Donald Trump continues to attack the rule of law through his continuing comments degrading the FBI, the Justice Department, and federal judges and by recklessly branding his political opponents as criminals. I wrote about this last August in the Seattle...
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August 14, 2017January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess
On Tyranny
I’m reading Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. It’s an analysis of democratic surges in Europe following World War I, World War II, and the fall of communism in 1989. And then the abject failure of...
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August 1, 2017January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess
What’s next for rule of law when president calls for police brutality?
I couldn’t believe what I heard Friday from the president of the United States. Perhaps I shouldn’t be shocked because of all his previous vulgar, disrespectful and downright harmful comments. Maybe that’s his intent, to over time lull the country...
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July 13, 2017January 6, 2023Burgess, Councilmember Burgess, News Releases
Councilmember Burgess, Director Davis Statement On Consideration of Fossil Fuel Divestment
SEATTLE – Councilmember Tim Burgess (Position 8, Citywide) and Chair of the Seattle City Employees’ Retirement System Board, and Jeff Davis, Executive Director of the SCERS Board, issued the following statement at the conclusion of today’s Board meeting, during which time fossil fuel divestment was discussed: “Today’s Board meeting was well attended by community members...
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June 23, 2017January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess
A Better Tax System
Last week, I offered recipients of my E-Newsletter an opportunity to participate in a quick poll regarding a city income tax on high-income residents. The response was very impressive: the survey received about 5,800 responses over four days. Clearly, this...
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May 22, 2017January 6, 2023Burgess, Councilmember Burgess, Councilmember González, Gonzalez, News Releases
Council Passes Historic Police Accountability and Reform Legislation
Seattle, WA — By a vote of 8-0, Council unanimously approved Council Bill 118969, a measure related to Police Accountability. The legislation, primarily sponsored by Councilmember M. Lorena González (Position 9, Citywide), is the first of its kind in the country and creates new, powerful, civilian- and community-led oversight systems that will effectively ensure constitutional...
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May 1, 2017January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess
Wanted: Smart, Transparent, Fair, and Adequate Tax Policy
Washington State’s tax system is terribly unfair. Our lowest income households pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than do our highest income households. This is wrong. Don’t believe it? Read all about it here and here. It...
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April 6, 2017January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess
SPD Found in “Initial Compliance” on Use of Force
The monitoring team overseeing Seattle’s progress toward compliance with the federal court order related to Constitutional policing has found “initial compliance” with the use of force requirements. “The Monitor finds that overall use of force by the SPD is down...
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March 21, 2017January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess
More Taxes: Fair and Effective?
To do better for the people of Seattle we can raise more revenue, or, alternatively, we could shift funds from underperforming programs to those that in fact do better. Alas, we almost always go for more revenue. Our property tax...
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February 28, 2017January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess
Defending the Rule of Law
Over the past couple of weeks, it has been suggested that Seattle police officers should not be present at “anti-Trump protests” or instances of nonviolent civil disobedience. Further, the idea has been raised that police officers should be deployed to...