Is this really the Seattle you want to live in?

The Seattle City Council is mulling over legislation that will dramatically alter the quality of life we experience in Seattle if it is approved. And the question for everyone who lives or works in the area is pretty simple: are you OK living in a city defined by politicians married to their ideology?

Related: ‘Ridiculous’ statements by homeless advocates lead to Rantz blowup

The council could pass legislation that may make it legal for the homeless to set up tents in city parks. They’re doing it, in part, because the ACLU is holding a gun to the council’s head. If the council doesn’t pass the legislation they drafted, they seem ready to sue, apparently arguing that the homeless have a right to camp on public land. They are creating a new right. But it’s become clear that there are some council members, such as Mike O’Brien, who agree with this position.

Understand what passing this legislation means. If passed, the next time you go for a jog at Green Lake, you’ll be surrounded by trash, at best, and used needles and human waste, at worst. The next time you hike Discovery Park, you’ll be doing it around tents filled with people who may be dealing with untreated mental health issues. When you take your kids for a picnic or a swim at Lincoln Park, you may be putting them in danger.

Seattle activists will pretend that these are not valid concerns. They pretend tent cities are spotless and that everyone living in them are just down on their luck men and women who need a helping hand and a home. They pretend that you’re a heartless person for wanting to live safely with your spouse and kids.

And while the majority of the homeless are not dangerous, there are too many out there that are. Sometimes because they’re dealing with mental health issues and addictions; sometimes because they’re just bad, dangerous people. But you don’t get to pick and choose who will set up a tent at Woodland Park or Magnuson Park.

Related: Seattle activists angry City is helping the homeless

The homeless legislation that the council seems eager to pass is dangerous. It will make us unsafe, it creates hazardous living environments for everyone, and will dramatically impact our quality of life (the quality we deserve given how much the city takes from us in taxes). But moreover, the legislation won’t work. Similar legislation in Portland was a total disaster. And this legislation doesn’t get people into housing at all.

I understand some might view this as such a dramatic step that it will force the city to move forward with their housing plans faster. It won’t. Government is slow; that won’t change with radical legislation. And yes, this is radical. This is a radical “progressive” response to a problem they have absolutely no idea how to solve. And rather than push their ideological allegiances aside, they push them even further. After the 10-year plan to end homelessness, under “Progressive” leadership, the problem has gotten worse. They apparently think they weren’t ideological enough.

You have to contact your council members to urge them to vote no. They will ignore you. They tend to do that because, after all, they think they know better than you. But you can’t forget what they do this week. You should not forgive what they’re turning this city into and you need to do your part to boot them out of office. On this note, there’s an unfortunate positive: you will not be able to forget what they’re turning this city into. You’ll be reminded of it every time you walk near a park.

Here’s how you can contact the Council:

Bruce Harrell, bruce.harrell@seattle.gov
Sally Bagshaw, sally.bagshaw@seattle.gov
Tim Burgess (he opposes the homelessness legislation; cheer him on)
tim.burgess@seattle.gov
M. Lorena Gozalez, Lorena.Gonzalez@seattle.gov
Lisa Herbold, Lisa.Herbold@seattle.gov
Debora Juarez, Debora.Juarez@seattle.gov
Mike O’Brien, Mike.OBrien@seattle.gov
Kshama Sawant, Kshama.Sawant@seattle.gov

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