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Welcome back! I'm going to blow your mind again and tell you that several things can be true at the same time. It's possible for good and bad things to be happening at the same time. It's also possible to want to see certain things improved while simultaneously being pleased with other aspects of existence.
Since you're doling out recommendations, I recommend that you listen to the police scanner in other cities. I've listened to them in the towns and cities I've lived in across the country, and they all give the impression of nonstop crime..... because they're police scanners.. And Britslist Whatcom County? Seriously? LOLOL. Tough to draw many conclusions from that group, other than it's clear that 1) many rural conservatives in the county view Bellingham (and cities, for that matter) as kryptonite and 2) there are a lot of people who need to take care of their own houses first.
Crime definitely happens in little towns, too, and I'd be more concerned about some of the things that happen in Ferndale and Lynden than the absolute freakout some of them have over having to see *gasp* homeless people here. It's interesting that you conveniently left out the fact that Sheriff Elfo mentioned several times in that article that the increase in crime was countywide, not at all limited to the city of Bellingham.
In fact, many of the more violent crimes happen in the the rural parts of the county, people are just more hidden and spread out. But I guess I should be more worried about a shoplifter at Home Depot or a stolen bike in Bellingham than a murder in Ferndale or police officers getting shot in Peaceful Valley, right? So, is literally everywhere else dying, too?
The fish does rot from the head. U-haul move-in/move out data (although certainly not gospel), showed WA dropping 31 places from #5 for the move-to destination with a 2020 exodus north of 7-figures.....growth and move-ins of course replaced those that left, with the largest influx being from CA of course. There is a reason for this exodus though, besides all of them just being conservative curmudgeons.
The Britslist and Whatcom scanner page I offered so one can see how these issues affect people first hand, you probably didn't even look...a woman pushed up against the wall near Winco and robbed by 2 vagrants...a ground floor apartment bedroom window smashed out and cell phone/wallet grabbed from the nightstand while the occupants had been in the same bedroom sleeping...the worker at "basecamp" (essentially a 2nd "lighthouse mission" homeless shelter) assaulted and robbed.....citizens having to form a security detail at the many parks and trailheads because car prowl and theft has become so rampant....and you conveniently omitted the shootings of course. The crime, much of it violent, is indeed happening around the areas of high concentrations of homeless and large camps which are mostly in Bellingham. Bellingham is indeed joining the fray of other cities like Seattle that are dying. Some see it and choose to speak out against it. Others sit like a smiling frog on a hotplate....
I went up to Bellingham on Sunday to spend a couple of days with my granddaughter who attends WWU. Got there around noon and drove around to see the town, as I hadn't been there in awhile. Waiting for my granddaughter to get off from work gave me plenty of time. Went right to the heart of the city, streets packed, bars and restaurants packed, and nobody looked too concerned about the areas they were walking in, even though there were some homeless people at a park entrance and a few drifters meandering along State street.
I just didn't see the apocalyptic scenario some here are desparately attempting to convince us of. The Bham areas I visited on Sunday and Monday were quite genteel and laid back. We ate and walked the town, down to Fairhaven, to the waterfront bike dunes, and if anything, what I did witness was a somewhat give a damn attitude, not from the homeless but, the inner city homeowners who have weeds galore, shabby houses and cars line the streets, it looked poverty stricken even though those homes would sell for a good deal of money.
Yeah, there are homeless camps, drifters, grifters, tweakers, and a fair amount of the mentally ill-- but I've seen worse in Missoula, Tri Cities, Vancouver, Boise, and other western towns that have struggled with their own social ills for quite some time. The politicization of every damn thing seems to be a major issue on CD's forums and the Bham threads are right in line with that divisive thinking. Hating all things liberal, all people who aren't thriving, the high cost of west coast living, and a Pollyanna view of what some think America should be. Bham has its share of poverty, urban decay, lackluster home owners, and the usual bad drivers, but I'd move there in a heartbeat if that was a location I chose.
I've lived in Washington for seventy six years, it's getting crowded, people move to enrich their lives and then find that tons of others have had the same idea, it's really simple, more people equals more problems, and America's drug addiction woes are tearing at the gears of society, crime that stems from that addiction is high and a growing dilemma for cities with already strained budgets, housing is high nationwide, but people with money will continue to come to Bham and the malcontents will scream, and move, but more will come, they will see the scale of problems as small in comparison to where they came from, I guess it's a matter of perspective.
