Dear Editor, There are over three million citizens in America without homes. In 2001, the demand for shelter rose by 13 percent. As the number of homeless people grows, one would think our country would lend a helping hand. Sadly, this is not the case. The clock is running out, and working families are being swallowed by our declining economy. Layoffs have reached a record high. The price of health care is astronomical. The gap between rich and poor is widening. Recent tax cuts are causing low-income families who depend on government assistance to enter into a downward spiral of economic depression. Instead of worrying about other countries, our government needs to think about its own citizens. According to a recent poll, 81 percent of Americans would be willing to pay additional taxes to fun increased aid for the homeless. If the federal government were to use that money to increase minimum wage, create one time tax rebates and give help to states in debt, experts believe that we could reduce homelessness in our country. Whether a tax increase goes into effect, it is obvious that something needs to happen to help homeless Americans before its out of control. In the words of Reverend Russ Ritchel, The closer we become to the homeless in our area, the more we realize that we are just one or two catastrophes away from being in their shoes. We need to solve this problem before it becomes more than we can handle.Meghan Kearns