Is Stand Up Federal Way a front for the Republican Party?
As my neighbor and I entered the Stand Up Federal Way’s 30th District candidates forum at Brooklake Church in Federal Way on Oct. 17, the only literature that SUFW provided showed humiliating and demeaning pictures of two Federal Way homeless human beings on the front and their endorsed Republican candidates smiling on the back.
Mind you, Stand Up Federal Way had already endorsed the three Republican candidates prior to the participants on the stage even making their presentation, so what was the point of the forum?
That is why my neighbor asked me, “Is Stand Up Federal Way a front for the Republican Party?” Especially after seeing the insensitive literature and finding out that someone named Glen Morgan from outside of our community was the moderator. Many of us in the community have read or heard of the controversial Glen Morgan. We would never have expected him to be introduced as the moderator of what was purported to be a nonpartisan event. Who is Glen Morgan? A visit to the internet focuses much attention on the Evergreen Freedom Foundation and his association with them from 2011-2015. Now he is associated with Citizens Alliance for Property Rights, an organization that has only rated Republicans as “good.”
SUFW has often used the Federal Way City Council meetings to vilify the homeless, but there seems to be no sympathy or solutions but lock them up … does that sound familiar? We all want public safety, but we need real solutions.
So, really, has anyone seen an instance when Stand Up Federal Way has endorsed a candidate who was not Republican? Hmmm.
Jim Grayson, Federal Way
Nonpartisan group?
Stand Up Federal Way claims to be a nonpartisan PAC. It is neither nonpartisan nor unbiased.
Its stated goal is to stop a homeless hotel in our community. It is basing its appeal on misrepresentation and lies. First of all, it says that Seattle is trying to transfer its homeless to Federal Way without recognizing we already have a problem with homelessness, which we should address. We have to recognize that we are a part of King County. We cannot be so insular as to assume that we can hide ourselves from the county’s problems.
They tell us that the homeless are all drug addicts. Statistics do not show that. Nationwide, drug addicts make up about 38% homeless persons. That is far from 100%. While many become homeless because of drug issues, other seek relief from the painful experience of homelessness. Homelessness actually drives and sustains substance abuse. Thirty percent of the homeless have a mental illness. About 50% have co-occurring mental health and substance issues. More than 80% of the homeless women have experienced domestic violence. Lack of affordable housing and loss of employment are very high causes of homelessness, and 11% of the homeless are military veterans. Is banning homeless housing any way to treat these people who have put their lives on the line for our country?
Homelessness is not the other’s issues, but it is our issue. As you can see, Stand Up Federal Way is not being forthright or nuanced on several accounts.
As I mentioned earlier, Stand Up Federal Way is not nonpartisan. All the candidates for election they are supporting are Republican. I urge you to not be a one-issue voter and examine these candidates’ voting records and their public stances. Do those people support equitable voting laws, individual rights for everyone and not a select few? What are their stances on reproductive freedom? Do they seek to reduce the economic gap for our people?
After you have considered the facts presented and carefully examined the candidates’ positions, then cast informed votes this November. Remember that homelessness is a product of inequity in our society and we are all responsible for addressing it.
Stand Up Federal Way does not inform people that those homeless to be housed in the hotel in Federal Way will be provided supportive services so they can transition off the street into housing
Billie Stockton, Federal Way
