Amazon’s lawyer, along with several other local companies, wandered into a mine field yesterday apparently signing a letter is support of Senate Bill 5600. The bill was written by and for attorneys out to sue landlords. It won’t do a thing to prevent evictions just add to the risk of operating housing. Some have suggested that the letter is a fake.” These big shot lawyers wouldn’t be stupid enough to sign a letter like this!” I wonder. Most lawyers I work with would want to know what they were getting into here. We’re checking into the authenticity of the letter. 

Read the letter for yourself.

I’m pissed off. I hope the letter is a fake or that maybe it was sent before these people had a chance to read it and understand what they were doing. If that’s the case, maybe Amazon needs a new lawyer. If they meant it, maybe it is time to start taxing Amazon heavily. We can use the money to fund our proposed Eviction Prevention Fund for a start. Here’s what I sent to the Amazon lobbyists. 

Subject: Fwd: Amazon signature

Hello Braden,

Please call me about this letter.

I was one that worked very hard to stop the “head tax” in Seattle. If this letter really represents your company’s view, I regret that support. Instead maybe it makes sense to tax Amazon to fund eviction prevention. We’ve suggested an eviction fund to help tenants. Maybe you’ll put dollars into that effort. The advocates of SB 5600 suggest a million dollars.

It makes no sense in any case, however, to support SB 5600 if what your company wants is to solve housing price issues. It won’t do that.

I hope that your counsel and the others will reconsider and withdraw this letter until you’ve had a chance to consider the implications which I don’t think anyone signing this letter did.

Looking forward to our conversation.

Roger—

Begin forwarded message:

From: Roger Valdez <roger@seattleforgrowth.org>
Date: February 5, 2019 at 6:05:55 PM PST
Subject: Amazon signature

Hello Denny,

I’m sorry you have to be the recipient of this but I’m not sure how to reach anyone at Amazon. I’m also sorry I don’t have this electronically (see attached).

SB 5600 is one of the most anti-landlord bills I’ve seen in a while. This language looks as if it was written by advocates of three changes to the rules, mainly lawyers who represent tenants.

The study that is quoted is dubious at best and outright misleading at worst. They’ve taken outlier cases and are attempting to impose sweeping changes that would increase risk and cost for small and medium sized landlords who provide the bulk of housing in cities like Seattle — many who work at Amazon.

This bill won’t fix anything. It will drive some smaller businesses to sell and many will have to hire management companies to deal with the problems it creates, ironically removing the human touch from the work of property management.

The most egregious comment is on the second page:

“Washington’s eviction laws are a root cause of our homelessness problems.”

No they aren’t. The lack of housing supply and over regulation are the cause of higher prices — and homelessness is a complex problem that is economic but also involves mental health and chemical dependency.

Landlords aren’t in business to evict people. And they don’t. Courts do and only as a last resort.

Mr. Zapolsky doesn’t know enough to make a determination about what causes homelessness or eviction laws anymore than I am in a position to determine where Amazon should locate its HQ2.

Would you like it if we weighed against bills Amazon was supporting this session? How about weighing in without so much as asking what the bills are about?

I think it’s reasonable to expect that Mr. Zapolsky find out what going on with this bill after talking with people on both sides. If he can’t do that, he and his colleagues should retract the letter — fast. 

This will do serious damage to discussions between stakeholders.

We’d appreciate your help with this. He’s welcome to call me anytime for direction toward people who understand the business of owning and operating rental property.

Roger