California mayor's remedy for homelessness: ‘Free fentanyl' and ‘a purge'
Parris, a larger-than-life trial lawyer, made the incendiary comments about the drug - responsible for tens of thousands of overdose deaths - during a February City Council meeting, in a retort to a resident who objected to his musings of congregating unhoused residents into an "encampment."
It wasn't until Parris doubled down on his remarks during an interview with Fox 11 LA that his statements went viral, provoking ire far beyond the high desert city, where he has presided as mayor since 2008.
He said that he didn't think anyone had taken his comments literally, but that he did not regret them. In the interview, he said he wished for "a purge" of homeless people.
"I made it very clear I was talking about the criminal element that were let out of the prisons that have now become 40 to 45% of what's referred to as the homeless population," he said. "They are responsible for most of our robberies, most of our rapes, and at least half of our murders," he said, without providing evidence to back up those assertions.
He added: "Quite frankly, I wish the president would give us a purge. Because we do need to purge these people.
"Now, is it harsh? Of course it is harsh. But it is my obligation as the mayor of the city of Lancaster to protect the hardworking families that live here, and I am no longer able to do it. ... It's an untenable situation. ... I want these people out of our city."
Parris did not respond to a request for comment from The Times.
His political opponents say they are outraged.
"Anyone willing to give homeless people all the fentanyl they want, or to suggest that President Trump should allow a purge of the homeless population, has no business in public office," said Johnathan Ervin, a Democrat who challenged and lost to Parris in last year's mayoral election. Ervin has now banded together with the third-place winner in that contest, Mark Maldonado, to try to recall the mayor.
Parris has loomed over Lancaster for decades, first as a trial lawyer and civic leader and for the last 15 years as its mayor.
The city, which sits in the Mojave Desert in northern Los Angeles County, has a population of about 175,000.
According to figures from the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, reported in the Antelope Valley Press, there were 6,672 people experiencing homelessness in 2024, 1,989 more than in 2023. That includes the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, as well as surrounding areas.
Lancaster residents have become accustomed to a mayor with proposals that are often grand, and sometimes quixotic.
In 2013, he made headlines when, in an effort to woo Chinese investment, he talked of opening a trade office in Beijing and building a Buddhist temple in his Mojave desert town.
In 2018, he was back in the news for a proposal to make neckties optional among workers in the city, citing studies that they diminish blood flow to the brain.
He's also long been a voice for law and order, and many in his city have taken a dim view of homelessness.
In 2021, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California released a report alleging widespread abuse of homeless people in Lancaster. The ACLU contended that the city had created a "dragnet of criminalization" in which deputies and city code enforcement officers "regularly bulldoze encampments of unhoused people and order them to move by threat of citation."
At the time, Parris said the city had done more than its share to serve its homeless population. He also said he was "trying to create an environment where people who are disabled can thrive" and that he was "not going to just let people live wherever they want, camp where they want, extort money from people who are shopping."
_____
Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
30 minutes ago
India's Modi to meet China's top diplomat as Asian powers rebuild ties
NEW DELHI -- NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with China's top diplomat on Tuesday in a sign of easing tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors after a yearslong standoff between the Asian powers. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who arrived in India on Monday, is scheduled to hold talks with Modi and other leaders, including National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, about the disputed border in the Himalayan mountains. Reducing the number of troops on the border, and resuming some trade there, is expected to be on the agenda. The rebuilding of ties coincides with friction between New Delhi and Washington after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on India, a longtime ally seen as a counterbalance against China's influence in Asia. India is part of the Quad security alliance with the U.S. along with Australia and Japan. India and China's decades-old border dispute worsened in 2020 after a deadly clash between their troops in the Ladakh region. The chill in relations affected trade, diplomacy and air travel as both sides deployed tens of thousands of security forces in border areas. Some progress has been made since then. Last year, India and China agreed to a pact on border patrols and withdrew additional forces along some border areas. Both countries continue to fortify their border by building roads and rail networks. In recent months, the countries have increased official visits and discussed easing some trade restrictions, movement of citizens and visas for businesspeople. In June, Beijing allowed pilgrims from India to visit holy sites in Tibet. Both sides are working to restore direct flights. Last week, the spokesman for India's foreign ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, said India and China were in discussions to restart trade through three points along their 3,488-kilometer (2,167-mile) border. Manoj Joshi, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank, said relations are still at an uneasy level of normalization. 'Settling the boundary issue between the two countries requires political compromise at the highest political level,' said Joshi, who also served as a member of the advisory board for India's National Security Council. He asserted that the countries are "still talking past each other when it comes to the border dispute and issues surrounding it." On Monday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing is willing to take Wang's India visit as an opportunity to work with the Indian side to 'properly handle differences and promote the sustained, sound and stable development of China-India relations.' Mao said Wang's meeting with Modi's national security adviser will 'continue in-depth communication to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas.' The thaw between Beijing and New Delhi began last October when Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at a summit of emerging economies in Russia. It was the first time the leaders had spoken in person since 2019. Modi is set to met Xi when he travels to China late this month — his first visit in seven years — to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional grouping formed by China, Russia and others to counter U.S. influence in Asia. Earlier this year, Xi called for India and China's relations to take the form of a 'dragon-elephant tango' — a dance between the emblematic animals of the countries. Last month, India's external affairs minister visited Beijing in his first trip to China since 2020. The renewed engagement comes as New Delhi's ties with Trump are fraying. Washington has imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, which includes a penalty of 25% for purchasing Russian crude oil. The tariffs take effect Aug. 27. India has shown no sign of backing down, instead signing more agreements with Russia to deepen economic cooperation. Trump's renewed engagement with India's arch rival, Pakistan, has also encouraged New Delhi's overtures to China, said Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, who led Indian military's Northern Command from 2014 to 2016. In June, Trump hosted Pakistan's army chief for a White House lunch and later announced an energy deal with Islamabad to jointly develop the country's oil reserves. Both followed Trump's claims of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after the two sides traded military strikes in May. 'China is heavily invested in Pakistan and, practically speaking, you can't have any expectation that Beijing will hold back support to Islamabad," Hooda said. 'But you can't have two hostile neighbors on your borders and simultaneously deal with them also.'
