Governance

What Does Harrell Plan To Do? Nearly four years ago, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell campaigned on the promise of making a serious dent in the city’s homeless drug crisis. But under his watch, there are more people living on the streets, the fentanyl epidemic remains out of control, and many encampments that were cleared are now repopulating. So this evening, I asked him what he plans to do about this ongoing issue that could become a political liability for his re-election campaign. Using the Wrong Measuring Stick Mayor Harrell is touting these accomplishments on his campaign website. But critics say citing a decrease in RV’s and tent encampments as a metric for success is the wrong barometer. Homelessness on the Read More ›

Where Are City Workers? Hundreds of people are walking past a homeless woman in downtown Seattle suffering from frostbite. She’s missing fingers and toes. We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez is the only outreach worker who’s stopping to help. Where are the city funded workers?

Social Services Row Crime, chaos, and death sums up what’s happening in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood. The cross streets near social service providers like Plymouth Housing and REACH continue to be the root of all drug-related problems. They are both notorious pushers of the failed “harm reduction” and Housing First policies that have led to even higher rates of homelessness and drug overdose deaths in the region. Making matters worse, the Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA) ordinance has been a total flop since it’s barely being enforced.

No Permanent Solution More taxpayer dollars being wasted on another RV encampment sweep Wednesday morning in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood. This is the same spot that’s been cleared dozens of times under Mayor Bruce Harrell’s watch. Instead of finding a permanent solution, Harrell will likely allow them to come right back in a few hours. During the past five years, I have personally covered at least 20 sweeps in this very same spot. This is the craziest cycle I have ever witnessed in my career. I’m not saying the RVs should be allowed to stay. As usual, there have been reports of drug dealing, sex trafficking, and assaults at this encampment. But the current plan is not working.

Seattle Overwhelmed As Seattle prepares for 4th of July festivities, an American tragedy is unfolding on its streets. From downtown to Chinatown-ID, Mayor Bruce Harrell’s administration is overwhelmed by the drug crisis ravaging his city. No Coordination Among Agencies City Hall insiders say the current plan to address the human suffering is failing. Leadership and the agencies responsible for coming up with solutions are barely talking to each other. The bureaucracy is thick. Election Year But during an election year, insiders say Harrell has created a culture of fear in his office so no one wants to bring it up for debate or challenge the status quo. It could damage his campaign and hurt public relations. Housing First Leads to Read More ›

Money Gone to Waste Seattle spent more than $800 million on its waterfront revitalization project. Mayor Bruce Harrell said it would create a vibrant, accessible, and engaging public space. Today, new water fountains are being used as bubble baths for homeless drug addicts.

On April 28, Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled a $254 billion state budget for fiscal year 2026, which focuses heavily on improving the safety of New York City’s subway system. As part of this effort, the budget includes provisions to enforce laws and beef up police presence. But Governor Hochul’s budget also addresses a related issue: tackling homelessness and treating severe mental illness. The budget includes $25 million for “welcome centers” that will connect homeless and mentally ill people on the subway with essential services. An additional $16.5 million will be set aside for Assisted Outpatient Treatment, $2 million will go to staffing in the Office of Mental Health, and $160 million will create 100 inpatient psychiatric beds. Additionally, Kendra’s Law Read More ›

Welcome to Seattle Sold out crowd Tuesday evening to watch Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark take on the Seattle Storm. Instead of rolling out the red carpet for WNBA fans, indie music station KEXP, Climate Pledge Arena, and Mayor Bruce Harrell allowed a homeless fella to set up his entire living room on the sidewalk. Zero enforcement. What a way to showcase your city.

Fencing Is Up! The fencing is up around the former Joann Fabrics location in Ballard. Problem is, all the homeless drug addicts are now spilling into the streets and some are sleeping overnight in Ballard Commons Park. Where’s Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and Councilmember Dan Strauss? This is now the city’s problems.

Welcome, Soccer Fans Lumen Field in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood hosted several Club World Cup matches this week. Instead of a clean and welcoming city, soccer fans heading to the stadium were treated to dozens of RV’s, tent encampments, and open-air drug use. From 3rd Ave to Utah Ave, these are the same vehicles cleared dozens of times by Mayor Bruce Harrell’s administration. After nearly four years in office, Harrell remains clueless on how to handle this unending street crisis. Sweeps aren’t working because all the campers are allowed to come right back. Taxpayers should be furious at the cost and the lack of proper enforcement. The current plan is not working.