Governance

Download the report here. Shoddy Data Hid Failed State of Homelessness Program, Study Shows Seattle, WA – A study from the Fix Homelessness Initiative of Discovery Institute reveals the expensive failure of the government to run a now-defunct downtown outreach program in Seattle funded by the region’s leading foundations and corporations. It also reveals a lack of transparency from non-profits receiving millions in contracts from King County to address homelessness. “Information about the downtown program is hard to come by,” said Caitlyn Axe of Discovery Institute “But the data we have reveals ineffective use of millions in funding while private nonprofits are accomplishing far more with far less.” Axe’s research examined the multi-million dollar Partnership for Zero (PfZ) homelessness program Read More ›

Sawant Blasted Before Tuesday evening’s Seattle council drug vote, self proclaimed socialist councilmember Kshama Sawant (@cmkshama) went on her usual cop hating, blame the billionaires, class warfare monologue. But after she evoked her version of the black experience in America to further her agenda, local entrepreneur Michael Asai (@ECCG206) had enough. He got up and blasted Sawant saying, “Stop doing your blackface for the white agenda.” Asai went on to say, “Vote for this bill and clean up this damn city.” Asai is simply saying what everyone is thinking. The FAR-LEFT/ Commie/Marxists in Seattle are majority white and do not care at all about the interests of the black community or minorities. And Asai is tired of being used for Read More ›

Seattle Drug Bill Revised drug bill passes in Seattle City Council. Only CM Tammy Morales, Teresa Mosqueda, and Kshama Sawant voted against it. But what happened afterwards was absolute insanity. The self proclaimed abolitionists, FAR-LEFT activists, and Morales disciples started going after all the council members who voted to pass it. They even turned on progressive favorite Councilmember Lisa Herbold. Sore losers. They also started expressing their frustrations at me. I guess my reporting is making a difference. You’re not going to see this footage on any other newscast this evening.

“That’s the equivalent of spending… $1,137,256 per person to exit homelessness.” By Ari Hoffman and Jonathan Choe Despite spending over $1.1 million for each of the only 126 people who transitioned out of homelessness, Washington Democrat Governor Jay Inslee claimed that his initiative for removing encampments from state land and getting people into housing requires more money in order to continue. Inslee has failed to adequately address the state’s homeless crisis, which has grown exponentially during his more than a decade in office. Friday, during a photo op at a tiny home village in Olympia, Inslee touted his Rights of Way Safety Initiative (ROW), a program that since last summer has attempted to remove encampments from state land, including from the sides of freeways, 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 ›

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 ›

Dunking on Tammy With multiple open air drug dens and homeless encampments thriving in Chinatown-ID, Seattle council candidate Tanya Woo (@votetanyawoo) and CM Sara Nelson (@CMSaraNelson) teamed up to bring attention to this unfolding disaster in D2, also known as “Tammy Town.” But it quickly turned into a dunk fest on CM Tammy Morales (@TammyMoralesSEA @CMTammyMorales) and her failing record as a leader. Nelson totally picked her apart in an unprecedented take down. It got so bad, Morales actually responded to Nelson on social media. Here is Nelson’s entire monologue during Tuesday’s press conference. I sprinkled in a few highlights. By the way, I spend way too much time in the underbelly of this city. No on else has this Read More ›

It should come as no surprise that an enterprising San Franciscan came up with the idea to host a “doom loop” tour of the moldering city on a hill. The plot twist is that Alex Ludlum, who put together the tour, canceled and refunded tickets for his “Downtown Doom Loop Walking Tour” before its intended Aug. 26 debut. That would be the weekend Nordstrom shuttered its flagship store in downtown San Francisco. It turns out, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, Ludlum serves on Ess Eff’s Commission on Community Investment and Infrastructure. He had planned on giving the tour as an “anonymous insider.” After his identity was outed, Ludlum apologized for a “deep error in judgment” and canceled the tour. “How Read More ›

This is the second in a series. Read the first column here. Our tendency when we hear of a disaster is to ask when FEMA — the Federal Emergency Management Agency — will arrive. But because of some curious federal rules, Perryton Mayor Kerry Symons said his community will receive nothing. That’s because the threshold for FEMA help depends on meeting requirements that vary by state population. Damage that would be large enough to warrant help in Rhode Island doesn’t cut it in Texas. The logic is that a large state can bring to bear more resources than a small one. That bureaucratic rule hurts Perryton residents like Maria Marufo, who depended on income from renting out six mobile homes Read More ›

In Case You’re Wondering During Wednesday night’s Republican primary debate, FOX News anchor Martha MacCallum cited data showing homelessness in America is up 11% in the past few years, “the largest jump in recorded history.” The candidates were asked about their position on this issue. But the conversation ended up being dominated by crime, drugs, and public safety. We have to follow up on the homeless crisis topic at the next debate. We have to know what the GOP candidates are going to do about one of the most pressing issues facing this nation, especially in West Coast cities. Because the current “housing first” national plan is failing.