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June 29, 2023
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Drug Epidemic
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Andrew Lewis Confident Seattle Will Get a Better Drug Policy Proposal

Jonathan Choe
June 29, 2023
Drug Epidemic
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No Regrets

Wednesday’s press conference focused on revitalizing downtown #Seattle happened in West Lake Park, just a block away from one of the most notorious drug dens in the city along 3rd Ave & Pike St. As Mayor Bruce Harrell (@MayorofSeattle) was speaking, addicts were tweaking or passed out on the sidewalk.

Arrests for open air drug use and possession are not happening right now because Councilmember’s Lisa Herbold (@Lisa_Herbold,) Kshama Sawant (@cmkshama,) Tammy Morales (@CMTammyMorales,) Teresa Mosqueda (@CMTMosqueda,) and Andrew Lewis (@CMAndrewJLewis) voted NO on giving City Attorney Ann Davison (@_Ann_Davison_) the power to prosecute these gross misdemeanors. And there’s still no interim solution.

Lewis is doubling down saying he has no regrets and says they’re working on something better. Harrell says a fix is on the way, but no timeline on when that happens. He said maybe in a few weeks. So for now, the drug addicts know it’s a free for all. That’s why some of them told me they come to 3rd Ave & Pike St, because it’s just “embedded in the culture.” One of the more insightful conversations I’ve had with peeps on the street. As for Major League Baseball All-Star Weekend (@mlb) starting in less than two weeks, I could not find a single person who is hopeful the city will have this mess handled before thousands of sports fans descend on the Emerald City.

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.