Dear Editor,
Please refer to a letter which appeared in the Monday, June 27, edition of your newspaper captioned ‘City Hall should forget parking meters and build homes for vagrants and beggars’.
We would like to thank the writer for the concerns articulated. Indeed, the issue of social rejects occupying city spaces has engaged the attention of the council time and again; this problem has been one of serious concern to the Georgetown municipality. Further, the council faces a serious challenge when it comes to maintaining the aesthetics of selected public places where the social rejects and homeless dwell.
The council would indeed be happy to extend its services to address this dire social issue that has affected many. Though the writer has good intentions the letter has two fundamental flaws it failed to address:
- Who will provide the resources required to build this special home to shelter vagrants and the homeless?
- Who will provide the specialized care and treatment required to ensure that inmates’ (drug addicts) capacity for social functioning is restored and enhanced?
The fact of the matter is this is a serious concern which requires an inter-agency approach involving all the relevant stakeholders.
If the council is to provide additional social services, it must seek alternative sources of revenue. Additional allied services and activities would incur additional cost, hence increasing municipal expenditure. Therefore, other sources of revenue must be sought such as a municipal composting facility, parking meter initiative and re-valuation of properties in the City of Georgetown. Critical to the functioning of any organization is the (3M) ‒ Money, Manpower and Machinery.
Yours faithfully,
Debra Lewis
Public Relations Officer (ag)
Mayor and City Council
