homeless refugees
“$2 billion a year to solve homelessness? That’s what California mayors now say they need,” (sacbee.com, May 17)
More than a dozen mayors want continued and increased funding to alleviate the homelessness crisis. But what’s the point of spending $2 billion now to start new programs and then not having enough next year to keep them going?
Do the mayors want this money so they can “clean up” (read sweep) their cities? That’s where my support ends, because sweeping just moves the problem to another location, and then more money is spent to sweep the homeless out of that location.
How about seeing the homeless as refugees? How do governments treat refugees? They build shelters and provide food, water and sanitation. It’s what we do for homeless animals. Surely, we can do the same for human beings.
diane mcguire
sacrament
big audit
“Sacramento’s First World Shame: What Can We Do to Help Our Homeless Neighbors on the Streets?” (sacbee.com, May 18)
The Bee is to be applauded for taking a fresh look at local homelessness. One suggestion: Follow the money. Start with an unflinching audit of all government agencies, particularly local governments, who have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the issue only to fail miserably. California mayors now seek annual cash assistance without offering proof that more money will make a dent in the problem.
Next, move on to a forensic audit of the nonprofits that have benefited from this crisis, with an emphasis on the salaries of CEOs and CFOs who have held lucrative jobs for years and made no progress in alleviating the problem.
Bill Motmanns
sacrament
protect students
“Davis is a city of character and compassion. How a Serial Killer’s Rampage Shattered His Soul” (sacbee.com, May 7)
The brutal murders of a UC Davis student and a Davis resident have sparked panic across campus. The students worry about their safety as they try to get to class while fearing the unidentified killer.
Increasing the number of emergency blue box devices on campus and making sure all instructors are familiar with the protocols for switching to online learning in times of emergency are great ways to alleviate anxiety among Davis students.
ravin morgan
Davis
Opinion
affordable housing
“Davis is a city of character and compassion. How a Serial Killer’s Rampage Shattered His Soul” (sacbee.com, May 7)
Homelessness exposes people to increased risks of physical violence, making them extremely vulnerable, as evidenced by the harrowing experience of stabbing survivor Kimberlee Guillory. She vividly described how the killer opened her shop and launched a brutal attack.
This article points out that Davis has a severe shortage of affordable housing which, combined with the increasing number of people experiencing homelessness locally and nationally, creates an unlivable condition here in Davis. Affordable housing not only provides a safe haven, but also supports healing, prevents future disturbances, and allows the homeless to focus on other aspects of their lives, such as employment opportunities.
It is crucial for Davis to allocate our budget to affordable housing as a critical step in creating a more inclusive and compassionate community.
zane haidar
Forest
A solution
“Davis is a city of character and compassion. How a Serial Killer’s Rampage Shattered His Soul” (sacbee.com, May 7)
This past week was an unsettling and scary time for Davis residents. Although many were able to huddle in the comfort of their homes, the approximately 200 homeless people in the city had nowhere to turn. Unfortunately, these traumatic events revealed a deep-seated problem in the City of Davis: the lack of emergency housing. In fact, Davis has an insufficient number of emergency beds and no full-scale homeless shelters.
One solution could be an agreement between the city and local hotels to provide short-term housing for the homeless when rooms are empty.
Lucas Halteh
Davis
Hypocrite
“What is fighting the debt ceiling doing to the California economy?” (sacbee.com, May 11)
Kevin McCarthy claims to be so concerned about our national debt that he is threatening to default for the first time in history. Yes, the national debt is too high, but yes, it is the result of budgets already passed by Republicans and Democrats in Congress.
If Republicans were truly concerned about high debt, they should not have passed tax cuts for the very rich while reducing IRS tax revenue. Reduced income coupled with increased spending increases debt.
Failure to meet financial obligations will lower our nation’s credit rating. That will increase the cost (interest rate) of government borrowing. And higher borrowing costs will increase the national debt. McCarthy’s refusal to increase the debt limit will increase the very debt he intends to reduce.
bruce joffe
piedmont
