I think most people at the City, Crosscut, and the Seattle Times have their e-mail set up so that anything from my address goes directly into the trash. But still, I have to try. This goes back several years to when we were fighting against linkage taxes. I didn’t do this work but I don’t want to get anyone in trouble. The Council isn’t thinking clearly; they are going to pass something that will create more trouble than it solves. But if they all go forward wit this plan, why not just build their housing on land they already own? I don’t know what constitutes a good idea anymore. Maybe this one is stupid too. 

Greetings Mayor Durkan and Councilmembers,

The proposed Employees Hours Tax is harmful to our economy because it will discourage job creation and growth. Also, the tax will generate very little benefit for the many people in need, and that small benefit won’t be felt until years from now since building units takes lots more time and money than you’ve accounted for in your estimates.

Notwithstanding these facts, if you’re going to do this, please build housing on City owned land. We’ve already looked at this and you could build the entire inventory you’ve suggested the tax would pay for at the Roosevelt and Beacon Reservoirs:

That’s over 2,000 units, far more than you’ve projected for the tax. And you already own the land!  

Please resist the urge to give this money, in whatever amount, to the very inefficient non-profit developers. They would have to find land and they’d have find leverage that currently doesn’t exist. The Seattle Housing Authority in partnership with the City and private developers could turn these City assets into many units of housing much faster and more affordably.

The tax makes no sense, especially in light of that fact that you all have swallowed the McKinsey report whole. Units are expensive and take a long time to build.

If you’re going to do that, give yourself a head start and build on the land you already own.

Roger–