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May 29, 2014January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata, News Releases

Councilmember Licata Statement on Minimum Wage Committee Vote

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City of Seattle
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 5/29/2014

Councilmember Nick Licata

Councilmember Licata Statement on Minimum Wage Committee Vote

SEATTLE - Councilmember Nick Licata issued the following statement in response to the City Council's Minimum Wage and Income Inequality Committee's vote to raise Seattle's minimum wage to $15 an hour:

"The passage today of Seattle's $15 minimum wage legislation is a national game changer. Seattle, and other cities, are taking direct action to close our nation's huge income gap because the Federal and state governments have failed to do so. Seattle's new law opens the way for many workers to earn enough to meet their basic needs. It will raise their standard of living and by putting more dollars into our economy, stimulate greater business opportunities. By significantly raising the minimum wage, Seattle's prosperity will be shared by more people and create a sustainable model for continued growth.

"I am currently attending meetings in Chicago of the national Democratic Municipal Officials, to discuss how Seattle's success can be repeated in other cities.At the end of June, I will be attending similar meetings in New York with the national Local Progress organization. Without a doubt, we are witnessing a national surge of municipal officials who are demanding that we cannot continue to slip into a third class country with a shrinking middle class and families being pushed into poverty.

"The next critical step for Seattle to take is to create an Office of Labor Standards Enforcement, to ensure that all businesses are being treated equally under our labor laws. We cannot expect responsible businesses that are treating their employees fairly to be at a competitive disadvantage with those businesses that are not administering fair labor practices. I look forward to the creation of this new office at the start of next year."

[View in Council Newsroom]

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May 29, 2014January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess

Job Growth and the Minimum Wage

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The increase in small business employment is highest in Washington State and San Francisco, two areas with the highest minimum wage in the country, according to Paychex, one of the country’s leading providers of payroll services. The Paychex/IHS Small Business...

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May 27, 2014January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess, News Releases

Survey of Seattle parents finds wide support for high-quality, affordable preschool

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City of Seattle
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 5/27/2014

Council President Tim Burgess

Survey of Seattle parents finds wide support for high-quality, affordable preschool

SEATTLE - City Council heard findings today demonstrating wide support for elements included in the Seattle Preschool Program based on a survey of over 1,300 Seattle parents. Conducted by EMC Research, the survey found 96% of the parents believe that every child should have the opportunity for high-quality preschool regardless of family income, and 90% agree that government should help families pay for high-quality preschool.

The survey also found only 33% of parents had their children in full time preschool and Hispanics, African-Americans, and parents living in lower income communities were less likely to have sent their children to preschool.

"We found that, regardless of background or neighborhood, affordability and quality are what parents most want in a preschool program, which directly aligns with the outcomes the Seattle Preschool Program will deliver," said Council President Tim Burgess. "Closing the opportunity gap for those most in need should be a top priority."

The survey was conducted to obtain substantive input from a wide range of parents and guardians. The Council also sought to discover why the respondents' children do or do not attend preschool and how many of those whose children do not currently attend preschool would likely enroll their children if high-quality preschool were available and affordable. The survey, authorized by City Council Resolution 31478, was part of a comprehensive outreach strategy to inform the development of the Seattle Preschool Program, which included input from stakeholder workgroups and other feedback from the community.

The findings were based on a live telephone survey of 1,301 of parents/guardians with children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade enrolled in Seattle Public Schools conducted March 4-23, 2014. The margin of error for the overall results is ±2.7 percentage points at a 95% confidence interval. Unlike most surveys of only 400 or so residents surveyed in English, this preschool survey surveyed three times that number and conducted interviews in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Somali and Cantonese. Nearly one-third (32%) of the respondents were born outside of the United States.

The complete poll results are available here.

[View in Council Newsroom]

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May 23, 2014January 6, 2023Councilmember Godden

A Perfect Ten

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This week, and last the Library has been hosting a number of fun-filled events to celebrate its 10th year anniversary. It has been hosting everything from local bands and talks from authors, to architectural and design speakers with activities for kids and adults alike. I was able to stop by this morning to partake in some of the festivities and hand out cupcakes to excited library patrons!cupcakes1

Now for some history about the Library’s beginnings and how it became what it is today:

Seattle’s Central Library, the stunning window-paned monument on Fifth Avenue, is turning ten – a perfect 10 — this month. The building still draws many visitors from afar, intent on marveling at Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas’ iconic design, seen as Seattle’s … Continue Reading »