BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield City Councilmember Zack Bashirtash is being criticized for referring to homeless people as "degenerates" during a meeting last month, prompting pushback from residents at Wednesday night's city council meeting.
Several speakers used public comment to condemn Bashirtash's remarks, urging city leaders to maintain higher standards when discussing unhoused residents. Many expressed disappointment in his word choice and invited him to witness the work community organizations are doing to help homeless individuals.
Bashirtash defended his comments, citing his six years of experience working with homeless people at a nonprofit organization.
"What bothers me is that we continue to throw money at creating what we think is helpful and it's not," Bashirtash said.
While Bashirtash apologized for offending people, he said he doesn't retract his statement. He encouraged critics to examine his perspective more deeply rather than judging him based on a social media clip.
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