I’m sorry to be a “Negative Nelly” today but the city of Baraboo needs to get real.  We cannot even consider donating $200,000 to our local library until the local homeless shelter is open.  We cannot build a new park until the Baraboo Homeless Haven is open.  What are we saying here, “Let them eat cake?”

Listen, I’m all for expanding the library.  I think having a cute little park on a corner of the Downtown Square is nice.  We should do it.  But any community this size must have a homeless shelter even if purely out of self interest.  I’m not going to go into the details of how the city’s sudden requirements  in  part stymied the shelter’s progression.  I’m not going to lecture you on how poverty and crime go hand in hand or haul out some heart-wrenching Sally Struthers like tales of suffering.  We know this stuff already.   I can’t imagine we are really that cold or complacent of a community.

Let’s hope the city simply missed the issue of the shelter by mistake when considering the huge library donation.  Let’s hope those raising money for the new pocket park, just forgot.  Better yet, let’s hope we can afford all 3!  But let’s agree that food and shelter come first for everyone in our community.  It’s a matter of priorities.

Donations may be sent to
Homeless Haven of Sauk County, Inc.
P.O. Box 339, Baraboo, WI. 53913

Homeless Haven is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Read More

- Put Homes Ahead of Park (BNR Letter To Editor)
– Homeless Haven should be priority for Baraboo (BNR Letter To Editor)t

- Homeless shelter struggles to open (BNR Report)
– Soon-To-Open Homeless Shelter in Baraboo Hits Snag ( WKOW TV)

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