I guess it is hopeless to try and track down whether he said it, or how he said it. But Harry Truman was supposed to have been known for giving them hell. “Give ’em hell, Harry!” a supporter yelled. Did it happen? Well, Wikipedia says it did. And the idea that he responded, “I don’t give them Hell. I just tell the truth about them, and they think it’s Hell,” suits me just fine. I’m Harry Truman. I am so tired of standing up for people that really would rather just have the status quo from people who benefit from the status quo. So I give them hell. They think it’s hell. Maybe. If they care at all. Anyway, here’s my latest to the legislature on a recent public disclosure request. I think Harry would appreciate this update for legislators on a public disclosure request I did. Remember that I was castigated by the chair of the House housing committee for besmirching Kim Herman’s “honor.” I have yet to send Representative Ryu this part of the disclosure. Will she even care? 

Subject: Public Disclosure: Rural Housing

Greetings Senators and Representatives,

I wish this was an April Fools email.

However, what I am sharing is no joke.

I’ve spent more than a year trying to find some momentum to shift the way we subsidize housing in this state, something I think we need to do. With enough easing of regulation, I know that for-profit providers could meet a lot of demand. As long as the City of Seattle has a choke hold on supply and dominates the legislature, we will continue, I guess, to see more an more subsidy dollars flow there to essentially pay for their regulatory overreach. And, in Seattle, we’ll see taxation of new housing to pay for subsidized housing years from now based on data from years ago.

This is bad.

I think this is an obvious point. Others don’t. I’ve done a rather extensive public disclosure request and I am sharing these items because I want you to see that my honest efforts to address this issue have been met — it is isn’t surprising — with resistance from those most invested in the current system. Kim Herman continues to pose as a someone willing to work with you and to do what the JLARC study asked. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Herman and the Commerce Department will resist every effort to reorder the prioritization of policy and resources.

Here’s just one of his comments:

Again, not really a big shock. Of course Herman who’s been at the helm of the WSHFC for longer than any of you have been in the legislature believes he is running things just fine. So does the Commerce Department.

But how about the Director of the Yakima Housing Authority?

Nope. I couldn’t get any support there either.

Public disclosure requests can be like Pandora’s box — or a can of worms. And I’ve just started sorting through these items. It is very discouraging. Shouldn’t we all be aiming for efficiency? Housing is a good thing, shouldn’t we want more of it? Isn’t it obvious that people in rural Washington are facing a housing challenge too? When I spoke to a group of small landlords in Yakima a couple of weeks ago they all agreed: something must change.

If I knew how to give up, I would. But I simply can’t. It’s not what I learned from my grandmothers, it isn’t part of my faith, and it simply isn’t who I am. I hope this creates enough discomfort that we see some change. I am ready to help and work toward something positive if there is anyone else on the other side to reach back.

Again, let’s work on costs. Let’s work on efficiencies. And let’s keep in mind that tonight many people will sleep uneasy, if at all, because they have no housing, are in housing that is unsafe, or are wondering how they will pay rent later this week. Inflation is the greatest enemy of people in poverty and it is caused by lack of supply. Let’s do something to help these people.

Roger–

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