Pastor to defy city's order to evict homeless from church grounds

Los Angeles Times by Louis Sahagun | Jan. 22, 2007 (News Report)
Long Beach cleric says allowing people to sleep on the steps is a 'religious act.' Officials cite safety, sanitation concerns.

Inviting a confrontation with city officials, the senior pastor at a venerable Long Beach church vowed Friday to defy a prosecutor's order that he block homeless people from sleeping on the steps and grounds of his church.

Failure to disperse the 15 to 20 people who camp between the sidewalk and the First Congregational Church of Long Beach's walls may result in a fine of $1,000 a day, Deputy City Prosecutor Sayge Castillo warned in a recent letter. Full Story »

Posted by Kaizar Campwala

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Marty Heyman
2.8
 by Marty Heyman - Oct. 1, 2008

This is a pretty good story. It has human interest, portrays a religious entity in a positive but not fawning manner, makes a little fun of police but generally portrays local government's dilemna. It doesn't go very far into the underlying civic problem the city is facing which is a bit unfair. The one comment by a local businessman is probably an understatement of neighborhood reaction. This is a story that can probably be written in any of the larger communities in California at any time. The combination of the pastor and the prosecutor give it the patina of news.

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Marty's Rating

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2.8

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from 11 answers
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