Lewis County is a poor county with high rates of related social and health challenges, including hunger, addiction and homelessness, among other things.
At this point in time, though, millions, billions of our tax dollars are finally coming back to us through infrastructure and other programs.
Lots of the challenges we’re currently facing could be treated by using some of this money for things like universal basic income, low-barrier supportive housing and universal healthcare.
Regarding the fentanyl crisis: After going to the front lines and sifting through health information provided by Lewis County, it is clear drug overdoses and deaths related to fentanyl are far out-pacing anything else.
Also, fentanyl can be added to other drugs, making them more dangerous and deadly.
Right now, the fentanyl crisis needs to be the front line of action in Lewis County.
Lewis County numbers are right up there with King County.
Why is it so bad here in Lewis County?
Is it because, unlike every other county along the Interstate 5 corridor, and we mean every county, Commissioner Sean Swope and other public servants in Lewis County have encouraged and perpetrated false public health and safety narratives like “masks don’t work” and “vaccines are bad” among other bad health information and falsehoods?
Those positions are seemingly based on deeply held, inaccurate beliefs rather than good, factual health information.
No other county is doing this to their constituents. Lewis County stands alone in that fact.
On law enforcement: We ask the city and county to please fully fund and train and provide law enforcement the resources they need to stop fentanyl flooding into our community.
And finally, Ordinance 1354: discard it and initiate a public health and safety campaign that is factually correct and is proven to save lives.
Ray Chapman-Wilson
Centralia
