Dude we have far more in common than you give me credit for. I am not the enemy. I am a progressive through and through, just not part of the cult. I think for myself, and am ok with diverging.

I don’t understand why you come at me so hard. Or really all of you do. Meg Martin for instance, asserting in writing, that I do not want safe affordable housing and treatment for the disabled and homeless. How could she make that accusation? What kind of monster does she think I am?

She says it comes from reviewing my work and statements. I have been very fair in my coverage of 2828 Martin Way. I do not know how she could come to that conclusion from ANYTHING I have said, because it has not happened. Nonetheless it is disorienting and akin to being gaslit. But then I know how absurd it is to say that about anyone.

I am very precise in my writing, and have no hate in my heart. On the homeless issue I have also have people say that I want to jail all homeless people just for being homeless. What a ridiculous thing to say. I want accountability for those who harm others, but in no way do I think people should be jailed for being poor.

This week I had a GOOD FRIEND accuse me of “excusing Nazi flags.” Really? Really? Et tu? In that exchange, which had to do with protests at the capitol, what I actually said, was, verbatim: “The confederate flags are not helping their cause.” Somehow that translated into “you excuse Nazi flags.” WTF is going on with people?

Why do people think the worst of others? I would not accuse anybody of not wanting housing or of excusing Nazi flags…like why are those things even on the table. You have accused me of being part of a vast right wing cabal. ??? I do not have energy for any cabal work.

Also see how you are trying to twist the Squaxin letter to fit your worldview. They wrote it, that is the tribes official stance. Why can’t you accept that? It does not mean they hate the homeless, they are advocating for their rights under the treaty. There is nothing wrong with that, and in almost any other case you would take their side in the fight.

We are ON THE SAME SIDE! We want equality and justice and a reasonable standard of living for everyone. Disability payments are stunningly low. I get by with a safety net, and a community. There is not much I can do to change that SSD policy. I have very limited energy so I work on local because my voice matters there.

I have been lobbying legislators and policy makers at all levels and all persuasions for a state level section 8 program. That would be the easiest, most cost effective and best for the consumer solution right now. We can afford it, or we could have, but now the need it stupendous. I also advocate for other changes, but that is the big idea I push. I have lobbied almost every single conservative candidate for governor, and given advice to a couple on homeless response.

You would also be surprised at the amount of support I do for the homeless. I just don’t brag about it. My charity is almost always done anonymously, unless of course the recipient knows me, but also have done a lot over the years to help random strangers I encounter. My goal with doing good in that way is not to get pats on the back, I want my work to be pure, so I rarely tell ANYONE about it, even my closest friends.

That is why I am working so hard on the homeless issue. It is horrifying, a disaster, but obviously I can’t do this work in secret, also I can be more effective the more public I am.

Status quo it not right, and as progressives I am ashamed we advocate for tents as a solution. If you actually read my work carefully I do not speak against the homeless, I speak against the political and activist class — see my work on Medium @Candy Mercer

I also speak out against those who prey on the homeless. As you know most of the victimization of the homeless, who they are most afraid of, is not OLLS or housed people, its other homeless who take advantage of them. I also speak against the people who harm others to survive. You do not have to harm others to survive.

And w/r/t Rollins, she is harming someone to survive, and that is why I feel it is wrong.