[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a Letter to the Editor, written and submitted by a verified resident. It does not necessarily reflect the opinions of South King Media, nor its staff.]
Dear Councilmembers,
I read this morning about the Burien Council voting 4-3 to reevaluate their contract with this church (Highline United Methodist Church), Re: homeless services for the City of Burien.
I commend those of you who voted in favor of this reevaluation process. Councilmembers who may have voted against this proposition, I urge you to consider changing your vote to support of this reevaluation.
All organizations that receive public tax funds should be strongly supervised by our elected officials. I believe that the church in question, which has received funds of $200,000 from the City of Burien, has not demonstrated good stewardship of public funds. Specifically, it strongly appears that they have been very inattentive to the legitimate concerns of the law-abiding citizens who own homes or rent flats closely neighboring this homeless facility.
Furthermore, as a clinical psychologist who has worked with homeless individuals, I believe that this $200,000 should be utilized more effectively, to specifically address substance abuse and mental health treatment efforts, along with social rehabilitation of individuals experiencing homelessness in the City of Burien. Treatment is the ultimate answer to the homelessness problem in America today.
Sincerely,
Michael A. Gallo
Doctor of Psychology
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You say treatment is the only answer to the homeless problem in america well guess what you need to go back to school because not all homeless people are drug addicts some people just can’t afford the outrageous prices of rent and food and don’t qualify for benefits in this state. You can not say that all homeless people need treatment. And if the drug addicts don’t want to quit doing drugs then all the treatment in the world isn’t going to help it would just be a waste of money. Maybe if you didn’t have them living like animals they would be a more productive part of the community people judging them because of their addiction is wrong because it could happen to anybody even you.
This oped is so embarrassingly transparent. You feel like this church hasn’t done a good enough job to protect those people WITH homes who are effected by these underprivileged people without. I’m sure you also voted to remove the homeless people on 152nd and replace them with a rocky “dog park” as well. Shameful.