Letters to the editor for Sept. 28

A tribute to the folks on Ensign Road

Soon Ensign Road will be cleared of the unsightly RVs that many have called Home for a while, ridding our community of an eyesore and a constant reminder that our society has too many people struggling just to exist.

I’ve delivered water once or twice a week to these folks for more than a year, thanks to owning a pickup, 100-gallon water tank, and a budget that allows me to buy 5 gallon water jugs for people needing them.

It has been an incredible honor and privilege to watch them week after week being exceedingly grateful and gracious, helping others in their community, and being so polite to me. It has given me reason to have faith in all people, watching them be so resilient in their challenging situation, though it also leaves me sad that we don’t allow everyone to reach their full potential.

I know most Olympians welcome the cleaning, and I won’t miss the view, but I will miss the folks I’ve come to know along that road, and hope they find a place at least as safe and comfortable to call Home. I think of the young people who could be my daughters or sons, and the older people who could be my brothers or sisters, and fear for their safety. I hope they can find another supportive community.

I will miss my weekly (or bi-weekly) visits to these extraordinary people, and wish them the best.

Jeff Loyer, Water guy, Olympia

Perez represents SW Washington

Southwest Washington deserves a congressional representative that understands our natural resources, small towns, and working people. Marie Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has volunteered at her local conservation district, started a small auto shop, and led a Downtown Association in her hometown.

Her opponent moved to Southwest Washington last year from Portland to run for Congress, and has a $2 million political war chest. He went to college in Vermont, and worked for the CIA, which has not helped him to know our region, people, and economy.

Political elites are out of tune with working people, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is the working-class candidate that can help give Congress a tuneup.

Warren Neth, Yelm

A vote for democracy

This mid-term election is very important. I believe democracy is on the ballot. We have a former President who believes he won the election. Fox News often sides with him. There are people running for office who agree with the former President.

We can’t let these lies continue. We need people in office who believe in democracy, who will follow the Constitution when elected. We need people who speak the truth. I am talking about all offices, from Secretary of State, to Senator, to President.

Our Constitution is a great one. We have made amendments to make it work better. This mid-term election let’s go out and vote. Let’s vote for truth. Let’s vote for democracy

Marybeth Bland, Olympia

The workforce crisis is real for nonprofits, and we all suffer

Nonprofits are vital to our recovery from the effects of the pandemic. Our missions support people to thrive so they can make their best contributions to society. This work is noble and valuable, and the compensation for the people doing this mentally taxing work day in and day out should reflect the value they bring to society.

Low compensation in nonprofits is the result of a number of historical forces — the origins of nonprofits in charity work, often done on a volunteer basis by upper/middle class white women, the devaluing of care work, and the maxim demanding that nonprofits leaders “do more with less.” Now, we recognize that this attitude comes with a terribly high cost: nonprofits with under-developed infrastructure, high staff turnover, and in some cases, wages that are so low that the staff members qualify for the very services they provide to low-income people.

We can turn this situation around. To improve wages and benefits, we need donors, foundations, and government partners to acknowledge the problem and work to ensure funding at levels that allow for fair compensation. Government contracts need to cover the full cost of delivering crucial services, just as they do when the contractor is a for-profit business.

This commitment will deliver exponential benefits for communities: high-quality services across all aspects of nonprofit work. These services improve the quality of life for all residents, and we all deserve a bright future with flourishing communities.

Trudy Soucoup, Lacey, Board Vice Chair, Nonprofit Association of WA