Bellingham, the ugly truth.... (Seattle, Oak Harbor: electric, companies, roach)

[Transmition]

You must be aware that people can just go to Bellingham and see for themselves that it isn't the crime-ridden hellscape that you make it out to be. I spent the whole day there recently and only saw a couple of people that looked homeless. I didn't go anywhere near the Walmart though, it's not exactly downtown, more outskirts.

Crime is down across the board (https://cob.org/gov/dept/police/news-police/crime-stats) over the last year. Looks like roughly a 10% drop since last year for the last few months. The crazy hyperbole about any part of it being one of the most dangerous places in the US just brings everything you say into question.

[bartonizer]

Originally Posted by Snowman05

Bellingham has been resilient because of people moving here but the homeless problems are as bad as ever. It's a reflection of the rest of the country, bad but not a lost cause if get new leadership. Bellingham is blessed with good nature etc which keeps people moving here even if they're only the more rich demograhic.

You know, I actually agree with you, and I've been saying it for a while- this is a reflection of what is happening across the country. Would I like to see new leadership? Yes, but so far nothing that I've seen proposed by anyone would likely make that much of a dent in the issue of homelessness, because it's a complicated issue that won't be solved by merely using one tactic, unfortunately.

[bartonizer]

Originally Posted by xPlorer48

We just returned from a 5 week camping trip. We stopped at the Safeway in Burns, Oregon. The store was busy on a Friday morning due to hunting season as hunters stocked up (lots of camo). Despite the crowds, the shelves were not empty and produce and meats were fresh. They had adequate employees and everyone was helpful and friendly. The prices were comparable to Bellingham.

While on our trip to mostly the Great Basin area and parts of Idaho and Montana, we always felt safe. No visible homeless or drug addicts. No crowds in the forests or other public lands. It was refreshing.

So, let me get this straight. You traveled on a hunting trip to some of the most remote, least populated areas in the lower 48, and you didn't see homeless people or drug users? And a busy Safeway in a city of 100,000 has less on their shelves than a city of 2,500 in the middle of nowhere? Wowwwwwww.

I'm sorry, are you actually trying to be serious in this conversation? Clearly you have a preference for rural areas. There's nothing wrong with that, but comparing cities to vast, uninhabited wilderness - and expecting them to feel exactly the same - is absolutely absurd. Sorry, it should be obvious to anyone reading this that you just don't like populated areas.

[bartonizer]

Originally Posted by xPlorer48

Ruth, I don’t think you really took a look around. I avoid going into town unless I absolutely have to (medical appts, groceries or banking). Drive down Holly Street, stop at the Bellingham Public Library (Wicked Witch of the west lives by the kids’ entrance), check out behind Walmart, or by the Northside Fred Meyers. It is NOT the Bellingham you saw.

So, Ruth didn't have an authentic time visiting Bellingham, because she didn't seek out or have her friend take her around and point out some homeless or mentally ill people in the area?

Do you realize how strange your logic is, and how weird it sounds to other people?

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by xPlorer48

Ruth, I don’t think you really took a look around. I avoid going into town unless I absolutely have to (medical appts, groceries or banking). Drive down Holly Street, stop at the Bellingham Public Library (Wicked Witch of the west lives by the kids’ entrance), check out behind Walmart, or by the Northside Fred Meyers. It is NOT the Bellingham you saw.

My friends live in Lynden. They LOVE going into Bellingham! Bookstores, lunch hangouts, dinner dining, I forget what the mega-grocery store we went to was... or the popular lunch venue for sandwiches and salads that are made-to-order. I was also up there with another friend a few years ago. We hit the co-op and all the organic grocery stores, and a bookstore. Also--Fairhaven, and the university. One of the organic grocers was in what looked like the industrial part of town, but we didn't see people living in the street or anything.

If I have to follow a certain route to see the seamy side of town, that would seem to indicate that there's still plenty to see that's ok. IDK. Behind Walmart? Why would I go to Walmart? lol And even if I went to Walmart (which I wouldn't ever, anywhere), why would I look behind the store? Should I go behind Safeway, too, and riffle through the dumpsters? Strange recommendations.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by xPlorer48

Just another “head in the sand” denier. Elections have consequences and, I am afraid, Bellingham is still asleep. The mayor has no clue and one of the city council members thinks that trespassing on private property to sleep should not be illegal. You live here your entire life and you notice the change that new residents don’t. Prices have escalated so much, you couldn’t afford to live here unless you get roomies.

I don't mean to imply that homelessness should be swept under the rug. What to do about it would require a whole mega-thread of its own; it's a complex subject. And btw, California's governor just proposed revamping the approach to mental health. He indicated that involuntary commitment should be revived. Because having the severely mentally ill living on the streets isn't working, and isn't humane, even though some of them think they have a right to live in the streets.

You might want to follow those developments as they unfold in the experimental petri dish of California.

