Category Archives: failed city

Crime in Washington State: Store owner fends off robber with machete

Posted on February 16, 2024 by | 3 comments

How’s things going in democrat-run Washington State? Here’s a sample:

Fortunately a Tacoma store owner was able to defend himself against a robber who brought a knife to a fight. The store owner whipped out a machete!

Store Owner (on left) defends himself with a machete. Photo courtesy of Tacoma Poolice Facebook.

From MyNorthwest:

“A 70-year-old store owner fended off a knife-wielding robber by brandishing his own store’s defense system — a really big machete.

Naif Qatamin, the store owner, and his wife run Selena One Market in Tacoma. The business has been robbed before, with Qatamin using a stick for protection. A year ago, he upgraded to a machete, slotted right next to the register.

On Feb. 5, the store’s upgraded defense came in handy when a pocketknife-wielding robber walked to the register and announced, “This is a robbery. Do you understand?” Qaatamin understood, and from behind the counter, pulled his machete while saying, “That’s not a knife, this is a knife.”

“He backed up there,” Qatamin told KIRO Newsradio. “He was shocked and fell down right there.”

The suspected robber ran from the store, but was later caught by police. The next day, he was released from jail and returned to the store.

“He stood right there by the door and said ‘I’m going to come back, rob you and kill you.’ I said ‘One step inside and I’m going to fix you up.’ He put his foot down right there and I hit him right here,” Qatamin said, pointing to his chest.”

Read the whole story here.

Thanks to democrats’ soft-on-crime prosecutors, Defund the Police movement, and disdain of all guns, store owners are desperate to protect themselves.

Wise to stay away from the crime-infested blue cities these days. Your life may depend upon it.

DCG

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Take a bow, Mayor Bowser: Crime soars in Washington DC

Posted on January 24, 2024 by | 2 comments

Under democrat rule, crime in Washington DC soared in 2023. Some startling statistics (from MSN):

“The District of Columbia saw a 35 percent increase in homicides, 67 percent increase in robberies, and an 82 percent increase in motor-vehicle theft in 2023. Total violent crime increased by 39 percent, and property crime increased by 24 percent.”

Last October Mayor Muriel Bowser proposed new legislation to address public safety yet residents (and community activists) weren’t pleased with the bill. Due to the ineffectiveness of demorat leadership, the residents are going to suffer many consquences. Here’s one of them, via Daily Mail:

CVS store in D.C. forced to close after being targeted by FORTY-FIVE teenage thieves every day – leaving shelves totally empty

“A Washington D.C. CVS store is shutting its doors after being repeatedly ransacked by thieves, the chain has confirmed. The pharmacy, located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, went viral last October when videos emerged of it totally stripped of all its products after being targeted by a teen gang.

Staff claim more than 45 schoolkids would go into the store and steal chips and drinks in the morning, after their classes and late at night. It will close on February 29, according to WTTG-TV.

It comes as major retailers are increasingly forced to lock up products such as underwear and socks to clamp down on rampant theft.   D.C. in particular has been hit with a wave of crime among the state’s teenagers.

Reports of retail theft have ballooned in recent years, with experts blaming organized crime gangs for the surge. Data from the Council on Criminal Justice shows there were 8,453 more shoplifting incidents across 24 cities in the first half of the year compared to 2019.”

Read the whole story here.

You know, if residents aren’t happy with new legislation to address public safety, they get what they deserve.

More proof that liberalism is a mental disorder.

DCG

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How’s it going in San Francisco? Another large firm plans to leave the city

Posted on January 17, 2024 by | 2 comments

In July 2022 San Francisco Mayor appointed Brooke Jenkins as District Attorney. She promised at that time to “fight the city’s lawlessness.”

Apparently she’s not fighting hard enough to keep KPMG (accounting firm renting 100,000 square feet) in downtown San Francisco.

From Daily Mail:

KPMG moving out of $400million ‘KPMG building’ in downtown San Francisco with nearby besieged mall loses another tenant as doom loop continues

“Accounting firm KPMG is set to move out of its $400 million namesake building, another high-profile exit from San Francisco’s beleaguered downtown.

The consulting and accounting giant first leased space in the 25-story office tower when the building opened in 2002.  Its name hangs above the entry to the skyscraper where the company currently occupies more than 100,000 square feet. It comes as shoe store Alto prepares to exit San Francisco Centre, the city’s biggest mall, next week.

Businesses and residents have fled downtown San Francisco since the pandemic with groups blaming crime, homelessness and work-from-home keeping people from downtown. 

Nearly 100 retailers in downtown San Francisco have closed since the start of the pandemic, a decline of more than 50 percent, according to a recent report. 

