Portland Mayor Mark Dion raises some important questions in the Dec. 14 Maine Sunday Telegram op-ed “When it comes to sheltering homeless people, Portland can’t go it alone,” such as:

• Why is Portland the only municipality in Maine providing emergency services for the homeless?
• Why do other municipalities ignore their responsibilities lumping them on Portland taxpayers?
• Why are community organizations not requesting Maine Housing funding to establish shelters?
• Where is the consideration from the editorial board of the Portland Press Herald for what Portland does do? Instead ridicule. Why? What possible purpose does that serve?
  

Along with the Portland Press Herald, others are culpable for fostering the notion that “Portland should be able to pay for it” like the Portland City Council (whose decisions rarely if ever reflect the views of all taxpayers), other municipalities in Maine and most of all the voters who support expanding Portland’s responsibilities. 

These groups need to rethink their positions by:

• Adopting an honest understanding of why people are homeless in the first place.
• Pushing for state legislation requiring all municipalities to open their own shelters.
• Stopping the excuses for eliminating on peninsula shelters. Reopen some.
• Getting creative. What are other cities like Portland doing? 
  

Forcing failed solutions on Portland taxpayers is not the right way. We thank Mayor Dion for his leading on this issue.

Ron and Deb Smalley
Portland