04/17/2024
Last night, at city hall we had a meeting about residents utility bill going up for EMS.
There were 3 people there that weren't affiliated with the city.
What I'm getting at, is we won't hear from anyone until their bill goes up and they wonder what happened.
It's very frustrating.
Anyways, next city council meeting is a big one.
We'll be voting to apply for a grant for the homeless empire. If this grant gets approved, it will not be a homeless shelter for Aberdeen, but the entire county of Grays Harbor, and it will be low barrier, meaning there will be no forcing people to NOT do drugs or drink. As in, they'll be able to do everything they're already doing under the bridge, only there will be more of them, inside a facility on land we're paying for.
Let's talk about it.
All of this was put together by the homeless response committee. The homeless response committee was put together by the city administrator Ruth Clemens. I was put on the homeless committee, but for some reason Ruth took me off of it. Probably because I speak with common sense, and since they haven't made any attempt to fix anything in the last couple years, they're trying to rush things along to get this grant last minute.
So, say everything gets approved and the empire is built. What does that change about the homeless situation for Aberdeen?
Absolutely nothing during the day. Nothing at all. If anything, there will be more homeless in our town, cause remember, this empire isn't for locals, but the entire county, and any and everyone that roams into our town.
Due to Washington State being the way it is, as in laws put in place by people you all voted for, the homeless can still do the same things they've been doing, only they won't be able to camp downtown anymore.
They can still sleep, go potty and use in public like they have been, but they won't be able to put a tent up anywhere, or park their mobile home anywhere. They'll have to camp and park their home at the homeless empire.
Also, the plan to maintain the place, or build the necessities required will require the council to vote in favor of more grants, or take it out of the general fund. The general fund already pays out around $25k a month to clean up the garbage under the bridge, so what the hell, right?
Wrong.
It's insane.
The general fund has roughly $20 million in it (all public information, it was quoted in front of the public at a meeting last night)
That general fund also funds EMS and all other services around the city.
Aberdeen doesn't really have a steady source of income, aside from the residents that are taxed beyond fairness for what they receive from their city.
This town has backed itself into a corner with the homeless crisis and at this point, there's no clean break or anything that will magically make it all better over night.
Regardless what action is taken, at this point it is going to take years and lots of change through the state government to get Aberdeen back to a place where it can function.
The mayor is all in favor of building this empire. Him and the city administrator Ruth think this is the greatest thing for Aberdeen since the invention of the chainsaw.
The facility and land are located in junction city.
Right next to the juvenile detention center.
What else is down there?
Oh yeah, a couple concrete plants and Sierra Pacific.
You know, a couple of businesses that have very large, very heavy, very fully loaded trucks constantly going back and forth on the ONE road in and out of there.
Makes sense, cause fully loaded log trucks and concrete trucks can stop on a dime when they come around a corner and there's an individual with a shopping cart slumped over in the middle of the road, right?
Wrong. As someone with a CDL, I can tell you those trucks will have no choice but have an accident and hope to hell nobody gets hurt.
It's going to cost more money for residents to basically bring more homeless people to Aberdeen.
And this, my friends, is what your city administrator and mayor have been working hard to put together for their residents.
And remember, when grants don't get granted, the difference will come out of your pocket one way or another.
Have a wonderful day.