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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 14h

Here's @typewriteralley.bsky.social's story today about how and why the Ballard-West Seattle light rail extensions got so wildly over budget: www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/10/h...

How Ballard and West Seattle Light Rail Became a $30 Billion Undertaking » The Urbanist

# Since voters approved West Seattle and Ballard Link in 2016, the two projects have been caught in a perfect storm of factors that led to the eye-popping cost estimates that we have today. While the ...

www.theurbanist.org

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 15h

Had the city or Sound Transit taken over those properties, the monorail agency would have been out $68 million short term, but imagine how much Sound Transit would save if they could use even some of them now instead of having to buy (back) properties from private owners now and in the future.

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 15h

I was just reminded today that the city required the Seattle Monorail Project to sell off 33 properties along their planned Ballard to West Seattle line.
Sound Transit's line on the same route is tens of billions over budget, and they haven't even started buying properties yet.

Balancing payoff of monorail land sell-off

On a busy Crown Hill corner once envisioned as a monorail stop, some neighbors would love...

www.seattlepi.com

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 16h

Both people arrested so far for failing to stay out of "drug areas" from which they were banished were referred into City Attorney Ann Davison's "drug diversion alternative" that includes the stick of prosecution but not the carrot of automatic services.

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 16h

Banishment Orders and Mandatory Addiction Assessments Haven't Helped Drug Users, Court Records Show

The city now sends public drug users to jail and releases them after a brief assessment, dropping charges if they avoid arrest for 60 days. This costly approach appears to be ineffective.

Banishment Orders and Mandatory Addiction Assessments Haven't Helped Drug Users, Court Records Show - PubliCola

By Erica C. Barnett Since the city reinstated an old law allowing judges to banish people from certain areas if…

publicola.com

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 22h

Thanks for linking me (again). They sent me the same statement, which I added to my story as well. I really don't understand why Barnes is continuing to suggest it was out of his power to, like, google the people he's promoting. Tietjen is VERY famous locally.

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

God damn, we need criticism. I loved reading this review (almost) as much as I would love overpaying for this stunt-cast version of Godot and forming my own opinions.

4columns.org/krasinski-je...

Waiting for Godot

4columns.org

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

She didn't respond to my request for comment.

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

The room was pretty quiet but I saw some shocked looks and a couple people were muttering around me - like “what?”

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

My story says that I'll update when I hear back from
1) the mayor's office
2) the police department

Neither of them got back to me today.

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

Reversing Decision, SPD Removes Controversial Captain Tietjen from East Precinct

Police Chief Shon Barnes blamed PubliCola's story, "internal leaks," and "a lack of comprehensive input" from others for the controversy.

publicola.com/2025/10/09/r...

Reversing Decision, SPD Removes Controversial Captain Tietjen from East Precinct - PubliCola

By Erica C. Barnett Two days after PubliCola exclusively reported that Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes had promoted controversial police…

publicola.com

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

Harrell is raising his voice, conflating his efforts to build a children's playground in cahoots with a wealthy neighbor to eliminate the nude beach used by LGBTQ folks with his advocacy for body cameras and "Block the Box" legislation.

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

A question about the freakout over nudity at Denny Blaine Park and the city's decisions to delay a Nickelsville encampment in Southeast Seattle. Harrell starts by saying "You have no idea how rough it was for me growing up!"

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

A question about youth homelessness. Harrell says the city funds preschool and two years of college, but needs to do more. "I was that kid coming out of Seattle Public Schools, I know how tough it can be."

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

"My wife and I have been working on housing, health and human services issues for over 30 years. We donate our personal money, our personal time, our personal resources and our skills to shelter people and we'll continue to do that work despite the challenges," Harrell concludes.

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

Addressing the audience of human service providers, Harrell continues, "It is offensive—completely offensive—for any of you to think that I would lead the city in a way that's not fully compassionate."

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

Harrell says the city never bases tent removals on a big sports event, and again says they've reduced "tents" by 80%. He's citing his usual talking point about how most of the people "we are treating here in Seattle do not become unhoused in Seattle."

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

A question about shelter and housing leading up to the World Cup and after. Wilson says "just pushing people around the city" is not working. "We need to urgently open new emergency housing" using models like JustCARE that get people into dignified lodging, like hotels, fast.

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

Wilson, ctd: New social housing could include affordable senior housing. Funding for community center programming could help build community and get seniors out of their homes. And the city should work with the state to bolster health care, anticipating the loss of federal Medicaid funding.

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

Wilson says the city could do more to protect low-income renters, like lowering the threshold for landlords to pay relocation costs from a 10% rent increase to 5%. Also says the city needs to get rid of predatory junk fees, help homeowners build ADUs for income or multigenerational housing.

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

The moderator restates, since Harrell didn't answer all of it. Harrell talks about the housing levy and the comprehensive plan, saying he built 50,000 housing units and was dealt a tough hand because he was elected during COVID. "I created a sub-housing cabinet... it had never been done before."

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

Question about the increasing number of senior citizens who are becoming homeless, largely due to rent increases. Harrell cites the amount the city is spending on various programs, including Aging and Disability Services, Fresh Bucks, and his use of existing funds to pay for unspecified reparations.

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

The moderator repeats the part of the question about immigration status and gender, apparently because Harrell didn't answer it. "every policy that I've authored or proposed in the last 16 years have been supportive of that."

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

Harrell cites 35 groups in his budget being funded with $18 million, and says the city has expanded funding to address human trafficking. Not sure what exactly he's referring to, but the city counts police surveillance cameras and crackdowns on sex work on Aurora as responses to trafficking.

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

A question about ensuring gender-based violence services are available to everyone regardless of gender identity or immigration status. Wilson says the federal government may retaliate if Seattle stands by its values, and use new progressive taxes to backfill funding cuts that may happen as a result

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Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 1d

The police contract also gave all officers 24 percent retroactive raises covering three years.

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