Letters to the editor for Nov. 18

Harm to Ensign Road RV community

The sweep of the RVs on Ensign Road was put on hold after the city of Olympia received a letter from the Attorney General saying that the sweep would be a violation of the state’s eviction moratorium.

On Oct. 27, Ensign Road was barricaded on both ends with public works vehicles and police. Advocates, including Family Support Center staff and legal observers, were not allowed beyond the barricades to support the residents. There was much confusing information about whether they would be ticketed if they stayed. The residents felt much fear and confusion.

As Just Housing wrote, “Pushing people to abandon their vehicles or the relatively secure location they have depended on for shelter for months by dangling tempting resources and a few nights in a hotel room in front of them is unethical and immoral — especially when it is coupled with an ambiguous threat of ticketing made while separated from advocates and surrounded by flashing lights, police vehicles, heavy machinery, and tow trucks. Do you think that those who decided to leave did so without feeling compelled?”

These actions should be taken to remedy the harm caused:

1. The city should find a safe and legal parking option for these people.
2. People who decided to leave Ensign Road under duress should be given the choice to return to Ensign Road without the threat of ticketing.
3. The city should return the vehicles of two residents that were wrongly towed on Oct. 14.
4. The residents deserve an apology.

Heather Pens, Olympia

It’s the dark time of year again

So, once again it is the time of year when we suffer from daylight deprivation. I, for one, am not a fan.

I belong to that intrepid group of individuals known as delivery drivers. I deliver pizzas, so on a busy night I may have to find 12 or 15 addresses, in the dark, in the rain, with your pizzas fogging up my windows. I’m not complaining — it’s my job and I am very happy to have it. I would, however, like to ask, I don’t know, maybe plead, with people who get regular deliveries to please make your house number visible from the road.

Please don’t take it for granted. You need to walk out to the road in the dark and see if you’re house numbers are visible. If your house is set back from the road, or even if it’s not, you can get high-visibility house numbers from the fire department for free.

And please don’t cover your numbers with holiday decorations.

And please do us one more favor. Hang a mask by your front door, and put it on before you open it. We wear ours. Please wear yours. It’s the only way we will stop the virus.

I would like to say thank you for your generosity when it comes to tipping. We all appreciate generous.

If we all do the right thing, we will get through this. Please wear a mask!

Peter Aitken, Olympia

Support local options for ranked voting

I was thrilled to hear that the Olympia City Council passed a resolution in support of a ranked-choice voting local options bill. Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) is a great idea, and I would love to see it implemented in Olympia, but that can’t happen until the Legislature passes a local options bill.

Luckily, in January 2021, the Legislature will be considering such a bill. If it passes, it will give localities across Washington the freedom to adopt RCV for local elections if they want.

As we learn about flaws and inequities in our voting system across the country, there is little doubt that our voting process needs attention. The Olympia City Council’s resolution is a small but important step in a good direction, and it signals to legislators that Olympia is interested in trying out RCV, an upgrade to our election system that has been having great success in places it is being tried.

Unlike many new proposals to fix elections, RCV isn’t partisan, and it is winning support everywhere from Democrats in Massachusetts to Republicans in Utah. In Washington, RCV is backed by a broad coalition of organizations such as the Washington Conservation Voters and Seattle Transit Riders Union.

I hope that Olympia’s Sen. Sam Hunt will hear the calls from his constituents for RCV and take leadership on this important issue. Better elections benefit all of us!

Harmon Eaton, Lacey