Beds of dirt or concrete not a form of help

I cut back my frequent visits to our vibrant downtown Olympia after an aggressive mentally ill street person accosted me and my out-of-town guests.

Now I must ask, “Why are people are allowed to sleep and leave behind messes in public areas?” And is opening a treatment center for the mentally ill in the midst of the downtown core going to change this reality?

Beds made of dirt or concrete are a phony form of help. Replace “urban camping” with real housing paired with work. The alternative is to raise the white flag of surrender over Olympia.

This story was originally published August 9, 2017 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Beds of dirt or concrete not a form of help."