Seattle’s ongoing homeless crisis is surrounded by an absurd number of contradictions that if not addressed will only result in a continuation of this human tragedy. Leaders and supporters of the city’s current approach claim compassion, but have delivered heartlessness. When residents have been asked for and given more tax dollars, the result is only […]
Seattle’s sickening rape that could have been prevented
Today the Seattle Times reports on a rape at a local car dealership. The manager, Jen Moran, called the attack “just sickening” and commented that the victim “should’ve been safe.” The accused is Christopher Teel, a 24 year old homeless man. While a homeless person committing a crime isn’t big news in Seattle, this person […]
The Seattle income tax: Why I’m taking a stand
There are many reasons I chose to become a plaintiff in the Opportunity for All Coalition’s lawsuit challenging the Seattle income tax. Aside from it being illegal under state law, and unnecessary given a recent explosion in city revenues, it’s also not in any resident’s best interest. In fact, the more I find out about […]
New Zealand’s reforms and lessons for Washington
<This is the text of a speech delivered to the Washington Policy Center monthly breakfast on July 27, 2017> Many of you may be familiar with New Zealand’s reforms from an economic perspective, so I’m going to spend more of my talk focused on two other areas: How policies before and after the reforms impacted […]
The potential of partnerships to save our community centers
In its 2016 Community Center Strategic Plan, Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) identified the Green Lake community center and pool to pilot a partnership aimed at expanding operating hours and addressing capital needs. This sort of model is common, with many examples in our state, across the country and indeed around the world. Communities have […]