[rkcarguy]

https://cob.org/gov/dept/police/news...daily-activity

Bellingham. Great Place! Tell your friends! Come on over! Crime is down!

xplorer48's point is, you don't necessarily see or experience the homeless issues if you just cherry pick your destinations. Just like someone from California with an Edgemoor vacation home probably doesn't see any problems either. But live here, work here, grocery shop here, and it's unavoidable. No shopping carts at the stores, wire and power tools all locked in cages at the hardware stores, can't air up a tire at a gas station because all the air stations have been pried open for the quarters inside. Go to the bank during lunch and there is some woman on meth tripping out in the lobby trying to hit everyone in line up for a dollar. The camps migrate from one part of town to the next, where they can steal the retail stores blind for their fix. So the "seamy" part of town moves around.
I was born here, I'm 48 now. I have never seen it so bad.

[rkcarguy]

Originally Posted by Transmition

You must be aware that people can just go to Bellingham and see for themselves that it isn't the crime-ridden hellscape that you make it out to be. I spent the whole day there recently and only saw a couple of people that looked homeless. I didn't go anywhere near the Walmart though, it's not exactly downtown, more outskirts.

Crime is down across the board (https://cob.org/gov/dept/police/news-police/crime-stats) over the last year. Looks like roughly a 10% drop since last year for the last few months. The crazy hyperbole about any part of it being one of the most dangerous places in the US just brings everything you say into question.

The camp near Walmart has been labelled as such, so much that they are looking to have the feds come in and disband it. Several occupants are said to be armed. Tullwood apartments residents are posting videos with sound of shots fired, acrid smoke from burning tires and shopping carts shrouding the complex, people saying they are approached by aggressive homeless demanding money in the parking lots....
If you question everything I say, why not have a look for yourself? "Business hours" are expanding as it's getting darker earlier now. A friend of mine went to Big 5. He was all dirty after a day of construction work in the rain and open carries a pistol after his family was chased around their vehicle by 4 homeless people trying to rob them near our home depot. The Big 5 staff thought they were getting robbed again...

[xPlorer48]

Originally Posted by Transmition

You must be aware that people can just go to Bellingham and see for themselves that it isn't the crime-ridden hellscape that you make it out to be. I spent the whole day there recently and only saw a couple of people that looked homeless. I didn't go anywhere near the Walmart though, it's not exactly downtown, more outskirts.

Crime is down across the board (https://cob.org/gov/dept/police/news-police/crime-stats) over the last year. Looks like roughly a 10% drop since last year for the last few months. The crazy hyperbole about any part of it being one of the most dangerous places in the US just brings everything you say into question.

That report is flawed as it includes only crime reports on the daily police activity sheet. If no officer responds to a call it is not noted. Ditto all the crimes committed but not reported. Very misleading info from the no jails crowd (set them all free). See the following link for the crazies in this town who are partially responsible for the mayhem: https://nowhatcomjails.com/

[xPlorer48]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

My friends live in Lynden. They LOVE going into Bellingham! Bookstores, lunch hangouts, dinner dining, I forget what the mega-grocery store we went to was... or the popular lunch venue for sandwiches and salads that are made-to-order. I was also up there with another friend a few years ago. We hit the co-op and all the organic grocery stores, and a bookstore. Also--Fairhaven, and the university. One of the organic grocers was in what looked like the industrial part of town, but we didn't see people living in the street or anything.

If I have to follow a certain route to see the seamy side of town, that would seem to indicate that there's still plenty to see that's ok. IDK. Behind Walmart? Why would I go to Walmart? lol And even if I went to Walmart (which I wouldn't ever, anywhere), why would I look behind the store? Should I go behind Safeway, too, and riffle through the dumpsters? Strange recommendations.

My sister lives in Lynden near the police station and is safe. She dislikes leaving her cozy cocoon for Bellingham so I visit her. It is a world of difference.

The university has its own police force and I see no homeless there, either. Bellingham’s police force was hit by loss of personnel due to COVID and BLM dictates. Our state legislature bent over backwards to appease the latter and the former fired those who wouldn’t get vaccinated. Also, there is one avowed ACAB proponent on the city council and another who thinks trespassing on private property to sleep is okay. There are funds to hire but no one wants the job even though the requirements have been lowered.

I don’t go to Walmart either as I don’t agree with how they treat their employees and just not a fan of megastores plus it is on the other side of town from me. You don’t need to rifle through the dumpsters according to residents of nearby apartment complexes who pay $1800 a month for a 2 BR apartment for the privilege of being awakened nightly by gunfire, fights, exploding propane tanks and are threatened daily by machete and bat wielding crazies.

If I stay in my upper middle class neighborhood or visit Fairhaven for eye care and banking, (most homes valued recently by county assessor at over $1,000,000), I don’t see the crime either.

I have a weekly class in town where I drive down Holly in the morning trying to dodge people jaywalking obviously on drugs and see others sleeping in alcoves or drug deals going down in the alley by the Horseshoe.

I have lived here my entire 75 years (except for a year in Europe and two seasons fishing in SE Alaska). I have traveled the western USA extensively and parts of the Midwest and New York State) so I am not a recluse. I am just saying that we never used to have the encampments, crime and Wild West downtown like we do today. Live here and you will see it differently.