KPMG, a large accounting and financial firm, originally took 90,000 square feet at 55 Second St. in a 10-year contract, marking the second-largest office deal of 2003. It has since grown its footprint to span nearly one-third of the 380,000-square-foot building, leading to it being widely known as ‘The KPMG Building’.

The company is now considering ending its two-decade-long relationship with the building, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. It’s the latest tenant looking to exit the downtown area. 

Now, another business is set to leave the area’s largest shopping center as Aldo moves its store from the San Francisco Centre. The mall lost Adidas last Saturday, as well as other recent losses including Hollister, Lego and J. Crew.”

Read the whole story here.

DA Brooke Jenkins isn’t trying hard enough to fight the “lawlessness” when the statistics from her first full year (2023) indicate that less than 50% of those arrested had cases filed against them and the “filing rate” and “action taken” rate are both declining.

With statistics like that, I guess San Francisco can expect more businesses to leave.

DCG

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Posted in Crime, Democrats, failed city, failed state, The Left

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NYC “rat czar” doing a bang up job…not!

Posted on January 6, 2024 by | 2 comments

NYC Rat Czar Kathleen Corradi

New York City has many problems, one of them being an out-of-control rat population. Mayor Adams appointed Kathleen Corradi as the “rat czar” in April 2023, with an annual salary of $155,000.

It’s been almost a year, so how are things going for Corradi in her new position? Just about how you’d expect:

Eric Adams’ war on rats ‘smoke and mirrors’ as NYC rodent complaints spike nearly 8%

From NY Post:

“Rodent complaints have spiked nearly 8% across New York City since Mayor Eric Adams took office — despite his ballyhooed multi-million dollar war on rats and vow from Day One to make headway against the vermin, troubling 311 data shows.

There were 41,748 rat sightings and other vermin-related complaints made through the city’s 311 hotline in 2023, up 1.5% from 41,120 a year before; up 7.6% percent from the 38,809 complaints fielded in 2021 during Bill de Blasio’s final year as mayor; and 32% more than the 31,644 complaints in 2019, a Post analysis of city records found.

For at least the fifth straight year, Brooklyn — where Adams previously served as borough president — was home to more rat complaints than any other NYC borough with 15,769, up 5% from 15,032 in 2022.”

Read the whole story here.

I’m fresh out of sympathy for these democrat-run cities. Y’all voted for this. They got one choice at this point since they never change their voting habits:

DCG

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Posted in Democrats, failed city, failed state, Health, Nature

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Illegal aliens in Chicago now deciding they want to return to their native countries

Posted on November 13, 2023 by | 3 comments

Have you seen pictures from our border of illegal aliens wearing “Biden Please Let Us In?”

Let them in Biden has, at record numbers.

Now some placed in Chiraq (courtesy of Gov. Greg Abbott) are ready to head back home. From NY Post:

“Some Venezuelan migrants who trekked thousands of miles to the US in search of a better life are so disheartened, they say they’re already heading back home.

Michael Castejon, 39, told the Chicago Tribune he has had enough after he, his wife and teenage stepdaughter spent five months sleeping either in a police precinct or a crowded city shelter in the now-brutally cold Windy City.

He’s also been unable to secure a job permit or enroll his daughter in a local school — two of the main reasons things they thought would bring a better life in the US. “The American Dream doesn’t exist anymore,” Castejon told the paper on the eve of his family’s departure.

“There’s nothing here for us … We just want to be home,” Castejon told the Tribune of the South American country he earlier fled.”

Read the whole story here.

They are disheartened by the promises democrats couldn’t keep? Did y’all really think they were going to provide every need for you?

Maybe they should have done some research on Biden/demorats and blue cities before making the trip.  Could have saved themselves some heartache.

Enjoy your trek back home!

DCG

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Posted in Crime, Democrats, failed city, illegal immigration, Joe Biden, The Left

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Dangerous democrat-run cities: College student killed by career criminal

Posted on November 10, 2023 by | 3 comments

For over 60 years, Nashville has been run by a democrat mayor. And we all know how well democrat-run cities are doing these days: increased crime, decreased policing, open-air drug use, and exploding homeless populations. Blue cities are not safe for their citizens.

Here’s a recent example from Nashville:

College student dies after being struck in the head by stray bullet allegedly fired by career criminal

Innocent victim Jillian Ludwig

Jillian Ludwig, 18, was shot by career-criminal Shaquille Taylor, 29, as she walked on a track at a park. Here’s more details from the NY Post:

“A college student from New Jersey died overnight Thursday, two days after being struck in the head by a bullet allegedly fired by a career criminal as she walked near her campus in Nashville — and lay for an hour before a passerby found her.

