Landed can be modeled for other needs
I was greatly encouraged to read about Bellevue School District’s partnership with Landed, a company that is assisting educators who want to own a home.
I am sure BSD superintendent, staff members, teachers and counselors who work directly with the Family Connection Centers are aware that there are almost 300 children whoare homeless from preschool to high schools. Their families are not able to keep up with the high cost of increasing rent, and the children are struggling at school because not enough food is available for them.
The question in my mind is how can BSD partner with rental agencies to provide single family units at affordable rent?
Nonprofit community services like Muslim Community Resource Center, Catholic Community Services, Jewish Family Services and Hopelink can offer rental assistance based on their individual programs.
In the meantime checkout backpackmeals.org for how you can help with providing supplemental meals for the weekends.
Farida Hakim
Bellevue
Keep Trump in check
Dear Editor,
When you mark your ballot in the 8th District, please remember the following:
Dino Rossi was a Trump delegate to the Republican convention and there is no reason to believe he will not support the Republican agenda:
• Tax breaks for the wealthy that have caused huge U.S. deficits
• Eagerness to sabotage the Affordable Care Act
• Support from deep pocket, special interest PACs
• The construction of “a tall fence with a high gate” as the solution to immigration
• Undermining a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body
• Obstruction of reasonable gun control
• Creating a climate of hatred, confrontation and violence never before seen in this country
• Denying the dangerous reality of climate change
If you think there needs to be a check on the Trump agenda, vote for Dr. Kim Schrier.
Nancy P. Valaas
Bellevue
No to 1631
New $2.3 billion dollar energy tax would have no cap on it. It would create state bureaucracy involving 14 state agencies and cost estimated $ 27 million in the first five years.
An elected board with no control oversight would be in charge spending the billions of dollars. There would be no specific spending plan and no requirements to spend funds on specifically reducing greenhouse gasses. No on Initiative 1631. Thank you.
Janet Nelson
Bellevue
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Voting Democratic ticket
I want to thank Mr. Jones of Bellevue for his letter printed on Oct. 26. Mr. Jones reminded me of why I am unable to vote for Republicans. The party has abandoned civility, moderation, and common sense.
Mr. Jones referred to Democrats as “despicable” and Democratic senators as “vile” and “disruptive.”
Mr. Jones seems intolerant of any diversity of thought or opinion. He denigrated the contributions of former President Barack Obama who inherited an economic debacle and handed over a robust economy to President Donald Trump.
Mr. Jones then presented false choices in the form of a simplistic soundbite, “mobs or jobs.”
Democrats propose that we can have clean air and a strong economy, freedom and justice, and propose that ecologic stewardship is our responsibility. If you believe that America and Americans can accomplish anything when they work together, then I invite you to join me in voting the Democratic ticket.
Katherine Ander
Bellevue
Defining Libertarian
Libertarian Party Statement of Principles and Platform: “Libertarians reject the notion that groups have inherent rights. We support the rights of the smallest minority, the individual… We condemn bigotry as irrational and repugnant.”
True respect for human dignity requires seeing every person as an individual, not as a set of labels purported to define them.
No individual chooses the circumstances of their birth, but we can choose what we do with those circumstances. Libertarians stand for the belief that every human being deserves the opportunity to live authentically as a free individual.
The tribalism of labelling people and dividing them into groups that presume some essential similarity based on characteristics like ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or any other categorization, is misguided and authoritarian. This is not uniquely a “left” or “right” phenomenon, but in all cases is the attempt by those in power to control thought, deprive individuals of agency and foment an adversarial culture of grievances and resentment.
Libertarians respect the right of individuals to believe what they will, speak their minds and to disagree strenuously. When we encounter speech that seeks to essentialize or denigrate people based on any characteristic, we believe that speech should be countered and confronted – with more speech, not censorship.
Individuals are free to choose, and to face the consequences of their choices. We stand with those who seek freedom, respect each person’s unique identity, and reject the politics of tribalism and essentialism.
Nathan Deily
Bellevue
