Corruption in America
by Gary C. Huber
6/4/01
Betrayal 2
Once again, Mayor Tom Daly of Anaheim, California is attacking the motels, saying they’re a "breeding ground for crime, prostitution, and drugs." When in fact, many of these people just have low-income jobs and are trying to make ends meet.
The mayor says there is low-income housing but the truth is there is a waiting list, years long. And these people have no other place to go except to the streets. Yes, the mayor will put women and children out by force if need be.
The headline from the Orange County Register, Friday, May 25, 2001 read, "Anaheim’s Motel Policy under Fire." The article said, "The city has additional powers in these areas to acquire property by using eminent domain if necessary and to transfer it to developers at a subsidized cost." I live in one of these motels and I can tell you the people here are not all bad. It is a nice motel. A Chinese family owns it and they are wonderful people who love children.
More of this type of treatment is going on across America. Here are two examples of government abuse. In Buena Park, California, Diane Grue, a 66-year-old homeless woman, "contends she can’t afford housing two weeks a month and could face jail if convicted on a homeless-related charge." She asked, "Is it a crime not to have a place to live?" Grue could face six months in jail and a $500 fine.
But she has help on her side. Attorney Jon Alexander agreed to take her case without a fee. Alexander also represented Rev. Wiley Drake four years ago when the minister was found guilty of four misdemeanor counts of violating city codes while using his Southern Baptist Church facilities for the homeless.
In Sagle, Idaho Joann Dunn McGuckin, 45, is being held in the Bonner County jail on $100,000 bail on a felony charge of child neglect after authorities accused her of providing inadequate food, heat, clean water, and sanitation to her children, ages 8 to 16.
Attorney Edgar Steele, who is representing McGuckin said "This family continues to be under siege by its own government," Steele also said, "I still steadfastly maintain her only crime is that of being poor."
Americans, I ask you, is it a crime to live in a motel or to be homeless, or just plain poor? What are we doing to help our people today? Arresting them is not the answer. Mayor Tom Daly should be looking for places to turn into low-income housing or build some more, not throw children on the street. Where will they go? These children will grow up thinking they are low-life and will act accordingly.
Don’t you think we should take care of our homeless? The population is growing at a rapid pace. We need to build shelters for them in every city and they should be good ones that give them the medical or psychological care and vocational training they need to help them get back on their feet.
The government may say they can’t afford this kind of help but if we ban together we can help people through our own efforts. One way might be to hold a community fund-raiser and donate the proceeds to a shelter or a family in need. It’s time to stop waiting for the government to act and take care of each other.
