Letters for April 28, 2016

No sympathy

Re “Right to relief” by Raheem F. Hosseini (SN&R Feature Story, April 21):

Yet another article about homelessness in Sacramento. Enough already! As a Midtown resident of 22 years, it is impossible for me to walk in my neighborhood without having my path blocked by an unconscious homeless person sprawled out in the middle of the sidewalk. Although I do support the “Right to Rest” movement, it should not include deliberately blocking the path of pedestrians from using the sidewalk because sidewalks have been highjacked by homeless riff-raff as place to sleep or pass out from alcohol or drug-induced coma.

I pay an exorbitant amount of rent to live in Midtown. Just received yet another rent increase. I am now looking for a new place to live, and it will definitely not be in Midtown. It isn’t the high rents which are driving me out—it is the feces, urine, discarded old clothes and garbage which litter the entire neighborhood. All deposited by thoughtless homeless people. Yes, there is no place to go to the bathroom, but garbage cans are on every block in Midtown—so no excuses!

It is hard for me to have sympathy for homeless people if they deliberately dump their discarded crap all over my neighborhood. Creating tiny house cottage encampments, legalizing outdoor camping and setting up free public bathrooms will not solve the problem of thoughtless homeless people who refuse to use garbage cans.

Colleen Whalen

Sacramento

Goodbye, Nick

Re “Moving on” by Nick Miller (SN&R Editor’s Note, April 14):

Wow, Nick. All these years and all the great work behind you. I hope you stand proud. You should be. You’ve made our newspaper and city a far greater place.

Rick Brown

Sacramento

Chasing that buzz

Re “The 420 Issue” (SN&R Feature, April 14):

I have been a longtime reader of SN&R for its articles on local politics, music, arts, food and entertainment. But lately your paper is becoming a quick read and throwaway. Not even keeping it long enough to line the kitty litter box. What’s with all the cannabis articles? This week’s paper is 68 pages and over half dealing with cannabis. Not all of your readers spend their life consumed with weed. I grew out of that dead-head phase when I left high school. When I see some of my old high school friends and see them today, they’re still living at home with their parents, chasing that same old buzz back behind the high school, and you think, “what a waste.”

I hate to see SN&R becoming a rag weed paper exclusively. What a waste. Are all your writers out still chasing their buzz behind the old school, forgetting about journalism and what made SN&R newsworthy?

Randy

via email