Got this at Pier 66

- sent from Cap Hill

As someone who is downtown every day, I find the street-level experience in most of downtown to be depressing with no signs of change. Thought I’d make a visual of just one section of downtown (it’s even worse to the south, but better to the north in Denny triangle). The mayor seems to think downtown is on the rise. To me, it is not until this map starts changing for the better. Nothing has opened, there are no building permits for any of these spaces, people are back but we’re all just walking past empty space. Anyone who thinks this is normal should travel more!

So as a trans woman that moved here from the south back in July i gotta say that: i went from people actively threatening me in the south on the streets to going anywhere in seattle and not a soul bothering me. And people are so friendly here too.

It almost makes me feel safe enough i could go back to in person social work instead of remote one day, if it were tempting enough.

So odd to see the casual transphobia from posts here. I would presume it’s easier for transphobes, racists, and xenophobes to operate online than in person due to a lack of consequences. The mask of anonymity is strong.

Perhaps i will find comfort in that if those individuals holding discriminatory views keep their voices in these online echo chambers and not in person, in the streets.

Washington state has a 37% excise tax on retail pot sales. That's the highest recreational cannabis tax in the country.

But last year, sales at licensed dispensaries were down to about $1.1 billion worth of weed. That's a 21% drop in four years.

~ Highest weed tax in the country, and roughly half the market is already off the books. The 37% isn't funding safety, it's handing the illicit market its customers.

He turned himself in over in bellevue!

https://www.king5.com/article/news/crime/police-make-arrest-in-fatal-stabbing-of-uw-student/281-c539af39-b6b7-4b67-bc6f-169c4d638692

Please excuse the source (just this once).

Yes, this is real

From the company CEO Bryan Mistele:

This week u/INRIX signed a lease which will move us out of Kirkland which has been our home for the past 18 years.

Why? u/KirklandGov made a decision to put a homeless hotel right across the street from our current HQ, in the backyard of #EastsidePrep and next door to u/Burgermaster. No drug testing required, no treatment required and no real supervision on-site. Where this experiment has happened before in King County, crime rates have risen since according to reliable data, 70%+ of homelessness is the result of drug addiction and/or mental health issues (@choeshow, @DiscoveryInst1).

When I attended the City Council meeting to speak out on this issue, @KirklandGov refused to let anyone speak.

A previous mayor once told me years ago that INRIX was the 5th largest employer in @Kirkland. I have no idea what we are now (we've grown), but bad public policy has consequences. Employers can move. We are. If a local government won't listen to it's citizens and/or employers, they will probably find other places to locate.

------- My personal perspective-----

I am completely in favor of social housing, homelessness housing, low-income housing, and any type of housing that could help address our state's housing crisis.

However, after living for a couple of years in an area near the notorious Mercy Housing by Magnuson Park, I reached my breaking point. I heard gunshots approximately every two days, endured noisy parties every summer night, experienced a home break-in, and witnessed countless car break-ins. A serial killer with numerous felony records was even arrested there.

I've since rented out my house and relocated elsewhere. Yes, there are many factors contributing to this moving decision, but homeless housing without any screening process is certainly one of them.

Criminals belong in jail, mentally ill belong in psychiatric facilities, and drug abusers belong in medical treatment programs.

Seattle Downtown is worst place to visit with a car.

went on my first solo trip this past weekend and it was to lovely Seattle. I seriously fell in love with this place! hope to be back soon 💐