Letters to the editor, May 10, 2019

PSE; street paving; homelessness

Save trees now

We relocated here 16 years ago, and were impressed with the city planning which allows Bellevue to be “a city in the park” within the Evergreen State. These compliments, however, are in grave jeopardy as the development pops up all around.

It is a crime to think of losing 300 trees on 148th alone. The sad fact is there were other options for Puget Sound Energy to consider placing the power lines which would have saved these beautiful trees. These trees are not only beautiful and provide us with clean air, they also soften a major corridor.

If you enjoy the currently beautiful city we all call home, please pay attention and push back on the endless development closing in on all sides. I have recently joined many others in pushing back before it is too late. Go to city planning meetings, contact Bellevue City Council members and research who is willing to fight for our beautiful trees, rather than “cashing in.”

Had previous residents not saved these trees for us, we’d no doubt be living in a paved jungle. Don’t we owe it to preserve these iconic landmark trees to our children and grandchildren?

Ruth Vaughan

Bellevue

Thanks for street paving work

Recently, the streets in our Horizon View Neighborhood of Bellevue were repaved.

We wish to thank city officials and employees of the street department for the excellent job that was done. We must also thank the Watson Asphalt Company of Redmond for their outstanding, very professional work. Truly, we were impressed and extremely pleased how during construction, local traffic was safely and expeditiously handled.

Yes, we are indeed thankful to live in one of the finest cities in The United States Of America.

James A. and Marylil V. Nelson

Bellevue

Vet the homeless population

Homeless is a word that has been diluted to near meaninglessness and absurdity. It’s become a large catch basin used loosely and recklessly to describe all kinds of people who by definition have homes — tents, sheds, vehicles, tiny houses and shelters.

So they are not homeless; they are drug addicts. They are not homeless; they are mentally ill. They are not homeless; they are physically disabled. They are not homeless; they are runaway teens. They are not homeless; they are disillusioned veterans. They are not homeless; they are fugitives from justice with outstanding warrants. They are not homeless; they are domestic abuse victims, those who prefer living on the street, and minimum wage earners.

Until there is an accounting, a vetting, and until we vote for leaders rather than opportunists, the assumption that most homeless are the growing, unemployable population of ne’er-do-wells and malcontents who migrate here expecting the rest of us to take care of them rings true. They are the gypsies of old, the ones littering our streets and sidewalks, the majority of whom are addicted to drugs. They are a diseased population unfit to live amongst us while threatening our social order. Certainly they are the ones overshadowing and giving affordable housing and minimum wage earners a bad name.

Vetting the homeless we would much better understand a social disease that has become a national epidemic. Vetting them we would bring exposure and clarity. Why not mandate intervention for this disease as we have mandated vaccinations for measles? Housing them without intervention, they will remain forever homeless. Housing them without intervention, they will continue to be a disguised means of profit for opportunists.

Ron Vize

Bellevue