Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris has stirred up controversy with his recent comments about wanting to eliminate the city’s homeless population by providing them with fentanyl. This shocking statement was made during a city council meeting, where a resident questioned the mayor about the city’s plan to address the homeless crisis.
In response to the resident’s question about enclosing the homeless population in a single encampment, Mayor Parris stated, “What I want to do is give them free fentanyl. That’s what I want to do. I want to give them all the fentanyl they want.” Despite the resident’s disapproval of his approach, Parris reiterated his stance.
Following his remarks, a recall effort has been launched against Mayor Parris, although it has only garnered a small percentage of the required signatures. Critics have accused Parris of prioritizing personal gain over the well-being of residents and implementing controversial policies during his tenure.
Despite facing backlash, Mayor Parris has stood by his comments, insisting that he was referring to homeless individuals who are also criminals and refuse to seek help. He claimed that these individuals are responsible for a significant portion of crimes in the city, including robberies, rapes, and murders.
While Parris did not provide concrete data to support his claims, he defended his position by stating that fentanyl is easily accessible on the streets and offering it for free would not make a significant impact. He also suggested the idea of a federal “purge” to reduce the homeless population, emphasizing the need to protect hardworking families in the city.
In addition to his controversial remarks about the homeless population, Mayor Parris has previously made headlines for proposing a ban on workplace dress codes that require wearing neckties, citing concerns about restricting blood flow to the brain.
See also Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tough Bronx persona is under fresh scrutiny with a resurfaced childhood nickname from her suburban upstate New York upbringing casting doubt on that publicly portrayed image. The progressive champion’s latest spat with President Donald Trump over the Iran strikes again called into question her true upbringing when she declared on X she was a “Bronx girl" to make her a point against the president. The 35-year-old congresswoman wrote in part on X: "I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully," she said, referring to the president’s upbringing in Queens as she called for his impeachment over his decision to bypass Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved to Yorktown – which is nearly an hour outside New York City -- when she was 5 years old and went on to attend Yorktown High School where she graduated in 2007. She was considered an accomplished student there and well thought of by teacher Michael Blueglass, according to a 2018 report by local media outlet Halston Media News. “There, known by students and staff as ‘Sandy,’ she was a member of the Science Research Program taught by Michael Blueglass," the report states. “She was amazing," Blueglass said, per the report. “Aside from her winning one of the top spots and going to the [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair], she was just one of the most amazing presenters in all of the years I've been at Yorktown. Her ability to take complex information and explain it to all different levels of people was fantastic." After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University, where she majored in economics and international relations, per the report. Ocasio-Cortez’s “Sandy" nickname — which carries a more suburban and preppy tone — appears to undercut her politically crafted image as a tough, inner-city fighter, one she has portrayed since her famous 2018 congressional campaign where she eventually ousted former 10-terms Congressman Joe Crowley. New York GOP Assemblyman Matt Slater, who now represents Yorktown, added to the scrutiny of Ocasio-Cortez’s persona in the wake of her brash with Trump and released images of Ocasio-Cortez from his high school yearbook. He claimed he and the rising Democratic star attended Yorktown High School at the same time when she was a freshman and he was a senior. "I saw the attacks on the president and her [Ocasio-Cortez] claims that she's a big, tough Bronx girl," said Slater. "To sit there and say that she’s a Bronx girl is just patently ridiculous." "Everybody in our community knows this is just a bold-face lie," said Slater on "Fox & Friends First" last week. "She grew up in Yorktown, she was on my track team." "She's lying about her background, she's lying about her upbringing," Slater claimed. Slater’s post sent social media ablaze and prompted Ocasio-Cortez to respond after an image if her family’s home was posted online. “I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Friday responding to the post. “My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep." “Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!"
Despite the criticism and backlash he has faced, Mayor Parris remains steadfast in his beliefs and continues to advocate for what he sees as necessary measures to address the homeless crisis in Lancaster. The future of his leadership and the city’s approach to homelessness remain uncertain as the community grapples with these contentious issues.
