(June 6, 2017, 5:45 p.m.) -- ENUF -- Eastside Neighbors United Fully - grassroots residents roused to action by what they describe as "theft, pandandling, drugs and vagrancy" inundating their mainly neighborhoods, today launched a Facebook page at this link -- www.facebook.com/ENUFlongbeach -- with a plainly worded statement they say is meant to "clear the air" and state their position (full text below.)
"We desire the reduction of crime. We're tired of theft, panhandling, drugs and vagrancy. That's it. We are not out to make war on our Third District Council person, City Council, the Mayor or our neighbors who have political ideas that are different from our own," ENUF says. The group adds: "We are not going to run for office, although we have had many who suggest it. We do not seek to take away from any of the good work that those in office have already done and we are not trying to upstage the work of others. All we want are some police patrols, more arrests/citations for violating city ordinances, and pressure on the drug and vagrant population." ENUF adds: "We do not hate the homeless. We differentiate between the truly homeless and the criminal population that preys on us, while the city government sleepwalks." [Scroll down for further.] |
A turning point came on May 23 when their petition (at the time 1,200+, now approaching 1,400) received no audible support from Mayor Garcia or Councilmembers and the Council instead voted to unanimously approve an item agendized by Councilwoman Price (joined by Councilmembers Andrews and Austin [full agendizing memo at this link] that sought a city management report in roughly 120 days (and perhaps longer) aimed at developing a future "holistic approach to the issue of homelessness and residential quality of life." [LBREPORT.com coverage of May 23 Council meeting here.] In a nod to work already done, ENUF's Facebook statement says: "We do not seek to take away from any of the good work that those in office have already done and we are not trying to upstage the work of others." And in a statement aimed at LB electeds, ENUF stated: "Please work with, not against, your constituents. Don't try to divide the community into "for" or "against" any politician or accuse us of not loving our city, for that matter. When we work together, crime can be abated."
ENUF's full statement is below: [www.facebook.com/ENUFlongbeach text] The originators of the "The homeless, mentally ill, transient, drug addicted and petty thieves inundating our neighborhood" petition want to clear the air and state our position.
The initiating residents' petition, launched on April 15, stated that its signers are "tax paying, voting citizens of Belmont Shore, Alamitos Heights, Naples, Belmont Heights, The Peninsula, Park Estates" and "feel threatened in our own neighborhoods now. Neighbors complain that they can't go to the parks, joggers take pepper spray with them, businesses are robbed, our garages are ransacked, our belongings are stolen, our cars are broken into." (The comments of the petition's growing number of signers explaining "why this is important to you" speak for themselves.) ENUF's Facebook page also includes a link to the group's initiating petition. Developing.
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