Letter: Downtown homeless problem needs addressing
To the Editor-
Our family recently left Stevens Point for Plover and I have a great example as to why.
The disconnection between the City Council and longtime residents is one reason we moved. They are heavily influenced by the university and even though they yap all day about how wonderful the city is, they are constantly trying to change it.
Last weekend my husband and I attended the downtown farmers market and were appalled by all of the homeless people sleeping on benches on Main Street. We even saw one person sleeping in the window eaves on the old Stevens Point Journal building and two people were sleeping in front of the homeless shelter at the Franciscans.
We attended again this week, and again saw several homeless people sleeping in front of the library! Obviously, the city is not familiar with the broken window theory. There is a big difference between tolerance and being a doormat. The city clearly has no real respect for its taxpayers because this is allowed to continue.
It’s sad to see so many empty storefronts downtown too. We can’t help but wonder if there is a connection between the growing number of homeless and the empty businesses there. It’s very sad!
Roseanne Phile
Plover
