Komo TV Seattle is Dying,,,, yep they went there (Bellevue: buy, to live in)

[Gardyloo]

Originally Posted by NWbyNW

KOMO has recently surpassed KING as the most watched local news channel in Western Washington. Just some insider info for ya.

Q13 FOX is showing the most overall growth of all the networks though. KIRO is holding steady but rises during Football season.

https://www.journalism.org/interacti...-habits/42660/

[Diana Holbrook]

Follow up by the "Seattle is Dying" reporter... Response to feedback.

Worth the read!

https://www.facebook.com/EricJohnson...10518712342975

[CapitalBat]

Originally Posted by Gardyloo

Have you even read this thread? Yes, to answer your question.

Next election, when that voter's pamphlet comes to your mailbox, why not look at the contests for judges and your county prosecutor, and see who best represents your views? Look and see how the candidates for county and state office (who manage the courts' and jails' budgets) line up on issues of homelessness, drug treatment, civil rights, court and jail capacities, deterrence programs, all that.

As I said upthread (in a couple of different ways) self-education is the first step, if one cares enough to take it.

Um. You’ve veered well and truly off topic here and your assumption that I don’t vote intentionally at even the local level is obscenely rude and condescending. I don’t believe in criminalizing homelessness, god damn. But to the point...

You said to call 911 for criminal activity. The editorial explored several reasons why that solution isn’t working, which doesn’t begin to touch on ethical (whether you agree with them or not) concerns someone might have about using 911 / involving the police. I don’t believe this is a new issue, we had the same problem at our store on Aurora four years ago. The police responded to an employee’s 911 call about violent and semi-comatose (homeless?) man who’d fallen asleep on a couch by the front door and lashed out at anyone who tried to speak to him or wake him. The police showed up, got the run down on the situation, looked at my employee, and said, “what do you want us to do?” That was a problem, and from the sounds of this piece our experience that day was not an anomaly.

[NWbyNW]

Originally Posted by Gardyloo

https://www.journalism.org/interacti...-habits/42660/

That's just based off respondents. Not the actual data. So pretty much just a big poll. Nice try though.

[southking500]

This morning at 7:30 am I walked through Westlake Park and there, amidst the crowds of morning commuters, was a full blown "heroin party". There were at least a dozen people sitting on the pavement surrounded by piles of blankets, bags, shopping carts etc. and at least half of them were shooting up. About 20 feet away was a Seattle Police Dept. SUV. I pointed them out to the cop and she just smiled and nodded "yeah, I know".
I have worked downtown for years and thought I had seen it all, but this scene this morning shocked me.
Seattle IS dying.

[Gardyloo]

Originally Posted by CapitalBat

Um. You’ve veered well and truly off topic here and your assumption that I don’t vote intentionally at even the local level is obscenely rude and condescending. I don’t believe in criminalizing homelessness, god damn. But to the point...

I made no such assumption, and I apologize if it made that impression. But my point is this, and it extends to the KOMO video as well: It's easy to complain about the problem and to fault the police or the city for what you feel is inadequate enforcement of the law. That's your right as a citizen, maybe even your duty.

But the KOMO editorial/article (I think the former more than the latter) didn't offer solutions that are practical in King County and Washington, at least not with our current laws and courts and justice systems. Holding up some example from Rhode Island, and showing a clip of McNeil Island and suggesting this as a solution - without going into the reasons why it won't work - for the time being at least - in Washington, does what? Help people find workable solutions, or just inflame emotions so that people can figure out who to blame?

Originally Posted by CapitalBat

You said to call 911 for criminal activity. The editorial explored several reasons why that solution isn’t working, which doesn’t begin to touch on ethical (whether you agree with them or not) concerns someone might have about using 911 / involving the police. I don’t believe this is a new issue, we had the same problem at our store on Aurora four years ago. The police responded to an employee’s 911 call about violent and semi-comatose (homeless?) man who’d fallen asleep on a couch by the front door and lashed out at anyone who tried to speak to him or wake him. The police showed up, got the run down on the situation, looked at my employee, and said, “what do you want us to do?” That was a problem, and from the sounds of this piece our experience that day was not an anomaly.

