Posted on 10/15/2021 12:19:23 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
A New York Times headline this week said, “As Big Tech Grows in the Pandemic, Seattle Grows With It.” Yet the story mostly refers to the Eastside, while Seattle’s downtown remains in trouble. [snip]
This isn’t surprising considering Seattle made itself less competitive in the region by passing a business tax that would apply to higher salaries on about 800 companies (although sold as the “Amazon tax”).
At the same time, crime is increasing, and increasingly tolerated by City Hall. So is homelessness, which has gotten worse despite hundreds of millions spent to supposedly address it. These are citywide problems but ones most felt downtown.
Earlier this month, Weyerhaeuser said it would delay returning employees to its Pioneer Square headquarters without “significant and sustained improvements in neighborhood safety.”
They’re hardly alone. The downtown IGA Kress and Bergman Luggage were among those who closed because employees were afraid of downtown. The stretch of Third Avenue from Pine past Benaroya Hall is a zombie-movie-come-true of addicts, tent dwellers and verbal threats.
Meanwhile, Nicole Thomas-Kennedy, candidate for City Attorney, is running as an “abolitionist” who would essentially stop prosecuting many categories of crime which she blames on poverty or disability. Victorious, she would offer no protection to companies or employees hoping to return to the office here.
The difference with the Eastside couldn’t be more stark or work more potently against Seattle.
It’s impossible to know when the pandemic will come under control. But if Seattle’s central business district is fatally wounded, it won’t be because of COVID-19.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.com ...
Only one word in response to that headline ... “duh!”
I worked 25 years for WY in their HQ.
They had their HQ in near-by Federal Way, WA. As the company transformed, they did not need the size of a HQ footprint so decided to move to Seattle's Pioneer Square. I think they thought this would also revitalize an already vagrant sh^thole. Also in doing so, the CEO said they were locating to "where the talent is".
Good to see that their vision is paying off.
Let us review what Ted Cruz said of a colleague of this cray-cray Leftist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La7ZJ6k_XEg
Not going to prosecute, always decline to prosecute: Trespass, Shoplifting, Larceny, Disorderly Conduct, Receiving Stolen Property, Driving with a Suspended License, Breaking and Entering (if vacant property to seek shelter), Breaking and Entering (into an occupied property to seek shelter), Wanton and Malicious Destruction of Property, Making Threats, Minor in Possession of Alcohol, Marijuana and Paraphernalia, Being a Dealer, Possession of Other Drugs, or Selling Those (apparently), and also Resisting Arrest.
About 15 years ago there began a movement of businesses leaving Seattle to across the lake in Bellevue. They were typically ridiculed. Turned out to have been one of the smartest moves out there.
… Good to see that their vision is paying off...
lol
Let them wallow in the septic pit they have created.
Whatever else you can say about Ted Cruz (my senator) you cannot say he isn’t plain spoken, hard hitting and unafraid to express it.
Why would any rational, decent person voluntarily live or locate a business in a Democrat run urban location?
“Addicts, tent dwellers and verbal threats”
Oh…..
The Democrat Party Convention.
That Federal Way building is very cool. I wonder who’s in it now.
My son owns an internet company that employs around 40 IT developers. His Lake Union area lease expired in January of 2021 and he didn’t renew. It’s all WFH now (including him) and, to really put an exclamation point on it, he’s hired his last Seattle area employee. From here on out he’s getting them from tier 3 or tier 2 markets. They give roughly the same quality for roughly half the price.
When I worked downtown Seattle I remember it shifted into a parallel universe after six PM. All the urban area kids came into town on the free metro buses and made it a very dangerous area. This was around 20 years ago.
I doubt it’s gotten better.
Seattle is toast, burnt to a crisp. No good reason to go there anymore.
Yeah no kidding
I’m very interested in your post but I can’t read the article because I’m not a subscriber to the Seattle Times. Is there some other source where we can read it? Otherwise, your post is just a tease, with nothing there, there.
I’m not a subscriber either, but was able to read the full article. Can’t help you.
Last Seattle Mayor that was a Republican:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_d‘Orma_Braman
He was also a friend of my wife’s parents back in the day.
These are the people who think we’ve shifted to the Right rather than we’ve not changed and they’re now so far to the Left that they probably think McGovern was right of center.
Best thing that could happen to Seattle now would be a major eruption of Rainer that buried it in mud and lava.
I used to spend a couple thou a year on tourism there. Ball games. Dining. Museum. Hotels. Christmas shopping week end. Etc.
In 2019 (before covid) we decided no more. After dinner in the Pike Place area, we narrowly missed a shooting on 2d avenue by minutes. It wasn’t “seattle” any more.
Multiply our lost tourism dollars by some factor, plus the office workers who are not buying lunches and shopping, and the B&O tax drop off has to be ‘uuuuge.
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