By Patty Fong
I don’t live in Seattle City Council District 2. However, I live very near Little Saigon and the Chinatown-International District (CID) and go through several times a week, especially the infamous 12th & Jackson area.
Watching the two candidates vie for representation of District 2 and doing voter outreach, voters’ concerns became clear, namely public safety.
Public safety affects the District 2 community’s ability to conduct business and earn a living, be safe, enjoy clean, unimpeded streets, attract tourism, and, ultimately, protect our families and youth. A harm reduction facility does not belong next to a school. District 2 is under a public safety crisis.
Failure by the District 2 incumbent to address the fentanyl crisis, a public health and public safety crisis, in District 2 and its negative consequences on her constituents is a shameful and unacceptable failure to address these crises for all.
Failure to address the fentanyl crisis means our youth will continue to die from fentanyl.
Failure by the incumbent to understand how thoughtless cries are to ‘defund the police’ adversely affects communities in the ‘wrong’ zip codes.
“Defund the police” does not punish the police—it punishes people, especially, in this case, the constituents of District 2.
“Defund the police” results in a defunding of public safety most acutely felt in communities of color.
Violent crime most recently experienced on Beacon Hill and the Wing Luke Museum illustrate the unfortunate consequences of underfunding public safety.
We should insist instead on ‘reform the police,’ and re-fund public safety.
This community and all others deserve both long- and short-term approaches to responding to and solving the roots of crime.
A breakdown in public safety and public health threatens our communities, our families, our youth.
Ask yourself if the elected representative, who currently is supposed to represent District 2 on the Seattle City Council, has effectively and compassionately addressed these challenges—public safety and public health—for her constituents, for their families, for our youth.
I suggest that the incumbent has not and does not deserve re-election.