Michael F. Denny
Libertarian Candidate for SF Mayor
2435 Lake Street
San Francisco, CA 94121
Ph: 986-7677 x123
Fax: 986-4004
www.DennyforMayor.com
<http://www.michaeldennyformayor.com/>
Mike@...
July 4, 2003
Fr. John Hardin, O.F.M.
St. Anthony Foundation
121 Golden Gate Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94102
Dear Fr. Hardin,
Thank you for your letter regarding the St. Anthony Foundation along
with your positions on poverty and homelessness. As a Catholic whose
parents took the family to St. Anthony's in Milwaukee for Christmas,
Easter and Thanksgiving Mass, the issue of poverty has special meaning.
I study it, bring the homeless and poor into my home, feed them and make
friends with them. One thing I like about St. Anthony's is that you
stress the dignity of these and all people. This is a critical starting
point for the whole discussion and is what Christ asks of us all.
I agree that solutions involve more affordable housing, counseling,
health care and jobs. However, I disagree completely that government
has anything to do with these solutions. In fact, after years of
analysis, it's become clear that government itself is the primary cause
of most of these problems. Let's look at the facts.
1) Government's "deinstitutionalization" movement released 400,000
mentally ill with no plan.
2) Federal Urban Renewal devastated old low cost rooming houses and
SROs.
3) Increased regulations caused demolition or upgrading and raised
building costs enormously.
4) Labor and wage laws priced out low-skill jobs.
5) Rent control laws created inefficiency in the rental market raising
prices and reducing supply.
6) Government wars have lasting negative impact on those who fight in
them.
As you are aware, there are really three problems here. Estimates are
that 22% of homeless people have acute mental illness. 60-80% suffer
from drug and alcohol abuse (about the same as in 1827 according to
Marvin Olasky in The Tragedy of American Compassion). And about 30% are
homeless due to economic deprivation. So we need two solutions: One that
helps the small number of unemployed or working poor priced out of the
housing or job market, and one that helps the mentally ill and substance
abusers for whom homelessness is a symptom.
Here are some proposals:
1) Repeal all laws that make it illegal to feed the homeless.
2) Eliminate zoning, land use regulation, growth control and building
codes that raise prices.
Note: Mother Theresa abandoned a NY homeless project because regulators
wanted an elevator. Harvard Institute of Economic Research says SF
regulation costs $608,000 per buildable acre, more than twice the cost
of Anaheim (2), New York (3) and Los Angeles (4).
3) Repeal all rent control laws.
Note: It's no coincidence that NY and SF have rent control and the
highest number of homeless.
4) Phase out government programs and replace them with Charity.
Note: Only Charity can motivate people to do the hard work needed to
help these people. Charity only comes from the heart. Government is
simple coercion. It doesn't care and it can't force or pay people to
care.
5) Repeal labor and wage laws that make hiring the low-skilled poor
illegal.
Note: Mandating "living wage" laws defies economic reason and destroys
low skill jobs.
Three reforms can solve the problem - - - encouraging "tough love"
community charities, ending laws that place barriers between
compassionate people and those in need, and eliminating government rules
and regulations that drive up the cost of housing and jobs. Only this
can put a roof over the heads of most homeless.
To be honest, it surprises me how much people trust in government. In
your recommendations, you call on us to do three things but on
government to do six things. As Christians, I feel we have to take the
words of Jesus at face value. G_d told Moses there was only one G_d.
Jesus told us that G_d was Love and that Faith, Hope and Love are all we
need for salvation. In the face of that truth, is it prudent to rely,
even a little, on the fruit of government coercion, tax money? To me,
this approach is inconsistent with Christ's profound truth.
I'm reminded of how G_d told Moses that if he needed water in the
desert, he should tap a rock once with a stick. It seemed too easy so
Moses tapped the rock twice. As he doubted the word of G_d, he never saw
the Land of Milk and Honey. In my opinion, trust in government is a
false god and an example of limited Faith. Anything that interferes with
the free and voluntary nature of Love is doomed to failure. I want
better for St. Anthony's.
I applaud your decision to support the Tenderloin Clean Streets program.
Supporting this program demonstrates your commitment to the rest of the
neighborhood. Hopefully it will be just the beginning of more and better
neighborhood communication and cooperation.
Personally, I only support organizations that see government for what it
is; a barrier to our cooperative success. So please let me know if your
position changes on any of these issues. I'll be happy to write a check
and roll up my sleeves as I do for Rafael House, Boys Hope, Girls Hope,
Junior Achievement, the Western Addition Foundation for Girls and Vision
Youthz.
Thank you again for contacting me. Please know that I am available to
discuss these and other issues at any time. I look forward to hearing
from you.
Yours in Christ,
Michael Denny
Libertarian Candidate for SF Mayor
Attached: 20+ articles, stories and a cartoon supporting the positions
taken in this letter.
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