Jillian Ludwig, 18, a freshman at Belmont University, had been initially listed in critical condition after being shot about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday while walking at Edgehill Community Memorial Gardens Park.

Following Ludwig’s death, authorities are discussing updated charges against suspected shooter Shaquille Taylor, 29, who was already arrested and charged with aggravated assault and evidence tampering.”

Read the whole story here.

Career criminal Shauille Taylor

Here’s some background on the perp, Shaquille Taylor:

Taylor served 11 months and 29 days for a 2016 assault charge and was found guilty for contributing to the delinquency of a minor in 2018, which resulted in him serving a year and two months on probation.

In 2021, he was charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon after he and another man were accused of shooting at a female driver while her two kids were in the back seat. He was released from custody earlier this year after being deemed incompetent to stand trial. Federal and state laws prohibit the prosecution of mentally incompetent people.

According to Daily Wire, Taylor was charged with felony auto theft after he was seen driving a car that had been carjacked by two men in ski masks just days earlier, according to police. He was released on $20,000 bond and failed to appear in court.

A court order earlier this year explained that Taylor had developed pneumonia at birth, which led to a brain infection, and that he continues to function at a kindergarten level.

Taylor also did not meet the criteria for involuntary commitment, so the court had “reached the limit of its authority,” Criminal Court Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton wrote.

Judge Andelita Blackshear Dalton

My question is, why was this perp out of jail in less than two years after being charged with a voilent gun crime?

Answer: Because judges and activists, in their desire for criminal justice reform, have put law-abiding citizens in danger. Mentally-ill career criminals face absolutely no consequences for their violent actions while innocent victims pay with their lives.

Blue-run cities are no longer safe in America today. If you live in one, be vigilant and safe. It may one day save your life.

DCG

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Posted in Crime, Democrats, failed city, safety

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Defund the Police activist meets reality

Posted on November 1, 2023 by | 11 comments

Oakland, California is a democrate-run city that is failing. From The Daily Mail:

“Police data shows the city now has the second worst 911 response time in California, while the number of homicides has jumped by 79 per cent from 2018 to 2022. In the year to date, violent crime is 22 per cent higher than last year, motor vehicle theft is 51 per cent higher and robbery is 36 per cent higher.”

Seneca Scott ran for mayor of Oakland last year and lost. He had called for ‘shifting budgets away from the police’ and a ‘complete overhaul of how we want our communities to interact with law enforcement.’

2022 Oakland Mayorial candidate Seneca Scott

After a recent incident, he’s had a change of heart. From The Daily Mail:

Black activist ditches his progressive beliefs after being arrested for defending himself against homeless knifeman in his Oakland garden

Details of the incident:

“At around 10pm on October 30 2021, Scott discovered two men were trying to steal the water heater from his garden. He went down to confront them, taking his gun for protection, and found they had set up a tent and laid out drugs on his picnic table. 

He told them to put down the water heater and one of them pulled a knife. Scott showed them his pistol and again told them to put down the water heater. 

At this point one of the men fled, but the other flagged down a police car and told them Scott had pulled a gun on him. Police arrested Scott on charges of brandishing a weapon and carrying a concealed firearm.

The charges have all since been dropped.“

Seneca says now he is vehemently anti what he terms the ‘woke left’ and ‘phony “progressives”‘ who he says are ‘dismissive towards black and brown people’. (I would argue that they are dismissive towards law and order.)

Scott told The Free Press that he changed his views when he realized ‘how deep the damage was’ and how ‘the people we had put in place were just complete frauds’.

Read the whole article here.

Better late than never to realize what disasterous democrat policies are doing to his city.  Now we just need about another 250,000 Oakland residents to wake up and change their voting habits.

DCG

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Posted in Crime, Democrats, drugs, failed city, failed state, safety, woke culture

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Washington, D.C, failed city (part 2)

Posted on October 29, 2023 by | 4 comments

Take a bow: Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Our Nation’s capitol is a democrat-run city and a dangerous place to live. Violent crime is up 38% in Washington compared to the same time last year.

Now, thanks to democrat policies, it’s more difficult to shopt at CVS. As reported by The Daily Mail:

CVS in Washington DC replaces stock with PHOTOGRAPHS of items as it battles with out-of-control crime and moves to shut 900 stores

How you get to shop in democrat-run cities.

From their story:

“A CVS pharmacy in Washington DC has been forced to replace almost all its stock with photographs in an attempt to combat rampant shoplifting. 

Framed images of items such as toilet paper and kitchen towels stand in place of the real thing, according to pictures shared to X, while customers have to press a button to request staff fetch the products from storage. 

‘This is how we live in America now?’ questioned conservative commentator Joey Mannarino, who shared the images. ‘This is the third world!’ 

