Since the Department of Justice announced that its investigation of the Seattle Police Department had identified a pattern of excessive use of force, the City has been struggling to find our way forward.  Our task is to continue to protect and promote public safety while eliminating abusive tactics that are contrary to both our community’s […]

On Monday, April 25, the City Council met for over two hours, and unanimously approved three major pieces of legislation – reflecting the wide range of issues that we deal with as a Council.  The SODO zoning legislation is designed to encourage good development while protecting the character of our South Downtown neighborhoods.  A new […]

Three Seattle District Councils and neighborhoods created communications hubs and community outreach on emergency preparedness in 2009, using $21,000 that I secured in the Council’s 2008 budget.  In 2010, these three groups convened a planning summit for other communities to learn from their experience, and a number of other groups are seeking to develop systems […]

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) is facing significant challenges.  In the last few months, police officers have been murdered in Seattle and other nearby cities.  There have been several recent actions by SPD officers that have raised questions about the City’s accountability system, including abusive activities towards suspects and the death of John Williams, a […]

On Monday, January 10, the Council announced our priorities for 2011, and reported on our accomplishments for 2010.  The Council priorities are the issues that we will put major attention into during the year.  They do not include all of the issues we will work on, but the ones that we jointly see as of […]

Seattle has a long track record of working to reduce domestic violence. We have a strong enforcement system and have worked hard to fund counseling, batterer’s treatment, and programs to protect victims/survivors. I recently received an award from the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence for my work to fund legal representation for domestic violence victims/survivors.

The claim that Seattle is ‘on the hook’ for AWV replacement project cost overruns is an exaggeration and serves solely to instill fear and doubt. It’s time for Seattle’s Mayor and those opposed to the regionally approved replacement alternative to face facts; the primary cause of potential cost overruns is intentional delay. Delaying the project only increases the danger of a catastrophe and hurts the economy and Seattle taxpayers.