Letters to the editor: New library, homelessness, mail delivery

The new library

I suppose we have passed the point of no return with the Bieter Library spending orgy. When over $10 million will be spent just for the plans to be drawn up it is hard to turn back. Never mind the glaring needs throughout the city, we need a central showcase for our mayor and city council to plaster their name on. (Suggested name for the structure: Versailles.) Perhaps the politburo, err City Council, could consider inserting their name on Jacks Urban Meeting Place. Dave’s Urban Meeting Place has a nice ring to it. Then at election time as we all consider our voting options we can think of the DUMP and vote accordingly.

Homelessness

Boise’s rising image is astounding. But within the shadow of our impressive JUMP and Gardner towers lie our homeless people sleeping on the sidewalks in the snow and the heat.

This county and this country hoard money. The CEO of Blackstone, reportedly one of the country’s largest slumlords, took home $800 million last year. Amazon’s Bezos, worth a trillion dollars, threatened to pull out of Seattle rather than help the homeless.

Meanwhile one homeless person costs taxpayers $43,000 a year; housing one costs $17,000. Consider, our growing homeless population is not just the mentally ill; many lost housing through medical bills, job loss, divorce, etc.

554,000 U.S. citizens are homeless. Imagine CEOs taking home millions and not cleaning up the poverty in our nation. And our government that wastes billions of dollars could eliminate homelessness.

Innovative, dedicated politicians and citizens could house all of our citizens. There’s enough money. Portland has built a tiny-house community around a central club house that cost very little and took very little time to build. Other cities are using innovative means for zoning to create more housing. Our Legislature could easily raise money for a housing trust fund.

Homelessness reveals our real image.

Mail delivery

There has been two different occasions recently that we haven’t received our mail, I receive e-mail alerts from USPS on their Informed Delivery Digest on a daily basis.

First concern for November of this year was that in early November the scanned mail showed that one day we were supposed to have received our property taxes from the Ada County Treasurer. Well, about two weeks later we finally received it, I had called USPS about three times about that matter.

Then on Tuesday, Dec. 4, USPS showed me what mail was to be delivered, they supposedly picked up our bunch of outgoing mail but didn’t leave us what was supposed to have been delivered. We have lived here at our address nearly 16 years, and this just upsets me as what may be going on with the people at the United States Postal Service.