SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Dori: Mayor Murray cares more about bureaucracy than homeless prevention

May 4, 2016, 9:21 AM | Updated: 10:48 am

Mayor Ed Murray's levy proposal calls for spending  more than twice as much on administration than ...

Mayor Ed Murray's levy proposal calls for spending more than twice as much on administration than on homelessness prevention. (Dori Monson)

(Dori Monson)

Taken from Tuesday’s Dori Monson Show on KIRO Radio

You are looked at by politicians as an endless source of money. There is no restraint in coming to the citizens of this region for billions of dollars on parks, schools, transit, and the homeless — you know, things that nobody with a heart could ever say no to.

So when Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announced he wants to double your property tax assessment for homelessness, you should be skeptical. He has put forth a housing levy that would cost $290 million, which would cost the “median homeowner” the “relatively modest” cost of $122 per year.

Related: Seattle garbage ruling shows constitution still trumps social causes

The part nobody is telling you about is how much of this money would actually go toward preventing homelessness.

For the proposed 2016 housing levy, of the $290 million, $201 million will be for building rental housing. But that’s where the numbers start to get staggering. They want $42 million for operations and maintenance. You would think that would include administration. Oh no. There’s another $26 million for administration for this levy.

Ah ha. That’s where we are getting to what this is all about. He’s able to create a bunch of six-figure jobs for his cronies and other members of the Democratic political machine.

So how much are they going to spend on actual homeless prevention? There is a line item for that: $11.5 million.

In other words, we’re going to spend more than twice as much on administration than on homelessness prevention.

Mayor Murray loves having homeless because, for him, they aren’t human beings, they are big levers to pry money out of your wallet. Because the worse the problem gets, the easier it is for him to say you’ve got to spend money to fix the problem.

Apparently Mayor Murray cares more about bureaucracy than homelessness prevention.

Taken from Tuesday’s Dori Monson Show on KIRO Radio

Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, left, and Serena Williams, of the United States, talk on the court during...

Associated Press

Top tennis stars team up for the U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament, in photos

NEW YORK (AP) — Some of the best tennis players in the world will play doubles specialists in the revamped 16-team U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament. A $1 million prize was added last year to attract top singles players to the competition.

4 minutes ago

...

Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin Show

‘Seattle is a destination’: Gee celebrates city’s record 3.7M downtown visitors in July

July marked a record for Seattle with 3.7 million downtown visitors, showcasing a strong tourism recovery.

36 minutes ago

Associated Press

Editorial Roundup: United States

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad: ___ Aug. 24 The Washington Post says Americans and Canadians are losers in the escalating trade wars The 50 percent tariffs announced Monday by President Donald Trump on all cars, trucks, automotive parts and steel from Canada would crush manufacturers in the United States and […]

39 minutes ago

beavers maple valley...

John Curley Show

As beaver dams turn Maple Valley land into a swamp, Curley explains why beavers do what they do

With beavers causing havoc, KIRO Host John Curley asked traffic reporter Nate Connors, "Why do beavers build dams?"

51 minutes ago

Associated Press

Michigan AG releases Flint water crisis report, says final accountability step her office can take

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said a report released Tuesday on the lead-water crisis in the city is the final step her office can take toward accountability, years after a state Supreme Court ruling shut down criminal cases against a former governor and eight other people. Flint residents suffered through years […]

1 hour ago

Red plastic cups are arranged in Phoenix, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)Credi...

Associated Press

Sippin’ (and chuggin’) through the years with a party mainstay — the red Solo cup

TABOR, S.D. (AP) — It’s red. It’s soft plastic. And it probably contains your favorite beverage. The red Solo cup belongs on any list of the country’s most distinctly American objects, but it’s actually more than a single object. It is a symbol of the American psyche — a country that loves a good party, […]

1 hour ago

Dori: Mayor Murray cares more about bureaucracy than homeless prevention