In case you were wondering just how trashed the American River Parkway is, here are some figures put out by County of Sacramento Regional Parks – But first, some words of warning from Shakespeare from about 1600, which these days is considered a “trigger warning”:

I could a tale unfold whose lightest word
Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood,
Make thy two eyes like stars start from their spheres,
Thy knotted and combined locks to part,
And each particular hair to stand on end
Like quills upon the fretful porpentine.
But this eternal blazon must not be
To ears of flesh and blood.

During fiscal year 2022/2023 – 1,620 tons of trash were removed. This is 3.5 million pounds of trash (using metric tons). During calendar year 2022, there were 85 fires, mostly caused by homeless activity. Drug use is frequent with Methamphetamine seizures during fiscal 2022/23 totaling 1,544 grams, or 3.4 pounds.

Annually, illegal camping cost the County $6,121,663 in fiscal 2022/2023. Since 2015, the accumulated costs were $32.1 million. The report “…does not include the long-term costs or environmental impacts associated with illegal camping including, vegetation destruction and hazardous waste dumping or wildlife impacts due to dogs and human related issues.”

Remember, this is what Martin v. Boise says “Our holding is a narrow one. Like the Jones panel, ‘we in no way dictate to the City that it must provide sufficient shelter for the homeless, or allow anyone who wishes to sit, lie, or sleep in the streets…at any time and at any place.’”

How has all this been acceptable?