Here’s what you had to say on the topic of homelessness

Online comments at thedailyworld.com under Rev. Monroe’s piece.

Jim Hummer: To say this is happening in every town in this country it totally wrong. You only see it where it is allowed. So a discussion is the city is ashamed of itself and grieving. Yet many of these homeless were not even born before the 90’s. Are the people of Aberdeen ashamed of themselves? Is that the excuse to become an addict. I would submit that the pioneers that founded Aberdeen had a much rougher time then these addicts. To solve problems you have to resolve them. By making excuses vs. solutions does not the problem become worse? It this positive change. There is growth and a new spirit in the city and southern sprawl will affect Aberdeen in the next few years. Maybe it is time to look at issues for what they are and look for solutions not excuses.

Mr. Conservative: Blah…blah…blah – keep spreading that liberation theology

Dan’l Markham: As a theologically conservative clergy and former Pacific County Commissioner who has worked with people on the fringes of society for years, I applaud Rev. Sarah’s message. I don’t know if she preaches Liberation Theology or not, but the message she shares here should be prayerfully considered. Binary thinking just keeps us in the dangerous loop of hearing what re-enforces our present thinking. We will be judged at the great Judgement Seat of Christ by what we have done for the least of these, according to Matthew 25.

Amy Ostwald: Rev. Sarah — As a servant and leader you affect positive change in our community by showing us how to love our neighbor. Thanks for your timely letter.

Valyn Metropoulos:Thank you for your insightful assessment of the problem and possibilities, Rev. Sarah!

Online comments at thedailyworld.com under Erik Larson’s piece.

Jordan Amacher: What a joke haha

Just glad his term is finally up.

Bryan Ochoa: LOL what a joke.

Gail Baker-Morehouse: Thank you to the DW for encouraging this conversation to continue. I hope people will respond in a respectful manner and feel free to share their insights the topic of homelessness backed up by empirical knowledge.

safeandsane8: For the first time I am impressed with Mayor Larson. Wish this article had been before the election. What I want are 2 clear programs : First, a program open for the public to donate to people about to lose their homes, who have not been homeless but are behind in their rent. They are responsible , but unlucky and would benefit most by direct cash to the landlord. Second, lets have a people animal reserve. Let them bring their tents, set up shacks. And police themselves. And Lemay pickup by donation.

Online comments from thedailyworld.com on the editor’s piece introducing the You Decide feature.

Apryl Vandriel: One is money hungry and one likes to waste money that isn’t his. perfect match, and I think this newspaper needs to talk to some of the tax paying citizens of Aberdeen this article is very one sided..

Tom Bougher: “All politics are LOCAL.” Best put aside all the national political media hype, and focus on forming a REASONABLE consensus around shared problems we might actually be able to solve TOGETHER. One thing I learned in the military is that it is much less painful to talk, than to fight. (USMC 1968-75).

safeandsane8: First let me say thank you to the Daily World for this new column . Point Counterpoint on an issue. And I am delighted with local polling !

Facebook comments on Monroe’s commentary:

Janie Friend: I’ve never felt that the citizens are ashamed as she mentions in this article- she should be ashamed of hindering any progress the citizens try to make.

Peggy Graves: There are many truths in this article. – 1. The need for living wage jobs. 2. There is a lack of affordable housing for those with limited income. 3. There is a lack of access for drug addiction treatment in this county. Bless the pastor for trying to offer help with immediate needs while the community attempts to come up with long term solutions.

Amy Walker: Why is it that she is even allowed to publish through this paper She is the epitome of the people that are harming this community. She is fighting every move the city makes to attempt to deal with the homeless population.

Joni Coyne: (Amy Walker) right! Isn’t that the lady who just won her lawsuit, milking the system…

Facebook comments regarding a poll on thedailyworldcom.

The poll read like this:

Is Aberdeen doing enough to help homeless residents?

– More needs to be done

– Amount being done is adequate

– City is doing too much

Emma-Leigh Wimberley: How are we suppose to answer a question like this? Lol. Where are the homes to house people? When affordable housing is a $2,000 a month rental fee plus utilities it is hard to have a home even with a job.

