American Notes CALIFORNIA

To many, the Los Angeles beach-front community of Venice conjures up carefree images of roller skaters, street performers and muscle-bound beachcombers. Now Venice is coping with an unwanted new reputation: as a sunny campground for 2,000 homeless people. A tent city on the beach has spurred fears that Venice will become an oceanside skid row. A neighborhood group has been organized to protest a planned soup kitchen and shelter in the Rose Avenue residential area; some claim that an increase in petty crime is driving away both tourists and businesses.

Last week the Los Angeles city council, responding to complaints from the community, banned overnight sleeping on Venice beach, effective next year. Normally liberal Venice, says City Council Aide Rick Ruiz, has become "caught between its conscience and the impact the homeless have on everyday lives." A more cynical view comes from one of the town's few conservative Republicans, who says, "The liberals got rich."