Washington State continues to earn dubious distinctions in the world of tax policy. The latest report on state taxes comes from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, which ranked Washington’s tax structure as the most regressive in the nation....
Category: Past Councilmembers
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Participatory Budgeting Forum, January 27
Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a city budget. The City Neighborhood Council and I will co-host a forum on Tuesday, January 27 about how participatory budgeting has worked in other cities, and discuss how it could work here in Seattle. It’s scheduled from […]
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Reducing General Fund debt: it adds up
“Debt Management Policies” is one of those dry budget terms that often generates a yawn. Say it at a party and see how far it gets you. Perhaps it’s better just to say that how the city manages debt made a $29 million difference in 2014. That’s what the city had available for services due […]
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On State and Local Marijuana Regulation
Earlier this week City Attorney Holmes released a very helpful summary of the current status of marijuana regulations in Washington State. He also includes his recommendations for a single, integrated regulatory framework at the State level that provides access to...
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Mental Health & Art
Can art reduce the stigma of mental illness? The answer may lie in the current City Hall exhibit running through February 27th.
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A New Bumbershoot For 2015
Can One Reel save the Bumbershoot Arts Festival by partnering with Showbox Presents/AEG Live?
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A Mighty Force
A couple of weeks ago, the mayors (three of them) and I sat down to a quick lunch and a meeting of the minds, talking about the region’s disheartening gender wage gap. We all deplore the fact that the Puget Sound region has the widest gender wage gap in the nation. In this region, women on average are paid 27 percent less than their male counterparts.
That percentage is not inconsiderable. If women workers here were paid the same on average as men, they would be taking home around $16,000 more a year. 
At the table in the Norman B. Rice conference room were Mayor Claudia Balducci of Bellevue and Mayor Nancy Backus of Auburn. The two chief … Continue Reading »
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2014 in Review
What a whirlwind 2014 was for all of us working at City Hall. And, the Seattle City Council is still ready to take on even more heavy lifting. We passed 256 ordinances: a dizzying number, from a $15 minimum wage to confirming the first woman ever to serve as Seattle’s Police Chief. To cut to the chase, I am proud to have shaped legislation that delivers new equity and better service that a city as progressive as deserves.
I won’t detail all 256 laws, though you can find them at this link, but I will highlight some of the best. My office in particular stayed the course on gender pay equity, working with my colleagues to pass a Gender Pay Equity … Continue Reading »
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Revisiting Wage Theft
Earlier this month I joined a community advocate and a local attorney to talk with Seattle Channel host Brian Callanan about the ongoing problem of wage theft. You can watch the video below:
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December Council Edition
The December episode of Council Edition is available online. Councilmembers Godden, Harrell and I join host Brian Callanan to discuss Downtown protests, the Viaduct, medical marijuana, cleaning up the Duwamish river, and more.