WHY ISN'T THE HOMELESS AND POVERTY THE MAIN FOCUS?

The foreclosure crisis has claimed us as the latest victims in the ongoing rental squeeze.

For the last six years, my wife and I have been on housing primarily because of my disabilities. After losing our jobs to 9/11--we've had an especially difficult time getting back on our feet and finding decent jobs.

But the 30% increase in our basic rent over the last 4 years has pushed the two of us closer to the homeless fringe than we ever have since I was single back in 1996; where I spent 14 months out on the streets and in the Everett Men's Mission.

We don't know what to do or who to turn to for help in our latest crisis. City services are tapped out and housing is at its absolute limit in giving us flexibility in where to live.

However, our latest credit check came back rejected and because of that, we don't have a real place live in the six weeks we have left here.

I don't want to face the specter of being homeless or continually living on limited income, but through this, I wondered why isn't our two Presidential candidates addressing the two main issues of poverty and homelessness here in this country--instead of focusing on oil drilling and wars in the Middle East?

I guess my problems just aren't "big enough" to be considered a top priority for either the Democrats or the Republicans these days.

Or anyone else for that matter.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX