Letters to the editor for March 4
Too much, too fast on West Bay
The proposed 500-unit West Bay Yards development will be one of the biggest and densest in Olympia’s history, on one of our last infill sites.
The recent determination of non-significance for this project by Olympia’s Community Planning and Development department, and the Olympia City Council, was a huge mistake. This project is of great significance!
Impacts from nearshore fill, the covering of contaminated sediments, the thousands of car trips per day on West Bay Drive — it all needs to be examined.
The rush to lock in development standards for 15 years in a blind rush to build is anathema to the careful civic planning that has made Olympia the great place to live that it is. Please press the council to require an environmental impact statement so that this massive project has a chance to be done right!
Robin Healy, Olympia
Hazard pay for all who serve the public
OK, where to start. First off, before “Pandemic 2020,” grocery workers served the public, and they did it without protective gear, shields, and masks like many others who serve the public daily. Now they want hazard pay. Great idea! And if they deserve it, then I believe that public school employees also deserve it.
Every day there are a great many teachers, office professionals, paraprofessionals, coaches, bus drivers, food service workers and many other employees who make it possible for students to be at school, all of whom I greatly respect. Many other workers in the world face similar hazards.
Why doesn’t the grocery store provide workers with extra PPE to stay protected? This is a tough enough situation for all involved, but when grocery workers get hazard pay, the food costs rise, making it even harder for that single parent to put food on the table while working their minimum wage job.
This pandemic has affected all of us in many different capacities. But does your doctor now charge you an additional “hazard fee” for their services? Can’t we just make the best of this bad situation instead of asking for more all the time?
Kim Schley, Rainier
Support SHB 1499’s Pathways to Recovery
I was pleased to see The Olympian come out in support of the bill to decriminalize substance use disorder. As Substitute House Bill 1499 is now actively moving through the legislative process, now is the time to speak up to your elected representatives in support.
This bill will provide pathways to recovery, improve access to treatment, and decriminalize possession of drugs for personal use. This will in turn save lives, preserve livelihoods, and treat those suffering from substance use disorder with dignity and respect.
I want my kids to grow up in a community that helps — not punishes — people who are suffering. Increased access to treatment without fear of legal consequences will help support folks in their recovery and make our community safer.
This also is an issue of race equity. While Black people are less likely to use drugs than whites, drug policy as it is currently implemented leads to much higher rates of arrest and incarceration of Black people. Making possession of a personal use amount of drugs no longer a crime will reduce this disparity. This bill is a step towards racial justice.
Please encourage your representatives to support pathways to recovery with SHB 1499.
Kaden Sullivan, Olympia