DRUGS,VIOLENCE, THE ECONOMY

Commitment

Hopelessness breeds drug abuse and violence, and the local community should
work toward providing jobs and economic opportunity.

Outbreaks of violence and continued drug dealing are plaguing Santa Cruz
and environs, and it's time for the people and the leaders of this
community to step forward and say that such behavior is not acceptable.

No, we're not advocating some sort of get-tough police response, although
law enforcement is a part of the solution.

Rather, the leadership of Santa Cruz must start placing a priority on not
allowing crime - violence and drug dealing, especially - in public places
in town.

Fighting back against crime is a matter of prevention and enforcement, as
well as offering opportunity for those who don't have the money and
education available to some in our society.

We call on the city's leaders to express their commitment to the kind of
peaceful community that most of us have gotten used to. Gang violence broke
out on the main street of downtown last weekend. It's not the first time
that an atmosphere of violence has pervaded a Friday night in Santa Cruz.

Many is the night that people's behavior is out of control, with alcohol
and drugs playing a role in the street life. Good and decent people may
start staying away from downtown, especially at night, so long as this
conduct continues.

Pacific Avenue is not the only scene of drugs and violence. Fights and even
a shooting have plagued the Beach Flats community near the town's main
tourist attraction, and other neighborhoods have had difficulties as well.

Some local leaders have done a lot in an attempt to deal with drugs and
violence. There are a lot of bars in Santa Cruz, and with so many outlets
for alcohol, there are plenty of night spots in which other problems
associated with booze - fights and drugs among them - spring up.

Drug use and violence go hand-in-hand with people's feelings of despair,
and this city's economic problems don't help. We think back to an excellent
plan for the beach area that would have provided improved housing and
economic development in that area. However, the proposal was killed by a
City Council majority that had campaigned for office on a platform of
killing that well-thought-out plan.

It's time for the City Council to truly address the issue of economic
development and housing for those residents of the city who need it most.
The beach area plan was aimed at the right target, and we think the city
should reconsider the plan exactly as it was written.

As we said earlier, law enforcement is also a part of the equation in
cleaning up a town. Law enforcement alone is no solution. We can't ask the
police to "clean up" this community's downtown area without a commitment
from the citizenry and the town's leadership.

We hope that city leaders will demonstrate their support of the police, and
we hope that people will let local prosecutors and judges know that this
community expects strong sentences of those who have committed crimes of
violence. We also would like to see drug dealers punished, and drug users
who fail over and over at rehabilitation to be taken off the streets.

Drug use continues to plague American society and Santa Cruz County in
particular. Study after study shows that Santa Cruz County residents
tolerate the idea of drug use far more than a lot of communities. We feel
that such a tolerance makes not only law enforcement more difficult, but
also hinders counseling programs for those who desperately need a push to
get away from drug and alcohol abuse.

But it's hopelessness that fuels substance abuse. And that's where the
community comes in. It's time for community members to support the efforts
of our elected officials to provide jobs and economic opportunity. The city
can help private industry, and in turn, private industry can provide jobs.
Both can help in the effort for better housing.

We hope that the City Council will re-examine plans like the beach area
plan. With the election coming up in November, we'd like to see the
candidates approach the issue of jobs, housing and the economy.