Blame Misplaced in Homeless Crimes

The American Assn. of Women should be directing their wrath elsewhere in their response to the crimes committed by street people in Santa Monica. (Times, March 25.)

City Atty. (Robert M.) Myers has never shirked from his responsibility of prosecuting people who commit violent crimes, homeless or otherwise. He is not the culprit. Prop. 13 and the uncreative federal, state and county officials who irresponsibly cut funds from budgets for the mentally ill are the real culprits. They are the same folks who gutted the trauma centers. They are directly responsible for the deranged human beings who prowl our streets and make life uncomfortable and threatening.

Myers, like every hard-working law enforcement official in the country, is coping with the results of similar budget cuts. If the AAW were correct in their appraisal of the homeless crime situation, every city across the United States faced with similar problems would use their oversimplified and politically motivated solution of electing the city attorney.

Robert Myers, whether you agree with his personal politics or not, is an honest city attorney. It doesn’t get much better than that--elected or appointed. AAW’s “solution” to the homeless crime situation may relieve the frustration of this horrendous situation by finding a scapegoat in a humane city attorney, but it does not eliminate the problem.

LINDA FELDMAN

Santa Monica