What did you or your employee expect them to do? Haul him off for 72 hours, after which any charges will be dropped and he'll be back in your - or somebody else's - doorway? Because that's what will happen until the state and county have big enough budgets to hire enough prosecuting attorneys or build enough jail cells, hire enough public defenders, subsidize enough drug treatment or detox centers; or pass a constitutional amendment that re-defines the basis for involuntary commitment, or... what? We all know the problems. What are your solutions?

So yeah, voting. Vote for county or state legislators who will make this a priority. Vote for bond issues to build more jail cells or treatment facilities. Vote for judges who will be "tough on crime" (but hopefully who will support the State and federal constitutions in the process.) That's the way this country, this state, this county, this city works. But you know that already.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by southking500

This morning at 7:30 am I walked through Westlake Park and there, amidst the crowds of morning commuters, was a full blown "heroin party". There were at least a dozen people sitting on the pavement surrounded by piles of blankets, bags, shopping carts etc. and at least half of them were shooting up. About 20 feet away was a Seattle Police Dept. SUV. I pointed them out to the cop and she just smiled and nodded "yeah, I know".
I have worked downtown for years and thought I had seen it all, but this scene this morning shocked me.
Seattle IS dying.

Until recently I got off the bus there every weekday at about 6am, and the scene you described is quite common there. I have not seen the police sitting there but have seen them drive by and it's not like they could miss it. Just apparently a low priority.

[jakebarnes]

Originally Posted by southking500

This morning at 7:30 am I walked through Westlake Park and there, amidst the crowds of morning commuters, was a full blown "heroin party". There were at least a dozen people sitting on the pavement surrounded by piles of blankets, bags, shopping carts etc. and at least half of them were shooting up. About 20 feet away was a Seattle Police Dept. SUV. I pointed them out to the cop and she just smiled and nodded "yeah, I know".
I have worked downtown for years and thought I had seen it all, but this scene this morning shocked me.
Seattle IS dying.

It's been this way for years. I work downtown and have seen people shooting up more times than I would like. At least they used to go to an alley, now it's just out in the open.

But hey, it's so compassionate to let them shoot up in the middle of a public plaza. If we didn't let them, we would be shaming them! Where are they going to shoot up? Meanwhile, the people who actually run the city live in wealthier areas. Our socialist, Kshama, is a microsoft wife who lives in Leschi. So it's not a problem for her, because the police don't let the street people camp in high income Leschi. (Same as Madison Park, Laurelhurst, etc.)

No wonder why druggies and street people from other places come here. The police don't bust for drug dealing, you can hang out wherever with no hassles. Oh, and if you shoplift, they won't prosecute, because you know - you're poor, what are you supposed to do??! (Nevermind we have an entire homeless industry that exists to help.)

I have zero confidence that this city can solve this problem.

[elkotronics]

Follow up by the "Seattle is Dying" reporter... Response to feedback.

Worth the read!

https://www.facebook.com/EricJohnson...10518712342975

Diana Holbrook - thanks for the post. I clicked in and read Eric's follow-up and burst in to tears. I kid you not, uncontrollable tears.

My homeland is dying.

[Stonepa]

The sad thing is the current situation is helping no one - the homeless, residents, business owners, companies, the police, tourists, the environment, or the city government. I'm liberal on a lot of things - environment, climate change, marijuana, religion, speech, and so on. Pretty much a live and let live kind of liberal. However, I am as conservative as it gets for fiscal policy, law and order, and personal accountability. This documentary confirmed what I already see and know. The Seattle City Council has listened to the wrong crew that goes on and on about the tech workers driving up rents and causing homelessness. Do I think this happens? Sure. Do I think this is anywhere near the driver of the issue? No. The issues with drug use and the resulting homelessness, influx of users from outside the state given Seattle acts like an attractor due to no enforcement, property crime (especially car prowling which makes me furious), and the impacts on residents and business should be the #1 issue of the next election. The stupid head tax does nothing to fix the issue and was a feel good, populist solution that solved nothing. Do I like investigating the Rhode Island solution for Seattle? Absolutely. It has worked in many places, including entire countries like Portugal. People need to be held accountable, but they also need to be given the tools to move beyond their current situation. Strong enforcement of even petty crimes, locking up repeat offenders, and providing long term treatment would improve everyone's quality of life and would be money very well spent.