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Governor Inslee’s Latest Update on WSDOT Homeless Encampments

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Everett Mayor Blasting Inslee


@MayorCassie
writing a scathing letter directed @wsdot and @GovInslee, saying she was never consulted about HOMELESS HOTELS being set up in her city. Calling it “unacceptable burden.” Why does this playbook sound so familiar?

Everett Mayor Disagrees

Earlier this week, @GovInslee touted his Rights of Way Initiative saying there is “solid progress on this effort,” crediting @wsdot. But it’s becoming more apparent, cities like #Everett and @MayorCassie are not being consulted about HOMELESS HOTELS.

Is This Really Progress?

Since @GovInslee’s “Rights of Way Initiative” started earlier this year, @WAStateCommerce site appears to show less than a dozen removals so far. The most recent @WSDOT sweep in Northgate last week has not been added.

Fuzzy Math

@GovInslee says 9 homeless encampments resolved under his “Rights of Way Initiative.” The data says otherwise. Maybe he just misspoke. But when he says these are being “resolved” daily, that’s hard to believe. Gov, please name all locations resolved in WA so far?

Latest Numbers

On Monday, @wsdot said 6 homeless encampments along state highways had been resolved. At Tuesday’s presser, @GovInslee said 9 were resolved. Either way, none of these numbers have been updated on the @WAStateCommerce website as of Friday evening. Just saying.

Jonathan Choe

Journalist and Senior Fellow, Center on Wealth and Poverty
Jonathan Choe is a journalist and Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute's Center on Wealth and Poverty, covering homelessness issues for its Fix Homelessness initiative. Prior to joining Discovery, Choe spent several years as one of the lead reporters at KOMO-TV, consistently the top rated television station in Seattle. His in depth stories on crime and deep dive investigations into the homeless crisis led to measurable results in the community, including changes in public policy. Choe has more than two decades of experience in television news behind the scenes and in front of the camera for ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and Tribune. He has also been nominated and honored with multiple industry awards including an Emmy. Choe spent several years teaching classes on emerging media and entrepreneurship to under privileged youth in inner city Chicago. As an independent journalist, Choe also contributes regularly to the Mill Creek View and Lynnwood Times and has reported on exclusive stories in the past year for Daily Wire and The Postmillennial.