Letters to the editor for March 18

A tribute to mental health care workers

As a member of the Thurston Mason Behavioral Health-Administrative Services Organization (TMBH-ASO) Advisory Board, I have heard about the mental health care professionals and certified peer counselors who provide care and treatment in crisis situations in Thurston and Mason counties. I extend my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to them.

Requests for their services have increased one and a half times during this past year (2020) with little increase in resources and under extremely complex conditions exacerbated by COVID-19.

Thank you to:

• Olympic Health and Recovery Services.
• 24/7 Crisis Hotline (800-270-0041).
• Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams.
• Mobile Crisis Stabilization Teams.
• Designated Crisis Responders and staff who conduct Involuntary Treatment Act Assessments.
• Supportive administration staff.

Thank you to the police in Thurston and Mason counties who work cooperatively with these teams when needed.

Thank you to the Thurston Mason National Alliance on Mental Illness for their education, support, and advocacy services. (360-439-6021)

All are doing an amazing job for us. Support them through your compassionate understanding of mental illnesses; be educated about them (NAMI). Support our workers and volunteers through our health care system, court and police systems, and with donations as well as our tax dollars well spent through advocacy and education.

Thank you.

Lorraine Barton-Haas, MD, Olympia

Is Capitol Campus modernization really a priority?

I join the former city of Olympia mayors in asking questions about the State Legislature’s plans to spend $180 million on a massive building project on the Capitol Campus.

I wonder how far $180 million would go toward addressing the state’s housing crisis? How wise is it to spend money to expand office space for the legislature at a time when so many are living on the streets in tents, cars, and trailers?

I suspect the funding for this comes from state trust funds set aside to maintain and upgrade Capitol buildings. Still it is a great deal of money to be spent when so many are in need and for a plan that was commissioned prior to the pandemic. We are all realigning our priorities and rethinking virtual work. The Legislature would do well to do the same.

Patricia McLain, Olympia

The climate crisis requires meaningful action

I am writing this letter to talk about a very important issue that affects us all. That issue is the climate crisis — specifically the burning of fossil fuels which is making the climate unstable, leading to things like wildfires and drought. Also, these disasters will displace people, creating climate refugees.

This crisis is very important to me as a young person because if we don’t do something about it, it will mean the end of the world. I have felt the leadership of this and all the other countries have failed us. I feel mad at our politicians for either putting off the crisis or denying it exists.

We have better leadership in the U.S. but I feel the current president could be doing more. His green energy bill is a good start, maybe even a great start. Meanwhile the Republicans deny the crisis in Congress and even though the Democrats have a good bill, I feel like it doesn’t do enough. We need to pass the Green New Deal.

We need to stop allowing the oil and gas industry to buy off our politicians. They represent us, not corporations, and we need to defeat anyone who does not believe this crisis exists.

Henry Meyer, Olympia