Our mental health crisis system is in crisis. Photos: GETTY. Design: Anthony Keo.

Comments

2

I will vote to approve this but vote against the next property tax levy. We can’t afford everything.

3

This is gonna be a no from me. My property taxes are up 35% in the last two years. I don't dispute the need but every time the county wants to do something they just throw another tax on the ballot. Start smaller and use existing revenues. On top of that I look on how they have managed the homeless effort and I have little faith the money will be used wisely.

4

I know someone who worked at DESC in Belltown. They were assaulted more than once. It’s tough work. Are there too many screaming psychotic people wandering the streets and yelling? Yes.
As far as the tax hike goes, I’d rather spend money on mental health beds, rather than “low income housing” that never actually gets built.

6

Given that we should be prioritizing Fentanyl addition and making transit safety a priority, moral clarity dictates a no vote.

7

Anyone who votes no on this is hereby disqualified from complaining about mentally ill homeless people ever again.

9

@8 I was able to find this description after some googlating:

A mental health crisis is when someone’s behaviors prevent them from functioning or indicate they might harm themselves or others.

A crisis can feel overwhelming, and it might seem as if the coping skills you usually have no longer work.

Psychiatric crises and emergencies are unique to the person, but they can look similar in how a person experiences and behaves during the crisis.

Many people are unable to take care of themselves, have worsened symptoms of preexisting mental health conditions, and threaten or attempt self-harm.

Though untreated mental health conditions can lead to a crisis, it’s a misconception that this is the only time they occur. Things happen — mental health crises can occur in people without a diagnosed mental health condition and in people following a treatment plan.

11

I urge readers to look at the publically available King County 2023-2024 budget to see all the optional expenditures they've stuffed in there to AVOID spending existing funds on these mental health facilities. So much waste and overspending on lower priority concerns. They've budgeted $17,000,000 this year alone for "design and Implementation to expand EV charging infrastructure and equipment for KC fleet vehicles" at 6 locations (some of which don't have a lot of parking needs). Anyone who has an EV knows that high speed chargers are thousands of dollars each to install. But $17,000,000? Talk about fleecing. And if they need to increase their power infrastructure to install chargers, maybe delay that a few years until there are more beds for mental health patients? And $800k for converting County restrooms to all gender - again, something I support doing at some point but but MORE important than going towards the mental health crisis?

King County has a $15.8 BILLION dollar budget. Take 10 $100 bills and put them in a pile. Then make 15,800,000 more piles to show how much King County already budgets for the year. These property tax increases, with the 35% property values bump this year, are going to start causing fixed income people to lose their homes (if they haven't already) and ADD to the homeless/mental health problems they are trying to fix.

Since 2016, King County has added a property tax ballot measure about every 6 months.

Just WEEKS ago, County Executive Dow Constantine urged state legislators to TRIPLE the cap on local property-tax growth for 2024. That and more levies on the way....

13

thank you SECB i am grateful for your research and thoughtful recommendations, i just do what you say

15

@14
Sir Toby II has a point.
I am not pro-tax, but I am definitely NOT pro-grifter!

16

@7: The same goes for you. Anyone who votes YES on this is hereby disqualified from complaining about mentally ill homeless people ever again.

19

I am voting no. Dow Constadine always comes up with these marketing phrases and then nothing happens. This program will be manages the the Department of Community and Human Services does not have a Ombudsman. This is the agency that historically was suppose to solve the homeless problem. They still control poor quality housing agends's they never perform as stated. Until there is a Ombudsman program I will vote No.There is no way to make a complaint and have it independently and professionally investigated. They already mismanage the Senior and Veteran Levy funds, and no real mechanism to get their attention once they have awarded million of millions of Levy Dollars..

20

If King County needs money, l suggest getting rid of King County Metro. Tell everyone at King County Metro headquarters to pack their shit and get out. And repurpose Metro's building for homeless and mental beds. Then we can talk about increasing taxes. Dow and the other door mats allowed this crisis to happen.

Portland Oregon has ONE transit agency called tri met that serves three (tri) counties with all of their transit needs. We get stuck with SIX bloated and redundant transit agencies for our three counties. Who benefits from SIX transit agencies when one transit agency would be better for tax payors and transit riders? Government Labor Unions.

Sound Transit can provide all transit needs and provide a better system for riders.

I've noticed that Seattle Stranger is in lockstep with Government Labor Unions and their door-mats every time a candidate or tax increase in on the ballot. Does the Stranger get funding from these Labor Unions?

21

Why was this put by itself on a special election? What did that cost the taxpayers? I don't like politicians playing games by putting special levies on a single ballot matter election; put it on a regular election ballot.

23

I voted for this. In part to help people, in part because of all the self-righteous hand-wringing from the cheapskates on the right.

As for being "in crisis", come hang out in any city-owned public lobby. We get people in crisis all the time.

24

@6 - I can't think of too many things that would do more for transit safety than getting a chunk of the mentally ill people off the street. This might help.

25

Gosh, If I encountered any of these people on SECB in a dark alley (except Matt and Jaz), I would shit my pants. Especially Han-han.

26

If The Stranger wants you to vote approve, then vote disapprove. Obviously what’s been going on in Seattle is not working. The entire city needs a pressure washing, no more entitlement programs, no more services for the homeless. The left have made complete fools out of everyone living in Seattle. Stop with the performative allyship. Wake up and look around at the mess you have created.


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