Sharon Voss: Misleading question… “More”… as in how?

Debbie Evans: (Sharon Voss) exactly, programs should be used for what programs are meant to be used for … but folks need to be held accountable for their own decisions. If they want help to become productive members of society then they should get whatever they need … if they are just wanting handouts with no responsibilities to work towards bettering themselves then no.

Sharon Voss: (Debbie Evans) ….and sometimes more means “go to jail” 🙂

Debbie Evans: (Sharon Voss) if they are breaking laws definetly, I don’t understand if I get intoxicated in public Id be arrested. … but you can be higher than a kite and wandering in traffic and police hands are tied

Debbie Evans: … I did emergency services for 12 years at ccap and now I’ve been working at the housing authority for over 5 years…. what I learned from my years at ccap is those who really wanted to rise up and do what they needed to do… with help they would. But those who didn’t…. you knew from day one.:….. entitled and didn’t want to work for anything

Cassie Rae Bensen: Aberdeen needs to assemble a Homeless Outreach Team in the police department. Look up on youtube how well Houston is doing with that being a major part in helping their homeless get help and off the streets. In 3 years they helped over 3,000 get clean and living in stable housing.

Police are reactive. They get a call and go to it, but a Homeless Outreach Team goes out building relationships with these individuals, finding out what they need, some simply can’t get help due to no proof of ID, others need chemical dependency help, some need mental health care. 90% of homeless population are under the influence of drugs/alcohol and or suffering a SMHI (severe mental health illness). Lots of homeless dealing with a SMHI turn to drugs because they cannot get approved for state funded mental health care. I do believe Aberdeen is “enabling” them, but what they aren’t doing is helping the ones who are ready to get out of the cycle they are in. We need changes. I think taking a lot into providing the proper care for those seeking help (homeless Outreach Team, mental health care, etc.) And less providing a place to live off (enabling their bad behaviors) would substantially reduce the issue.

On top of this, many homeless go to jail for drug trafficking, or for crimes due to their behavioral issues from lack of proper medications, the system’s recidivism rates are massive. We are one of the highest countries in the world with our jail/prison recidivism rates (in the 70s). Sweden requires all inmates to participate in treatment and or jobs once incarcerated, no matter how long the stay and this has ideally reduced their recidivism rates down to the 40% rate. As u can imagine their homeless population is much less than ours as well. If we required more of our inmates to have to participate or face a longer stay, I think when they got out their success would be much greater. Honestly, not 1 thing changing will fix the problem, there’s many different aspects that needs to change.. as of currently, all Aberdeen is doing is inviting the homeless to live and do as they please instead of fixing the issues at hand.

Rachel Tuttle: (Cassie Rae Bensen) I agree with the concept but here in WA, these types of services have made only a small dent. These outreach programs have been tried in Pierce, King and even Thurston counties. Very few people reported took advantage of the help. Many others declined.

Jonney Miller Snyder: too much. make them responsible for themselves. NO ONE pays my bills but me

Greg May: This unscientific poll is absurd. The courts have spoken. The city will need to continue to follow the law. Doing more is vague.

Gail Ricarte: Are homeless doing enough to help themselves not be homeless?

Joshua Francy: Can you do one regarding having a shelter & being able to have people without anywhere else to go to go there or not having a shelter & letting people live on the streets & watershed?

Chris McLean: This is a oddly worded q&A’s…

they are doing too much of the wrong stuff and not enough of the right stuff and spending way to much money with anything they do.

The problem “leaders”and many people all over this state have is they view themselves so far above the homeless. They look down on them as poor imbeciles that can’t care for themselves and need someone else to provide everything for them … of course there are a small percentage of truly incapable people who end up on the street but for the vast majority, the problem isn’t that they can’t take care of themselves the problem is that they don’t have to…

once you’ve lost everything for yourself what motivation do you have to get off drugs if government will feed you, cloth you, house you, care for you, and clean up after you? And on top of that you can commit petty crime at your leisure to supply your habit without repercussion most of the time.

Carrie Joy: This is really a poor “poll.”