LETTER TO THE EDITOR: The Homeless Problem is NOT a Homeless Problem.

This Letter to the Editor was submitted by a verified 50-year Burien Resident who requested anonymity due to his concerns over retaliation.

[NOTE FROM EDITOR: Letters to the Editor do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Burien-News or Daniel Media.  If you wish to submit a story, photo, article or letter, please contact us.  We look forward to hearing from you.]

Dear Burien Community,

The homeless problem is NOT a homeless problem. It is an addiction problem. This is obvious to all! The usual remedy is lots of money and some kind of housing. This policy has failed Seattle and everywhere else. I read last month that homelessness in King County is UP 23%. That is after spending a billion dollars. Will our civic leaders continue to do what hasn't and never will work?

Instead of allowing the DESC building, we should be building JAILS. When jails and treatment facilities are brought up, we are told it costs too much. I disagree! If we have money to build the DESC building, then we have money for what will REALLY work: turn the DESC building into a treatment center/jail.

I am told homelessness is not a crime. Well, shoplifting is. Public drug use is. Property crime is. And a host of other crimes that drug users commit that are allowed to continue without any response by our civic leaders.

Years ago, a good friend was a heroin addict. He ended up in jail. After some time in jail, his head cleared, and he decided to change. He has been clean for many years. JAIL was the key.

I am told jail will not always work. Nothing ALWAYS works. But it would be a vast improvement from what we have now. Even a 10% success rate would be way ahead of where we are now. And I believe success would be much higher than that.

Simply this: If you commit a crime you are offered jail or treatment, and that is it. Jail, where NO DRUGS are allowed. In a short time, the problem would almost disappear. You see, addicts want drugs. If they cannot get them, they will go somewhere else.

One group of people is seldom talked about. Those are the loved ones, fathers, mothers, and families of addicts who have spent many sleepless nights worrying, spent thousands of dollars, been robbed many times, lied to,  had promises broken, and had heartache for years while our civic leaders enable the addicts to remain addicts.

Every addict has a story, an excuse, a reason why. Feeling sorry for addicts doesn't produce results. It is human nature to "maximize pleasure and minimize pain." To a drug addict, pleasure is "more drugs". Pain is "no drugs". Make continued drug use as painful a choice as possible. Then, the choice to come clean will be less painful than continued drug use. That is human nature.

What are the chances the DESC building will become drug-contaminated? Or be set on fire like the Red Lion in Renton? History shows the DESC building will just increase drug use in Burien. The billion dollars already spent could have built more than one treatment center, staff included.

As I drive through Des Moines, I see no homeless tents. Why is that Burien? The Des Moines library is clean. The city hall has no homeless tents on the sidewalk. Why is that Burien? I doubt there is even one tent in Normandy Park. Why is that Burien?

Why has Burien become the dumping ground used by King County? Please don't build the tiny house village north of Kennedy High School! Why increase Burien's already giant mess?

Sincerely,
Anonymous 50-year Burien resident

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[NOTE FROM EDITOR: If you wish to submit a story, photo, article or letter, please contact us.  Even if you wish to remain anonymous, please include your name and phone number so we may contact you privately.  We look forward to hearing from you.]

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