‘You’re the one footing the bill’: Jake, Spike split on whether teachers should be able to live where they work

The cost of living in King County has pushed many public employees, including teachers, to commute from outside the communities they serve. That trend has fueled ongoing debates about public-sector compensation, housing affordability, and the gap between what taxpayers fund and what workers receive in return.

Jake Skorheim and Spike O’Neill, co-hosts of “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio, took opposite positions on whether living near your workplace is a reasonable expectation or an unrealistic demand on taxpayers.

Jake says public workers shouldn’t get benefits private workers don’t

Jake pointed out that neither he nor Spike lives in the community where they work, and that nobody subsidizes their housing decisions.

“I work in Seattle. I don’t live in King County,” Jake said. “You don’t live in the community where you work. Why?”

When Spike acknowledged he chose to live further out to “have more stuff,” Jake pressed the point.

“So why do teachers need to be able to live in King County?” Jake said. “You work for private companies. They work for us. So why do tax-dollar people get to have benefits that you and I don’t get to have?”

Spike says it’s a reasonable expectation even if he doesn’t do it himself

Spike said he doesn’t think it’s unreasonable for workers to expect that their salary covers the cost of living in the area where they’re employed — even if he personally chose differently.

“I shouldn’t project my priorities on anybody else,” Spike said. “I think it’s reasonable to assume you should be able to afford to live where you work.”

Jake pushed back, arguing that Spike was treating the teachers’ position as virtuous without holding them to the same standard he holds himself.

“Then why are you OK with them projecting their priorities onto you? You’re the one footing the bill,” Jake said.  “You’re saying their priorities are virtuous.”

“That’s their priorities,” Spike said. “Whether I choose to or not, I think it’s reasonable.”

The two agreed to disagree.

“I totally disagree,” Jake said.

“That’s great,” Spike replied. “We can totally disagree.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3