Defeat Big Business At The Polls

[James Little]

If We Want Big Business To Come To The Table We Must First Beat Them At The Polls 

We cannot solve Seattle’s homelessness and housing crisis without the active participation of the Chamber of Commerce, Amazon, and other local business leaders. And the best way to constructively bring Seattle business leaders to the housing table is to soundly defeat them at the polls.  ... 

To be honest, the head tax was never a great solution. It would’ve raised far too little money, and in a kludgy and inefficient way. But when it comes to taxes, the legislature hasn’t given Seattle a lot of options. Far better for a city of such extreme wealth and inequality would be for the Chamber to join the Council in seeking authority to progressively tax income or wealth—or one of the other “innovative solutions” their open letter vaguely promised. But that will never happen if big business succeeds in buying itself a City Council. 

If we want to solve Seattle’s housing and homelessness crisis—and we want the business community to be part of crafting the solution—then voters need to send a message by defeating the slate of Chamber-backed candidates in November. Vote the SECB ticket. Only then, after we make it clear that our Council is not for sale, will the business community come to the table instead of trying to buy it.