...to Homelessness and Illegal Immigrants.
Eminent domain is the power of the government to purchase private property for a "public use" so long as the property owner is paid "just compensation.”
Merge two critical problems: homelessness and illegal immigrants. Same fix can work for both. The challenge isn’t numbers of people or even money. The problem is those that need the place to live and the spaces available to them are far apart. The solution? Use local open spaces, build semi-permanent tent cities, relocate the illegals and homeless to these areas. Using “eminent domain” as a legal land grab and the space can be taken immediately.
Illegals can be relocated to California as it is a “sanctuary state.” The quantity of people which can be absorbed by California would be equal to about half the annual intake or about 1 million illegal immigrants per year.
The homeless population adds another 150,000-180,000 to this population.
The federal government is responsible for allowing these illegal immigrants into our country on a massive, systematic scale, without proper vetting or oversight and the state government is responsible for allowing the homeless problem to spiral out of control for many years. Sorry, did I say allow? I meant to say encouraged, facilitated, “created on purpose" with our tax dollars.
Luckily the Convention of States addresses the federal overreach and spending problem and would impose term limits on members of Congress which would greatly discourage such behavior and as our numbers grow bigger and more vocal would encourage greater accountability of our local state representatives by our engaged grassroots army.
Twin issues of money and space
Remember the twin issues of money and space? Money first, per capita funds designated to solve these problems are from both the state and federal coffers (and of course all of this comes from the taxpayers’ pockets). Newsom wants to spend $12 billion a year or $80,000.00 per homeless person. Biden wants to spend $71,000 per illegal person (see source details below).
On March 20, 2021, AXIOS reported that the Biden administration has entered into a six-month contract worth $86 million to house 1,200 migrant family members near the Southwest border in Texas and Arizona. That works out to $71,666.67 per migrant, paid by your tax dollars. Federal enthusiasm for spending your tax dollars in this way is boundless. Expect these rates to expand to cover all illegals in the future.
In California there are 151,278 known-homeless (source LA Times). Most of these folks are in the Los Angeles area of influence, followed closely by greater San Francisco and then by San Diego. There are an unknown number of homeless people that are not counted. It is difficult to quantify “unknown” numbers of homeless. For example, the City of Perris, CA claims less than 100 people are homeless. In my drive through the area, I counted more than 250 people who appeared to be living “on the street.” It is safe to say the homeless population in California is North of 150,000 people.
Governor Newsom has a budget number to deal with this specific issue at $12 Billion (source: LA Times). In my math book, that looks like $80,000 per homeless per year. Not a bad wage for doing naught more than pooping on the sidewalk and making a nuisance of yourself. (I’m qualified for this job. Of course, I have no real experience pooping on the street. I am regularly called a nuisance. Wonder where one sends their application.) The very best job would be to be a “homeless illegal” and scoop up both cash amounts about, $150,000+ per year. That’s almost as much as a member of Congress and perhaps way more useful.
That’s the money. Where is the space? Look no farther than the local, city, county, and private golf courses in the state.
921 Golf Courses in California (source: Travel Magazine)
There are 10 golf courses in San Francisco and 6 are municipal courses. There are also another 32 golf courses within 20 miles of San Francisco, including 7 public, 13 municipal and 12 private courses. The oldest course in the San Francisco area is the Corica Park. The longest course is Monarch Bay Golf Club, which is 7,015 yards.
There are 19 golf courses in Los Angeles and 8 are municipal courses. There are also another 65 golf courses within 20 miles of Los Angeles, including 8 public, 37 municipal and 20 private courses. The oldest course in the Los Angeles area is the The Los Angeles Country Club which was designed by George C. Thomas Jr. and opened in 1897. The longest course is Angeles National Golf Club, which is 7,141 yards.
There are 24 golf courses in San Diego and 3 are municipal courses. There are also another 37 golf courses within 20 miles of San Diego, including 17 public, 5 municipal and 15 private courses. The oldest course in the San Diego area is the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club. The longest course is Torrey Pines Golf Course, which is 7,607 yards.
Why the golf courses? They have infrastructure, some useful buildings for bathrooms and food service. They are usually screened off from public views and have a sense of privacy. They are well maintained and in physically attractive areas close to good panhandling venues. All utilities are available throughout the courses including power, water, and sewer. Road access connects all parts of the course to the main club buildings which would be suited for area headquarters.
Golf courses already have a fleet of vehicles used for course activities and these would slide right in to delivering food, cable tv and internet connections to the new inhabitants. A variety of shelters could be used from platform tents to Mongolian Yurts giving their new owners a sense of pride and wellbeing.
Who cares about using golf courses? There is a very, very tiny minority of white privileged (mostly male) folks who think a golf course is their right. It isn’t. Space belongs to the “people.” After all the expression is not “Golf Lives Matter.” As members of a country club, they will not be out any money. The government will pay them market value for their land and improvements. (Well, market value as the government determines it, not really the “market").
Golf course workers will not be displaced. They will convert over to servicing the illegal and homeless populations now living in these spaces. There is a huge advantage to this solution: the redistribution of wealth from the “white privileged” to those in need. It will further put under used and over valued land to a viable social purpose. This is a win/win for everyone (except the taxpayers).
Lure more homeless and illegals to California
Most importantly, this solution will be embraced by the homeless and the illegals. This solution may well be so attractive that it will lure even more homeless and illegals to come to California. In the event that space runs out on the golf courses, there is always the museum at Getty Center and the Huntington Gardens, and all of Marin County to put into play in this solution.
Government overreach and lack of accountability is responsible for both the homeless and immigration crises. It is up to the Convention of States to wrest these powers and controls away from the government and give it back to the people. Join our movement to put government back in it’s box and give power to self-governing American citizens.
