The article by Mr. Berto on Aug 3 “New fee will help homeless” is an exemplary example of how this paper and this county continues to support unnecessary, academia-based, middle-class, guilt-ridden, elitist socialism and wealth redistribution programs. The article addresses issues, which the reporter and/or editor purposefully supported a clearly flawed idea without any reasonable criticism to the issues at hand.

The article stated that there were “84 homeless persons known on a one day census of which 23 were classified as chronically homeless.” According to the 2003 US census, there was a little over 76,000 persons estimated to be living in Island County. That’s about .001 percent of the population.  How would any reasonable citizens approve of a $125,000 yearly tax to support a program with the vague goal of eliminating homelessness by half in ten years? Is this $10 filing fee going to be discontinued after 2015? The article states that the county will get 60% of this money, which is approximately $70,000 each year.

According to the article, Mrs. Clark stated, “the biggest cause of homelessness in Island County is the lack of affordable housing.”  Divided this money by the 84 homeless equals $833 per homeless per year or just under $70 per month. What new housing is that going to pay for? You can even build a home for $70,000. How is the money going to be divided? How many of these homeless have chronic drug or alcohol dependencies and how many are persons with no other family, friends or support groups where else to turn? There are a little over 50 churches on the island; you can’t tell me that all of those tithes go to more stained glass.

The citizens need to be aware that persons in social services do provide resources to community members who are in a bad spot or down on their luck, but do not have carte-blanche to levy taxes to support wasteful programs that make middle-class liberal elites feel that they are helping when they may simply be providing more of thier own job security at citizen’s tax expense.

Michael Bolda

Coupeville

Thank you