The pharmacy’s dystopian move comes just weeks after a CVS store in DC was ransacked by up to fifty teenage looters, who routinely attack the store and pillage its shelves.  

Amid the shoplifting crisis, CVS has joined rival drugstore chains Rite Aid and Walgreens in closing over 1,500 stores combined in the coming months. “

Read the whole article here.

Voters in blue cities continue to elect soft-on-crime officials who refuse to adequately protect law-abiding citizens. Y’all need to wake up before it’s too late!

DCG

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Behavior has consequences: Soros-funded DA and Dem Congressman get carjacked

Posted on October 25, 2023 by | 5 comments

Democrats are discovering there are consequences to their calls to defund the police.

New Orleans DA Jason Willliams (D)

On October 16, 2023, at around 10 p.m., Soros-funded New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams (D) and his 78-year-old mother were carjacked at gunpoint in New Orleans.

Williams said two masked suspects brandishing high-powered automatic weapons demanded his black Lincoln Navigator and made off with some of his mother’s belongings. The SUV was later recovered at an undisclosed Uptown location. (Fox8) Two teen suspects were arrested on Oct. 24, for the carjacking. (Fox8)

On Monday evening, Oct. 2, 2023, at around 9:32 p.m., Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), 68, was carjacked at gunpoint outside his Washington, DC, apartment building in DC’s trendy Navy Yard neighborhood. As Cuellar was parking his car, three armed assailants held guns to Cuellar’s head as they took his phone and vehicle, the New York Post reports. Cuellar was unarmed and was not injured.

Rep. Henry Cueller (D-TX)

The incident was the latest in a series of violent crimes that have affected members of Congress or their staffs in D.C. this year:

  • In February, Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) was assaulted in the elevator of her northeast DC apartment building by a homeless man with a long rap sheet. She suffered bruises as a result of the attack and got away by tossing her hot morning coffee at the assailant.
  • In March, a staffer for Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)  was brutally attacked in broad daylight by a knife-wielding assailant in DC, on the same street where Craig was assaulted. The staffer, 26-year-old Phillip Todd, suffered serious injuries in the attack, including multiple stab wounds to the head and chest.
  • In June, a staffer for Rep. Brad Finstad (R-Minn.) was attacked at gunpoint near Nationals Park in Washington, DC. Finstad suffered minor injuries in the attack, which occurred in the same neighborhood where Rep. Cuellar was carjacked.

To date, 750 carjackings have been reported in DC this year alone, with 75% involving a firearm. That is a 115% increase in the number of carjackings from this time last year, according to DC police crime statistics.

See also my post of May 23: “Washington, D.C., failed city“.

~E

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Seattle, failed city (part 4)

Posted on October 24, 2023 by | 4 comments

Democrat policies are killing once-great American cities. Seattle is a prime example.

The lawlessness allowed in Seattle has led to an increase in cime, open-air drug use, repeat offenders and decreased public safety. This can be directly attributed to democrat policies that include their Defund the Police Movement as a capitulation to BLM and the Saint George riots.

Remeber CHOP (Capital Hill Occupied Protest)? In June 2020, then mayor Jenny Durkan allowed Antifa/BLM/various thugs to take over six blocks of the city for 23 days and had the Seattle Police abdicate their responsiblities and vacate a precinct building. Shootings occured there and a teenage boy was killed.

Seattle democrat leaders haven’t learned much about policing crime and adequately punishing criminals since that event as they have now set a record for homicides, the highest level of homicides the city has seen in nearly three decades.

The criminals have now set their sights on new targets: middle and high school students at/around schools. Jason Rantz at KTTH reports the following:

“The Seattle crime crisis is now finding middle and high school students. A group of armed and masked thieves are targeting students after school and there aren’t enough officers to proactively police the neighborhoods. They’re committing the crimes in broad daylight.”

Yahoo News reports that Ballard High School and Whitman Middle School parents are on edge after a number of muggings, some of which turned violent. Since September 15, there have been five attacks where teen boys on their way home from school were jumped for their iPhones. Guns were used in some of the robberies.

KTTH also reports that there will be minimal consequences for the minors committing these crimes, as is to be expected in democrat-run cities.

“Following the nationwide trend in Democrat-run cities, the thieves appear to be teens. In Washington state, teen criminals seldom suffer meaningful consequences. Washington Democrats passed legislation preventing officers from talking to teen suspects until they have a lawyer present, even if the suspect’s parents consent. When teens do get caught, they seldom see jail time. Instead, they’re pushed into restorative justice programs run by police and prison abolitionist groups. The county provides little oversight.”

Read the full KTTH story here.

Seattleites should embrace the suck. Y’all voted for this yet never remember this key item:

DCG

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