Screenshot-2023-07-27-at-9.28.48-AM
Fix Homelessness How to rebuild human lives
Blog

Chinatown-ID Candidates Talk Defunding Police, Homelessness at Forum

View at Twitter
Share
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Print
Email

Hot Topics

Like so many neighborhoods in #Seattle, the conversations around public safety and homelessness usually dominate candidate forums. Chinatown-ID is no exception. This Asian American community in D2 continues to deal with a disproportionate amount of problems related to these issues.

It’s evident what you will get under Councilmember Tammy Morales (@CMTammyMorales, @TammyMoralesSEA.) She’s pretty much doubling down on the same ideology and approach. Tanya Woo (@votetanyawoo) and Margaret Elisabeth (@MargaretForSCC) are the insurgent candidates.

Here’s the Q&A on HOMELESSNESS in FULL. *Check out the rest of this thread for other topics.

Public Safety

Varying viewpoints and takes on this issue. What’s working and what’s not for this neighborhood?

Police Accountability

Current D2 Councilmember Tammy Morales pledged to defund the police in 2020 during the “Summer of Love” in Seattle. That was a failed social experiment. During the height of ANTIFA/BLM riots, she also condoned looting and property damage that hurt mom and pop shops in Chinatown-ID, already facing Covid-19 fallout and a rise in Asian hate crimes.

Yes, No, Pass

This portion of the evening was really interesting. It was like a lightening round. No talking, just holding up signs to answer questions. Some of the topics: Defunding the police, sex work, and homeless encampment sweeps to name a few.

Future of Sound Transit

How will Chinatown-ID be impacted?

Affordable Housing and Gentrification

These issues are already impacting Chinatown-ID.

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.