“Dear PoPville,
I read this morning that the Bowser administration is planning to cut funding services to those experiencing homelessness, particularly youth. During a pandemic! During winter! When it has already done far too little for these folks! AND proposed a budget increase for the police and dipped into its emergency funds to give money to businesses! I thought our mayor couldn’t get worse — wrong!
Sorry for all the exclamation points, but I am feeling some type of way about all of this. I wonder if folks who feel the way I do would consider contacting the mayor and other administrators to object to this newest outrage.
Here’s the message I just sent to the mayor’s office; the interim city administrator, Kevin Donahue; the Office of the City Administrator; and the city’s budget director, Jenny Reed:
**
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subj: Please do not cut funding for services to the homeless!
Dear Ms. Bowser, Mr. Donahue, Ms. Reed, and other city administrators:
I just learned that the Bowser administration is proposing to cut funds to several organizations that provide services to the homeless and those experiencing homelessness. I am outraged that Mayor Bowser would try to balance the budget on the backs of these vital organizations and their clients. We need MORE homeless services, not fewer! Especially for homeless youth and young people, who are disproportionately POC and LGBTQ+.
Please instead (for example) raise taxes on the wealthiest city residents, as Councilmember Nadeau has proposed; or trim the police budget, as lots of people have proposed; and/or slash the many millions in tax incentives regularly provided to developers.
Thank you!
[Name Redacted for PoPville]
Ward 1 resident”