Black History Month If you haven’t already, consider taking time before this month is over to learn about the history and contributions of Black and African Americans in our country and community.  Here are some of our office’s recommendations.  What are yours? You’ve probably heard about Ta-Nehisi-Coates’ The Case for Reparations, published in The Atlantic […]

Urges community members to keep building pressure Councilmember Kshama Sawant (District 3, Central Seattle) today urged community members to continue to fight against the concerted big business drive to ban Seattle and other cities from enacting progressive taxation that could be used to address the deepening affordable housing crisis. Earlier today, state legislators unveiled a […]

February 20, 2020 Dear University of California Santa Cruz Wildcat Strikers of UAW 2865, As a socialist elected representative of Seattle’s working people and a rank and file member of AFT 1789, the union representing Seattle community college educators, I send you my full solidarity in your courageous struggle. My organization, Socialist Alternative, also stands […]

Councilmember Lisa Herbold (District 1, West Seattle – South Park) issued the following statement after voting against Councilmember Kshama Sawant’s resolution, which opposed all “preemption” on Seattle’s ability to use an employee hours tax or payroll tax to raise additional revenue:  “Today’s resolution did not strengthen the ongoing negotiations around HB 2907 in Olympia, being […]

Councilmember Kshama Sawant’s (District 3, Central Seattle) bill to expand the number of tiny house villages in Seattle, allowing more of the city’s homeless population to be sheltered and have access to services, passed by a 6-1 vote during today’s Seattle City Council meeting. “Today’s legislation is an incredible step forward for Seattle’s housing justice […]

Today the City Council approved Councilmember Kshama Sawant’s bill to expand the number of tent encampments authorized by our city government from three to 40. Hoping to make her encampment legislation stronger, I offered amendments to preserve, expand, and extend the successful version of the “Tiny Home Village” model that lifts up those experiencing homelessness […]

Implementing idea from District 4 community leaders; Climate crisis warrants swift action Councilmember Alex Pedersen (District 4, Northeast Seattle) today introduced his resolution that would enable the City Council to consider the crisis of climate change when reviewing new legislation. Currently, all the Council’s legislation requires a “fiscal note,” which measures the financial implications of […]

Councilmember Kshama Sawant (District 3, Central Seattle) released the following statement after Mayor Jenny Durkan delivered her 2020 State of the City address: “Our Tax Amazon movement to fund social housing and the Green New Deal has powerful momentum, so it’s not surprising that corporate politicians like Mayor Durkan are eager to do the bidding […]

Roxhill Wetland Update The Roxhill Bog Committee has been working on this issue for many years attempting to save this important wetland. You can read a detailed timeline and history compiled by the Committee here. Roxhill bog, at the Longfellow Creek headwaters, is actually a fen, defined as “open wetland systems that generally receive some […]

Councilmember Kshama Sawant (District 3, Central Seattle) flanked by community supporters, today unveiled her long-awaited proposal to tax Amazon and other big businesses in Seattle to fund a massive expansion of affordable housing and services. Under Sawant’s proposal, the top three percent of companies in Seattle, as measured by the size of their payroll, would […]