The real reason for Seattle’s crime drop? Undoing dangerous policy
The real reason for Seattle’s crime drop? Undoing dangerous policy
Over the years, ChangeWA has occasionally sided with the long-time Times columnist, Danny Westneat, especially when extremists like Kshama Sawant, Lisa Herbold, and Pete Holmes controlled Seattle City Hall. But on his recent column explaining why Seattle crime rates have dropped, Westneat appeared to have forgotten several important occurrences which have had far more impact...
Former Democrats explain why we need new homelessness policies
Former Democrats explain why we need new homelessness policies
Since the Obama Administration adopted the Housing First model in 2014, homelessness has increased: The Trump Administration’s July 24 Executive Order (EO) has shaken up how our country will confront its homelessness crisis, especially in how we attempt to help the overwhelming majority of destitute individuals suffering with mental illness and drug addiction. Essentially the...
Fresh Federal Direction Could Turn the Tide on Homelessness in Washington
Fresh Federal Direction Could Turn the Tide on Homelessness in Washington
Last week’s executive order from the Trump Administration firmly declared that the federal government is changing its homeless strategy after more than a decade of disappointing results from Housing First policies. These orders have brought encouragement to those who support more resources for addiction and mental health treatment and angered those who financially benefit from...
Breaking: Trump orders roll back of disastrous Housing First strategy on homelessness
Breaking: Trump orders roll back of disastrous Housing First strategy on homelessness
Today, the Trump Administration began to dismantle the ineffective and costly Housing First homelessness policies, which have caused the country’s homeless problem to become even worse. The Obama-era policy resulted in a record-breaking 770,000 people to suffer on our streets during the last year of the Biden Administration. In Washington state, homelessness rose 78% since...
“Safer Supply” policy is another failed harm reduction drug strategy
“Safer Supply” policy is another failed harm reduction drug strategy
A recent state drug proposal could further enable struggling addicts to keep using illegal substances while providing financial benefits to drug companies, bureaucrats, and disingenuous treatment centers, according to treatment advocate Ginny Burton in an op-ed for Center Square. She raises concerns over the effectiveness of the “Safer Supply” drug policy being discussed by Washington...
Homeless strategy is increasing the number who suffer in Washington
Homeless strategy is increasing the number who suffer in Washington
This is the third article of three on the various costs associated with homelessness. In this article we examine the costs associated with government-funded services and the lack of accountability of taxpayer funds. We also look at whether these services are attracting homeless individuals from other states. King County politicians boast that they work with...
Breaking the Cycle: Why Self-Sufficiency Must Replace Perpetual Care
Breaking the Cycle: Why Self-Sufficiency Must Replace Perpetual Care
This article is the second in ChangeWA’s three-part series on the increasing costs of our region’s homeless strategy. We asked treatment advocate and founder of the O-UT Program Ginny Burton to examine the long-term costs associated with current policies addressing homelessness. ChangeWA supports a treatment-based approach to homelessness. Data shows that the expensive “Housing First” method has...
Washington: The destination state for America’s homeless population
Washington: The destination state for America’s homeless population
This is the first in a three-part series, “The Cost of Homelessness.” Failed “Housing First” homeless policies have resulted in more people suffering on our streets. In turn, this puts more stress on local taxpayers to fund the public services the growing homeless population requires. We will examine these startling costs and explore if focusing...
Your tax dollars are promoting fentanyl use as a “friend-building” activity
Your tax dollars are promoting fentanyl use as a “friend-building” activity
Is a new big budget ad campaign from the State of Washington the latest proof that our government is not interested in reducing lethal drug use? [un]Divided podcast host Brandi Kruse asserts that a recently released television ad from the Washington State Department of Health is more evidence that “our government does not want to...
Your tax dollars are promoting fentanyl use as a “friend-building” activity
Your tax dollars are promoting fentanyl use as a “friend-building” activity
Is a new big budget ad campaign from the State of Washington the latest proof that our government is not interested in reducing lethal drug use? [un]Divided podcast host Brandi Kruse asserts that a recently released television ad from the Washington State Department of Health is more evidence that “our government does not want to...
King County homelessness increases as politicians become wealthy
King County homelessness increases as politicians become wealthy
The number of homeless individuals in King County has risen again. The suffering grows in encampments, vacant buildings, and in urban green spaces, despite billions of taxpayer dollars being spent on building large housing bureaucracies at multiple levels of government. While those in charge of our region’s failed homeless strategy have become very wealthy, more...
King County homelessness increases as politicians become wealthy
King County homelessness increases as politicians become wealthy
The number of homeless individuals in King County has risen again. The suffering grows in encampments, vacant buildings, and in urban green spaces, despite billions of taxpayer dollars being spent on building large housing bureaucracies at multiple levels of government. While those in charge of our region’s failed homeless strategy have become very wealthy, more...
Lack of political courage on Antifa is making police recruitment more difficult
Lack of political courage on Antifa is making police recruitment more difficult
Once again, the domestic terror group Antifa has embarked on acts of political violence in Seattle and liberal politicians are again too afraid to stand up and condemn the Leftist activists’ aggression. This lack of political courage has police department leaders concerned that this will encourage more political violence and lead more officers to leave...
ChangeWA is your source for exposing the costly Sound Transit debacle
ChangeWA is your source for exposing the costly Sound Transit debacle
On May 10, Sound Transit went all out in its promotion for the opening of its new light rail train stations in Redmond. The many expensive public relations firms which Sound Transit retains, lined up politicians and media celebrities to speak, music acts to entertain, food trucks to feed the crowd, activities to entertain...