Business Journals
2 hours ago
- Business Journals
St. Charles data center dead after developers withdraw their proposal, mayor says
The developers of a massive, secretive and controversial data center project in St. Charles have withdrawn their offer from the city. St. Charles Mayor Dan Borgmeyer told KSDK on Monday that City Council members will no longer vote on "Project Cumulus" after the application's withdrawal. "The vote was whether or not they could use diesel generators for power. That's all the vote was about. As soon as people heard diesel fuel a million gallons in the well field, they became upset. Well, there's 125 generators, so it's not a million gallons someplace. Disrespectful of all that, we don't want one generator to leak. They had measures in place to take care of a lot of that, but the fact of the matter is that it was a lack of information. The culprit was transparency," Borgmeyer said. The data center has received widespread pushback from over 5,500 residents over concerns of water pollution, energy bill increases, and general community impacts. Two members of the City Council recently . GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY Find Local Events Near You Connect with a community of local professionals. Explore All Events Councilmember Justin Foust, who represents Ward 6 in the city, previously said it would be "nearly impossible" for him to support the project. He expressed disappointment after the developers pulled their offer. "Residents deserve better communication, real transparency, and the chance to have their voices recorded through an open vote," Foust said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the decision to pull the application was made by the applicant, not the City Council." Foust urged residents to still attend Tuesday's City Council meeting to make their voices heard on the matter, in case "this applicant returns or another comes forward." The council meeting is scheduled to be held at the St. Charles Convention Center's Junior Ballroom on the first floor. Developers were having little success in convincing residents that the data center would be an ultimate good for the community. Many residents have shown up to give passionate speeches against the data center at past City Council and planning and zoning meetings. A petition to "Stop the Hazardous Data Center" was signed by nearly 5,000 residents a week after it launched. "No Data Center" fliers were recently sent out across St. Charles. The fliers claimed the project was dangerous and wrong for the city for numerous reasons, along with listing numerous data center projects that have been stopped across the country, including in Arizona, Virginia and Tennessee. The flyer was paid for by the "Good Government Committee" and urged people to contact their council members. Some residents said that the format of a recent open house made it difficult to get exact answers about the project, in part because everyone needed to talk over each other to be heard. Others had hoped for the opportunity to speak publicly on their issues, but officials didn't give them a chance to do so. "I think it's very important that people understand, we listened and even if they hadn't withdrawn it, I'm almost positive it would not have made it on Tuesday," Borgmeyer said. Tim Kline, a longtime farmer in the St. Charles area, has been watching the area for years. "The contaminated area is on the far east end of the protected area and this was going to be developed on the far west end of the area, which is over a mile away from where the contamination was from UE and Findett corporations, and I just hope we can get this stopped down here," Kline said. Kline wanted to thank everyone who signed the petition and showed up at the open house. And while he's gotten his wish for now, he's worried the industrial zoning of the area will allow Project Cumulus or another company to try again. "It's our protected water source. So, we need to get together and see if we can get it re-zoned back to agricultural and stop the filling on top of our water source," Kline said. After the open house, Borgmeyer decided to withdraw his support from the project. He added that the non-disclosure agreement went much further than the ones they "do all the time." "This one went to the point where it was just ridiculous. And they needed to step back, and there's a lot of good things about the project, but there's a lot of bad things about the project. And I think until the full scope of it's understood, they've withdrawn. I don't know if they'll come back or not," Borgmeyer said. He also addressed rumours that the original land owners are his cousins, which he says was brought to light by his last opponent for the mayor's office. "I think it's a second or third cousin. I have no idea who the people are. I'm related to just about everybody in St. Charles, the Boscherts, the Echols, and everybody else. I've talked to [St. Charles County Executive] Steve Ehlmann. We had lunch yesterday. He said, 'Yeah, we are,' I'm even related to Steve Ehlmann. So it was a political shot," Borgmeyer said. Project Cumulus attorney Korb Maxwell said he wants residents to know they were heard and that's part of why they pulled the application. "It was time to re-evaluate the approach that we made to the site and look at really focusing on what changes can we make to the site that may garner more support, but also what changes can we make to the process," Maxwell said. KSDK's Laura Barczewski asked Maxwell if they are looking elsewhere or if they will try again on the same site. "I think the project fellows team is always keeping our options open and looking at options all across the nation and in the Ameren service territory, but we really like this site. I think it has a lot to offer. I think it could be a incredibly compelling opportunity for the St. Charles region and for us, if we're able to get out our message effectively and communicate with both the businesses and the city," he said. This is the full statement released by Project Cumulus: "The Cumulus team announced today that it is withdrawing its conditional use permit application from consideration at the August 19th St. Charles City Council meeting. The decision will allow the team to incorporate recent community feedback and prepare a revised proposal for future review. "Over the past months, Project Cumulus has conducted extensive analyses of the project, its impacts, and its anticipated community benefits. While this work has been substantial, the team recognizes the importance of strengthening its outreach process to ensure information is accessible and clearly communicated to the public. "Project Cumulus is committed to working hand-in-hand with the City of St. Charles and its residents. Cumulus believes this project has the potential to deliver significant benefits to the city and the greater St. Louis region, and we want to ensure it is done the right way — with open dialogue and meaningful collaboration. "The Cumulus team will continue working closely with city officials and the public in the coming months to develop a proposal that reflects shared priorities and delivers long-term value to the community." Representatives for the project will still be at the council meeting on Tuesday, and the council will still take public feedback on the issue despite the withdrawal. View KSDK's full report and video here.
