So I received this certified letter in the mail yesterday...

[MomInWA]

@MomInWA
The mid 90's were great for the Sounders in Seattle. But, to be honest, Seattleites can be fair weather fans. They are all behind when the team is good, and abandon if we lose few games (or seasons... ). By 2002, the Sounders could hardly give away tickets. So, while I do blame the owners, etc. a little, I have to also blame the fans for not sticking by their team during hard times. That said, I think the Supersonics' departure created a vacuum that benefited the Seattle Sounders. All those Microsoft and Amazon high earners that just wanted something to do bought Sounder season tickets and helped get the Sounders off the ground with HUGE fan attendence Being a soccer fan, I hope we don't lose support when we get an NBA team back

@akseattle 100% agree. Seattle can be fair weather fans. I’m actually a Mariners fan and I’ve stuck by them. Seahawks have a good following. I don’t live in Seattle anymore. Too dirty and crowded. The homeless make it unsafe and unpleasant. But I’ll drive in for a Ms game every other month or so. Other than that, I avoid my hometown like the plague.

 

[akseattle]

@MomInWA , Seattle does have a homeless problem that needs to be addressed. But, I do still like what the city has to offer. When I get out of town for a hike, holiday, etc. a small part of me does wonder if it's time to get out of dodge. Usually, I'm too busy to think about that though.

 

[ewhitake]

@MomInWA , Seattle does have a homeless problem that needs to be addressed. But, I do still like what the city has to offer. When I get out of town for a hike, holiday, etc. a small part of me does wonder if it's time to get out of dodge. Usually, I'm too busy to think about that though.

I live near Modesto CA now. It’s small in comparison to SEA. Homelessness is everywhere . To fix this problem would require more socialism than the US can stand

 

[MomInWA]

@MomInWA , Seattle does have a homeless problem that needs to be addressed. But, I do still like what the city has to offer. When I get out of town for a hike, holiday, etc. a small part of me does wonder if it's time to get out of dodge. Usually, I'm too busy to think about that though.

I’m a farm girl. Lived in the city in my 20s and 30s. By the time my 40s rolled around I was just done with the whole thing. Moved to the east side 2003 and never looked back. Now I’m looking for rural property and we are considering moving out of state.

Fixing the homeless problem is challenging and there aren’t an easy answers. The only thing that can be done is to make it much less comfortable to be homeless. That’s the stick. The carrot is providing resources to help those who do want help. Real answers will hurt feelings, and Seattle can’t have that. Otherwise nothing will ever change. And I feel mean saying that.

 

[AliOop]

Real answers will hurt feelings, and Seattle can’t have that. Otherwise nothing will ever change. And I feel mean saying that.

Well said! It is not mean to speak uncomfortable truth with the intent to help people. We don't help anyone by ignoring reality.

 

[MomInWA]

@AliOop thank you. I don’t mean to be unkind. But I meant what I said. Unless and until Seattle makes difficult choices, everything will stay the same. Nobody wants to be the bad guy. Here’s my question. Why do the homeless population have more important rights than the rest of us? I’ve seen people shoot up, urinate in the street, harass people. Why is their right to live their life in such a manner more important than my right to safety and cleanliness? Where’s the pride in our city? When do we get to say, “no. You won’t do that here”? We go to work, pay our taxes, raise our families. I’m respectful to all people. I deserve better than this.

 

[ewhitake]

@AliOop thank you. I don’t mean to be unkind. But I meant what I said. Unless and until Seattle makes difficult choices, everything will stay the same. Nobody wants to be the bad guy. Here’s my question. Why do the homeless population have more important rights than the rest of us? I’ve seen people shoot up, urinate in the street, harass people. Why is their right to live their life in such a manner more important than my right to safety and cleanliness? Where’s the pride in our city? When do we get to say, “no. You won’t do that here”? We go to work, pay our taxes, raise our families. I’m respectful to all people. I deserve better than this.

I don’t disagree with you. Part of the problem is the homeless themselves and the way personal rights has gone off the rails and the government’s response! There must be a balance but it will hurt getting there. And there is no appetite for that.

 

[MomInWA]

I don’t disagree with you. Part of the problem is the homeless themselves and the way personal rights has gone off the rails and the government’s response! There must be a balance but it will hurt getting there. And there is no appetite for that.

@ewhitake I think some things are kind of obvious but it’s like the emperor’s new clothes. They aren’t willing to speak up. If someone is shooting up in an alleyway, they have a drug problem. If you’re using the street as a toilet, you have a mental health issue. If you accost people, rob or steal, you take more than things. You steal peace of mind. It’s my opinion that it is more cruel to allow people to live in filth than it is to get them help, even if the help is that you need to be in a home or a jail cell. Living on the streets should not be a protected right. Getting help and keeping the public safe should be. We’ve flipped our priorities in the name of being nice. Why?

I do believe addiction comes from trauma. People should have help. But often they aren’t willing or able to get that help until it’s forced on them. So many issues. Cost of said mental help. Cost of jail. Police hands are tied. Housing prices. Lack of units. On and on. I wish I had answers. I don’t. But at least if we started working on it, eventually we could figure it out. Every journey starts with one step.

 

[MomInWA]

Sorry for the lecture. I’m stepping off my *ahem* soap box!

 

[ewhitake]

@ewhitake I think some things are kind of obvious but it’s like the emperor’s new clothes. They aren’t willing to speak up. If someone is shooting up in an alleyway, they have a drug problem. If you’re using the street as a toilet, you have a mental health issue. If you accost people, rob or steal, you take more than things. You steal peace of mind. It’s my opinion that it is more cruel to allow people to live in filth than it is to get them help, even if the help is that you need to be in a home or a jail cell. Living on the streets should not be a protected right. Getting help and keeping the public safe should be. We’ve flipped our priorities in the name of being nice. Why?

I do believe addiction comes from trauma. People should have help. But often they aren’t willing or able to get that help until it’s forced on them. So many issues. Cost of said mental help. Cost of jail. Police hands are tied. Housing prices. Lack of units. On and on. I wish I had answers. I don’t. But at least if we started working on it, eventually we could figure it out. Every journey starts with one step.

Amen!!!

 

[paradisi]

Alternatively.. from someone who reads a *lot* of civic policy.. ...homelessness is not caused by lazy layabouts. It's caused by unaffordable housing, refusal to raise mininum wage, criminalizing poverty, the insane greed of the opioid industry, and the closing & defunding of mental health facilities, including those for disabled veterans.

Something like 40% of US citizens are one medical emergency or one job loss from homelessness.

That's a societal malfunction.

 

[ewhitake]

Alternatively.. from someone who reads a *lot* of civic policy.. ...homelessness is not caused by lazy layabouts. It's caused by unaffordable housing, refusal to raise mininum wage, criminalizing poverty, the insane greed of the opioid industry, and the closing & defunding of mental health facilities, including those for disabled veterans.

Something like 40% of US citizens are one medical emergency or one job loss from homelessness.

That's a societal malfunction.

You'll get no argument from me on your points. But unfortunately part of America's founding principles of "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" "even if you have no straps or boots and if you have neither it's your own damn fault" make it impossible for the problems to be solved if it means giving anything away. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But we sail perilously close to deep political discussions. Not sure if the forums rules forbid it.

 

[Relle]

Locking this, way off topic of original post.