Respect should be a basic value


Today as I traveled into Mount Vernon I was totally disappointed by the complete lack of respect that I witnessed by the public.

On Burlington Boulevard, I sat waiting for the traffic light. A motorcycle police officer pulled up and signaled all motorists to stop so that he could hold the road open for the funeral procession of Deputy Anne Jackson who was tragically killed in the line of duty to our community.

As the funeral procession crested the Skagit River Bridge, I shut my truck off and got out of it. I stood there with my hat covering my heart and a small tear in my eye. I tried to pay my respects to a public servant that gave her all to protect and serve our community.

What really burns my backside is the fact that only one other person I could see actually stood with their hand over their heart and also remained still and quiet! A pickup truck next to me kept their radio playing and the two men inside sat there griping about being stopped.

Whatever happened to people that were taught how to show respect? Am I one of a dying breed? I sure hope not. If I am I will go to my grave saddened by the state of disrepair in our moral fiber. But I will also be happy to know that I learned how to be respectful.

My heart goes out to all of the people that were impacted by the tragic events of a day not so many days ago. Especially to all of Deputy Anne Jackson’s extended family of public servants. May God give them strength to deal with her passing and also may God keep them all safe.

Next time I see a police officer I am personally going to thank that officer for the job that they are doing to protect me and my family. As we all should.

While we are at it, it sure would not hurt to walk up to a serviceman or woman, offer your hand and say thank you.

I’m sorry, but I just had to vent my frustration a little bit!



Richard M. (Dick)

Raymond Jr.

Burlington



Open Letter to the City of Sedro-Woolley



Your excuse for the Deluxe Disaster is that you thought it was “just” recycling? Even if it was just recycling — it still involves toxic runoff, noise of beeping trucks, smell, vermin and long lines of garbage trucks and pickup trucks (at a minimum of 600 vehicles a day) dropping garbage along the highways and streets.

You didn’t know that it would be more than just recycling, but solid waste also? Come on — when the Welcome Deluxe resolution was signed in May of 2007, citizens that weren’t in the know knew this was the first step toward disaster. Why were you so clueless? You didn’t notice that the Deluxe owners are unscrupulous bullies?

Did the Council members ask the citizens what they wanted? And then represented them? Never happened.

And why sign a Welcome Deluxe Resolution after the County Commissioners told you that this Deluxe Dump was a bad idea in a televised meeting?

And you couldn’t do anything? Your hands were tied by the zoning? Again, come on. The zoning doesn’t allow for garbage transfer stations. It is a very controversial use that should be handled with healthy skepticism and due diligence.

And you continue to side with Deluxe — not the citizens of Sedro-Woolley — despite knowing the city’s Solid Waste Management Plan doesn’t allow for private transfer stations. Plus you set up roadblocks at every turn including increasing the appeal fees to the point of being unconscionable.

It appears to me that it if it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck and acts like a duck, then it is a duck. Actions speak louder than words. You were determined to get the Deluxe Dump — on the advice of your Wizard of Oz.

But now every excuse has been stripped away. You can’t hide. Either you now represent the citizens and make this fiasco go away, or you don’t. If you are representing the citizens (as you were elected to do) you will make the right decision in the best interests of the children and citizens of Sedro-Woolley.



Shelley Carroll Burgett

Sedro-Woolley



Transfer station defined



The City Council meeting last week was not what any of us hoped for. The city has pretty much been let off the hook for allowing this garbage dump saga to continue, but Mayor Mike Anderson just seems to be continuing to turn a deaf ear. After many meetings with the citizens showing up and stating how they feel, no one still seems to be listening. And interestingly enough, one of our councilmen, Dennis London, still wants us to believe that it is a recycle plant. 

Listen citizens, it is not a recycle plant! It is a garbage transfer station. In case Mr. London does not understand the difference let me say this. A recycling plant is just that, it processes items that can be recycled to be used again in some manner. A garbage transfer station is where dozens of trucks a day will bring in garbage to be processed and then taken to a landfill to be disposed of. 

Why is the city still trying to make us believe differently? We really need all of your support at these meetings. Your voice does matter.

You will all be allowed to speak if you want to and you can certainly listen to hear what is happening. Our city should work for us not against us.

Next City Council meeting is at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24.

 

Bonnie Dales

Sedro-Woolley




Mental health policies affect everyone


Skagit County suffered a terrible tragedy on Sept. 2 and much has been said about the mental health of the alleged shooter. We would like to present some observations on the state of mental health care in our community from the perspective of emergency department (ED) physicians, the place many mental health patients enter the system.

A significant number of patients are brought by police, ambulance or concerned family members to our ED every day with mental health complaints. We are required by law to perform a medical screening exam and stabilize emergent problems for anyone presenting to our doors, including evaluating whether someone is a threat to themselves or others. If we feel there is such a danger the patient will be held until a professional designated crisis responder (DCR) can evaluate the patient and determine if a 72 hour detention for involuntary treatment be placed on the patient. This early part of the process generally goes very smoothly here in Skagit County. Our ED is well equipped, and staff well trained, for the initial evaluation and stabilization, and we have a talented and dedicated group of social workers and DCRs to help guide us along. The system generally falls apart after it is determined that the patient needs to be admitted to a facility for treatment. Frequently these patients stay in the ED for many hours and often for several days while we try to find placement and help for them. The ED cannot turn these patients away and we can’t release them, but every other facility can find a reason to not accept them. Often it is simply that there are no beds available but other times the patient has a history of violence or other red flag conditions making it close to impossible to find a place to send them. The simple truth is that these patients are not easy to deal with and rarely have any financial resources or good medical insurance.

There are many announced changes coming and none of them are good. In the last month United General Hospital announced their intention to close their psychiatric facility (Senior Behavioral Health) because it loses money for the institution. Several months ago the Skagit County Prosecutors office decided to stop participating with these patient’s commitment hearings, calling them an unfunded mandate. In addition, Western State Hospital has decreased its capacity and continues to face shrinking resources. All this is happening while we are seeing increased demand for these services while not coming close to meeting current needs.  

Most people in this country are aware of the shortcomings of our health care system and concerned for a looming crisis. Those of us who work with the mentally ill, the police, EMS, emergency department staff and affected families know that the crisis in mental health care has been with us for some time now and is only getting worse. Except after a tragedy like the one we just lived through this is not a politically attractive problem to address. Caring for people with significant mental illness is a responsibility that we as an ethical society have a moral obligation to address.



Carlton Heine, MD, PhD

Bellingham