ChangeWA Quick Hits

Thank you to We Heart Seattle for five years of making a real difference

Thank you to We Heart Seattle for five years of making a real difference

Time to acknowledge something positive in Seattle… Those of us at ChangeWA celebrate the five-year anniversary of We Heart Seattle! When Seattle progressives’ public safety, drug, and homeless policies were causing the rapid decline of the city in 2020, Andrea Saurez and a small group of like-minded friends went into action. At first, they cleaned...

Extremists fund their violence with tax money meant to help the homeless

Extremists fund their violence with tax money meant to help the homeless

A new report reveals how violent extremists are funded by taxpayer money intended to help those suffering on our streets. In early October The Capital Research Group, in collaboration with Seattle’s Discovery Institute, released “Infiltrated: The Ideological Capture of Homelessness Advocacy” which describes how public funds are being diverted away from helping homeless individuals and...

Rethink Criminal Justice and Recovery

Rethink Criminal Justice and Recovery

By Ginny Burton After nearly 30 years of active drug use, the criminal justice system became the intervention that saved my life. When felony charges finally pulled me off the streets, it wasn’t punishment that made the difference—it was the pause. Incarceration removed me from homelessness, stopped the criminal behavior that fed my addiction, and...

THANK YOU SLADE GORTON!

THANK YOU SLADE GORTON!

As our region enjoys the success of the Seattle Mariners, let’s take a moment to thank former Washington State Attorney General and U.S. Senator Slade Gorton for all that he did to bring the team to the Pacific Northwest and then lead the effort to keep them here when the team threatened to move to...

Why do those on the Left hate citizen initiatives?

Why do those on the Left hate citizen initiatives?

Here in Washington State we have seen many examples of the Democrats (and their wealthy special interest friends) attacking the initiative process.  This has included: Supporting legislation to weaken the initiative process Spending tens of millions to defeat citizen initiatives Recklessly adding “emergency” clauses to controversial bills which prohibit initiatives Hire expensive law firms to...

Why Treatment is superior to Housing First to solve homelessness

Why Treatment is superior to Housing First to solve homelessness

1 – Housing First creates dependency on government, Treatment creates self-sufficiency Housing First creates dependency on government’s expensive social services while treatment creates independence. Providing someone with free shelter (which is often very unsafe) does nothing to solve the disabling addiction and mental health problems. The individual then becomes dependent on government services. Yet with...

Washington residents strongly support more focus on treatment for homeless

Washington residents strongly support more focus on treatment for homeless

A new poll finds that Washington State residents overwhelmingly support the Trump Administration’s efforts to encourage treatment-based solutions (for both drug/alcohol addiction and mental illness) to battle the homelessness crises. Moreover, a large majority of Washington voters believe that current homelessness programs that DO NOT address addiction and mental health issues should be closed down....

The Dow Constantine Legacy

The Dow Constantine Legacy

It has been nearly six months since then King County Executive Dow Constantine was handed $6 million by his cronies on the Sound Transit Board of Directors to lead its financially troubled organization.  Yet his desire to recklessly and carelessly spend taxpayers’ money (while constantly demanding more) at the county still lives on. Remember at...

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...