Tag Archives: Seattle

Priorities for NYC: More public toilets?

During his first two weeks in office, New York City’s mayor has prioritized the needs of its citizens: Portable public toilets.

Not crime, not taxes, not housing, and not public safety. Portable public toilets.

Zoran Mamdani announced a new public restroom pilot program that will cost millions of dollars but, I’m sure, will solve the high-ranking problem of where to do your business in the city. Watch him announce his new pilot program here.

It’s not like a large city has tried to install public modular toilets and had great success with them.

This Thursday, July 17, 2008 photo shows a man as he waits for his turn to use an automated public toilet, near Seattle’s famous Pike Place Market. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, file)

In 2004 the city of Seattle spent $5 million dollars on FIVE self-cleaning toilet units. These facilities became notorious for attracting the homeless, illegal activities, drug use and prostitution. As a result, the city sold them in 2008 for $12,549, a loss of 4,987,451 taxpayer dollars.

Public toilets in Berlin.

The city of Berlin tried something similar but with “eco-friendly” toilets. Many of those have been destroyed in the same way Seattle’s were (see above photo).

But hey, at least Mamdani is promising more free stuff! It’s just probably not the free stuff that everyone desires. And don’t count on this effort being anymore successful than it was in Seattle and Berlin.

h/t Twitchy

DCG

Blue city Seattle ends defund-police due to soaring crime

The Patriot Journal reports:

In 2017, before the “defund” movement took hold, Seattle recorded 27 homicides. By 2022, that number had skyrocketed to 54 murders – a 100% increase. Rapes jumped from 255 to 347, and aggravated assaults soared from 2,474 to 3,516. Surprised? We’re not.

Meanwhile, the Seattle Police Department hemorrhaged officers. More than 700 police personnel have separated from the department since 2020, when the city first embraced anti-police initiatives following George Floyd’s death. The force plummeted from 1,400 sworn officers in 2017 to a mere 913 in 2024 – an unprecedented staffing crisis that left neighborhoods vulnerable and response times dangerously long. How many 911 calls went unanswered while Seattle’s leaders were busy virtue signaling?

On March 25, Seattle councilmember Robert Saka introduced Resolution 32167, which did something almost unthinkable in one of America’s most liberal cities: it officially acknowledged the failure of the “defund the police” movement and reversed course completely. Yes, you read that right—they actually admitted they were wrong.

The resolution didn’t just quietly walk back previous policies – it explicitly honored and affirmed “the essential services provided by the Police Department” and recognized the vital work done by all first responders. This represents a complete 180-degree turn from the anti-police rhetoric that dominated Seattle politics just a few years ago. Amazing what a crime wave can do to clarify thinking, isn’t it?

Even more telling, the resolution passed with unanimous support from those present. Not a single council member voted against it. The hard reality of their failed experiment had become impossible to deny, even for the most dedicated progressive ideologues.

Perhaps most remarkable is the personal transformation of Councilmember Saka himself. This is the same official who once wore a “Black Lawyers Matter” T-shirt to a Floyd-related protest and proudly declared his belief “in the principles of BOTH the American Flag and the Black Lives Matter movement.”

Now, Saka acknowledges that the anti-police rhetoric was “very divisive” and harmful to public safety. His evolution mirrors that of many progressives who have been forced to confront the devastating real-world consequences of their ideological crusade against law enforcement. How many victims had to suffer before this realization finally dawned on him? ….

The SPD is now working to rebuild, with interim Chief Shon Barnes prioritizing recruitment and retention. The department aims to reach at least 1,000 officers by 2026 – still below pre-“defund” levels, but a step in the right direction. It will take years to undo the damage of their progressive experiment.

~E

WA State wants to punish gun owners who have firearms stolen

When Seattle was safe…

I grew up in Washington State and moved to a red state over a decade ago.

The most populas county (King, where I grew up) was a decent and safe place growing up. As teens we would go downtown to the Seattle Center and run around by ourselves (go on the rides, monorail, etc.) with no incidents.

Fast forward after decades of democrat control and Washington state (and their most populas counties) are no longer safe.

Last September, a 2023 FBI crime data report showed that for the last five consecutive years when comparing Washington state to the national average, murders are 408% higher, vehicle thefts higher by 144%, and burglaries, robberies, and aggravated assaults are all higher since 2019.

