Re: “Upbeat image of $400M levy for kids doesn’t tell full story” [July 15, A1]:
The negative take on the significant Best Starts for Kids investment in improving the lives of children was disappointing. Yes, organizations receiving taxpayer dollars should be held accountable for how they spend those funds. However, the article seems to equate not reaching ambitious goals with “failure.”
As a retired human-services professional (and former board member of a BSK recipient), I know that nonprofit organizations strive to make important differences in their clients’ lives. But they may be overly optimistic. The article cites an agency that successfully reduced arrests of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) youth but not as cost effectively as it had hoped. What would the long-term cost of their arrests have been to the community and the youth? The article censures an organization whose young clients only achieved 65% of their goals instead of the planned 80%.
If I want to improve my health by losing 25 pounds or daily averaging 10,000 steps, I am still healthier if I lose only 20 pounds or walk 8,000 steps. Young people across King County are better off today because of BSK. The tone of the article should not dissuade voters from continuing this important commitment to our future.
Patricia Frank, Seattle