Week in Review: September 24, 2021
Hacks & Wonks
Today Marco Lowe, Professor at Seattle U's Institute for Public Service, joins Crystal to discuss the extension of the eviction moratorium, the departure of Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff, City Council candidate Sara Nelson fudging the truth regarding laying off her workers, the increasing impact of climate disasters, and developments in the carpenters’ union strike.
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Chat with Hugo Garcia, Burien City Council Candidate
Hacks & Wonks
Today on the show Hugo Garcia, City Council candidate for the city of Burien, joins Crystal to discuss the planning for growth and justice in a rapidly changing city, how to create more housing and ensure residents are able to afford to live in a city, and the vital importance of parks and public spaces.
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Week in Review: September 17, 2021
Hacks & Wonks
Erica C. Barnett, editor of Publicola, joins Crystal to discuss King County's new vaccine requirements, the city attorney's efforts to hurry through his last priorities, political polling, misogynistic attacks on the carpenters' union leader, rerouting crisis calls away from the police, and wariness around quarantine shelters by houseless folks.
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McGinn Continued
Hacks & Wonks
On Friday, Crystal and Executive Director of America Walks (and former Seattle mayor), Mike McGinn, talked for so long that it made for a two-part show! They get into the SPD's calls being mostly non-criminal, the surge in gun violence, the lack of investigation into Mayor Durkan's alleged illegal deletion of text messages, and the need for the law to be applied equally.
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Week in Review: September 10, 2021
Hacks & Wonks
Executive Director of America Walks and former mayor of Seattle, Mike McGinn joins Crystal to discuss new Covid-19 vaccine mandates, planned walkouts by some workers in Seattle fizzling, rising gun violence and the conspicuous lack of analysis by the media and the mayor’s office, the knee-jerk desire for police presence when crime rises (in spite of it being ineffective), and the integration of Compassion Seattle into a certain mayoral campaign now that it’s off the November ballot.
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A Chat with Senator Karen Keiser
Hacks & Wonks
This week Crystal is joined by Senator Karen Keiser, Washington State Senate President Pro Tempore and one of the busiest women in the state legislature. Highlights include a dozen public safety bills, protection of essential workers, attempts to fix our tax code, passage of the Working Families Tax Credit, supporting childcare workers, and more.
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Week in Review: September 3, 2021
Hacks & Wonks
Today Crystal is joined by a new co-host, Rich Smith, Associate Editor of The Stranger! They discuss plans to tackle homelessness, a racist email from Bellevue School Board candidate Faye Yang, the need to center accessibility in transportation planning, and an alliance of landlords and renters threatening to sue to speed the distribution of rental relief.
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Consultant Roundtable Part 2
Hacks & Wonks
This week on the show we have the second half of the Consultant Roundtable, featuring Consultants Riall Johnson of Prism Consulting, Michael Charles of Upper Left Strategies, and Heather Weiner discussing the results of the primary elections, and what we can expect from the general election in November.
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Week in Review: August 27, 2021
Hacks & Wonks
Today on the show Marco Lowe, Professor at Seattle University’s Institute for Public Service, joins Crystal to get in to kids returning to school this fall without having had a Covid vaccine, the slow pace of rental aid distribution, the arrival of Afghan refugees in our state (and how you can help welcome them!), and the tragic rise in gun violence in our area.
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Consultant Roundtable: Part 1
Hacks & Wonks
Consultants Riall Johnson, Michael Charles, and Heather Weiner join Crystal to discuss the results of the primary elections this month, and what we can expect from the rest of election season. They discuss the mayoral primary results, Charter Amendment 29 / Compassion Seattle, and the results for City Council Pos. 9.
info_outlineThis week on the show Crystal is joined by Senator Karen Keiser, Washington State Senate President Pro Tempore and one of the busiest women in the Washington State legislature. They discuss what happened in the past legislative session this year, as well as changes that will be worked toward next year. Highlights include more than a dozen public safety bills passed, protection of essential workers during the pandemic, attempts to rectify Washington State’s upside-down tax code, worker protections in the unprecedentedly hot conditions we’ve experienced due to climate change, passage of the Working Families Tax Credit, supporting childcare workers as we face a massive childcare shortage, and more. This was indeed a busy legislative session!
As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com.
Find the host, Crystal Fincher on Twitter at @finchfrii and find Senator Karen Keiser at @karenkeiser1. More info is available at officialhacksandwonks.com.
Resources
"What would it cost to house and provide treatment for Seattle's homeless?" by Scott Greenstone at The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/homeless/what-is-the-cost-to-house-and-provide-treatment-for-seattles-homeless/
"With 12 New Laws, Washington State Joins Movement to Overhaul Policing" by Austin Jenkins from NPR: https://www.npr.org/2021/05/18/997974519/a-dozen-police-reform-bills-signed-into-law-in-washington-state
"A year after George Floyd's murder, what's changed in Washington state?" by Melissa Santos from Crosscut: https://crosscut.com/news/2021/05/year-after-george-floyds-murder-whats-changed-washington-state
"With the Washington Legislature halfway through its session, here's where policing bill stand" by Joseph O'Sullivan from The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/washington-legislature-passes-bill-requiring-police-officers-to-intervene-if-they-witness-excessive-force/
"Washington Legislature charts 'new beginning' in climate change fight" by Levi Pulkkinen from Investigate West via Crosscut: https://crosscut.com/politics/2021/05/washington-legislature-charts-new-beginning-climate-change-fight
"Inslee signs off on capital gains tax for wealthy and tax rebate for lower-income workers in Washington" by Jim Brunner from The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/inslee-signs-capital-gains-tax-for-wealthy-and-tax-rebate-for-lower-income-workers-in-washington/
"Return to Work? Now With Child Care Still in Limbo, Some Parents Say." by Claire Cain Miller from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/05/upshot/covid-child-care-schools.html
"2021 heat wave is now the deadliest weather-related event in Washington history" by John Ryan from KUOW: https://www.kuow.org/stories/heat-wave-death-toll-in-washington-state-jumps-to-112-people
"Washington Joins Oregon, California, British Columbia In Passing Low-Carbon Fuel Standard" by Courtney Flatt from KUOW: https://www.kuow.org/stories/washington-joins-oregon-california-british-columbia-in-passing-low-carbon-fuel-standard
"The HEAL Act gives WA a path to environmental justice" by Jennifer Calkins from Crosscut: https://crosscut.com/opinion/2021/03/heal-act-gives-wa-path-environmental-justice
The Front and Centered Coalition: https://frontandcentered.org/
"Relief slow to reach King County renters as evictions set to resume" by David Kroman from Crosscut: https://crosscut.com/news/2021/06/relief-slow-reach-king-county-renters-evictions-set-resume
Hacks & Wonks interview with Pierce County Councilmember Derek Young: https://www.officialhacksandwonks.com/listenpodcast/episode/32ca17ec/seattle-pay-attention-to-pierce-county-a-conversation-with-pierce-county-council-chair-derek-young
Hacks & Wonks interview with Senator and King County Executive Candidate Joe Nguyen: https://www.officialhacksandwonks.com/listenpodcast/episode/1e38d0ac/meet-senator-and-kc-exec-candidate-joe-nguyen-again