By Erica C. Barnett
Welcome back to us! PubliCola went on a brief summer break, but we returned this week with news about the mayor’s race, the comprehensive plan, the expansion of police surveillance, and much more.
Wednesday, September 10
City Expands Police Surveillance Despite Overwhelming Opposition, Concerns About Civil Liberties
More Seattle neighborhoods will be under 24/7 live police surveillance after the Seattle City Council voted 7-2 to expand police cameras into three additional neighborhoods. Council camera supporters claimed the near-universal opposition among civil rights groups and public commenters didn’t represent a silent and unseen majority of city residents who support surveillance.
Thursday, September 11
Debate Over Affordable Housing Tax Break Heats Up
Opponents and fans of a program that gives tax breaks to developers who set aside some affordable apartments had their say before a briefing on amendments to the plan. Opponents called the changes a giveaway to developers that won’t produce truly affordable housing, while proponents said the changes would make it feasible for them to build affordable housing at a time when development is slowing.
Friday, September 12
“Day Tents” and “Active Rat’s Nests”: Council’s Housing Budget Interrogation Goes Off the Rails
For months, councilmembers have claimed the Office of Housing is “sitting on” hundreds of millions of dollars they should be spending. A hearing where city staff explained why housing grants take time turned into a free-for-all for the council to criticize all sorts of housing policies, from the lack of a real-time vacancy database for affordable buildings to the purported presence of “rat’s nests” at an unspecified building.
Harrell on the Attack and Defensive in First Televised Mayoral Debate
In a debate on the Seattle Channel, Mayor Bruce Harrell went on the offensive with his challenger, labor activist and Transit Riders Union founder Katie Wilson, while also suggesting Wilson is racist for opposing police surveillance, a view she shares with civil rights groups across the city as well as the city’s own Community Police Commission, Office for Civil Rights, and surveillance working group.