Letters to the editor -- May 14

Get to root causes of homelessness

I agree with letter writer Virginia McConnell's comments about tent cities not being the answer to homelessness.

She challenges the government to look at the reasons for homelessness and come up with innovative ideas to eliminate it. I would like to take that a step further and challenge the rest of us to be a part of the solution.

The fact that there are almost 700 identified homeless children in Thurston County is of grave concern to this great-grandmother.

Homeless Backpacks and other groups in the community who offer assistance to these children as well as the adult homeless population are to be applauded. However, that assistance does not address the root cause of the problem, and that is where the rest of us need to come together to work with these groups and governmental agencies to seek solutions.

Naomi Baresel, Olympia

Cast your vote for right gubernatorial candidate

Come November, we can choose a governor who will not kowtow to the leaders of the state employees' unions. We can choose someone who will make public safety a priority. We can choose someone who will be a counterweight to an out-of-control Legislature. We can choose someone who will not spend us into oblivion.

We can choose Dino Rossi.

Dennis Anderson, Lacey

Levy failure isn't the end of the world

My two kids were in the North Thurston school district in the 1990s when it had a levy fail.

I was one of the many who voted against it. You know what? It wasn't the end of the world.

School went on, kids still learned, still had band, still had sports etc.

It was reported that North Thurston Public Schools district spent $15,000 for a survey of 200 households after the last levy vote. Now they are spending money on a second levy request.

Maybe they should be saving this money for the children.

Kevin Turner, Olympia

'Yes' vote is an act of patriotism

All of us have been hearing concerns of what U.S. citizens can do to keep our country strong.

Many issues assail us: the war, inflation, social controversies and medical care. As always, because of our free society, there are numerous pros and cons, mostly legitimate and honest.

There is, however, one well from which springs the basis of solutions to our problems, and that is the education of our youths. This is where the strength of our nation lies. A "yes" vote on the North Thurston school levy is an act of patriotism each citizen can contribute toward keeping our country strong.

Don Kasmar, Lacey

Librarians are key to academic success

I enjoyed Kirk Ericson's article in The Olympian about how he likes libraries. I like libraries too. I am sure Ericson was referring to public libraries.

How about school libraries? The North Thurston school district will lose all elementary, middle school and high school librarians if the levy fails on Tuesday!

Where do students go to get a good book to read? The library. Where do they go to find information for their state report or their science fair project? The library. When the class assignment is to read a historical fiction book or a mystery where do they go? You guessed it, the library.

Who help the students locate the information they need, offer suggestions and is a great reference source? The librarians, of course! And at the elementary level, it is only the librarian who tracks the reading abilities of each student and can recognize problems and progress from grade to grade over time.

The effect of schools without librarians would be detrimental to all students and teachers.

So, I encourage you to vote "YES" Tuesday and support the libraries of the North Thurston Public Schools, along with the advance placement classes, foreign language classes, gifted programs, special education, band, choir, orchestra, sports and all other activities that the levy funds.

Karla Stanton, Lacey

Property taxes are not equitable

It is natural to aspire to live in a nice home. People should be encouraged, not discouraged to do so. Everyone should have the opportunity to own a nice home if they are willing to work for it.

Increasingly higher property taxes are a form of punishment for those who choose to live in a nice home. This discourages, and even makes it impossible, for some to ever live in a nice home.

Property taxes are an inequitable and disproportionate application of the burden a citizen must pay to support the public good. Citizens with nice homes have to pay property taxes that are higher than the guy next door who lives in a dump. This is not a fair and equitable application of civic burden.

The use of public-approved levies for higher taxes gives the person who lives in a dump or owns no property at all, and especially those in public service who will benefit from higher taxes, the undeserved ability to vote to increase the taxes of the common citizen who might receive no benefit from increased taxes on his home.

Bernice Van Mechelen, Olympia

The Lacey City Council called it right

The Lacey Council's slow and methodical approach to the homeless encampments on our church properties ensures the homeless safety and protects the churches, the city and its residence from any possible legal liability in the future. The Lacey City Council acted under the wise legal counsel of the city attorney.

While Camp Quixote promotes its success as a safe environment and placing residents to permanent housing, those are really false accolades. The movement of residents from tent city to a permanent residence rests solely on the social service organizations that work tirelessly to place homeless people back into society. The camp is only a temporary solution to an ever-increasing housing problem.

It is only a matter of time until an incident occurs that will tarnish the image they so boldly brag.

Finally, the camp discriminates and systematically ostracizes those who need it the most.

Let's not forget this camp started as an incident of civil disobedience that was defused only by a church offering temporary sanctuary until the dispute with the city of Olympia was resolved. Olympia, Tumwater, Lacey and Thurston County governments continually refuse to tackle the homeless problem in this area.

I can only speak for myself, but I am glad I am not faced with potential higher taxes as a result of lawsuits that might come as a result of some city council rushing to hide a problem under the rug. Thank you, Lacey City Council.

Steve Neuenschwander, Lacey

Keep schools strong by supporting levies

I recently had the pleasure of walking with Chinook Middle School teachers and students in Olympia's Procession of the Species parade. Maybe you saw the wonderfully detailed salmon sculpture that staff and students were towing and the exuberant drum and dance group that followed. As you might suspect, there were many hours of preparation that went into their participation in this event.

This is but one example of the commitment of the devoted, multi-talented group that works at Chinook. As a spouse of a teacher, I have always been impressed by the energy, enthusiasm and optimism of all the educators I know.

Universal education through public schools has been a cornerstone of our society throughout our country's history. We, as a community, should be grateful for the quality education they provide and support them in any way we can, including voting for our local levies. Keeping our schools strong and their curriculum diverse helps secure all of our futures.

Donald Hiller, Olympia