By Erica C. Barnett
Because there are no other public-safety issues in the city of Seattle, our main topic on Seattle Nice this week is one of the mayor and council’s top current priorities: Cracking down on graffiti— already a crime!—with a new law imposing a per-tag fine that’s higher than the ones for animal cruelty or (and I know people really feel strongly about this one) cutting down trees.
Proponents on the council, echoing Republican City Attorney Ann Davison, argue that statistical data shows that the most prolific graffiti artists and taggers are white, middle-class men with plenty of money to pay for attorneys or fines—yet for whom, they also claim, the new fines will be an effective deterrent.
I pointed out that their “data” is based on a statistically insignificant sample, ranging from several dozen people (for the city’s race and gender breakdown) to a majority 17 individuals (for the purported income data.) David argued that these statistics are still valid, and that I believe we should “only use demographic data when it’s politically convenient.” And Sandeep agreed with me that we shouldn’t use fake stats to justify new crackdowns, but for a different reason—he said talking about the racial demographics of taggers at all is a kind of “identitarian” (i.e. woke) policy that the city should stay away from in general.
For the record, I do think it’s ridiculous that the city is trying so hard to prove that Seattle’s graffiti artists and taggers don’t slot easily into stereotypes, but I also think we shouldn’t be spending so many resources ensuring Seattle’s walls remain bare and gray. I actually think both my co-hosts agree with me about this. As much as Sandeep likes to cite statistics from unknown stories that, according to him, prove that the broadly discredited “broken windows” theory works to deter crime, he had to admit that he doesn’t really consider graffiti a top public-safety priority.
We also talked about a new pro-Bruce Harrell message testing poll that attempts to sell the idea that mayoral candidate Katie Wilson is the second coming of Kshama Sawant. Even Sandeep—who usually leaps at a chance to tie progressive candidates to the former city council member, who left the council more than a year and a half ago—agreed that it’s ridiculous to paint the thoughtful, wonkish Wilson as abrasive, politically conniving, and “loud,” but don’t be surprised if you receive a mailer this fall showing Wilson and Sawant Photoshopped together like they’re running on the same ticket.
I fully support cracking down on graffiti and absolutely do not comprehend why Erica likes it so much. Seattle looks like crap and we need to clean it up.
Hey feisty: I think you may have misunderstood the article. I don’t think Erica C. “likes” graffiti and don’t think the article evidences such, to me, she is saying there’s lots more important stuff for the city council to address.
Far be it from me to tout the “dignity of work” but are these taggers engaged in meaningful activities, employed or otherwise? If they are serious artists — and are well-situated financially as claimed — why would they not rather make works that are not likely to be painted over the DOT? I don’t want to equate graffiti with vandalism or pRoPeRtY dAmAge but I also wonder where the resources of time and materials come from. Paint is cheap but time and effort are not. I suspect these are more likely to be the works of disaffected young people who don’t fit into Seattle’s economy, ie, eliminating labor through software and real estate speculation.
I suspect the “broken windows” theory may have been overused but is it truly discredited? Gladwell does tend to oversimplify things but it’s made him a lot of money. A trashed yard or rundown building seems to attract more trash or other antisocial behavior. How many abandoned buildings have been burned as a result of neglect and subsequent occupation by unhoused people? If the buildings were kept in good repair and secured, would that happen? is anyone arguing that cities without trash cans and subsequent piles of trash and dog shit in the streets feel safer than places with clean sidewalks?