Letter: Bureaucracy won’t help those who are homeless

Thursday, April 4, 2002 | 9:02 a.m.

I saw a sickening spectacle on March 22. It took place in federal court where three lawyers representing the city told half-truths, which included that there is enough shelter space and other services for all the homeless. Mayor Oscar Goodman sat at the counsel table with them.

The federal judge ruled that the homeless could be moved on the basis of health hazards. The city created this hazard by not cleaning city property for months. The fire hydrant with the sickening mess was on city property.

Ask the mayor where mental health services are. Keep in mind that over 40 percent of this neglected population is mentally ill.

After six months of inaction the homeless task force, chaired by Goodman, came back with the bureaucratic absurd idea of setting up an additional bureaucracy, a nonprofit organization costing $300,000 to $500,000 per year. Disgraceful, shameful and wasteful. To top it off they want to pay a consultant $15,000 to tell them what Brother David Buer and other homeless activists (unsalaried) could tell them for free.

Government relies on the homeless providers for advice, which is the reason for the bureaucratic, expensive services. We need government oversight and cost analysis on all future taxpayer funding.

FRANK PERNA