Letters to the editor for Sept. 15

Why Olympia’s housing plans are good, but may not be enough

Take a brief look at Olympia’s latest housing plans and you’ll find many good ideas — ideas that should help. However, I feel that these plans are simply not enough. Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater, according to Olympia’s own study, would need to produce at least 35,000 more homes, and create housing stock so affordable that people making around $32,000 a year wouldn’t spend more than 30% of their incomes on housing. This is where the plans and goals are far too short.

The solution may be that these cities need to develop significantly more dense, multi-use, and publicly owned and developed housing. The reality is, we are looking at the bottom 50% of folks currently who can’t afford market rent/mortgages without borrowing from their own futures. We are looking at new developments designed for the car- centered wealthy. A houseless crisis where many do not have access to housing and a whole lot more working class folks are a few paychecks from homelessness themselves. In short, the bottom is falling out and with the foundation goes the home.

This is why I advocate for public decommodified housing, denser high-rises, multi-use ground floors that are affordable for small and cooperative businesses, and a car-free urban core — in which the city is cleaner and safer for all. Think this is far fetched? Look to our neighbors in east Asia and western Europe. We only choose to live this way.

Robert Vanderpool, Olympia

The quiet ones: Those waiting for surgeries

I am grateful for the common-sense letters to the editor stressing how important it is for everyone in our community to get vaccinated.

To those not yet vaccinated, I’d like to speak on behalf of a large group of people (that is getting larger by the day), and that is those who are awaiting surgery. There is currently a 90-day moratorium on elective surgery at the local hospitals. These people are patiently and quietly waiting their turn to use hospital beds because unvaccinated COVID patients are becoming ill and causing hospital overcrowding.

Could the unvaccinated look into their hearts and have a little compassion for those people in chronic pain, suffering from chronic illnesses and even broken bones? They are suffering, and they await a hospital bed.

Nancy Groceman, Olympia

Carolyn Cox is the real deal

There are many reasons why I support Carolyn Cox for re-election to the Lacey City Council. She walks the walk, while others just talk. Here’s just one example:

Carolyn’s deep involvement in housing and homelessness work during her tenure on council yields real solutions that are really helping our community.

While her opponent calls for “compassionate solutions to our homelessness crisis,” he hasn’t offered a single “solution.” Without solutions, it’s just empty talk.

Carolyn helped found the Thurston Regional Housing Council, pooling resources from Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, Yelm, and Thurston County to collaborate on housing strategies. That’s not only smart, it’s a wise use of staff time and our tax dollars.

She has consistently pushed for hiring mental health specialists and social workers to help police help people who live in homeless encampments. That is now happening.

Carolyn served on the Health and Human Services Council, leading up to the Regional Housing Council. She works with other good leaders to shape how local, state, and federal housing dollars are spent. And she was a board member on the Community Action Council, which provides our most vulnerable residents with housing, food, and other assistance.

Plus, in her spare time, she’s a volunteer board member for Interfaith Works, which operates two homeless shelters in Olympia.

Why would Lacey voters settle for a hollow imitation when they can have the real thing by re-electing a hard-working, compassionate council member who’s effectively doing the job?

Lacey residents, the choice is clear. Vote for Carolyn Cox!

EJ Zita, Olympia