As one of downtown’s busiest Starbucks temporarily closed its doors over safety concerns, prominent members of the Seattle business community are speaking out forcefully and publicly about the continuing crime and homelessness crises. They’re setting their sites on King County Executive Dow Constantine.
“Our misplaced compassion for the unhoused has turned into neglect, leaving addicts to rot in doorways and the mentally ill to suffer on the streets,” Judson-Baker wrote on LinkedIn. “Political complacency, typified by leaders like Dow Constantine, only exacerbates these issues. We need more than empty promises and half-measures; we need decisive action to treat the unhoused, clean up our streets, and restore Seattle’s health.
Judson-Baker also fears the reality of downtown Seattle is going to scare tourists from returning to the area. Prosecutors sound alarms over ‘reckless’ WA State Bar Association proposal that dismantles the criminal justice system “Small businesses define Seattle, some growing into giants that define our skyline. Now, we watch as public health and lack of safety force them out. Losing employers means losing tax revenue, which undermines public safety, health, education and affordable housing, perpetuating a vicious cycle as residents continue to lose out,” he wrote.