The Fight For The Soul Of Seattle

[gr8oldies]

The red counties export their homeless problem to the blue cities.

really appreciate your perspective. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with the Radio Discussions community. Trying to tie homelessness back to radio, I think it's important to highlight how this industry has been impacted by changing technology and the Coronavirus pandemic. Broadcasting jobs have never been "secure," but job security in 2020 is virtually non-existent. There are many people who have wound up in difficult financial situations following the loss of their job, and I can only imagine that this pattern holds true for those who have been cut by the broadcasting industry this year. It is important to keep some perspective, and remember that no one is immune to these challenges.

Radio isn't the source of the problem, but the goal of conservative talk hosts has been to politicize homelessness, and create this narrative that the real problem is Democrat mayors. The fact of the matter is that most big cities are run by Democrats. That's true in red states and blue states. Homelessness isn't a political problem. It's a social problem. Changing the party of the mayor won't end homelessness. Republicans don't have a plan to address the problem. All they're doing is casting blame in an attempt to make Democrats the enemy. Same thing with the violence and looting. No solution offered. Just blame.

T

 

[Kelly A]

Radio isn't the source of the problem, but the goal of conservative talk hosts has been to politicize homelessness, and create this narrative that the real problem is Democrat mayors. The fact of the matter is that most big cities are run by Democrats. That's true in red states and blue states. Homelessness isn't a political problem. It's a social problem. Changing the party of the mayor won't end homelessness. Republicans don't have a plan to address the problem. All they're doing is casting blame in an attempt to make Democrats the enemy. Same thing with the violence and looting. No solution offered. Just blame.

The whole politicization of homeless or gang behavior was weaponized by the exiting administration and GOP-'Trumpublican's, in an attempt to create a contrast between us and them-thinking. It's a common trope used toward those who aren't as informed or worldly. (MAGA)

I hear what Larry is saying, but there is a huge difference between those who are homeless due to a series of unfortunate events, and people who struggle with substance abuse and mental illness. As was pointed out in KOMO's follow-up, we never see many of those homeless people. They're the ones who seek out and take advantage of public assistance to protect themselves and their families.

As one woman interviewed during the episode said; 99% of the folks who have trashed downtown Seattle, and now spreading to the outskirts, are drug abusers. Why are drug abusers flocking to places like Seattle and Portland? No, it has nothing to do with Rush Limbaugh or radio. It's because the city counsels have created an environment that permits and encourages the open use of dangerous drugs in public. Just look at the Seattle Times from a few years ago. The City purchased hotels near downtown for use by the homeless, specifically delineated as Opioid Safe (to shoot-up) Zones. Not only do they get a place to stay for free, but heroin use is openly allowed. In an effort to be sympathetic to homeless substance abusers and the crime that follows, Portland and Seattle have unintentionally hung up big neon signs encouraging the influx. The end result? Seattle and Portland have become real life versions of the video game Grand Theft..

 

[seatownmedia]

I finally watched this yesterday. Very sad for my native city. I will say this is a documentary about a very small portion of Seattle, though it is still very sickening. Answers? It is apparent there are no good ones. That said, defunding police is not any kind of answer imo.

 

[fordranger797]

Unfortunately, many of the issues that have plagued the City of Seattle have had ripple effects around the Puget Sound region. Just the other week, a housing advocacy group effectively commandeered a motel in Fife, declaring that the struggling property must be repurposed as public housing. This situation was particularly shocking to a lot of people, as homeless individuals were effectively being used as pawns to advance a social agenda. Any local will agree that the homeless situation has spiraled out of control, but nobody is on the same page when it comes to making credible steps to improve it. On one hand there are people who advocate for improving access to social programs, and there are other advocacy groups who insist that permanent housing must be provided (regardless of where it comes from).

 

[seatownmedia]

I hear you on that. I think my greater point is in most Seattle neighborhoods it is life as normal. Not saying the homeless/drug issues are not a real issue, but is probably really a problem for less than 5 percent of the population. Again, not trying to minimize the situation but I think this needs to be known and said.

 

[Kelly A]

I finally watched this yesterday. Very sad for my native city. I will say this is a documentary about a very small portion of Seattle, though it is still very sickening. Answers? It is apparent there are no good ones. That said, defunding police is not any kind of answer imo.

Unfortunately it's not relegated to just downtown/3rd Ave. Homeless camps are all over formerly nice neighborhoods from W. Seattle all the way to Shoreline. Try taking the express lanes under I-5 sometime. Or even worse, look at what's become of Beacon Hill, or Alki.

Last week my wife and I were in town driving North from Boeing Field. I look over and see tears running down her cheeks. I asked, what's wrong? She answered with: "my God, what they've done to the place we proudly called home for so many years!" "It's just so sad!"

 

[fordranger797]

Kelly said it best - this is an issue that has impacting the entire puget sound region. It's important to appreciate that we live in a region with an incredibly high cost of living, and there will be people who will end up not being able to make ends meet. These are individuals that I have nothing but compassion for, and hope that resources are available for assistance. On the other hand, I think a lot of people underestimate the impact that addiction and mental illness have on our homeless population. We see a lot of news outlets lumping our entire homeless population into one cohesive group, but I do not believe that this is the case. To be perfectly clear, I am not saying that the segment of our homeless population that struggles from addiction or mental illness is somehow "lesser" than the segment of the population who are down on their luck, but I do believe these individuals need more assistance than what they are currently being offered. In Seattle, those with recidivist track records are often turned back out to the streets to continue to engage in self-destructive behavior. This is simply not a solution to a very serious problem. I understand that it may be easy to turn a blind eye, but many people in our community do not have that luxury. Just ask any of the victims of property crimes or assaults in the region.