Pierce County’s homeless village plan is all wrong. Don’t turn Spanaway into Hosmer | Opinion

Community First Village

Several red flags appear to me when reviewing Pierce County’s plan to emulate a homeless housing project in Austin, Texas.

First, Austin’s Community First Village was created over time by a successful local Christian businessman whose sole goal was helping people. It wasn’t created by politicians whose goals are, all too often, focused on short-term career or ideological gains.

Second, he started by renovating a recreational vehicle and expanded the project, as he was able, to gain the interest and support of other people. It wasn’t started as a large government project throwing taxpayer money at a poorly and unrealistically defined program.

Third, the Austin project has a long-term record of successfully helping people, after which they were granted, and accepted, taxpayer resources. The Tacoma Rescue Mission will not have the luxury of starting small and learning as it grows; expensive errors can be expected.

Lastly, and perhaps the biggest red flag, is the bureaucratic and political interference the project will no doubt face, which will likely lead to cost overruns and perhaps failure.

Hopefully, the area won’t turn into another crime-ridden area similar to the Hosmer Street debacle in Tacoma.

Tim Tengesdal, Spanaway

Old-growth trees

The Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is selling off trees to be logged on public land that is home to mature (legacy) and old-growth trees. Because we are in a global warming crisis this must stop.

The giant conifer forests of the Pacific NW store more carbon per acre than any other forests in the world. These legacy trees sequester and store carbon from the atmosphere for long periods of time. When a tree is cut down most of its carbon is released through waste during harvest and manufacturing. Newly planted trees will take decades before they store as much as the older trees.

Legacy trees reduce flooding and erosion risk by holding water in the soil from heavy rains. They promote biodiversity and provide habitat for wildlife.

Older trees are better able to withstand and recover from fires because they have thicker bark. Some species have lower branch self-pruning which limits fire crown spread.

On DNR lands there should be no logging of trees of 80-plus years.

Heather Pens, Olympia

Nisqually Wildlife Refuge

“Is that the river I hear?” asked a Nisqually Wildlife Refuge visitor.

No, it’s Interstate 5 traffic behind the trees.

The Washington State Department of Transportation is considering a plan that would widen I-5 over an elevated bridge thousands of feet long, bringing more noise to mask the warbler’s song, more air pollution and more salmon-killing tire chemicals. A 4.7-mile bike path would be misplaced by the freeway rather than at ground level. “Predicted noise levels exceed WSDOT noise criteria, requiring noise abatement measures,” a study suggests. A Nisqually wall?

The new bridge purports to “enhance mobility on I-5 … improve system resiliency … enable environmental restoration … (and) support economic vitality through reliable efficient freight movement.” The study listed 60 partners, but not the Federal Railroad Administration or any rail organizations.

WSDOT’s plan rests on a false premise that more cars and trucks are needed to carry people and goods across the river. Trains carry passengers and freight at much lower cost and less environmental harm.

Choose the right track; more clean trains, not more dirty noisy lanes, past the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge.

Breck Lebegue, Steilacoom

Fossil fuels

Fossils were shaped long ago and their shape stays fixed despite compelling natural forces. Politicians who continue to support natural gas and other fossil fuels are just like fossils.

The destruction of Lahaina, the unbreathable air in Washington and the combination of expensive, dangerous and unreliable energy haven’t changed their opinions. Look at the voting records of your elected officials. Do their votes promote a safer Washington?

Then, schedule an appointment with your local elected state officials. Thank them for all their helpful votes. Encourage them to promote speedy approval of clean energy projects, legislation that protects our farms and forests, and regulations that clean up transportation and buildings.

Fossils are fascinating historical records. But let’s not let them annihilate our futures.

Gwen Hanson, Bellevue

Moms for Liberty

Recently, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) labeled Moms for Liberty an extremist hate group. If it was actually true that a few poor actions or tweets of an inflammatory nature was enough to qualify a group as extremist and hateful, then the Democrats would be in trouble over the anti-Semitism of members of Congress known as the squad. What are the chances Democratic constituents will call their own party an extremist hate group?

Moms for Liberty has been inaccurately described as an advocacy group that has called for book bans, classroom censorship and prohibitions on teaching about slavery, race, racism and LGBTQ history.

Moms for Liberty is not in favor of banning books. Common sense and decency must be applied in content moderation and should occur to prevent inappropriate content from being exposed to children based on age and maturity levels. The SPLC makes a serious mistake in thinking that a grade level is an indicator of biological, physical, emotional and spiritual maturity. Also not considered is the emotional trauma or sexual abuse that children might experience daily at home that could easily be triggered by what is inappropriate yet forced upon children in public school classrooms.

The SPLC got it all wrong. The Mission of M4L is “fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.”

Ernest Zarra, Fox Island