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Olympia’s Problems Continue, Crime at Retail Stores

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More Olympia Problems

This is wild. Just minutes from Governor Jay Inslee’s (@GovInslee) Mansion and the Capitol Campus, workers at this Starbucks (@Starbucks, @StarbucksNews) on Martin Way say some nut job recently smashed the drive-thru screen with a golf club. So the store no longer allows indoor seating for safety reasons! Employees also say thefts along with smash and grabs are spiking in this strip mall with Hobby Lobby (@HobbyLobby) and several other chain stores. Meanwhile, a problematic homeless encampment next door on WSDOT (@WSDOT) property is exploding out of control. It’s been allowed to flourish since last year. It’s now packed with more than 30 tents and structures. Fires are also constantly breaking out at this camp. Many biz owners say they are confident it is the primary source of problems in the area. It also continues to attract drug dealers preying on fentanyl addicts. This is being allowed in Washington state’s capital. @candiomercer, what is going on in your hood?

Tale of Two Cities

Last month, I examined #Olympia‘s homeless crisis on @WSDOT properties. But the way @CityofLacey is responding VS @cityofolympia is like night and day. In other words, local jurisdictions can take control and lead the response.

Broad Spectrum

I spent days in #Olympia talking to homeless men and women living in these encampments. Listen carefully to what they’re saying. This is not just a housing issue as CERTAIN POLITICIANS want you to believe.

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.