Arguing that many of the homeless people in his city have no interest in improving their lot in life, San Rafael, California Mayor Gary Phillips has moved to close a city park where many of the most downtrodden have been residing. In moving to close Boyd Memorial Park for at least a month, Phillips readily admits his long-term goal is "to drive away the homeless population" that has come to call the area home.

"I want to break the cycle so this is not a place for them to hang out. They sit here, have their methamphetamine and go get a meal at St. Vincent de Paul [a local services organization]," he told the Marin News, hinting that he's convinced many of the homeless may likewise be criminals.

While the park is closed and essentially undergoing a facelift that includes locking down all of its entrances and obliterating all the portable restrooms, the city plans to fully enforce all ordinances designed to crack down on the homeless, which Phillips insists is all just a part of cleaning up the area.

Bill Lima has been homeless for almost two decades, and all this week he has taken the time to publicly take exception with the Mayor's rationale and actions.

"When one person messes up, the police blame it on everyone. We never asked for this life," he said.

Marquita Robinson agreed things are unfair.

"They wait for a catastrophe to happen," she said. "Then they only go after the people they recognize."

In recent times, San Rafael isn't the only metropolis to take drastic approaches aimed at ridding the city of what many heartlessly consider to be its undesirables.

Some states have even taken steps that ban people from sleeping outside or lying on sidewalks. Still, others have made panhandling a crime and some have even criminally gone after those who simply try to hand out meals to the hungry.

Through it all, Lima insists that the homeless of San Rafael will not walk away without a peaceful fight. He insists they too are committed to doing more than their part in uplifting the city.

"If they want to clean it up, why don't they give us some brooms?" he said.

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