Although the anesthesiologist certainly has a heart for the homeless, his proposed “temporary” fix seemed to miss important considerations. First, homelessness is not a problem that will go away soon or ever, so a $22 million tent untested by our Alaska winters probably won’t be functional beyond our mayor’s three-year term of office.
The other major concern is that many of the homeless suffer from mental disorders, some of them incurable. Permanent safe housing and treatment is necessary for them. I applaud the increased interest in providing services to people who can be rehabilitated and trained to become productive members of society, and I hope such services will be strong and adequate.
Our community heart needs to be big enough to support and help the unfortunates in our community. Please don’t define our help by federal grants.
— Jon Sharpe
Anchorage
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