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Gavin Newsom Surges in 2028 Presidential Primary Poll
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Support for California Governor Gavin Newsom as a possible Democratic presidential candidate in 2028 has surged over the past four months, a new poll shows. Newsweek tried to contact Newsom via email for comment after normal business hours. Why It Matters The poll indicates support for the more aggressive position Newsom has taken in standing up to President Donald Trump, particularly over a plan by Republicans in Texas to redraw their state's congressional seat map in the hopes of winning more seats in midterm elections next year. The battle to become the 2028 presidential election candidate will likely set the new direction for the Democratic Party as it struggles with net favorability at what one recent poll showed to be a three-year low. Newsom has not formally announced his candidacy. What To Know The new poll, conducted by Echelon Insights, has Newsom in second place among potential Democratic candidates with 13 percent support, behind former Vice President Kamala Harris with 26 percent. The survey was taken from August 14 to August 18 with a 3.6 percent margin of error among 1,057 registered voters. A poll published by Echelon Insights in April had Newsom only in sixth place with 4 percent, behind former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, both on 7 percent. Harris was again in first place with 28 percent. In the new poll, Buttigieg was in third place with 11 percent and Ocasio-Cortez in fourth place with 6 percent. The California governor has been punching back at Trump over the past few weeks, particularly in the war of words over redistricting. Meanwhile, his press office has turned its social media feed into a stream of all-caps posts, pop culture parodies and AI-edited meme content, aimed squarely at mocking Trump in style while countering Republican initiatives. California Governor Gavin Newsom holds a news conference at Downey Memorial Christian Church in Downey, California, on July 16, 2025. California Governor Gavin Newsom holds a news conference at Downey Memorial Christian Church in Downey, California, on July 16, 2025. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP/Getty Images Meena Bose, the executive dean of Hofstra University's Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs, told Newsweek last month that polls this far out from a primary were "informative but not necessarily instructive," largely indicating name recognition or reflecting a stated interest in running in 2028. Newsom and Buttigieg both have public visibility but a more solid idea of who is running – and who is leading – will develop after the midterms and change after debates and early contests, Bose said, adding that whether Ocasio-Cortez is a viable candidate will be seen after the midterms. There is also a big question over whether Harris will stand after her loss to Trump last year. In her first interview since she left office on January 20, she told Stephen Colbert that she would not run for California governor in 2026, but denied it was so that she could run for a "different office" — the implication being another run for the presidency. Newsom has already been on the ascent since February in early 2028 polling in the aftermath of the deadly Los Angeles County fires. Online betting website Polymarket said this week that his chances of beating Ocasio-Cortez to win the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028 are increasing. The site showed Newsom on 21 percent and leading Ocasio Cortez by 7 percentage points in a hypothetical matchup that also includes other high-profile Democrats. This is 3 percentage points more than earlier this month, when Newsom was 4 percentage points ahead of Ocasio-Cortez. Polymarket showed Harris on only 5 percent. Ocasio-Cortez has also not formally announced her candidacy for the 2028 race. What People Are Saying Strategist Mike Madrid, a political consultant and co-founder of the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump political action committee, previously told Newsweek about Newsom: "People thought his career was over. Now, he's in the top three in every poll." "Democrats are looking for a fighter. It's not about ideology anymore. You can be centrist or progressive — what matters is that you stand up and hit back. The more aggressive Newsom gets, the more support he builds." Trump told reporters in June: "He's done a terrible job. I like Gavin Newsom. He's a nice guy but he's grossly incompetent, everybody knows." What Happens Next Typically, most candidates do not begin announcing presidential runs until after the midterm elections.
