Local homeless

‘Bailout’ needed right here at home

Last week I did a volunteer shift at the temporary homeless shelter at the Kitsap Fairgrounds (thanks to the Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management, The Salvation Army and AmeriCorps) and the poignant moment from that shift was watching young children sort through piles of used clothing looking for a warmer hat, a better coat they can wrap up in while they go to sleep on our streets, in the woods, in alleys and church parking lots.

Out of sight, out of mind.

This morning, I woke up to hear that 450 employees in a failing division of AIG (American International Group) will each receive a $1 million bonus, so they won’t quit their jobs. That’s $450 million of our money going to pay bonuses to people who properly should be fired.

We could have used some of that money here last week. Salvation Army Maj. Baker can put it to good use helping people who our government feels are less needy than the greedy, avaricious, no-conscience Wall Street bankers and finance experts who lead us into this mess.

It is disheartening beyond words to see our unsecured, non-transparent bailout “loans” to Wall Street continue unabated while here on Warren, Bay and Front streets, our homeless, many of them with medical and mental issues, the old, the children, mothers and the fathers who hold those ignominious pink slips are directed to “safe” places where they can park their cars for the night, where shelters, restrooms and hot meals are provided only when it is dangerously cold.

What are we thinking?

W. HOKE

Manette