Letters to the editor for Oct. 2
Jones uniquely qualified for Olympia Mayor
As a long-time member of the greater Olympia community involved in two of our most important problem areas — housing and transportation — I am supporting Nathaniel Jones for Mayor of Olympia because he is uniquely qualified to address the issues that we face.
He has extensive local experience as a council member and mayor pro tem of Olympia, and as chair of the Thurston Regional Planning Council and as a member of the Thurston Thrives Coordinating Council, a regional organization focused in improving the health and safety of this region.
Nathaniel knows that homelessness is not just a local Olympia problem and that it cannot be solved simply by moving people from one camp to another. He also knows that homelessness is only part of the housing crisis which also includes the availability and affordability of housing for the large workforce segment of our society.
Nathaniel knows that greater housing density and expanding public transportation are two of the steps necessary to address these problems. What’s better yet is that he has the knowledge, experience and personal contacts to work across the board with community members to address and help solve them.
Please join me in voting for Nathaniel Jones as the one candidate with these unique qualifications to be the next Mayor of Olympia.
Impressed by climate strike crowd
The huge number of people who attended the Youth Climate Strike at the state Capitol was very impressive.
There were people of all ages. Toddlers being pushed in strollers by their parents, young people carrying posters, older people, some who were using canes or wheelchairs. All demanding that our political and religious leaders do more to combat climate change and reduce the use of fossil fuels. They all realize we don’t have much time left to get our act in order.
Ironically, in the U.S., federal and state governments provide over $20 billion a year in fossil fuel incentives, according to a report from Oil Change International (OCI).