Editor,
The recent lawsuit by the ACLU is a slap in the face and a case of the ACLU thinking they have an easy mark in suing Laguna Beach.
The homeless situation has turned from Laguna Beach helping those truly in need with free meals and shelters into an open free-for-all where the word has gotten out among the free loaders and those just let out of prison to come down to Laguna Beach and take advantage of the handouts and the soft approach by the police department.
The current batch of degenerates that are sleeping all over Main Beach and Heisler Park give the homeless people that really need our help a bad name.
Last week I witnessed one of them demanding a young man’s sunglasses from him while he was sitting down eating lunch at one of the benches at Main Beach. The young man, about 19, finally got up and defended himself and had to hit the creep with a right cross that cut his eye and got rid of him. I witnessed another poor older couple, who lived up near Heisler Park trying to get a couple off their property. This couple were sleeping on their lawn and wouldn’t leave.
Our police chief, Laura Farinella, is well aware of the current influx of troublemakers and has done a great job of adding extra police presence on the boardwalk at Main Beach where they congregate and drink, smoke, fight and become public nuisances.
Visitors from other countries are horrified at some of the sights that take place on Main Beach. I support the city for fighting this lawsuit and support our police force in cleaning up the trash on Main Beach.
Dennis Rooney, Aliso Viejo
The author works in Laguna Beach.
I agree. The more Laguna helps, the more it gets pushed by the ACLU. (Where do these lawyers live, anyway?) We have long-time seniors and artists who can’t afford to stay in Laguna and are not afforded affordable housing or rental assistance – it is all now going to the homeless.
There used to be several county shelters (the women’s shelter in Costa Mesa closed down). Perhaps we should sue Costa Mesa and all of the surrounding cities (Newport, Corona del Mar, Dana Point, San Clemente, etc.) who are all sending their homeless to Laguna Beach and not doing anything in their own cities. Then let’s sue the ACLU for not taking any action against the other cities as well as the County and State and Federal who are really responsible for this homeless situation and for funding.
Why is the San Clemente preacher feeding the homeless in Laguna instead of in San Clemente
(or at least in the picnic grounds rather than front and center Main Beach where people are also subjected to a biased sermon. I’m a Laguna Christian, and I’m not allowed to have a Christmas tree on the boardwalk…but they can have their sermons? I don’t understand.