Only one out of five Seattle residents rides the bus on a regular basis. We have, right now, ways we can increase bus ridership even as we work on long-term light rail, monorail and other forms of transportation. Housing prices are soaring. Seniors feel forced out of homes they worked hard to acquire. Keeping good-paying industrial jobs in Seattle and keeping affordable housing stock from being demolished and getting our share of state and federal housing dollars are ways we can solve the housing problem for working families.
Crime is down but homelessness is a major problem in several neighborhood commercial areas.
Solutions to homelessness are erecting hygiene centers, funding our community mental health clinics and elevating our expectations for behavior. Using our jails for social ills is the most expensive and least-effective way to solve the problem. Seattle has a long history of people working together to find solutions to big issues. We changed the way we disposed of garbage and became the model for recycling. We went from a city of green lush summer lawns to water conservation because we know the importance of water quality and supply.