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Category Archives: Politics
Taking Back Harm Reduction
By David Prestonfor Emmaline Many of us in recovery say “I’m so glad I’m not trying to get sober now, I’d be dead if I was out there.” –Ann, a recovered addict and addiction treatment counselor..Heroin saved my life. –Shilo … Continue reading
Posted in Drugs, General, Politics, Squalor
Tagged 12-step program, harm reduction, heroin, Insite clinic, MAT, medication assisted treatment, recovery, safe injection sites
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The Abolitionist
By David Preston One evening last week, a police contact whom I’ll call Officer Terry messaged me to say he’d just finished a mandatory (WAC 130.11.020 (1)(r)) two-hour online “anti-bias” training course. The course, entitled “The Criminal Legal System: Structural … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Equity, General, Police, Politics, Race
Tagged Abolition, Alexes Harris, BLM, Criminal Justice Training Center, depolicing, equity, police, racial disparity
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Sawant on Trial: Deconstructing the Recall
Below is an overview of the case for and against recalling Kshama Sawant. Bear a couple things in mind as you read it. First the definitions. “Malfeasance” and “misfeasance” in this context mean, respectively, a public servant intentionally causing harm … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption, General, Kshama Sawant, Politics, Seattle City Council
Tagged Kshama Sawant, marxism, Seattle City Council, socialism
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Show us your papers!
September 17, 2021 Reader: This is a COVID testing station at Seattle’s Alki Beach. It’s been there a couple months, one of several that have popped up around town during the pandemic. Yesterday the King County Health Department decreed people … Continue reading
Posted in COVID, General, Photos (Stuff), Politics, Privacy Law
Tagged COVID, privacy law
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Slumdog Billionaires
It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it. –Sinclair Lewis This image of homeless tents against the backdrop of lavish sports stadiums near downtown Seattle reminds me of a … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption, General, Homelessness, Media, Politics
Tagged Frank Chop, LIHI, Low Income Housing Institute, Seattle City Council, Sharon Lee
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What’s your community worth to YOU?
Community Corrections Officers and Public Safety Washington state doesn’t have either parole or probation for state prisoners returning to society. Instead, we have something called community custody, whereby a trained community corrections officer (CCO) will supervise a released offender for … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, General, Politics
Tagged community custody, crime, juvenile crime, law enforcement, LEAD Program, prison reform, Roger Goodman
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The Ed McKenna Affair
Dedicated to the Honorable Ed McKenna The glitter of Seattle’s economic miracle has rubbed off. There’s more money here than ever, but with money comes problems that money can’t solve. Homelessness is one. According to a recent “one night count,” … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption, Crime, General, Politics
Tagged Anita Khandelwal, corruption, Ed McKenna, Lisa Daugaard, Pete Holmes, Seattle Municipal Court
3 Comments
Social Justice Hypocrite
By David Preston The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons. –Emerson Social Justice Warriors. SJWs. They’re everywhere these days, from the local PTA to the halls of Congress, blaming the rest of us for everything from poverty … Continue reading
Posted in General, Politics
Tagged hypocrisy, phonies, Seattle, social justice, urbanism, Wallingford
10 Comments
Charade: Homeless camps and the abuse of public process
September 8, 2018 ~ The biggest gripe a citizen can have is that their government doesn’t listen to them, and that gripe has never been more on-point than when it comes to transients and drug addicts camping in Seattle parks … Continue reading
There Was a Crooked Trail
May 18, 2018 ~ The closer you look at the way bike lanes and trails are being put in around Seattle, the more disturbing the picture looks. I know what you’re thinking: Bike lanes? Disturbing? Come on, Quixotic. Lighten up.–No really. … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption, General, Politics
Tagged Ballard, Ballard Coalition, Brock Howell, Cascade Bicycle Club, Missing Link, Salmon Bay Sand and Gravel
1 Comment
The Swindle Cycle
February 4, 2018 ~ I have a friend, “Joe,” whose mind zips along at a hundred miles an hour. He’s always analyzing city politics and connecting the dots. On a typical day, he’ll send me a dozen e-mails with various insights … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption, General, Homelessness, Politics
Tagged Anatomy of a Swindle, corruption, LIHI. Low Income Housing Institute
7 Comments
Recalling Mike O’Brien: The Basics
November 14, 2017 The right to recall an elected official is a constitutional right of the people set forth in our constitution. The procedure is governed by statute. A “typewritten charge” needs to be submitted and it has to allege … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption, General, Politics, Recall Mike O'Brien
Tagged Mike O'Brien, recall mike o'brien
1 Comment
The Ins and Outs of Recall Elections
November 12, 2017 This article is the first in a series of posts related to removing Seattle Councilmember Mike O’Brien from office. A recall election is one option we have for ridding ourselves of bad politicians. Recall elections are difficult … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, General, Politics, Profiles
Tagged Mike O'Brien, recall mike o'brien
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Democracy Slouchers ~ Part 4: Where was Lorena?
