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Let’s go back to the campus of the Orange County Rescue Mission (OCRM), where each formerly homeless student wears a lanyard that holds up an electronic ID card. The card is a key for his or her bedroom but also tracks whether and when the students show up at their class or work assignments. Freshmen — students in the first 3-5 months of what is typically an 18-month program — go through assessments of physical and mental health, educational and legal status, computer skills and financial understanding. They participate in therapy groups, work through three books in a Design for Discipleship series, and wear yellow lanyards. Sophomores wear green lanyards, get all the documents and character references they need to Read More ›

Crunching the Numbers Monday afternoon, Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) took a victory lap, taking credit for clearing the Myers Way encampment in West Seattle. However, some of the elderly neighbors at the Arrowhead Apts across the street say it’s too little too late after months of crime, open air drug use, and other issues spilling into the neighborhood. With that said, I was really there to confront Inslee about the rising cost of his Rights of Way Initiative launched in 2022. By the Gov’s own estimates, they have spent around $135 million to close 30 encampments and place 870 people into temporary housing. Without getting too wonky, one of the most important categories on the WA State Dept of Commerce’s Read More ›

Another Encampment Shooting Late Monday evening, multiple witnesses in Belltown sent me video showing officers responding to a shooting at 2nd Ave & Blanchard St. My sources on the ground say the victim was targeted and “had it coming to them.” What led up to all this remains unclear. Victim’s condition is unknown and so far no arrests. This is a well known stretch for 911 calls, open air drug use, and tent encampments in the city. Earlier this month, street preacher Matthew Meinecke and I searched for Kaylee Gordon at this location. It’s also right around the corner from REACH, Plymouth housing, and other social service agencies. CM Andrew Lewis’ (@cmandrewjlewis) district remains a war zone.

Long Journey Home The last time we saw 32 year old Kaylee Gordon, she was high on drugs, covered in dirt, and being put on a stretcher in downtown Seattle. Today she is safely back home in Wyoming and is on the road to recovery. Gordon met her niece and nephew for the first time. She also knows her entire family loves her and there is no more reason to run. They just sent me these photos and wanted me to thank everyone involved in this incredible search and intervention that saved her life. Especially, Seattle Police (@SeattlePD,) street preacher Matthew Meneicke, and homeless outreach workers Kristine Mooreland (@kmmoreland) and Andrea Suarez (@weheartseattle.) Gordon also had a chance to review Read More ›

Wesley J. Smith joins Dr. Elaina George on Liberty Talk to discuss the origins of the homelessness crisis. Listen to the podcast episode below:

Exclusive One-on-one with Mayor Bruce Harrell (@MayorofSeattle) Sunday afternoon. He took some time out to talk after participating in the Seattle Slam Showdown basketball tournament for youth. It’s been a rough week on so many levels in the city. More shootings, robberies targeting Asians/non-English speaking immigrants, along with OPEN AIR DRUG USE AND DRUG MARKETS spiraling out of control in the city. But with limited time, I focused primarily on what’s in store for the troubled crime hot spot at 12th Ave & Jackson St in Chinatown-ID. Also, the intense criticism Councilmember Tammy Morales (@TammyMoralesSEA, @CMTammyMorales) is facing from her constituents and Councilmember Sara Nelson (@cmsaranelson.) In case you missed it last week, Nelson torched Morales’ failed FAR-LEFT policies and Read More ›

Tammy Town is Breaking Another violent evening in South Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. Police say a 39 year old man is in critical condition after being shot Friday night near a homeless encampment on 25th Ave S. Neighbors have been complaining about this camp for months. CM Tammy Morales (@CMTammyMorales, @TammyMoralesSEA) continues to ignore the problem in her district and is actually against Mayor Bruce Harrell’s (@MayorofSeattle) encampment removal strategy. I still don’t know why the Mayor puts up with Morales. When will Morales come out to face her constituents about these concerns? Btw, where is the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (@KingCoRHA?) I actually went into the nearby deep woods and found dozens of tents and structures. Many of Read More ›

This is Depressing After a press conference this week calling out Councilmember Tammy Morales (@CMTammyMorales, @TammyMoralesSEA) for failing her district on public safety, you would think she would be out here on a Saturday afternoon trying to re-assure her constituents. But she remains MIA. Once again, most of the insanity is at the corner of 12th Ave & Jackson St. I recorded several fentanyl deals happening in broad daylight, people passed out on the streets, and a woman who kept flashing people with her breasts. Then a fight broke out in front of Asian senior citizens going to the grocery store. By the way, the former Viet-Wah location is now being used as a homeless encampment and drug den. No Read More ›

As my last column showed, the San Francisco government dismisses addicts from hospitals and returns them to the Tenderloin’s drug-laden open arms. Many San Francisco taxpayers have grown cynical about the streets-hospital-streets routine, with ineffective policing and insufficient 30-day drug/alcohol rehab programs thrown in. The San Francisco circle game permanently helps almost no one but costs thousands of dollars per day of hospitalization, tens of thousands for a typical insurance-paid rehab program, and millions in grants to politically-connected nonprofits that merely enable drug use. You can research this yourself by looking at website ads for drug and alcohol addiction programs. One typical ad emphasizes private rooms with queen- or king-sized beds, amenities like indoor basketball courts, a professional recording studio, Read More ›