Letter by Inez Robertson, Sacramento–
[RE: From homeless to homeowner: one Citrus Heights man’s journey; March 6th] What a wonderful story of redemption! The problem of the homeless population is difficult to remedy.
…Drug addicts should be mandatorily forced to attend and/or live in rehab facilities and once off of drugs helped with getting a satisfactory job, reuniting with family members, etc.
Those with mental problems should be institutionalized and medically treated to see if there are medicines that would help them with their mental illness. If the latter is not possible, then they should be institutionalized where they are safe and not a menace to society.
…People who are homeless because they are unemployed and are just down on their luck financially should be helped with programs that help them find a job, train them for a suitable job, and helped with a place to live and financial support until they can succeed on their own.
People in this situation usually are motivated. There are so many businesses looking for employees since the pandemic that hopefully there would be opportunities for a job if they receive adequate assistance, training, and guidance plus interim support until they can get on their feet again.
Then there are some homeless people who just like the lifestyle but don’t have any of the aforementioned problems. Let these people be as long as they are not a menace to society or themselves. It would be worth the cost if and we would all benefit if long-term solutions were sought instead of just facilitating the homeless to continue in their homeless lifestyle.
*Letters over 250-word limit have been reduced in length.
Other Letter(s):
Light rail to Citrus Heights would be a plus
[RE: Light rail in Citrus Heights; letters, March 6th] I saw the letters opposing the possible extension of light rail into Citrus Heights, but I am a firm supporter. When we first moved here decades ago, I was working downtown, and had to drive to Longview to get the light rail. It was like a double commute. First deal with all that traffic, and then go on another commute into downtown.
We should be pleased that this will lighten traffic, reduce pollution and make people’s lives easier. We should not be generalizing and thinking that people who ride light rail are looking for trouble. I know some people are afraid of change, but we definitely need to keep our head out of the sand. We are changing, and this would be a change for the better – for the people who commute – AND for the environment.
-Janice Oliver-Iraci, Citrus Heights
*Editor’s Note: The Sentinel’s policy is to publish every letter received, regardless of the opinion expressed, in the interest of fostering community dialogue about local issues. No other letters on these topics were received. To submit a letter to the editor online, click here.
