Blog | Page 26

Another OD Save People ask me how I capture footage of so many fentanyl overdoses in #Seattle. It’s not a real secret. All I do is follow the ambulances and sirens. Friday afternoon, all the commotion led me to the corner of 4th Ave & Spring St, right in the alley of The Executive Hotel Pacific. Once again, Seattle Fire (@SeattleFire) bailed out another addict passed out on the ground. The city continues to average around 2-3 drug overdoses a day and this is an undercount. Even though more people are being saved because of NARCAN, look at the amount of resources it took to revive this fella. In other words, those little tiny NARCAN sprays don’t always work. This Read More ›

This year is the 500th anniversary of the death of Hermann Zierenberg. The wealthy man’s will in 1523 revealed he had set aside money so that each year on the anniversary of his death homeless people would pray for his salvation and purportedly save him years in purgatory. As Zierenberg was dying, though, the tradition of buying prayers to reduce purgatory time was dying out in much of Europe. One agent of change was Martin Luther, who said purgatory does not exist, so prayers for beloved ones to escape it are a waste of effort. Another was the enormous cost of grand cathedrals. I visited several years back the Seville Cathedral, known as the third-largest church in the world. It Read More ›

What About Chinatown/international District? Some of the fundamental pillars of Mayor Bruce Harrell’s (@MayorofSeattle) “One Seattle” approach is unity and ethnic diversity. You could clearly see it behind him during Wednesday’s press conference as he laid out more details driving his Downtown Activation Plan. But afterwards, I asked why there wasn’t a single mention of the #CID in his game plan. Timelines for measurable change also remain unclear. Watch interview below. Other advocates noticed this omission as well since this predominantly Asian American neighborhood faces enormous and unique challenges related to fentanyl and the homeless crisis exploding on it’s streets. Dozens of small mom and pop immigrant owned businesses have also left in the past couple years due to unchecked Read More ›

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 Read More ›

“The homeless are just like you and me.” That’s a politically correct assertion that doesn’t quite recognize the reality on the ground, such as the link between self-destructive behavior — most notably, substance abuse — and living on the street with no place to call home. California is home to 12% of America’s population, but 30% of the number “experiencing homelessness” and half the population of unsheltered homeless. Why? A new study on homelessness, the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness by UC San Francisco, lays out how a set of painful events can bring adults to the sad moment when they lose a roof over their heads. They lose low-paying jobs and then apartments; they bunk in spare Read More ›

No Words Sometimes you see a piece of video and are just left shaking your head. Tuesday evening, a witness says a fight broke out at Ballard Commons Park between a well known homeless guy and a dude with dreads. At the same time, a little kid just scampers through the outdoor fountain play area, totally oblivious to what’s going on. Thankfully it ended without anyone being seriously injured. Adults, let’s try to set a better example for the children. This all went down as the Seattle Parks (@SeattleParks) concierge was packing up the large chess set and signs. No park rangers or police nearby. Councilmember Dan Strauss’ (@CMDanStrauss) district remains problematic. But so far, crews have been able to Read More ›

Disruptive Day So many dynamics Wednesday morning as #Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell (@MayorofSeattle) unveiled the next phase of his Downtown Activation Plan. Numerous city leaders, law enforcement officials, and entrepreneurs gathered at West Lake Park to show a united front. The Mayor says he’s playing the long game and is doubling down on his strategy to reclaim downtown from the scourge of hardcore drugs, crime, and rampant homelessness. But Stop The Sweeps Seattle disrupted speakers with angry chants and demanded housing for all homeless people. They’ve been a thorn in Mayor Harrell’s side since he took office. These FAR-LEFT activists continue to make FALSE claims saying “sweeps kill.” The reality is, most homeless people on the streets do not want Read More ›

Under Pressure Ballard is now dealing with a new wave of homeless encampment related shootings and clusters of tents popping up in certain parts of the neighborhood, especially along NW Leary Way. I spoke to Councilmember Dan Strauss (@CMDanStrauss) about his plan to address this on going crisis in the district.

Encampment Needs to Close Wednesday’s fire took out multiple tents in the Hobby Lobby (@HobbyLobby) homeless encampment near Sleater-Kinney Road in #Olympia on @wsdot property. No reports of any serious injuries. I’ve been tracking this place for months and visited just a few days. Before this most recent fire, dozens of homeless people started moving in just in the past few weeks, hoping to get “tagged” and in line for one of the rooms at the former #Lacey Days Inn. It’s being converted into a homeless hotel for more than 100 people. But there were delays with this project after crews found meth in the walls. Either way, city and state leaders hope this is a solution to one of Read More ›

Failing Neighborhood How can the city of #Seattle allow drug addicts to take over #Chinatown-ID? 12th Ave and Jackson St. is out of control on Tuesday evening. It isn’t even a weekend night, but the black market of stolen goods is lit! Large cans of Almond Roca for $2 dollars. Rib eye steaks being sold for $5 bucks a piece. Fentanyl foil everywhere. People zonked out of their minds. Councilmember Tammy Morales (@CMTammyMorales) has given up on this part of her district. Meanwhile, I had to escape on to a King County Metro bus after some enraged dudes started coming at me. This is truly “TAMMY TOWN.” When is it Going to Stop? That’s what Asian American senior citizens in Read More ›