Seattle Forward

Honoring Seattle Heroes and Legends

Writing at Crosscut.com Knute Berger has sparked interest in using alleyways and other public places to honor Seattle legends.  Read Berger's main story, then this piece that lists potential legends to honor.  I think this is a great idea and will help us remember the individuals who have shaped who we are as a people and what our city is known for. 

This would also be a great time to honor Seattle's heroes: our fallen police officers and firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty. One idea to remember these city heroes is to post memorial markers atop street signs near the location where the officer or firefighter was killed.  The photo above marks a historic district in Portland, Oregon; similar markers could honor public safety first responders. (List of fallen firefighters: Download 2010 03 30 LODD List)

Interesting Perspectives on Street Disorder

The Mayor agrees and police foot patrols are coming soon to Belltown, the downtown core, Pioneer Square and the International District.  Here's a Seattle Times editorial endorsing the added police presence; they're right.

One part of the street disorder problem in Seattle is aggressive solicitation.  Not by the homeless who rarely engage in aggressive panhandling but by street thugs and those who prey on people because they have come to believe they can get away with it in Seattle.  But, I'm the first to acknowledge that not everyone agrees and we have had a very robust debate over the past few weeks about the best approach to these problems.  I've met with community groups, business associations, individuals, advocates for the homeless and those living with poverty and listened to their differing opinions. 

Two guest opinion pieces will appear in Sunday's Seattle Times on this important topic.  This one is written by a social service provider who strongly endorses the measures I've proposed, primarily because she wants to protect the very people she serves.  The other is written by a citizen who was viciously assaulted by an aggressive solicitor last December; he's opposed to part of my plan.  There perspectives could not be more different.  Read them both, then decide which is closer to your opinion.  Let me know what you think.

Key Meeting Saturday on Multi-Family Code Revisions

The Council's Committee on the Built Environment will meet tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. at the Taproot Theatre on N. 85h Street just west of Greenwood Avenue North.  It's another in a series of discussions about how best to change the multi-family zoning code.  Here's some good perspective from a local architect David Neiman who has been deeply involved in this issue in today's Seattle Times.

Safe Streets for Everyone, Strong Economy, More Jobs

My five proposals related to street disorder have certainly contributed to a robust dialog around best practices, civil liberties and such.  Some deny we have a street disorder problem.  Others wish the proposals went further to include a total ban on panhandling in some areas.  A few have engaged in name calling or questioned motives.  There has been some very thoughtful and productive analysis, too.  This piece, this one and this one at Crosscut.com have been especially helpful, as well as this post at Publicola.net. 

I've continued to meet with a wide variety of opponents and proponents, especially related to the aggressive solicitation ordinance I've proposed.  I guess the good news is that no one has objected at all to the other four elements of my proposal: more police officers on foot patrols

Youth Voice At City Hall

The Council voted 7-0 (CM Conlin and Clark absent attending National League of Cities meeting in Washington, D. C.) today to establish a 25-member Seattle Youth Commission. 

Nearly one-fifth of Seattle residents are under the age of twenty.  These are our future civic leaders, future business leaders, and future neighborhood activists.  We want them engaged in city governance now and long into the future.  The Council wants youth input not just on matters specific to youth but on all issues relating to the whole city.  Their voice needs to be heard at City Hall.

UPDATED: Election Watchdog Role for City At Risk

Update:  The State Senate refused to accept the House amendment that would have created problems for Seattle's Ethics and Elections Commission.  The Senate returned the legislation to the House without concurring.

Previous Post:  Seattle has long been a pioneer in municipal ethics and elections, including being one of the first cities in the country to offer online review and analysis of political contributions, donors, and candidates.  This innovative status is threatened by a little amendment tacked onto a housekeeping bill moving quickly through the state legislature in Olympia.

Here is a quick news story on this at Seattle.pi.com.  And another over at The Seattle Times political blog.  

Senate Bill 6243 is back for additional Senate consideration after the amendment was added by the House.  You can read the amendment here.  Bottom line, campaign contribution and expense reports currently filed with the state PDC and the city's Ethics and Elections Commission would only have to be filed with the state.  This seemingly simple change, touted as avoiding duplication, impacts only Seattle because we're the only jurisdiction in the state that so robustly reports on and analyzes campaign finances.  Passage of this amendment by the legislature will hamper, perhaps even block, Seattle's ability to continue this valuable service to the public, journalists, and others interested in following campaign finances. 

Graffiti and Litter

Councilmember Tom Rasmussen and I have asked the City Auditor to review the City's response to graffiti and litter and recommend ways to improve that response.  We have also asked that the Auditor review how other American cities handle graffiti and litter problems and recommend best practices we might follow here. 

Here is the letter Councilmember Rasmussen and I sent to the City Auditor: Download Jones letter 2010 02 04.

Recent academic studies confirm and quantify the connection between visible environmental disorder and higher rates of crime.  The study from the Netherlands focuses on the negative impacts of litter and graffiti, including documentation of the increase in crime that occurs when these environmental disorders are not cleaned up.  Here is the study from the Netherlands: Download Social Disorder Science 11-20-08.

And here is another study from the Boston area on crime control by paying attention to disorder: Download Criminology August 2008 Street Disorder.