Beach Bum Hangout and Echoing Outrage

February 15, 2002

Dear Editor,

Along the bike path, between Hotels Casa del Mar and Shutters and the Sea
Castle Apartments, the public restrooms have become a meeting place for
homeless men. Last Sunday, on 2/10, there were 2 dozen (that's right over 20!) men drinking alcohol, smoking pot, calling out to women on rollerblades, brawling in the sand, bathing and generally making a nuisance of themselves.

With all the public money that has been invested along the oceanfront, and private investment by the hotels and apartment buildings, it is a shame to see the area degraded in this way. On week-ends, visiting families with carloads of children park in the adjacent City parking lot are confronted by these men. What an introduction to the beach in Santa Monica!

The situation has progressively worsened. It seems to have started after the first of the year. At first, it was just a couple of men, soon a dozen, and now on pleasant week-ends 20 to 25 homeless persons perched at the toilets. Needless to say, literally, it is a stinking mess.

Can you please do something to discourage and eliminate this state of affairs, before the situation becomes even worse. Congregation of homelessness like this on public property can create a dangerous situation, and may become a liability
to the City.

Jeffrey Weinstein
Santa Monica

February 15, 2002

Dear Editor,

Concerning my letter of Jan. 24, ("Diabolical Treetment," January 28)," I would like to thank all of your readers who took the time to contact me and members of my family to commiserate, express their outrage over my tragedy, and finally to relay to me their own tales of BAD MEDICINE at St. John's Hospital. Some of them even cited problems with a few of the same six physicians whose arrogance was responsible for the criminal neglect of my life.

Many positive things came from my conversations with your readers. Primarily, I learned that I still have many options for JUSTICE -- that there can still be accountability -- that the doctors involved must own up to ruining a life instead of hiding behind the protective shield of the State of California Medical Malpractice Regulations which are clearly stacked in favor of the defendants--the doctors.

I learned that there is still time to file a consumer complaint with the California Medical Board against each of the physicians.

I learned that I can establish a website seeking information from others who may have had problems with these same doctors or the Ambulatory Care Unit and ER at St. John's where the major mistakes were made on me.

I learned from those in the legal profession that there may still be opportunity to appeal my denial for a continuance of litigation.

Thank you all. Special thanks to those of you who made calls of complaint and inquiry to various administrative staff and departments at St. John's only to be ignored, only to face the usual non-responsiveness. I'm not surprised, for this very kind of arrogance is why I live a life of chronic, intractable pain. My story of neglect is worse than your readers know because I did not detail it in my letter, but I will be very detailed when I pursue the avenues above, suggested by callers.

Thank you all for the encouragement to once again try to make them take responsibility for their arrogant neglect. I will go forth now expecting results. It won't be easy because we're dealing with seeking social accountability from six white males with M.D.'s after their names. These are the perpetrators who sent me the clear message that I should move on with my life. And I will move on, as soon as I can move. They want me to go away. And I will go away when the pain goes away.

Santa Monicans, thank you for your large hearts.