Thurston homeless problem looks worse
MIXED REPORT ON THURSTON HOMELESS: We’d always like to hear encouraging news on the homelessness front, but the yearly Thurston County census did not provide it.
Counts are always imprecise, but January’s figures revealed 579 adults were living in Thurston County without adequate shelter. That was in line with reports from larger counties of the state.
Thurston County had about 476 homeless adults a year ago, but both years are better than the 976 counted in 2010. That’s a lot of lives on the edge, even in a county with close to a quarter-million people.
ACR Business Consulting was hired by the county to carry out the 2016 count, which drew 140 volunteers. The count shows that 192 people were most in need — lacking shelter were living on the street, in parks, cars or abandoned buildings. Another 152 were in transitional housing, and 235 had some temporary shelter but no permanent home.
What is encouraging is the ongoing effort on many levels, including by government, churches and civic groups. There are shelters and a rapid-rehousing program, Sidewalk, that seek to get individuals back into housing quickly after they become homeless. A related effort eventually will make comprehensive services available at a community care center, funded in part by the Providence Foundation.
The census shows our community must carry on these coordinated and compassionate efforts.
COURT RULING CLARIFIES OPEN RECORD PENALTIES: The state Supreme Court made clear in a 5-to-4 ruling last week that penalties for illegally withholding public records can be levied not only per document, but on a per page basis.
The result is that the state Department of Labor & Industries, which withheld documents related to lead dust from ammunition at a Bellevue firing range, must pay a $502,000 penalty.
The point here was not to run up a big score in court, but to ensure judges have tools that get the attention of recalcitrant state or local agencies. The Seattle Times had sued for documents showing whether workers and customers were exposed to lead dust; the paper was investigating lead-poisoning cases across the country.
L&I claimed a categorical investigative records exemption, which the Public Records Act allows for criminal cases. The court majority drew a distinction between the regulatory agency’s investigations, which are likely known to employers, and police actions.
In her majority opinion, Justice Debra Stephens said: “The plain language of the statute and our case law necessitate finding that trial courts have broad discretion to determine the appropriate method of calculating a PRA penalty, and nothing prohibits doing so on a per page basis.”
That was one of two court rulings last week that favored transparency in government. In the other, Judge Gary Tabor ruled in Thurston County Superior Court that Pierce County must pay $118,000 in fines and fees because its county prosecutor, Mark Lindquist, refused to turn over text messages requested by a former employee who is suing him.
The Supreme Court ruled in August that texts are public records. Lindquist’s legal battle has cost Pierce County taxpayers more than $443,000, according to The News Tribune.
Keeping public records accessible is an ongoing struggle, and courts’ willingness to enforce laws is essential.
This story was originally published March 27, 2016 at 11:30 AM with the headline "Thurston homeless problem looks worse."