for the homeless.

Pastor Steve Hammond and a group of people want to make some changes. They would like to help some of the homeless by creating the Los Baños Rescue Mission to feed, shelter and attempt to change the mindset and lives of some homeless men who could be - with some training - productive citizens of the city.

Does Hammond have all the answers? No. Does he have a passion for helping others because as a pastor he is being called by God to help others? Yes. Is that a bad thing?

The City Council budgeted $25,000 as seed money to create a program to assist the homeless. When that money was budgeted there were no strings attached. It was stated that the money was to help the homeless. Now some council members want a detailed list of how the money will be spent. They want to make sure it's not going to be spent on anything related to religion. Remember, we must separate church and state.

Comments have been made that the money should not be spent on any administrative costs such as rescue mission training or leasing of buildings. That sounds reasonable, but if administrative funds cannot be found from private sources, who's going to pay for the proper training and facilities which are vital for success?

The city of Los Baños has decided to spend $24 million during the next 30 years to pay for a gymnasium and a dining hall near the Rail Trail. A measly $25,000 dollars to help the homeless will not bankrupt the city.

Some people say they want to help the homeless by building a shelter or mission, but many of them are quick to say, "just don't build it in my neighborhood." The $25,000 is not meant to secure a permanent location. It's just a beginning to help raise money for a permanent location to be determined at a later date.

So members of the City Council should vote to direct staff to write the check and get moving on helping the homeless, unless its real agenda is to delay Hammond's effort until they're out of office because they really have no desire to ever see a shelter built and operated in Los Baños. If that's the case, they should stand up and say so. The public deserves to know.

Gene Lieb is the publisher of the Los Baños Enterprise. He can be reached at 826-3831 or glieb@losbanosenterprise.com.

Gene Lieb is the publisher of the Los Baños Enterprise. He can be reached at 826-3831 or glieb@losbanosenterprise.com.