Governor Jay Inslee (first elected in 2013, out of office as of this month) enacted some of the strictest gun control laws during his tenure in Washington state.

But for democrat gun grabbers, it is never enough. Now the demorats in the state legisltature are proposing even stricter gun storage laws and if your firearm is stolen because you didnt store it according to their mandate, one could face very stiff penalties.

From MyNorthwest:

“A new bill aimed at curbing rising gun thefts throughout the state has been drawn up for lawmakers to mull and debate in the Washington Legislature.

House Bill 1152 proposes specific requirements for storing a legally owned firearm for gun owners (they would have to store their firearms in a hard case or lock the trigger in a soft case) and significant penalties if the gun is stolen. The owner of a gun that becomes stolen could face a $1,000 fine, and if the thief who stole the firearm is someone who legally cannot own a gun and commits a violent crime with said gun, the gun owner could be charged with a separate felony.

“For example, in your vehicle, if you have to have the pistol, it has to be stored and unloaded in a container that’s opaque, locked, hard-sided and fixed to the vehicle. It has to be concealed and your vehicle has to be locked. If it’s a rifle or a shotgun, it needs to be stored in a soft-sided case and have a trigger lock,” Andrew Lanier, producer of “The Gee and Ursula Show,” said on the show. “Now, if that gun is stolen, you can be liable for a fine of up to $1,000 if it is not secured. If someone steals that gun, it is a misdemeanor.

“If someone who’s not allowed to own a gun, say, a felon or a minor, steals it and gets possession, it is a gross misdemeanor,” Lanier continued in his explanation of the proposed bill. “If someone not allowed to have a gun gets your gun and commits a crime with it, say, for example, someone holds up to 7-Eleven, now it becomes a felony if your stolen gun that was unsecured was used in a crime that hurts someone else. And I need to point out a Class C felony is up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. I don’t think you would get that much, but it would also mean that you’re a felon and no longer allowed to own a gun.”

Read the whole article here.

Democrats have been doing their best to implement “backdoor” laws that limit gun ownership. They will do everything they can to punish legal gun owners in hopes of eliminating the Second Amendment.

Loved ‘ya growing up, Washington. Sad to say I will never move back to that once beautiful state.

I will stay put in my red state of Oklahoma. Our residents and politicians would never tolerate such an infringement upon our Second Amendment right. Which is just how I like it. Course the only drawback to living in Oklahoma is dealing with this:

DCG

Stingy Seattleites vote for economy-crushing polices; vow to stop tipping working folk

Seattle is a hardcore, progressive blue city. They’ve had a demorat mayor in office since 1969. The consistently vote for progressive, ultra-left council members that once included the socialist Kshama Sawant.

Seattle’s fight to increase the minimum wage dates back to 2014 with the “Fight for $15” movement. Many residents approved of the increase that resulted in Seattle having the highest minimum wage of any major city in the United States.

Fast forward ten years: After four years of “Bidenomics” and several years of crushing Wuhan virus restrictions set by Governor Inslee, Seattleites are now singing a different tune with a new minimum wage of $20.76 per hour.

The result: Many Seattle residents vow to quit tipping restaurant working staff in the new year.

From MyNorthwest:

“As Seattle ushers in the new year, a growing number of residents are pledging to stop tipping much or even altogether. This movement, gaining traction on Reddit, is a direct response to the city’s escalating minimum wage, which will rise to $20.76 an hour in 2025, up from $19.97 in 2024. Reddit Seattle has been buzzing on the topic of tipping. With Seattle now boasting one of the highest minimum wages in the nation, many in Seattle question the necessity of tipping on top of already substantial wages, especially in the context of escalating prices in restaurants and retail

The city’s minimum wage ordinance, which mandates annual increases based on inflation, was supposedly designed to ensure a “living wage” for all workers. But the Seattle minimum wage crusade came with unintended consequences. Consumers complain about ‘tipping fatigue,’ exacerbated by ‘tipflation,’ where suggested gratuities have risen in tandem with wages.

Seattle restaurant operators are panicked ahead of a minimum wage update that will now prevent tips and benefits from being deducted from hourly wages. For some Seattle restaurants, it will add about $45,000 in expenses per month that they don’t have.

