Seattle is welcoming the world. As World Cup visitors continue to arrive, downtown streets are busy, waterfront parks are active, and television broadcasts are showcasing the city’s mountains, waterways, neighborhoods, and skyline. For many residents, it has been a reminder of why they love living here in the first place. The natural beauty was always...
Last week, hundreds of Aurora Avenue residents took to the streets to demand something most people consider basic: safe neighborhoods, safe sidewalks, and a city government willing to confront persistent sex trafficking, violence, and exploitation in their community. This week, a prominent Seattle business owner is adding his voice to that growing chorus. Dunn Lumber...
On Saturday night, hundreds of Seattle residents gathered along Aurora Avenue carrying a simple message: “Stop Sex Trafficking. No More Shootings.” That shouldn’t be a controversial demand. The people who showed up weren’t political activists looking for a fight. They were neighbors, parents, business owners, and community members frustrated by a reality that has been...
Since the turn of the Millennium, six consecutive Seattle mayors (Paul Schell, Greg Nickles, Mike McGinn, Ed Murray, Jenny Durkan, and Bruce Harrell) have each left office against their wishes. Will current Mayor Katie Wilson meet the same fate as her six predecessors, or will she overcome the perils of office to depart from the...
On a recent segment on her [un[Divided podcast, Brandi Kruse examined a current court case on how over-regulation by the City of Seattle has turned once profitable rental properties into investment losses. As a result, many property owners (especially smaller ones who can’t absorb the costs) have pulled their units from the market and investment...
Recent headlines paint a troubling picture of King County’s regional homelessness system — one in turmoil, riddled with financial mismanagement, and lacks accountability to taxpayers. “$13M missing: Seattle leaders call attention to ‘egregious’ regional homeless audit“ — KOMO News, April 23, 2026 “Councilmember Rivera, County Councilmember Dembowski call for KCRHA to be dissolved“ — Seattle...
Most new political leaders set the agenda for their administration in their initial weeks in office through major speeches and announcements. While Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s blog has numerous mentions of her desire to increase Seattle’s public housing projects, there are no mentions of what the mayor will do to reduce the city’s serious crime...
New revelations regarding Seattle’s tiny home villages have raised concerns on how effective this program is in helping homeless individuals battle their addictions in order to return to a productive life. These questions arise as new Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has made tiny homes the centerpiece of her homelessness strategy. Last week We Heart Seattle’s...
A Tax Reversal That Raises Process Questions In 2024, the Washington State House of Representatives passed citizen’s initiative 2111 — an income tax ban — by a 76-21 vote. The Senate followed 38-11. Over 400,000 citizens had signed petitions to place the initiatives in front of the legislature. Yet, just two years later, the legislature...
For the past few years, Washington State has been ranked the worst state in the country for hiring police officers — and now things have become even worse. The Washington Association of Police Chiefs and Sheriffs (WAPCS) released its annual report on police staffing levels in mid‑February, and once again, Washington State ranks at the...
On February 17, Mayor Wilson gave her first major speech since defeating incumbent Bruce Harrell in last November’s elections. From the moment she stepped on the stage at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, it was evident Wilson’s inexperienced team had failed to perform basic advance work as the new mayor had technical issues with...
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...
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...
On September 23, the Bellevue City Council passed a preliminary public safety measure that will benefit small businesses, protect retail employees, save taxpayers money, and ensure activists judges won’t immediately release repeat criminals. Final passage of the bill is expected to take place on October 7. By a 6 to 1 vote, the council passed...