To the editor:

Let me get this straight: Our city commissioners slash funding for the Lawrence Community Shelter to the extent that it has to fire staff and reduce its guest capacity by half. At the same time, it commits to building new high-rise, high-dollar apartment buildings, new stores, new bike lanes and new restaurants, increasing their commitment to new development, even though new buildings are often demolished in a few years because they’re not pretty enough or because a business didn’t do as well as anticipated.

Something is very wrong with the moral judgment exercised in such priority-setting. In my book, the needs of people come before acquiring new stuff. And we’ve already had too many homeless people suffer on our streets in the winter. Let’s insist that our City Commission set a good moral example and do what’s right: help the shelter and make the statement that the quality of life of our citizens — yes, all of our citizens — is important! This city has done great things and is a great place to live! Let’s keep our City Commission accountable and on the right track!

Susan Tabor,

Lawrence