My observations regarding the issues involving homelessness are that it seems many are adverse to expressing true opinions. I’m not, knowing there are many obvious, simple and complex issues involved.
First, something effective must be undertaken. Seattle and King County may never recover from their total surrender to the problem. I recognize there are several causes to homelessness. For those whose are there as a result of unfortunate medical, employment and other non-substance abuse causes, I indeed believe in a help-out approach to bring them back into being part of and contributing to society-the community. Those are the ones accepting shelter and assistance. For them, it appears to work.
As to the self-inflicting drug users and criminals, I have no empathy. They made their bed by choice. The majority of these refuse shelter. They prefer to be on the streets and doing drugs, financed by crime.
Numbers don’t usually lie. It costs between $50,000 and $100,000 per person to try and get them off the streets. Why are they entitled to no-barrier, free services, including needles and housing?
They must have skin in the game. This sounds harsh; it is. In this state we spend much ineffectively addressing the issues. And we the ta payers are held hostage paying the ever increasing blank check the government demands. Imagine what could be done with the money wasted on the wasted.
These expenses do not include all of the everyday fire, medic, police required to address the issues, as well as the risks to these first responders.
The drug users/criminals that are destroying our public and private properties should be incarcerated for the crimes, and made to rehabilitate. For that, we need tough laws and judges who will enforce them. Otherwise, this small minority will continue to impact our lives in a grotesque way, until, like Seattle, there is no point of return.
Rob Dietz
Arlington
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