Did Tanya Woo or Alexis Mercedes Rinck win the Seattle Nice debate for a citywide city council seat? Does it matter?

Our editor is Quinn Waller.

Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com

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This week's episode is our Seattle Nice City Council Position 8 debate from Tuesday October 1.

Special thanks to candidates Tanya Woo and Alexis Mercedes Rinck, the amazing pros at Town Hall and to the hundreds of civic-minded superstars who turned out to watch both the city council and vice presidential debates.

Our editor is Quinn Waller.

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Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com

Support the show

Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

This week Seattle Nice debates Erica's take on Mayor Bruce Harrell's new budget.

TL;DR Harrell avoided big budget cuts but progressives are pissed that he tapped the lucrative payroll tax on big business known as JumpStart to pull that off.

Don't miss the city council debate and VP debate watch party at Town Hall this coming Tuesday October 1.

We kick it off with a livestream of the big Vice Presidential debate between Tim Walz and J.D. Vance on the big screen. Then, we go local with the Seattle Nice City Council debate for citywide Position 8 between Tanya Woo and Alexis Mercedes Rinck.

Town Hall's cafe will be open for folks to purchase beer, wine, cider, and a few straightaway cocktails. Doors for the VP debate open at 5:45 pm.

Get your debate tickets here. Submit your questions in advance here.

Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com

Our editor is Quinn Waller

Send us a text

Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com

Support the show

Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

This week Seattle's city council voted to send two competing measures to the ballot to fund affordable housing.

Initiative 137, the measure social housing activists support, proposes a new, "excess compensation tax" on big business. Council member Maritza Rivera is backing a new, "alternative" measure that would rely instead on existing JumpStart taxes on big business.

Erica says Rivera's alternative would raid the JumpStart tax and effectively kill the social housing concept voters approved last year. See Erica's reporting on the two measures here.

Sandeep defends the alternative, saying he's skeptical social housing backers actually know how to build or manage housing. He suggests the more modest $50 million dollar alternative proposal would give them a chance to prove themselves before potentially getting more funding.

The pod also briefly debates a proposed increase in police hiring bonuses.

Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com

Our editor is Quinn Waller

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Support the show

Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

Caleb Banta-Green of UW medicine joins the pod to debate the pros and cons of Seattle's current approach to drugs.

The conversation kicks off with Barnett and Banta-Green blasting the city council's latest plan to create six new “stay out” zones for drug crimes. The conversation then broadens to a deeper debate about whether some coercion helps or harms people who are struggling with addiction.

Coincidentally, Uncle Ike's pot shop sponsored this week's episode. If you want to advertise plesae contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com

Our editor is Quinn Waller

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Support the show

Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

The city council is making plans to speed up the process for building in downtown Seattle by exempting certain buildings from design review. Erica and Sandeep agree about the merits of the proposal, while David as devil's advocate tries to insert some skepticism into their urbanist love fest.

We also talk about the King County Council's about-face on earlier plans to close the youth jail.

Our editor is Quinn Waller.

For tickets to the Seattle Nice Position 8 city council debate coming up on October 1st at Town Hall click this link!

And if you have any tough but fair questions for the candidates, please share them with us as soon as possible over email: realseattlenice@gmail.com

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Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

Surrogates are calling Mayor Bruce Harrell's downtown recovery plan a "roaring success" for the city. Are they right?

We debate that, and whether "return to work" is overrated. What is the good life, Seattle?

To advertise or just get in touch you can reach Seattle Nice at realseattlenice@gmail.com

Our editor is Quinn Waller.

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Support the show

Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

Seattle Nice takes a lively look at a proposed ban on prostitution "loitering," and proposed Stay Out of Stay Out of Area of Prostitution (SOAP) zones. This follows the proposed banishment of some drug users from select areas downtown, called SODAs or “Stay Out of Drug Areas."

Check out Erica's extensive coverage on Publicola, and while you're at it please donate to Publicola.

Quinn Waller edits the show.

To advertise or just get in touch you can reach Seattle Nice at realseattlenice@gmail.com

Send us a text

Support the show

Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.