The majority of Seattle supports this city council and has no real issues with the council taking a firmer hand in the council chambers. The super loud cohort of individuals, dressed often like circus characters, throwing temper tantrums doesn't need nearly as much air time as they have been getting. Just because you feel something strongly doesn't mean you get whatever you please (time, attention, etc). Strictness by the council is a reaction to the circus, the tantrums.

In addition to the circus dressed people, there is one more awesome cast of characters the professional graduate and law degreed staff that executive direct the numerous, near zero-impact non profits ...many of whom.... I socialize with and would be horrified to know I'm writing this note. These people are so deep in their high ground morality belief systems absolutely smitten with the intersectional theories they studied at their liberal arts undergrad followed by their righteous grad degrees they fail to clock what the majority of professional Seattle sees: They are delivering no results and we aren't interested in their morally indignant, theory steeped speeches. We could write your speech for you at this point my friends. We get it. You deeply understand the complexities of poverty and no one else does. Word.

Both groups -the yelling circus people and the morality police overly educated no results executive directors tell themselves stories about their intense moral superiority over every other sector of seattle (aka the majority of us) and listening to them over kombucha drinks (the circus group) or wine (the exec director group) is an amazing exercise in patience. The only critical thinking they exercise is a religious devotion to comparing whether an idea being discussed over drinks directly correlates to their book learning and theories. If yes, then the idea is permitted. They continue to deliver no impact. And amazingly, no new ideas are allowed in. Ever.

Thank you to the council for taking a strict approach with the yelling, weeping, no impact circus. Thank you for beginning to clean up the city. Thank you and keep going.
Signed,
Literally everyone except them & their ideological buddies.

@1 nicely written - +1

I love the references to "last year's council" by the authors. Last year's council got voted out of office by the majority of Seattle voters. It was in all the papers... even this one.

You don't get any special rights just because you want to yell the loudest whether you are Alex Tisserman or whatever "cause du jour" from the far left.

"Listen to All Voices" = "Ignore the majority of voters, listen to these special interests instead."

As a long-time council observer, I think there is something to be said for Our Dear Peachesseattle comment. While I'm not as draconian as they are, I think it makes much more sense for an advocacy group to have one spokesperson who can represent them during public comments (the rest of that group can and should be in the audience, but there to support their spokesperson, not bloviate on their own.)

Theatrics do sometimes have a place. The grassroots youth protest against the Teen Dance Ordinance is probably the gold standard for that, but it was both kids and fun. Lines of angry adults spouting incoherent nonsense do nothing for a cause.

I agree with what you want, but this message won't move this council. They are playing Monopoly and you are quoting D&D rules at them. "Equity" and "Community" don't tug on their heartstrings. If you don't frame it in the impact to business, safety, or budget...they don't care. It sucks, but a more effective message is: cutting services and affordability in the city leads to more homelessness, crime, and population drain that will sabotage our city's growth. The city runs on working class $ and by ignoring the working class they are jeopardizing the city's funding base.

"Seattle needs more public comment, actually" - the nonprofit industrial complex grifters who fill up public comment

@7 Lol. You: looks at a council backed by millionaires and billionaires...rants about the "nonprofit industrial complex". wtaf do you think you are talking about?

Hear hear @1!

And I would add, just because the council doesn't do what you want doesn't mean they didn't hear you. They heard you, and told you "no."

City council: thanks for the invite but we’ll be rsvp’ing no.

@8 not even remotely true. To insinuate that is to claim the majority of Seattle voters are mindless idiots. Not a great look.

@8 "Rant" lol. Nice false redirect tho

@8 I am a liberal who backs our current city council. And I am as far from a millionaire as it gets. Try again.