Closing park only highlights downtown problem

After reading the story about the Artesian Commons Park closing, I just can’t help wondering what the city of Olympia is thinking. How can we let the drug addicts and the homeless people dictate what happens downtown. I’m talking about the ones that don’t want help. The ones that ruin downtown for the rest of us. Leaving trash, needles, bottles and other garbage.

The city of Olympia needs to address this problem now. Not after expensive consultant reports. Not after more studies. The city needs to get tough on this downtown problem. How can we expect businesses to operate under these conditions? They have to clean up after these people that leave garbage, needles, feces, and bottles in their doorways.

Take a look at Tacoma, Bremerton, and other cities that are revitalizing their city centers. Downtown Olympia businesses are starting to leave and people will take their business elsewhere. It’s time to make some tough decisions. No more loitering, no more open drug use, no more sleeping in doorways, and no more garbage. If we continue wasting our resources on cleaning up after these people who disrespect our city, there will be nothing left to help those truly in need of them.