Ginny Burton has earned a spot in the debate on how we should respond to our region’s worsening homelessness and drug emergencies. She has overcome many tough life experiences and is now seeking to help others who are currently suffering due to failed policies. She first witnessed the problems as a drug addicted teenager who...
Within hours of being sworn into office, new Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson instantly stumbled into a major controversary over her administration imposing a significant change to how Seattle police officers handle incidents involving the possession and public use of lethal drugs. Seattle Police Chief Shon F. Barnes notified his officers of these changes in a...
As Nick Shirley’s investigative videos reveal the massive fraud that is costing Minnesota and American taxpayers billions of dollars, should King County and Washington residents fear the same thing could be occurring here? Sadly, the same reckless and lax conditions within Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’ administration are also present in Washington State – especially in...
As 2025 comes to an end, ChangeWA will look back by revisiting some of our most popular articles of the year. ChangeWA has quickly become the leading source of reliable information on the homelessness issue as more of our neighbors continue to suffer in crime- and drug-filled encampments and temporary housing as billions of tax...
The instability of Seattle’s political system is best illustrated by the revolving door at the mayor’s office. Since 1998, none of the City of Seattle’s chief executives left office under their own volition. Four (Mayors Schell, Nickels, McGinn, and Harrell) were defeated at the polls, one (Mayor Murray) resigned, and one (Mayor Durkan) chose not...
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Attorney General Nick Brown announced that Washington State joined a federal lawsuit against the Trump Administration to allow state and local governments to continue controversial “Housing First” homelessness policies. These ineffective measures, which disregard the role of mental illness and addiction in rising homelessness, have resulted in an 80% more people...
November 2, 2025, was the 10-year anniversary of Seattle/King County declaring homelessness an emergency. A decade later, government actions have caused homelessness to increase 68% and thousands have died (mostly from drug overdose). The Seattle Times, despite having an editor (Molly “MJ” Harbarger) and two reporters (Greg Kim and Anna Patrick) to cover the issue,...
When is the last time you visited downtown Seattle? Or Portland? Or San Francisco? Are these places the towns you once vacationed to and felt safe site seeing? Nearly thirteen years ago, I prayed for death as I wandered the streets of Tacoma in the middle of the night—no place to go, no belongings, everything...
Last week, ChangeWA reviewed the negative outcomes of Seattle and King County’s Emergency Declaration issued 10 years ago this month. This week we look at two commonsense ways to quickly lower homelessness, cut dependence on costly government programs, and save taxpayer money. Progress has been made – just a few years ago these policies weren’t...
ChangeWA marks the 10-year anniversary of the City of Seattle and King County declaring homelessness an emergency with the first of a two-part series. This week we will examine the devastating results of the region’s homelessness strategy. Next week in part two, we will provide commonsense solutions that have reversed the negative trends in other...
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...
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...
The leniency in Washington’s judicial system was recently displayed by the repeat offender (36 arrests and 20 convictions) who killed a 20-year-old woman as he attempted to flee police in Pierce County. Despite serving numerous short sentences in his life, the suspect clearly has never been “rehabilitated.” It appears he views his many brief lockups...
Spokane provides the latest example of how citizens are forced to correct politicians’ failed policies because stubborn elected officials refuse to admit that their extremist, “Housing First” policies have made problems worse. Housing First is the policy strategy that provides free taxpayer-funded housing for homeless individuals regardless of their addiction, mental health, or criminal status....