Washington could do much more to end homelessness for good | Opinion

Pervasive homelessness is a policy choice

Every day I can open a newspaper and read about the problem of homelessness. Many working home renters are one step away from being homeless.

Our tax codes provide subsidies and relief to homeowners, developers, landlords, and businesses. But not to home renters. I wonder, why is that? Since homelessness is such a terrible thing why can’t we solve this?

I have learned that in 2022, 22.4 million renter households spent more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities. And another 12.1 million people spent more than 50%. I have also learned that many homeless people are working and experiencing poverty.

If you are assuming people are homeless because they don’t work perhaps you are making a false assumption. If you are making a false assumption a person is homeless because they aren’t looking or trying hard enough to find a place to live, it is because of roadblocks that get placed in their way. Like rising cost of rents, or a two year wait to get a housing voucher to help with rent, or lack of suitable housing. Or yes, the minimum wage to most people get is not nearly enough.

Andrew Clarke, Gig Harbor

Robin Hood and the Millionaires’ Tax

I’ve been thinking, lately, about Robin Hood and the Millionaires’ Tax.

I don’t know about you, but I loved that story as a kid. King John squeezes the smallfolk, leaving them hungry, desperate. Robin Hood, our charismatic folk hero takes up his bow and arrows and tells the corrupt nobility they can go right to hell, reclaims the wealth that came from the hard labor of the calloused hands of the poor, and gives it back to them so they can eat and live better lives.

I always loved that story — I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t. It’s one of the reasons I’m so confused by the chatter around the Millionaire’s Tax. I don’t think I need to tell you, dear reader, that things are hard for us smallfolk right now. I look in my community and I see people who need food, who need shelter, who need health care. It’s hard to bear when I know Amazon and Microsoft are thirty minutes north of me, and that their coffers are overflowing.

No one supports King John in that story, just because he was in power. No one ever objected because Robin’s actions were unlawful.

Why, then, are you?

Nathan Blackmer, Tacoma

Gluesenkamp Perez an asset

As Marie Gluesenkamp Perez enters another highly contested Congressional race, plenty of liberals and conservatives are expressing dissatisfaction with her actions. With all the ruckus, it’s easy to lose track of the valuable contributions she’s made to support us in District 3.

Marie is working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to lower healthcare costs and to expand rural access. She co-led the Bipartisan Health Insurance Affordability Act to prevent ACA premium spikes and protect affordable healthcare.

She has worked to help expand the healthcare workforce. She co-led the ProblemSolvers endorsement of the GROWTH Act (Grants for Resources in Occupational and Workforce Training for Healthcare), which would increase grant funding opportunities for nursing programs at community colleges.

Marie has also advocated for expanded childcare options, introducing the Expanding Child Care in Rural America (ECRA) Act, and exploring how to expand quality childcare access in “off hours” for parents who don’t work 9-5 schedules.

More than ever, stepping away from entrenched political wrangling makes sense. Marie is committed to building bridges, working with others to make life better for us all. She is still the best choice for District 3.

Laurie Huffman, Vancouver