Page 4 - Sonoma County Gazette January 2017

LETTERS cont’d from page 3
For the Homeless Service Center, Sonoma County wasted precious time and money on the George’s Hideaway site in Guerneville, which was a bad idea and never part of the RASAD recommendations.
development. The country urgently needs to build more homes. We need to fix our roads and bridges. Gridlock is damaging the human spirit. Humans are part of the environment too.
whisper they love you? I wouldn’t put my dog to sleep let alone by parent or beloved one. You pick a power of attorney so that person is entrusted to take care of that person. You think this dementia can’t happen to you?
Housing the Homeless
An overall strategic plan is required to address the diverse needs of the River homeless community. Diverse solutions include housing, mental health counseling and health services under coordinated case management.
A huge roadblock to achieving this goal is the licensing and permitting system. We used to be the envy of the world with modern housing and great public works that created well-paying jobs and affordable homes. This was the foundation on which we built the American dream.
I feel sorry for you that you are such a chicken and don’t value life to the fullest, and because you have this disease you feel it is alright to take someone’s life. Why is this disease any different from people suffering cancer and strokes? Learning how to walk again and talk again like a baby etc. I believe God gave you your life and He will take it when He sees fit. Yes you can choose alternative roads, but in the end God will decide your outcome.
The County has 4 sites that have been considered (Community Church, St. Hubert’s corner lot and Hall and two lots on Old River Road) and each site has big challenges. Instead of building another building and bureaucracy, we need to utilize existing service providers on the River: the Health Center and West County Community Services both already provide services to the homeless community.
Highway 101 widening has been going on for decades. It takes years to get through the maze of regulations and reviews to the point where you can start building. U.S. Highway construction projects, airports, dams and power plants usually take between 9 and 19 years from initial planning to permitting and completion.
I sure am glad that I am not related to you or have you as my friend. I feel you are a very cold uncaring person and if you don’t have the will to live that be your choice, but don’t you ever try to encourage others to you way of your inhuman thinking. Right or wrong, everyone is given choices and you are Not The Almighty.
Strengthening and coordinating case management for individuals with the Health Center and WCCS housing would zero in on the individual needs of people who stay at the shelter or in outlying encampments. We do not need to devise another non-profit bureaucracy. The Health Center may not want to get into the housing business however, they are already serving homeless and an essential part of healthy living is housing.
The American Dream is fading. In the 70’s almost 90% of the working 30 year olds made more money than their parents did at that same age. Today it is barely half. We are over licensed, over regulated and over taxed.
Barbara
To clarify, my article was merely offering an option, not prescribing a choice by any means. The main thing is to capture the choices of an individual while they are still able to make choices. If a person wants to be treated for each illness for their entire lifetime, I would support and advocate for that choice, too. Certainly everyone has different beliefs and desires about how they want to live their lives.
The universe is expanding and we need to allow human life to expand. We must understand that people are part of the environment, too. The costs add up in human suffering and dollars when housing is denied by regulations and NYBYISM (Not in My backyard).
Thank you for taking the time to write. It’s helpful to read your perspective.
Richard Paille’, Santa Rosa
4 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 1/17
LETTERS cont’d on page 6
We can start now with intense case management coordination for both housing and health. This could mean daily check-in for those who need that kind of support. The Housing First policy of the County is well and good but we need to look at individual needs and provide services to get people off the streets. Ultimately, we need to address the causes of disabilities and/ or addictions that devolve people into chronic homelessness.
Can we choose NOT to treat an illness?
dementia to be very cold and sad and uncaring. Who gives you the right to write an article that wants us to believe your feelings and what a family’s outcome should be. You encouraged the family and the person to believe it is OK to say goodbye to their dementia parent because they in turn may have to make sacrifices and changes in their lifestyles.
I agree that a loving, heart centered approach is best and know that this can be a difficult time deserving of support and comfort for all involved.
Jean Marquardt, Guerneville
Kira Reginato
Author, Speaker, Elder Care Consultant
Make Building Permits Affordable Make Housing Affordable
If they love their mom or dad they would leave no rock unturned. It was not their parent’s choice to get this sickness. You make it sound like leprosy. This disease is nothing to be ashamed of and it is not an Old Age Disease. Young people have been diagnosed with this. You go on to say and make us feel it is ok to not prolong this person’s life due to having dementia and go on to say it is OK to refuse them treatment for a simple urinary infection, treatable pneumonia, and antibiotics.
Dear Kira Reginato,
The footnote at the bottom of
Dear Kira Reginato,
I found your information relating to
I’m encouraging us to think and talk about this hard topic sooner than later and communicate those wishes. That can ease the difficulty when the time comes to face the issues together as a family.
It costs more, in the Bay Area than the median income of $64,500 to get permission to build on a residential parcel.
your article refers to a form one may download and the implication is that it is a form that will be relevant to one’s wishes RE: no treatment for an illness if one has severe dementia.
The housing and construction industry account for almost 30% of the work force in the USA . Investing in U.S. infrastructure is a priority for the newly elected president. Housing is a nightmare for many.
My present Advance Healthcare Directive is in good order and I also have a DNR order and wear a medallion. It is very important that disaster prep organizations in particular understand that anyone with a DNR under no circumstances should be given CPR. How to prevent that can be a problem if someone happening by is ignorant or overcome
We must house a growing population. Innovation suffers and creativity is compressed down, when people get fenced in, functional space is limited and regulators lock up
What kind of human being are you ??? Do you not realize that this person might still have a strong heart, and possibly squeeze your hand and