Here’s to many kinds of heroes
The Rev. Rich Gamble wants new heroes and so do I. (“In the arena of everyday life, we need to choose heroes who embody our values,” RC, opinion, July 11, 2012).
Unfortunately true heroes are usually unsung. They are the ones who stand in the cold and rain holding signs that go unnoticed.
They are the ones screwing up all the courage they’ve got to tell their stories in front of the legislature/the capitol/city council trying to let officials know the choices that are being made in the name of the citizens, like another useless stadium, will hurt. Usually these unsung heroes are not heard, often not even by their own “allies,” much less elected officials. These “allies” are so afraid of doing anything new they just end up running in place.
How can we attract new heroes when those old heroes are ignored or denigrated and the new ones greeted with suspicion?
The Rev. Gamble is an awesome housing lobbyist, and I have great admiration for the work he does. However, while it would be wonderful to label true heroes as something more than a pampered multimillion dollar athlete, if our own people are too afraid to try something new or different, then how can we expect any new heroes to step up to the plate or for our elected officials to hear them?
Cat Sullivan Kenmore
Reporting reveals flaws in plan for Yesler Terrace
Mr. Burkhalter’s “Yesler Terrace rezone plan would present public with bigger plans, fewer chances to comment” (rc, July 11, 2012) is spot on.
The public would have virtually no input on the project for 20 years. At 32- plus acres and a $300 million price tag, this will be the biggest single development in Seattle for decades. It deserves more attention.
The Seattle Housing Authority (sha) argues that it has to sell the publicly owned land to finance replacement of 561 units of aging, extremely low-income housing. The Housing Authority doesn’t know which land it will sell, how much land, when it will be sold, to whom or for how much.
It depends on the market. They don’t think the land sales will provide enough money, so they also plan to dip into a myriad of other sources. To list them requires an entire paragraph. The bottom line is replacement of the 561 existing units depends on this uncertain funding.
So when the sha promises to replace the existing 561 units one-for-one, given the uncertainties, the “promise” is more a goal. Their record in this regard at other Hope VI projects is not reassuring. According to the Displacement Coalition, 1,000 low-income households were displaced in those projects, primarily by “unforeseen circumstances.”
sha should be about housing low-income people, not speculation with our land.
It should keep the land. The primary funding source should be reliable. The most obvious is a renewed housing levy primarily for Yesler Terrace but for other low-income housing projects, too.
The sha plan wants 85 percent of the new units to be market rate. Less than 11 percent of the new units will be for extremely low-income people. That imbalance does not reflect Seattle values. The 2009 low-income housing levy passed with 65 percent of the vote. Seattle will honor its traditional values and pass an expanded levy.
Bruce Bowden Seattle
Struggling to pay Sallie Mae
The American dream is dead. Saddled in debt, students are doomed right out of the gate. There aren’t enough resources, jobs or options to keep anyone afloat. I went to college because I had passion and wanted to better my life. Society told me I was following the appropriate path. College told me I was ensuring a future of security. I worked hard, did what I was supposed to and came out with a positive outlook and readiness to take over the world. I was ready and willing to pave my path in a professional career. Holding my insight, skill, intelligence and perseverance in high regard, I set out to achieve goals and reach my dreams. We are led to believe this is all we need. We are encouraged to follow a path of prosperity in the greatest nation on earth. Only this isn’t true. Because I went to college, I now struggle to eat. Because I worked so hard, now I’m depressed and hopeless. Because I did what I was told I should, I now constantly fear the future and struggle to survive every single day.
I wasn’t born into wealth, and everything I’ve achieved has been done on my own. I put myself through school with zero complaint. As a result I had to take out student loans, both private and federal. I borrowed a total of $34,000 in private lending through Sallie Mae. With countless forms of interest I now owe $100,000 and if paid back as required, my total will be $360,000. The old ideal of education leading to success is a fraud. In this society a college diploma means next to nothing. And debt looms so large that little can be done to combat the necessary evil. How does $34,000 become $360,000 for a graduate? The student loan industry is a corporate business, covering tuition in exchange for an unseen lifetime of repayment. My current monthly payments are $1,200, which is about 70 percent of my monthly income. Needless to say, this is not what I was told while attending school. No amount of praise can save me from student loans. There are no resources and no flexibility with private lending. Sallie Mae controls my life. From the time I awake until I go back to sleep, I’m struggling to figure out what necessity I have to live without in order to pay for my education. And while I’m constantly seeking better employment, it’s hard to fathom what exactly I’m working toward. I seemingly went to college to live in poverty. I have to choose between eating and the fear of having my wages garnished. And we wonder why mental illness has increased so greatly in young adults.
We are no longer a free country. As citizens our daily lives are controlled by money. There is little hope to break the cycle, and we struggle so greatly that life has become nothing more than an endless amount of days. I work very hard just to survive, while billion-dollar companies continue to thrive through the exploitation of students. This is a losing battle. There is no freedom; I’m enslaved to a company called Sallie Mae. The youth of America deserve better.
Gregory Baxley Seattle