Did Fox host accurately describe Seattle as ‘Socialist hellhole’?

A political commentator for Fox Business Network had this to say about the current state of Seattle after the council approved a citywide income tax:

Seattle used to be one of the most beautiful and livable cities in the world, but it has devolved into a socialist hellhole besieged by violence and economic immobility. The do-gooder authoritarians on Seattle City Council want the once robust Emerald City to swirl down the collective commode by enacting punishing minimum wage laws, a gun tax, and now a new tax on the wealthy that may not even be legal.

Those are the words of Kennedy Montgomery, host of “Kennedy” on the Fox Business Network. She’s right, at least as far as what has been approved by the city.

Seattle’s minimum wage law went into effect April 1, 2015. The city is still phasing in the full $15 minimum wage for all employees. Currently, smaller businesses must pay $13 an hour if they don’t pay $2 an hour toward medical benefits or provide $2 an hour in tips. Larger employers must pay $15 an hour unless they pay toward medical benefits.

The benefits of the law are still being weighed two years after it went into effect. A recent study by the University of Washington shows what proponents didn’t want to see — a reduction in worker hours to make up for the additional cost. That study was quickly criticized by a professor at the University of Berkeley.

The city’s gun tax hasn’t fared well in curbing gun violence. A recent report found that while firearm sales have decreased (gun shops moved out of town), shootings have increased. In fact, King County cops have had to team up to take on the rise in gun violence.

Perhaps the limited success is due to the fact that Seattle never took in the projected revenue it expected from the tax – as much as $500,000. The city won’t say how much money its gun tax has produced, only that it is less than $200,000.

As for the income tax, it was expected to be signed into law Friday, July 14. It’s also expected to be hit with a lawsuit before the city can collect a cent from it.

But is Seattle really a “Socialist hellhole”?

Sure, there are a few politicians and activists on the more — how should we say it — extreme side, and the city council continues to push legislation that tends to get us laughed at by other parts of the country. But to call a city that is thriving and drawing people away from Silicon Valley for work in the tech industry a “hellhole” might be a bit extreme.

Watch Kennedy’s rant in its entirety and then tell us what you think:

.@KennedyNation: “Seattle used to be one of the most beautiful & livable cities in the world, but it has devolved into a Socialist hellhole” pic.twitter.com/B9nbwNKvfp

— FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) July 12, 2017

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