When you take something without paying for it, that is typically called theft. For some reason, the idea that telling people to take their housing without paying for it, doesn’t seem like theft to some people. In fact, they might even argue that because housing is a “right,” rent is theft. This is the kind of thinking that has led Councilmember Kshama Sawant to urge people to not pay their rent next month. That’s urging theft. And the car rally she’s organizing for the non-payment is a violation of the Governor’s stay at home order.

We’ve requested a response on these two issues from the Seattle Ethics and Election Commission (SEEC). The question about free speech isn’t an interesting one. Anyone can say just about anything and it’s hard to stop them or create consequences for it. Maybe that’s a good thing. But our question is whether Sawant should be using City resources to urge theft and a violation of the order, which plainly states that non-essential activities are prohibited. This is a narrower question. Here’s our letter.

Ethics complaint from Roger Valdez

Housing providers across Seattle, the state, and the country are trying to keep people housed and healthy during this time. Now is not the time to be urging people to make that more difficult or to hurt people who work hard to build, manage, and operate rental housing. It’s time to bring this irresponsible behavior to a halt. We hope the SEEC will step in.