chronic homelessness

When a policy intended to help vulnerable people actually harms them, the ethical response is immediate: Stop, reassess and tell the truth. That was why, in January 1996, a team of doctors at the Seattle-based Fred Hutch Cancer Center dramatically halted the active phase of a study assessing the benefits of beta-carotene and vitamin A supplements for people at high risk of developing lung cancer. Leading up to the study, Hutch News reported, “public enthusiasm for the purported health benefits of beta-carotene was so high, ‘people thought it would be unethical to assign participants to the placebo group.’” It turns out the placebo takers were the lucky ones. Among the 18,314 participants, those receiving supplements “had a 28 percent greater Read More ›

Making the Problem Worse The homeless drug crisis is out of control in Seattle. And it’s now evident Mayor Katie Wilson is going to make the problem worse. During her first State of the City address, she talked about building more housing and shelter. But no solutions to deal with mental illness or drug addiction ravaging the city. Sweep, Sweep, Sweep Aside from changing some policy language, she is pretty much doing the same thing as the last mayor of Seattle. Sweep, sweep, sweep. And the game of Whack-A-Mole continues. Same Old Same Old Wilson’s spokesperson recently told the Seattle Times that, “the mayor isn’t pursuing a significant shift in encampment clearing strategies from the previous administration.” Ignoring the Service Read More ›