Exurbs and faith organizations screwing the cities:

Tell this one to David Brooks. From the Los Angeles Times (subcription): (excerpts, emp add)

'Outsourcing' of Homeless Stirs Intercity Debate
A dispute erupts after Santa Clarita hires a group to shuttle people to L.A. instead of opening a winter shelter.

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November 27, 2004

... Santa Clarita officials decided this week not to reopen a winter shelter that had operated for several years and instead pay $36,000 to a nonprofit group to transport homeless people from Santa Clarita to shelters in the San Fernando Valley and downtown Los Angeles. [NOTE: San Fernando Valley is part of the city of Los Angeles]

Santa Clarita Mayor Bob Kellar ... defended the city's actions and denied that the city's plan was to export its homeless citizens. "I can certainly understand her concern," he said, "but I'd like to respectfully say we're not trying to outsource or create difficulty for the citizens of Los Angeles."

Lutheran Social Services of Southern California, the agency chosen by the City Council to transport the Santa Clarita homeless, has been caught up in an unfortunate controversy, said Claire O'Garro, an agency official who is overseeing the Santa Clarita project.

posted by Quiddity at 12/02/2004 11:09:00 AM