I just didn't see the apocalyptic scenario some here are desparately attempting to convince us of.
my good friend's son and his family recently moved to Bellingham and they report the same. cities all over have significant problems, but some people want to pretend it's all a left/right issue. or perhaps they actually believe that, it's difficult to tell.
my good friend's son and his family recently moved to Bellingham and they report the same. cities all over have significant problems, but some people want to pretend it's all a left/right issue. or perhaps they actually believe that, it's difficult to tell.
Too many people aren't looking at the larger picture, and failing to note that the rise in crime, property values, drug addiction, and violence, is a national problem. They want to argue the day away in their attempts to make comparisons to places they see as their next paradisiacal home. Politics of the left-right frictional environment has left us divided to the point where we are just realizing that neither political party has the answers, and, we seem to be awakening to the fact that the scale of our social ills are no match for the resources we have at our disposal.
Areas of low crime, lower house prices, better schools, jobs, etc, are now fervently sought out by the Bham disenchanted, they speak of wanting to live in a more politically conservative state, to be around "their own kind," while completely disregarding the obvious--and that is the fact that the Bellingham they are leaving, was, at one time, a paradise for those who came to find their own slice of peace and quiet.
My parents lived in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood from the mid forties until 1952, when they packed up, sold the house at a bargain price, and moved to Bothell, one of those sleepy towns of that era. My old neighborhood in Seattle experienced an out-migration to the burbs, only to become re-inhabited by the newly arrived gentry who thought Seattle's near neighborhoods were their shangri la.
Today, the burbs of the fifties are looking worn and tired, spread out helter skelter across miles of old farmlands, overcrowded, with too much traffic, too many people, outrageous housing prices, and those inner city homes are now valued in the millions. Crazy, but that's America. Bellingham is a nice place, tainted to be sure, but no city, with the exception of those gated, guarded communities, has totally escaped the consequences of modern living..
If you head east, you might not find fewer homeless, but you'll find fewer unsheltered homeless per capita. It's not a blanket problem cities just stare at and say "that's how it is nationwide so we're going to live with it and complain at anyone who points out it's a problem by saying it's not our problem, it's just the way it is."
If you head east, you might not find fewer homeless, but you'll find fewer unsheltered homeless per capita. It's not a blanket problem cities just stare at and say "that's how it is nationwide so we're going to live with it and complain at anyone who points out it's a problem by saying it's not our problem, it's just the way it is."
They have worked hard. No city is perfect but Bellingham could handle its homeless issues better, as could most of the West Coast cities.
I agree, the idea of "housing first" has been tried and proven to be successful in Finland and now in some US cities. Moralizing the entrance requirements to housing has been disastrous for many in the religion based non profit homeless missions, drugs or no drugs, we need to first clear the streets of campers and then attend to the individuals other needs. Street crime and other problems associated with the homeless are mostly tied to those who have severe addiction issues, so we need to be proactive when considering our legal policies with regard to how best to handle the problem.
Milwaukee has acted in good faith by viewing the homeless "problem" as one centered around the fact that we have allowed the poorest of us to be living outdoors, and not something driven by those who feel fearful angry, and hostile toward the homeless. And yes, most cities aren't doing the best they can to alleviate that aspect of citizen input. Housing those on the streets has become a huge undertaking, and one that most of us couldn't see coming. "It is the way it is" because most people are just angry, and in that state of mind are incapable of initiating any valid measures that would solve their problems. It takes a lot of money to provide solutions and the same people who often complain the loudest are also dead set against any new taxes.
I agree, the idea of "housing first" has been tried and proven to be successful in Finland and now in some US cities. Moralizing the entrance requirements to housing has been disastrous for many in the religion based non profit homeless missions, drugs or no drugs, we need to first clear the streets of campers and then attend to the individuals other needs. Street crime and other problems associated with the homeless are mostly tied to those who have severe addiction issues, so we need to be proactive when considering our legal policies with regard to how best to handle the problem.
Milwaukee has acted in good faith by viewing the homeless "problem" as one centered around the fact that we have allowed the poorest of us to be living outdoors, and not something driven by those who feel fearful angry, and hostile toward the homeless. And yes, most cities aren't doing the best they can to alleviate that aspect of citizen input. Housing those on the streets has become a huge undertaking, and one that most of us couldn't see coming. "It is the way it is" because most people are just angry, and in that state of mind are incapable of initiating any valid measures that would solve their problems. It takes a lot of money to provide solutions and the same people who often complain the loudest are also dead set against any new taxes.
