On this Hacks & Wonks week-in-review, political consultant and host Crystal Fincher is joined by defense attorney, abolitionist and activist Nicole Thomas-Kennedy!
Crystal and Nicole discuss a number of news items this week, including new data showing a change in commute patterns for Seattle workers, as well as a new poll showing Republican Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier and Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson as the two leading candidates to succeed Jay Inslee as governor, should Inslee decide against seeking an unprecedented fourth term.
They also delve into the details of the ACLU lawsuit against King County over Seattle jail conditions and examine the rising demand for the state's 988 hotline, how important non-police responses are for public safety, and the potential for new funding to help support mental health resource. Following Tacoma’s State of the City address by Mayor Victoria Woodards, Crystal and Nicole also note the progress Tacoma is making in a more holistic approach to public safety with a Behavioral Health Crisis Response Team and an unarmed Community Services Officer Program, which would increase the level of response and bring support to non-emergency situations that are not an active threat to life or property.
They review an encouraging update from the King County Regional Homelessness Authority about their work with the Right of Way Safety Initiative moving a total of 189 previously unsheltered people inside to a shelter or housing option that meets their needs. They also discuss a contentious debate surrounding the location of a new Sound Transit station.
The conversation wraps up with a discussion of the recent train derailment on the Swinomish Reservation and the tribe's upcoming court case against the railway company for allegedly running trains in violation of a 1991 easement agreement that the tribe says limited the length of trains allowed to pass through.
As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com.
Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today’s co-host, Nicole Thomas-Kennedy at @NTKallday.
Resources
How Highway 99 Removal Would Reconnect South Park with Mike McGinn and Coté Soerens from Hacks & Wonks
“Your old workweek is extinct, Commute Seattle data shows” by Mike Lindblom from The Seattle Times
“Bruce Dammeier (R), Bob Ferguson (D) lead hypothetical 2024 gubernatorial field in WA” by Andrew Villeneuve from The Cascadia Advocate
“The Exodus of Inmates from the King County Jail Continues” by Amy Sundberg from Notes from the Emerald City
“ACLU-WA, Director of Public Defense Call Out Conditions in King County Jail” by Alison Jean Smith from South Seattle Emerald
“ACLU sues King County over Seattle jail conditions” by Sydney Brownstone from The Seattle Times
“Washington state may boost 988 hotline funding as demand grows" by Taija PerryCook from Crosscut
“New facility will provide crisis response services for Washingtonians in north King County” by Shane Ersland from State of Reform
“‘Our best days are ahead of us.’ Mayor Woodards relays optimism in State of the City” by Liz Moomey from The News Tribune
“Safety, homelessness, recovery top priorities in Tacoma State of the City address” from KIRO 7 News
“Homelessness Worsens in Older Populations as Housing Costs Take Toll” by Dan Frosch from The Wall Street Journal
“Constantine Backs ‘North of CID’ Light Rail Station, Bypassing Chinatown and Midtown” by Doug Trumm from The Urbanist
“Incomplete Analysis Overlooks Rider Delay Caused by Skipping Union Station Hub” by Stephen Fesler from The Urbanist
Coalition Letter opposing 4th & 5th Ave locations: WSBLE station location in the Chinatown International District
“Balducci Wants a Good Transit Option for Chinatown” by Doug Trumm from The Urbanist
“BNSF train derails on Swinomish Reservation as tribe readies court case against railway company” by Isabella Breda and Vonnai Phair from The Seattle Times
Transcript
Coming soon