Letters to the Editor

A place to go

Lessons in humanity need to be taught before Pillaging 101

I witnessed the recent Queen Anne campsite clearances and would like to point out that the photograph of a picture on top of the garbage bags that ran with the story ["Clearing out homeless camp," Times, page one, May 29] had a misleading caption. It said some items are bagged and tagged for retrieval for up to 60 days. This sounds quite humane.

A well-maintained campsite was entered at 7 a.m. and its resident of three years was ordered to leave. His valuable tent, which he'd carefully closed completely before leaving, was opened with a machete. Of his possessions, three bags were marked for retrieval; 20 were defined as garbage. A gallery-quality drawing was defined as trash and placed among the items for disposal featured in the photo. I know — I asked. "It's trash," they said. "Take it."

A civilized society doesn't say to a man who has made a home in the woods for three years, "You have 72 hours to leave or your life goes into a dumpster." You learn who he is, build a relationship, and find the right solution.

Mayoral press flack David Takami got the story's closing quote: "This is not a punitive thing."

Oh really? What would you call it?

— Timothy Harris, executive director, Real Change, Seattle

Focus is all wrong

Once again, we are subject to the sentimental ignorance of The Times' editorial board ["City right to clean up squatter encampments," editorial, May 30]. The main point seems to be that squatters have plenty of places to go. Shame on The Times! The editorial says 36 squatters were found — maybe they know of more than the excess (sic) of 20 shelter beds Seattle has contracted to fill the already existing shortage of shelter beds, not just here, but countywide, a number that falls woefully short even for this one foray into the woods.

The most recent 2008 One Night Count found at minimum 2,631 persons unsheltered. For this newspaper to suggest that King County and Seattle have ample shelter beds exceeds ignorance; it is harmful in how it sways public will away from necessary remedies to end homelessness. Advocates for the homeless are not seeking long-term remedies in the woods for the homeless, but defending their right for a safe place to sleep will not end.

That is why on June 8, we will again sleep on City Hall Plaza; for basic dignity for the homeless. City Hall and The Seattle Times have yet to learn why someone would choose a tent over a shelter. Both entities spend more time and energy courting high-rises that gentrify than is spent on remedies to end homelessness.

— Bill Kirlin-Hackett, director, The Interfaith Task Force on Homelessness, Seattle

Lead exposure

"Seinfeld" reruns may get blamed next

Regarding "Strong link between crime, lead exposure in children," [page one, May 28], while it is well-written, it sends the wrong "bottom-line" message to worry about lead. Note that all of the subjects were born more than 15 years before the elimination of lead from leaded gasoline occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Subsequently, blood lead levels dropped precipitously — plummeting from more than 10 micrograms/ml to less than 2/ml nationwide — and to less than 1/ml here in Washington. In other words, the need to tear down buildings may be true for the East Coast, but not for here on the West Coast, where the lead problem was really found to exist only in the air.

If the authors are correct — and I think they are! — almost no one has to do anything except to simply drive with nonleaded gasoline and watch such crime disappear! But I wouldn't count on it — we have TV to replace lead.

— William O. Robertson M.D., medical director emeritus, Washington Poison Center, Seattle

Fueled up

All that moaning gets negated by speeding

On Saturday, I drove back to Seattle after a few days in Anacortes. In an effort to conserve fuel, I purposely drove 60 mph the entire way, staying in the center lane, even in the 70-mph zones. I fully expected to see other motorists driving more slowly than usual, but once again I underestimated the hypocritical nature of most Americans.

I was passed by virtually all other motorists, who appeared to be driving between 75 to 85 mph, and several who were driving even faster. I was almost blown off the road by gas-guzzling trucks, SUVs, 1975 Chevy vans — even a Winnebago that was towing a Ford Excursion.

If motorists are truly concerned about gas prices, the most effective action they can take is to slow down. Additionally, blatant disregard for fuel conservation will keep prices high for those of us who are doing our part to act responsibly during this energy crisis.

Changing one's driving habits is difficult, but you can't moan at the pump and then drive around like gas is still $1.75 per gallon.

— Brent Stavig, Seattle

Conservation nation

High and narrow could win this race

Recent stories in The Times about the challenges of saving trees or clearing land for tighter apartment buildings shows the need for compromise and flexibility. We all recognize the contribution trees provide to better air quality and as habitat for wren and sparrow, but these days, we also see the value in keeping development in neighborhoods with existing infrastructure.

The simple way to accommodate both is to make it possible for higher, narrower projects, so that trees can be saved. Developers and land-use-code enforcers will need to talk with project neighbors to work this through, probably on a case-by-case basis.

It will cost a bit more in time, but the result will be win-win. It should not be a case of trees versus development, or expedience over livability. We need nature just as much as we need roofs over our heads.

— Andrea Faste, Seattle

Culture of war

Surely, they sell calendars in D.C.

I am writing about "Less-violent Iraq raises hopes for early withdrawal" [page one, May 31]. Early? Early?? Aren't we about four years and eight months past the administration's wildest estimates? And didn't Vice President Duck Cheney declare that the insurgency was in its "last throes" three years ago, on May 31, 2005?

"Early" implies ahead of schedule, and all sane people would agree we moved out of that era a long, long time ago.

— Liz Walsh, Seattle

Presenting the leader of Phi Kappa Jokester

The picture of President Bush at the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation sums up the problems with his presidency ["No worse for wear after flying into turbulence," News, May 29]. Our nation is at war, people are dying, our national treasury is being drained, jobs — and homes — are being lost.

It is a time for serious thought, discussions, decisions and work — but our commander in chief, before the future military leaders of our nation, acts like the frat boy in charge.

Bush acts like he is still at his fraternity, kidding around with frat rats. He still does not realize or acknowledge the full effect that his decisions have had on this nation.

It is no longer a time to joke and kid around.

— Doreen Suran, Bellevue