Attention Tim Burgess/Nick LaCata/Governor Gregoire 2-12-09

I just want to say I support you and all you are trying to do in very difficult times. I just have some requests that hopefully will enable us to weather an economic storm that frankly looks a bit hard to surmount for some time to come. Here's my two cents toward positive support for our infrastructure:

1. Please increase funding for social workers, social services and teachers in general; do not cut these services; these workers are critical to helping a community transition through extremely difficult economic times when people are freightened about losing their jobs, have lost their jobs, can't figure out how to get jobs, feel very disenfranchised. There is no way I understand to prevent growing homelessness. Communities really need to come together and work together. We need to all be supportive of one another's needs. This definately includes professionals in our communities who are trying to help; they deal with very complex issues around multi-cultural needs, the Mayor, the City Council, merchants and business sector, schools, severely lacking social services, etc. Please do not cut funding for these professionals. Perhaps, increase funding for training to deal with the complexity of the situation--psychologically, socially and economically. Can we include realistic courses on economics based in hard reality for Junior High Schools, High Schools, and Colleges to help us prepare for current times as well as our shared furure as citizens. Help prepare our youth beyond basic home ec. courses. Some schools are probably already doing this. Let's make sure this is required and provided for everyone!

2. Can we open up more churches as shelters and their parking lots and have tents and sleeping supplies and hygiene supplies ready for people's needs in their communities? Can civic centers be used for this need also?

3. Encourage the community to use extra unneeded resources for community (ie., food, beverage, toiletries, supplies, etc.); find ways to coordinate most efficient delivery of supplies for shelters, outreach organizations, people on streets, etc. We have enough organic produce and food to keep everyone in need fed easily many times over from restaurants and stores.

4. Employ the military and citizenry to help rebuild the infrastructure (increase Habitat for Humanity, housing, streets, sidewalks, clinics, shelters, etc.) in our city.

5. Expand health care for families and individuals in need; this includes mental health needs which will be heavily on the rise and taking in those already in need overlooked by our system. This would also include alternative and preventative medical coverage including healing types of massage, herbalism, etc. which will help us stay healthier and prevent more future illnesses and ultimately cost us less in the long run. We need to have naturopathic medicine put to rigorous standards and measurements by the FDA (also, eliminate all aspects of fast tracking drugs!). What I am asking is for all insurance coverage (including state DSHS Medicare insurance) to cover alternative medicine.

6. More forums where citizen's ideas can be heard and possibly used.

7. Inrease ways and budgets to stop identity theft--increase funding for this beyond what is already being done.

8. Protection from increasing scams; increase awareness as this will be continually on the rise.

9. Please pass a bill for 'No Bullying in the Workplace' and make sure it has teeth. We need to put an end to entrenched sociopathic people in power niches; they ruin really good worker's lives and ultimately hurt companies. It would help to save good workers from being cruelly targeted and having their live's potentially ruined by office politics. People need to be justly treated, their productivity and trust will increase dramatically. If someone proves to be incompetent on the job, they will be layed off or fired for the correct reasons instead. Let's try to put an end to lies, backstabbing and office politics.

10. We need more low income housing! Create economic incentives for private companies as well to invest this way in real estate.

11. Do not shut down more of our libraries! Yes, Mayor, we are literate and use them all the time.

12. Make public restrooms available all over the city for everyone and try to convince restaurant owners to open their restrooms again to people who need them and can not afford to purchase something. As everyone knows, people will urinate etc. anyways--only it may be in less acceptable areas if you prevent them from available restrooms. Do not spend money on expensive toilets for the public that we know can be misused. Try to do this as best we can. Thanks.

Thanks so much for your time and please email your legislature on behalf of these issues!

--Aaron Crosetto