Good points. Thanks for the thoughtful discussion.
The homeless situation in Bellingham is a bit fluid, due to the revolving door justice system and the way they are dealt with. It’s more like a game of whack a mole. The camps and of course crimes in the immediate area grow until it reaches a breaking point then the camp is disbanded and cleaned up. Right now the trouble areas are all along meridian street where rampant retail theft, car prowl, “strong arm robbery”,and burglary provides the goods the homeless then sell off for their drug money.
The bad news is many of these people have pages of rap sheet with all kinds of violent offenses yet are still on our streets, despite being caught offending and being arrested multiple times weekly.
Worse yet, their drug market is a hot one and then you get the dealers shooting each other along with innocent bystanders as they fight over territory.
The homeless situation in Bellingham is a bit fluid, due to the revolving door justice system and the way they are dealt with. It’s more like a game of whack a mole. The camps and of course crimes in the immediate area grow until it reaches a breaking point then the camp is disbanded and cleaned up. Right now the trouble areas are all along meridian street where rampant retail theft, car prowl, “strong arm robbery”,and burglary provides the goods the homeless then sell off for their drug money.
The bad news is many of these people have pages of rap sheet with all kinds of violent offenses yet are still on our streets, despite being caught offending and being arrested multiple times weekly.
Worse yet, their drug market is a hot one and then you get the dealers shooting each other along with innocent bystanders as they fight over territory.
It seems that our collective grief over the lawlessness we put up with stems from some truly questionable twists in the justice system, nationwide and not just a local problem. I read news stories that tell of a recently caught criminal who has a long and sordid history with Law enforcement, going to jail, only to be released too soon and back at his old habits. Putting these guys away for a good long time will cost a hell of a lot more money but definitely worth whatever that cost may be.
The cost of expanding services has been put off by the pols who don't want to admit that new taxes will be necessary, and compounded by the common solution to city degradation---Moving to somewhere else. Conservatives have sought a much too frugal path and liberals have sought an apologetic one in regards to their own lackluster attempts to improve things. Not doing anything except complaining about the other party seems to have caused politicians to suffer from a kind of paralysis that allows them to do nothing except to lay blame. The war on drugs is only one example of a totally catastrophic political solution to what most now see as a social problem.
Americans, beginning back in the late seventies and early eighties, were told that taxation was their main problem, and politicians found that if they simply promised to cut taxes they could last forever in their gravy positions. Fast forward to today, and we see the result of too much emphasis on cost, and never enough on the QUALITY of services. An explosive growth in our city/county population numbers means more money will be needed to serve the total population, and that implies more police, more court capacity, and more of all that serves to limit the up and coming criminal class through early intervention.
Our society is already seeing poverty stricken children growing up as the next members of the homeless population, the next potential criminal population, the next drug abusers, and unfortunately, the next wards of the state who may grow up to be the newly emancipated foster care refugees. We will pay dearly for the fact that we have allowed the conditions we know are a detriment to a just and fair society, and my guess is that we won't have the disposable income we thought we had when considering we've been deferring that social cost for decades. And way too many think we've already spent too much at this point, but the real cost has been put off because it will be a huge undertaking at a huge cost.
Everybody seems to want change, but, underwriting that change will come at a huge price, especially in a country already beset with serious monetary difficulties. I hear as much complaining about all our social problems as I do the cost of addressing them, confounding for sure..I'm in Vancouver Wa and the problems here are the same as anywhere else in the US, random crime, drug addled people camping on the sidewalks, wandering mentally ill folks coming undone on the street corners, it's disturbing but that's our new reality. We never had a plan, we never had this scale of problems, we've been removed from most of that bad stuff but now it's here and it's here on a grand scale. It's time to seek real solutions, time to work together, and time to finally understand the cost of living in a decent society...
Some challenges we face with regard to our justice system:
Post #314 in this thread has a link to a Q&A interview/article from the business pulse where Sheriff Bill Elfo describes how our county jail is full and how WA State legislation has kneecapped law enforcement efforts.
Bellingham is already spending millions on homeless issues, and all its doing is just increasing their #'s locally.
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