Letters to the editor for April 21

Olympia recognizes Worker Memorial Week

The Olympia City Council took an important symbolic action, declaring April 26-30 Worker Memorial Week.

Workers die when not provided safe working conditions and health care. This happened in the past and unions made a difference, securing safe working conditions for their workers. Then unions were weakened by political action and inaction. The state of Washington forms a partnership with corporations and the state reduces its ability to provide for public health. This is clearly demonstrated in these pandemic responses: workers deemed essential but expendable, especially if we can make them work for small amounts of money in fields, in our food chain, and health care systems.

Lowest paid agricultural workers living here or brought here to harvest crops need health care provided and need to be protected from environmental-caused death or pandemic. In a pandemic, unless all of us are covered, no one is. Workers are brought here to work the fields but they are not protected with vaccines, and if they catch COVID-19 are not given health care. Vaccine protection is needed on arrival.

We need to reestablish unions and collective bargaining power starting with all on the margins but all of society too. We are in a pandemic and need everyone covered. We need equity and collective empowerment of marginalized peoples. We are all in this together.

Thank you, city of Olympia, for taking a step to lead the way to help protect workers’ lives.

Bob Zeigler, Olympia

West Bay Yards an out-of-scale behemoth

The proposed West Bay Yards six-story development (65 feet high) is outrageously out of scale and will overpower Olympia’s waterfront. Does it reflect the long-term vision for our small city? Are we Seattle or Tacoma, with massive projects such as Point Ruston? Expansive Commencement Bay with its high cliff-line can handle that size project, and yet most condos there are four stories, not six.

Budd Bay is narrow and intimate, and should have smaller-scale development on its banks. Other Olympia waterfront projects are fine — three or four stories — with inland buildings taller. The Yards concept is exciting, but should be scaled down, proportioned to our community and bay, with a restored natural shoreline. Please reexamine it in relation to the whole bay and neighbors. Serious considerations:

• Severe potential environmental effects on the shallow bay; rip-rap shoreline, runoff from upland activities.
• Height is just two stories shy of long controversial Views on Fifth.
• Views and values of longtime residents on the cliff line above the massive structures.
• 400-plus condos/apartments/shops, adding hundreds of people and cars to small West Bay Drive and Harrison roundabout. The other end of West Bay Drive has quiet neighborhoods, so you want to build a thoroughfare through them?
• Pushed through for a $250,000 gift?
• No environmental impact? A public walkway along the water does not mitigate the negatives.

The local controversy about out-of-scale structures reminds us to think through the long-term consequences of a decision like this. A four-story, smaller West Bay Yards would be fabulous, not this behemoth.

Jane Chavey, Tumwater

In appreciation of Gov. Inslee’s handling of COVID-19

I want to express my appreciation for Gov. Inslee’s leadership in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year.

The pandemic has affected all of us, changing our daily lives, to some degree putting our lives in a holding pattern. Our social and family interactions, workplace expectations, leisure and travel plans are all different than they were a year ago.

The governor has been consistent in providing information on a regular basis that speaks to the growing scientific knowledge about COVID-19, its transmission, treatment and preventative measures. We have no precedent for managing a disease of this magnitude, and we live with a steep learning curve as more scientific information becomes available. We can’t draw upon a pre-existing template for managing this pandemic.

Not everyone is happy with the management of the pandemic, but the governor has offered leadership during an evolving social and medical crisis.

Ken Guza, Olympia