By Steve Levy
We say bravo to New York City Mayor Eric Adams for taking a more aggressive stance against the homeless taking over public areas in New York City.
For too long, the ACLU and far-left advocates have fought efforts to prevent the homeless from taking over parks and subway stations.
Mayors Giuliani and Bloomberg had it right: Go up to the homeless and offer them safer, warmer, better places to stay. If they refuse, move them along. Do not allow them to take over sidewalks and public squares.
Their taking over these locations as their new homes not only creates potential dangers and sanitary problems, but also takes away needed open space for others to enjoy. Courts have ruled that a person can sleep in a public place, but not set up an encampment.
Every New Yorker has a right to walk around in any public place. However, they simply do not have the right to declare a portion of public space as their home. Adams has the right idea. Now, the question is whether he’ll have the guts to follow through with it.
Let’s not forget that the former mayor, Bill de Blasio, allocated $700 million to his wife’s not-for-profit mental health organization, which was designed to eradicate the homeless problem in New York. Well, that money simply went into a black hole because the problem was exacerbated under his tenure. The answer is not always throwing more money at a problem. Sometimes, it’s just as simple as adopting commonsense solutions that worked in the past.