Cities (and especially tourist destinations) in California trying to cope with the homeless during tough times are enacting measures to make it more costly for the homeless to park in public facilities such as beach parking lots. Some individuals and families live in over-sized trucks and RVs, sleeping in public parking lots during the day (a California State Parks Golden Bear Pass is $5 year for any qualifying person receiving Aid to the Aged, Blind, or Disabled; any person 62 years of age or older with income limitations specified on the application form; or any person receiving aid under the applicable aid codes in the CalWORKS Program.)

Those who can’t afford overnight parking and camping fees park their vehicles free on city streets at night. Each day as I drive by a California State parks lot, I see an encampment of RVs with all their lawn chairs and other equipment out on the lot, which is virtually empty during the winter months. One RV has a yellow taxi cab next to it, that the owner presumably operates to earn money. The encampments are a mix of individually owned campers and shared facilities that several people have gone in on, sleeping in shifts according to the work, lack of work, or sleep schedules. It is but one more creative way that people are trying to stay alive and make a go of it in tough times.

Some municipalities were providing free handicap spaces, but are now charging fees at the same rates as other admission fees, and RVs are paying for two parking spaces when they are over-sized, as they used to pay for one space.

Occupy Wall Street movement to address the anger and issues of unemployment, homelessness and bailing out of the nation’s banks has come to California, with protests occurring in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. There are events planned for cities such as Santa Maria, which will host a protest next week. California is one of the worst-hit states in the U.S. with unemployment and homelessness higher than nearly any other state!