Letter to the Editor: Fix the homeless crisis before worrying about climate change

Dear Editor:

In a recent reading, I was informed about Senate Bill 45, a bond bill being introduced in the state legislature that would include $1 billion for prevention of wildfires, $1 billion to protect water supplies from climate associated risks, $630 million to protect coastal areas from rising seas, and $520 million to protect fish and other wildlife from the effects of climate changes. 

I recently read that with one volcanic eruption, five years of man-made efforts to protect changes in the climate would be wiped out.

I am for protecting the environment and California has done well in improving the air quality, however, we need to be realistic in eliminating all fossil fuels and erecting windmills to produce electricity. I personally wouldn’t want a windmill in my backyard, and wouldn’t want to see millions all around Downey and elsewhere which would be needed to produce electricity. Additionally, there are fewer birds in areas where windmills are located.

Furthermore, I feel that $4 billion could be spent more wisely and appropriately – namely eliminating encampments on city streets. There has been a lot of rhetoric regarding this deplorable situation, and taxpayers are paying into measures that are supposed to alleviate this problem, but to date all that has taken place is more talk and no action. 

Getting homeless off the city streets where their urine and defecations are washed into flood control basins and ultimately into the ocean would be one important step in cleaning up our waters.

With about two-thirds of the homeless on drugs and another one-third with mental health problems quite possibly from drug abuse, homelessness should be the number one priority, not climate change. Mental health centers/shelters need to be instituted. If there is no room or desire to have shelters for the homeless in the cities, temporary encampments outside the city should be erected where there would be no access to drugs and work in the fields or other types of employment would be mandatory. 

For those homeless individuals because of their low income or loss of job, affordable housing should be made available and/or vouchers given to subsidize their rent.

Not being an expert in climate change and wondering if there really is one, I totally agree that we should do everything that is realistic and effective to keep our air and water clean, however, there should be very thoughtful consideration for spending $4 billion, and the number one priority should be getting serious about eliminating encampments on city streets. 

Let 2020 be the year for less rhetoric and more action in eliminating encampments, urination, defecations, and drug abuse on city sidewalks.

Martha Morrissy
Downey