When Seattle leaders hastily passed a $15 minimum wage hike, they offered a 10-year ramp-up period for small businesses (those with 500 or fewer employees). Under the current formula, restaurants may pay a $17.25 hourly wage if their employees earn at least $2.72 in tips per hour or in medical benefits. In 2025, this practice ends and the city of Seattle has refused to step in and help already-struggling restaurants.

Without tips, servers who once made $40-$50 an hour during busy shifts could find themselves stuck at Seattle’s flat-rate minimum wage if or when tipping culture changes or ends.”

Read the whole story here.

Rising food and labor costs, combined with Washington State’s Wuhan virus restrictions, have led to many restaurant closures.

I have no doubt that this new mininum wage will result in more restaurant closures. And I also have no doubt that Seattleites will never comprehend this message:

DCG

Insanity: Washington State was the only state to shift “bluer” in 2024

I grew up in Washington State and thankfully was able to flee to a red state over a decade ago.

During my voting years in the Seattle area, absolutely none of my candidates ever won.  The area has been blue for decades. Seattle has had a democrat mayor since 1969 and Washington’s last republican governor was elected in 1981. And during the past presidential election, Washington State got “slightly” bluer.

To understand this phenomenon, get inside the mind of a liberal: A business-owner who was recently robbed and doesn’t want the perps to go to jail. Seriously.

From MyNorthwest:

“Just before 2:30 a.m. last Wednesday, Desirae Aylesworth woke up to the sound of her Ring camera system notifying her of a breach in her café. Her Seattle café was being robbed, becoming the latest victim of Seattle’s crime crisis.

Aylesworth is the co-owner of Wild Mountain Cafe in the Crown Hill neighborhood of Seattle. When she reviewed the surveillance feeds from her restaurant, she saw two young men jumping the back fence of her business, and then breaking in. She immediately called 911.

I spent the following 10 to 15 minutes on the phone trying to get police there in time to catch them, and in the process, just was watching in real time two burglars going through my restaurant and not completely trashing the place, but definitely looking for something specific,” Aylesworth explained to “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH. “And you know, it was very obvious they were after money and didn’t care too much about product or electronics or anything else, which is, you know, saving grace in the whole matter.

The two thieves stole about $5,000 in cash, which was earmarked for staff tips. And unfortunately, the two suspects escaped before police arrived.

It’s unclear the thieves’ ages, but judging from surveillance footage, they appear to be young. Despite the crime, though, Aylesworth doesn’t want them going to jail. They appear young enough to be course-corrected with intervention. She thinks community service would be more appropriate.

As is too often the case, the suspects are still on the loose.

Read the whole story here.

The business owner felt very violated and helpless. Stealing $5,000 in King County is a first-degree theft Class B felony crime. Jail time should be the punishment for these perps. Believing that community service will deter them is a product of the liberal mindset.

The Seattle Police Department is severely understaffed as they are at their lowest staffing level since 1958. Last year’s crime data showed that Seattle had a drop in overall crime yet a rise in homicides and auto thefts.

Despite spending over nearly $1 billion the past decade to “fix” homelessness, Seattle’s homeless population continues to rise. And their fentanyl crisis continues, when Washington State reported a 41% rise in drug overdose fatalities (between September 2022 and September 2023) — the highest increase in the United States.

But you keep voting blue, liberals of Washington. Y’all keep voting for this so embrace the suck. So glad I left you for a red territory.

DCG

Progressive policies in action: Seattle Police won’t respond to alarm calls without “supporting evidence”

Thanks to the liberals’ “Defund the Police” movement in 2020 and BLM’s campaign to disparage police, the Seattle Police Department has lost more than 700 officers in the past five years and is at its lowest staffing level since the 1990s.

The consequences of this? From Fox 13 Seattle:

Seattle Police: Officers won’t respond to burglary alarm calls without evidence

From the article:

“A triggered alarm system at a property in Seattle will soon require more information to get an officer’s attention. Seattle Police Department (SPD) announced a new policy for responding to alarm calls.

