Governance

Politicians Look the Other Way Don’t let all the pretty Christmas lights fool you. The drug dens in downtown Seattle are roaring out of control. Look at this one in front of the Olympic Tower Apartments at the corner of 3rd Ave and Pine St. Everyone is doing fentanyl. I bumped into this young Korean American woman who’s been a regular out here for years. She’s probably in her early 30’s but now looks like she’s in her 50’s from all the drug use. This human catastrophe continues unchecked in this city and the politicians are all looking the other way. King County Public Health is also MIA. Anyone ever see Councilmember Bob Kettle walk this nightmare stretch in his Read More ›

Drug Addiction Overruns the City Streets Since the weekend, I have now counted more than 100 drug tents in Seattle’s Chinatown-ID and Beacon Hill neighborhoods which are next to each other. This is obviously an undercount since I can’t be everywhere. Drug addicts have also taken over Dr. Jose Rizal Park. Since outgoing Mayor Bruce Harrell has given up on the city, I am keeping a running list of encampments for Mayor-elect Katie Wilson. But it’s unclear if she will do anything about it. Btw, stop enabling these addicts by giving them free tents. The non-profits and virtue signaling Seattle residents are keeping vulnerable people on the streets. Get them into shelters, drive them to treatment, or send them home. Read More ›

San Francisco has been handing out drug paraphernalia freely to addicts for decades. Under the new administration of Mayor Daniel Lurie, however, individuals must be connected to treatment, counseling, or other recovery services to continue receiving these supplies. Filmmaker SIX SEVEN KEVIN speaks with addicts, residents, and city officials about the conditions of San Francisco’s streets. 6’7 Kevin is a documentary filmmaker and journalist known for the Dregs of the City series on YouTube, where he explores America’s homeless culture from state to state. Follow SIX SEVEN KEVIN’s YouTube channel: @67kevin⁩ Follow SIX SEVEN KEVIN on X: Six Seven (@67Kevin1) / X Visit SIX SEVEN KEVIN’s website: SIX SEVEN | Documentary Filmmakers

Seattle’s homeless drug crisis remains a top three issue for voters. During a recent debate, Mayor Bruce Harrell and mayoral candidate Katie Wilson were asked the following: “Should homeless people be allowed to stay in tents in parks?” “Should homeless people be allowed to live in sidewalks?” “Should people be allowed to smoke or use drugs like fentanyl in public places?” The moderator was asking for a simple yes or no response. But Katie Wilson seemed to waffle and struggle.

In a catastrophic miscalculation that exposes his continued attachment to failure, California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 255 on Oct. 1. It was a bipartisan measure designed to expand access to recovery housing for homeless individuals struggling with substance use disorders. His veto comes at a time when California’s homeless can least afford more failure. AB 255, authored by Assembly member Matt Haney, would have allowed up to 10% of state homelessness funds to support abstinence-based recovery housing. These programs integrate shelter with sobriety requirements, accountability and supportive services that help people reclaim stability. Newsom dismissed the bill as “unnecessary,” insisting that current guidelines already permit sober housing and warning against “duplicative” categories. His reasoning rings hollow. California mimicked Read More ›

What Is Redmond Thinking? Construction workers finishing up the AMLI Redmond Way luxury apartments in downtown say the company had no idea the city would allow Plymouth Housing to build right next door. There’s already concern potential renters will avoid the AMLI once they realize Plymouth facilities attract an inordinate amount of crime, open air-drug use, and death into the community. Along with dozens of businesses, there’s also a daycare right next door. And with light rail nearby, it’s an easy commute to Microsoft and Meta. The tech workers are gonna love being around fentanyl addicts and dealers. No idea what Mayor Angela Birney and the city council is thinking here. They’ve been captured by the homeless industrial complex. Goodbye Read More ›

Damage Control Embattled Plymouth Housing CEO Karen Lee is doing damage control after our series of reports highlighting all the crime, chaos, and death in her Bellevue, WA facility. I have obtained an email Lee recently sent to Bellevue councilmembers. Based on her talking points and spin, she appears to think they’re gullible and stupid. Page 1 Lee claims some of the content about Plymouth contains misinformation or misleading characterizations. But she fails to call out specifics and also does not name the news organization or social media accounts. Page 2 She then goes on to say the Plymouth model works and tries to prove her point by citing debunked studies from liberal academics. However, Lee once again fails to Read More ›

No Regrets King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci admits she helped usher in the problematic Bellevue Plymouth Housing/Porchlight campus. I asked her point blank if she has any regrets allowing the facility into the community since it triggers the most 911 calls in the city. She did not answer my question directly but Balducci did defend the “Housing First” approach to solving the homeless drug crisis. Listen carefully in the end. She could only cite the former Silvercloud Inn location as the most successful “permanent supportive housing” facility in King County. That’s because it’s not being run by Plymouth. The Christian based Salvation Army is operator in Redmond. Notice the stark difference? Communities Worried About Plymouth Expansion We have tried to Read More ›

Conditions Worse Than Ever Seattle media outlets are scared to send in reporters to spotlight ongoing crime and chaos plaguing the Little Saigon neighborhood. I don’t blame them, it’s a major safety risk. So I had to call independent journalist Nick Shirley for another perspective. Shirley agrees the conditions on the ground are now worse than ever. He noted cops rarely stop in this hood or come out of their cars to patrol the streets. It seems like Mayor Bruce Harrell has thrown in the towel on this community even though the November General Election is only two months away. But mayoral candidate Katie Wilson hasn’t shown up either, failing to seize on an opportunity to get Asian American votes. Read More ›

Breaking A shooting in Seattle’s Little Saigon neighborhood sent people running for cover late Friday afternoon. Witnesses say a White male unloaded several shots from a car window, targeting another man near the corner of the problematic 12th Ave & Jackson St intersection. Seattle Ranks Fourth Worst for Crime in Nation The victim was shot in the arm but is expected to survive. We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez and I were doing outreach when the commotion broke out. This violence is being fueled by drugs and is another reason why Seattle ranks fourth worst in the nation for total crime, nearly triple the national average. Out-of-Touch Leaders Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has lost control of public safety in this predominantly Read More ›