Eviction ban: Compulsory charity is unconstitutional

Gov. Jay Inslee has decreed that landlords cannot evict tenants who do not pay their rent.

As a past owner of a rental, I had to evict tenants who were delinquent or else I could not make the mortgage and tax payments.

If the governor has this authority, then why doesn’t he also require that all homeowners with a room available take in a homeless family who can’t afford to pay for one? This would certainly take care of the homeless problem.

Next, the governor could decree that all food suppliers give food to the homeless based on their word that they will pay for it when they have the money. This is not carrying it much further than “no evictions.”

I would think these decrees are in opposition to the Constitution.

Yes, it is necessary to stop the spreading of this virus; however, it should be remembered that the loss of lives from the virus is small compared to over a million Americans who sacrificed their lives defending the Constitution.

This story was originally published April 25, 2020 at 5:48 PM with the headline "Eviction ban: Compulsory charity is unconstitutional."