SPD’s interim police chief, Sue Rahr, announced the updated standards in a letter dated Sept. 13. She wrote that, beginning Oct. 1, “SPD will only dispatch officers to calls from alarm companies with supporting evidence, such as audio, video, panic alarms or eyewitness evidence that a person is illegally entering or attempting to enter a residence or commercial property.”

“The challenge with that is it’s only two weeks’ notice. We have to notify all of our customers, we have to change how we monitor those alarms, we have to change dispatchers on how they respond to alarms in Seattle,” said Woodman. “We’ve been told that [SPD] has been working on this for eight months, but they never reached out to the industry or the monitoring companies. So, we are asking that they now work with us and just give us some more time.” 

Woodman and others from Washington Alarm gave public comment on Tuesday during Seattle City Council’s Public Safety Committee meeting and full council meeting. They voiced their concerns, not only about the short notice from SPD, but also the impact on customers who don’t have audio or visual capabilities on their systems.

“Law enforcement and the security industry can work together to come up with a solution that benefits our customers in a way that doesn’t leave them stranded and vulnerable at the most dangerous moment,” said Ashley Barber of Washington Alarm.

“Our fear is that the business owner or building owner is going to go down to that building and see what is going on. And with no police there, we could potentially be in a dire situation if there’s actual criminal activity going on at the property and they don’t have police to back them up,” said Woodman. “Other cities that have done this [have seen] the crime has gone up. And we certainly already have an issue in the city of Seattle with crime, and we would not want to see crime go up.”

Read the whole article here.

Yeah, don’t hold your breath waiting for the police in Seattle to back you up. That isn’t how most of us roll:

Alas, in demorat-run Seattle your options are limited. They never learn, do they?

DCG

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

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

Seattle, failed city (part 4)

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

Our nation needs some hope and healing…

Democrat-run cities are dangerous for their citizens and law enforcement. Between their “Defund the Police” movement which has resulted in increased crime, cashless bail policies and soft-on-punishment district attorneys, no one is safe. Just take a look at some recent headlines from our nation:

These stories break my heart. It’s so disheartening to see what is happening to some of our once-so-beautiful American cities.

Americans better wake up to the fact that elections have real life-and-death consequences. Politicians are failing their citizens while implementing their horrendous policies. We need strong leadership restored to our cities (and country) before they completely perish and rot before our very eyes.

DCG

Seattle, failed city (part 3)

Liberals ruin everything they touch.

One of the many homeless encampments throughout Seattle.

I grew up in a suburb of Seattle, which even though has been ruled by demorats since 1969, use to be a semi-safe place to visit. As kids, we lived across the lake and would bus it to downtown Seattle to visit the Center, food fairs and even concerts.

Now, I’d never venture anywhere to downtown due to rampant crime, homelessness and open drug use on the streets. You can read more about the failures of demorat-run Seattle in my parts 1 and 2 that I’ve posted here.

Democrat Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell

The current demorat mayor, Bruce Harrell, had promised to address the city’s many issues, of course. Yet after a year and a half in office, absolutely nothing has improved in the city.

I was just in Seattle in May (for a funeral) and saw the disaster with my own eyes. But don’t just take my word for it.

Take the word of a 23-year veteran of the Seattle Police Department, Lieutenant Jessica Taylor, who says that “criminal are running this city.”

Jason Rantz from KTTH radio reports that Taylor resigned, sending the Seattle Police Chief a scathing 15-page letter. Take a look at what Taylor has to say:

“Chief Diaz, let me tell you, the state of the Seattle Police Department and this city is a disgrace,” she wrote in the letter she shared with the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH. “The toxic mix of the Seattle City Council’s absurdity, the spinelessness of the Mayor, the leniency of the prosecutor’s office, and your failed leadership has accelerated this city’s downhill slide straight to rock bottom. The problems were already brewing before you came on the scene, but since your arrival, it’s been a free fall into anarchy & chaos.”

Taylor also blames the Seattle City Council for playing politics and catering to the radicals in the region.

Read the brutal resignation letter here.

Seattle just had a primary election for Council members and, of course, all the incumbents appear to be safe and in strong positions heading into the November election. Nevermind the fact that the city they govern is a hot mess.

The cognitive dissonance in democrats is astounding. By committing even further to their beliefs, they will NEVER learn this important lesson:

DCG