October 1, 2017 ~ News of my complaint to the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission on Lorena Gonzalez made the Seattle Weekly. Good on them. One correction to their story: Weekly writer Dan Person noted correctly that I was a candidate … Continue reading
Democracy Slouchers ~ Part 2: A complaint is filed
August 17, 2017 ~ Seattle’s new Democracy Voucher Program has a long way yet to go to fix Seattle politics. One could argue that, rather than discouraging corruption, the program is actually rewarding it. The program gives qualifying candidates access to … Continue reading
Democracy Slouchers ~ Part 1: “Honest” Elections
July 4, 2017 ~ I-122, the “Honest Elections” initiative (aka the Democracy Voucher Program) was supposed to get money and corporate influence out of Seattle politics. It looked great on paper. The PROBLEM: “Wealthy special interests have too much power in … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption, General, Politics
Tagged corruption, get money out of politics, Seattle, Seattle et
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Democracy Vouchers: A Candidate’s View
May 14, 2017 ~ In 2015, Seattle voters passed an initiative to create a public-finance pool for candidates in city elections. It’s called the Democracy Voucher Program, and it’s funded by a special property tax. Registered voters receive four $25 coupons … Continue reading
Call Me Reverend
April 11, 2017 Call Me Reverend:The Bill Kirlin-Hackett Story Mr. Mild The first impression one gets of the Reverend Bill Kirlin-Hackett is of someone we’d expect to find singing kum-ba-ya around the campfire or handing out coffee and hugs at a 12-step … Continue reading
ACLU vs. the People
*** TBQ Readers, your help is needed. Please read to the end to find out how you can help make us all safer. *** We were cautiously optimistic when we learned that the Mayor was moving ahead to clear dangerous … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, General, Homelessness, Politics, Squatters
Tagged ACLU, Brandie Osborne, Lisa Hooper, public safety, Scott Lindsay, Squatters rights, tent camps
3 Comments
Politics and privilege in the Emerald City
January 20, 2017 What do Sally Bagshaw and Donald Trump have in common? More than you might think. I’m not talking money here; I’m talking attitude. See, when you’re rich, you can’t help having one. An attitude, that is. A … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged income disparity, Sally Bagshaw, Seattle City Council, wealth gap
1 Comment
The Hidden Persuaders
Dedicated to Larry Kaminsky December 27, 2016 Even as Seattle voters enact a flurry of laws designed to “get money out of politics,” the insinuation of paid political advocates into local government continues apace. This article looks at how that works … Continue reading
Kshama Town
November 25, 2016 Photos of anti-Trump protests in Chicago and Seattle tell two very different stories about political culture. The Chicago crowd (above) is large, varied, and rowdy. The placards there are hand-made, and each one bears a different message, … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Politics
Tagged civil disobedience, civil unrest, Donald Trump, Kshama Sawant, Occupy, protest, rioting, Stalinism
3 Comments
Sex, Lies, and the Seattle City Council
November 21, 2016 The presence of transient sex offenders in Seattle points up why the city’s current approach to illegal encampments is so dangerous. In 1998, the man pictured below was convicted of sexual assault on a child. (Reference RCW … Continue reading
Anatomy of a Failure: Why Seattle isn’t solving its homeless crisis
November 18, 2016 Seattle’s disastrous homeless policy has resulted from a combination of three things: -Ideology -Paid advocacy -Lack of accountability
Posted in Homelessness, Politics
Tagged failure of government, government accountability, homelessness, paid advocates
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Homeless Policy Questions for the WA Gubernatorial Candidates
November 3, 2016 Below is a list of ten questions that I and my friend Harley Lever of Safe Seattle devised for Washington gubernatorial race candidates Bill Bryant and Jay Inslee. The document format is QUESTION followed by ANSWER from … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Homelessness, Politics, Tent City
Tagged Bryant, homeless policy, Inslee, Washington State governor
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Tell the whole story please, Mr. B
September 5, 2016 On August 24, the Seattle Times ran a piece by columnist Daniel Beekman about the struggle between Mayor Murray and the city council over homeless folks collecting in hot spots around the city. In this post, I look at one … Continue reading
Posted in General, Homelessness, Media, Photos (Stuff), Politics, Squatters, Tent City
Tagged Camp Second Chance, car camping, Daniel Beekman, media bias, Polly Trout, seattle times
2 Comments
Why I’m voting ‘no’ on the Housing Levy
July 29, 2016 Seattle Proposition 1 is a tax levy on the August 2016 primary ballot for Seattle voters. The levy would double the total amount currently levied for “affordable housing.” See the King County Voter’s Guide description on this … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, General, Homelessness, Politics, SHARE
Tagged accountability, government waste, LIHI, sanctuary city, Scott Morrow, Seattle Affordable Housing Levy, SHARE, Sharon Lee, taxes
1 Comment
