"Whether on the beach, in the canals or in submerged land, get ready for a truly unusual sensory experience."

The 10th edition of

Lonely Planet

, the quintessential guide to American "travelers," featured

Venice Beach

as

one of the "jewels" lined the Los Angeles coastline

in 2018

.

Scooters, string bikini, beach volleyball.

Sea and sun, of course.

However, for some months the setting has been that of a refugee camp. A stretch of

battered tents, rags, buggies, broken chairs and couches

, cots, worn mats stretches for a few miles on the

beach leading to Santa Monica

. There are practically no toilets, as the stench concentrated in the makeshift open-air toilets attest unequivocally.

It is the invasion of the homeless. Many African Americans, many very young. Everything adrift. They came from all corners of the United States, drawn by the warm weather and the soft line taken by the head of the Venice constituency, Mike Bonin, a Democrat close to the positions of the radical left. No filters, no restrictions

. In recent months, anyone has been able to pitch a tent in the Venice arena, or park their caravan

, three or four blocks away. Result: the small town is now submerged by at least 2,000

, but there are also those who say 4,000 are homeless

.

The quality of life has plummeted rapidly, as reported by Soledad Ursua, a business consultant, and Chie Lunn, a teacher, but above all members of the municipal committee that supports the city of Venice.

Lunn notes: "I am a democratic activist, I have always dealt with homeless people, drug addicts or people with mental disorders. My mother died of an overdose. I know this world, but

what we are seeing here in Venice goes beyond all limits.

. It is simply unsustainable. We are in a situation of constant insecurity, if not of danger. Not to mention the hygienic conditions. "

Soledad Ursua adds: "Basically we are also forced to live in a camp, without protection. Crime is increasing in a tumultuous way. We asked the Los Angeles Police Department for information. As of July 3, 2021

, robberies had increased by 150% compared to the same period

last year; burglaries account for 93%; armed robberies 55%. I would like to point out that at least 50% of all these episodes involve persons without home, which are often the same victims. "

Venice is a suburb with different social stratifications. There are ocean-view villas that are worth a few million dollars,

but there are also condos for the middle class

, where a two-bedroom apartment costs around $ 800,000. Prices are now going down. Many residents, Lunn and Ursua confirm, are leaving.

The problem

also affects other neighborhoods in Los Angeles

. The center of the financial district, the city center, has long been a no-man's-land. You just have to enter Skid Row, the narrow neighborhood between Little Tokyo and the modern Art District.

The sidewalks are covered by hundreds of meters of sheets and small tents

, from which mattresses and some radios emerge. It's not just Venice. And it's not just Councilman Mike Bonin. The homeless crisis directly challenges Democratic Mayor Eric Garcetti, 50. But the mayor is out. On July 9, Joe Biden named him ambassador to India. If the indication is confirmed by the Senate, elections will be called or the Council will appoint an interim mayor.

In any case, there will be a power vacuum for some time. In matters of security, Garcetti has delegated a lot, perhaps too much, to the heads of the 15 administrative districts into which Los Angeles is divided. Traditional liberal tolerance, however, has

produced a half catastrophe for public order

, disorienting even the most progressive voters. On the streets of the Californian megalopolis there are about 41,000 people, according to the estimate of the Social Services Agency.

The question now is: does democratic and progressive politics have the ability to govern such a complicated phenomenon? And above all to

offer a viable alternative to the "zero tolerance" strategy

? Attention, because there are not only the Trumpians. Santa Monica Democratic Mayor Kevin McKeown has strictly banned any "unauthorized parking on public land," effectively reducing his share from homeless to Venice residents.

Here Mike Bonin, 54, has enjoyed a broad consensus since 2013. In the last election, in 2017, he won with more than 70% of the vote.

On June 22, he presented the "Venice Homeless Plan."

The idea is to offer temporary housing.

At the moment there are 200 available.

But where will the other thousands of homeless go?

Now they will be gradually "withdrawn" from the beach.

And then?

Nobody knows.

There are also paradoxical effects.

The Venice District prohibits the use of drugs in public housing.

Bonin then came up with the "double residency" formula.

Drug addicts housed in shelters will also be able to maintain their "residence" on the street.

Where they will continue to take drugs, waiting for someone to take care of them.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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