This is an open letter to the elected officials of San Juan County and their appointees.

The subject matter is the present and past cuts in Senior Services in San Juan County.

We would like to make our position as clear as possible. We’re a group that is fairly tight-knit and we want to express our opinions and make some requests of county officials, especially those involved with funding Senior Services. This will be a series of statements made pertaining to the afore-mentioned subject.

The people who are presently office holders in San Juan County are there because we elected them. We never ask very much of them, but this is a time when we hope they can come forth and do something for their constituents. The thing that has really stuck in our craw is that we have been living with a series of cuts made in past years, and now they want to make more cuts, which will cause our Senior Services to be reduced by a minimum of 20%. If our Federal government can plunk out $750,000,000,000 without having much of a plan of where it will go or how it will be spent, I don’t see any reason why they can’t let a little of that rub off on San Juan County, especially for the Seniors.

We are trying to be heard and can be heard mainly through our elected officials. Our group of seniors at the entry level is swelling and at the exit level is shrinking. We’re taking in more and more members and are requiring more and more services. We depend on our county officials to be aware of that. To make this as short as possible, we’re asking them to dig down deep in their conscience and go where it will do the most good and make a request of people that they normally wouldn’t go to. But we’re doing an extraordinary thing by going to you so we in turn ask you to do the same for us.

There is a big need for this service, because we are no longer able to do some things for ourselves and need assistance of our county at the grass roots level. There is no reason why this can’t go on to other levels, State and Federal. We’re not trying to beg ourselves into an orphan status but if we’re not careful we’ll soon be like orphans. Once again we implore you to do the thing that your conscience dictates for you to do. We were there for you, how about you be there for us.

We’re really asking not too much, just enough to sustain our lives.

Thank you very much

Seniors of Orcas Island

San Juan County