Eff rent control. The people who buy the property take all the risk, unless the Seattle City Government is going to make up the difference, eff rent control. I want to drive a Ferrari and live on Greenlake, but I CAN'T AFFORD IT.

Another example of "Profiles in Cowardice" by typical two-faced politicians. They give lip service to their constituents, but do everything they can not to offend their real-estate/developer overlords.

This is why we should not endorse Ms. Resting Bitch Face.

Call John Okamoto's office and ask that he bring the Resolution calling on the State to lift its ban on Rent Control to a vote.
Phone: 206-684-8802

A Resolution?

Really???

I'm sure the Legislature, particularly the Republican-controlled Senate, will take prompt action on this 'request'

Oh FFS. Stop breathlessly covering this ridiculous grandstanding effort. My own view is that rent control probably causes more problems than it solves in the long run, especially in a place where zoning politics is local and NIMBYs have some real power like Seattle, but even if it were the best idea since sliced bread, it's perfectly obvious Olympia isn't going to give it to us. In such an environment, politicians who continue to press the issue are grandstanding. They're harming the effort to address the issue by ignoring the tools we actually do have, and whining about the ones we don't. It's cheap, easy, pandering. I appreciate that this paper generally backs Sawant and has some very good reasons to do, many of which I also support. But don't be her cheerleading section; make her be a better politician by not playing her game with this sideshow.

"Temporary Council Member" isn't a title. And the Seattle City Council passing a resolution telling our half-Republican Legislature what they want them to do doesn't change state law.

@ 9

Because property taxes are the only expenses that rise each year for property owners, right?

What about maintenance and repair expenses? Utilities? Inflation? COLA? Insurance? HOA's?

literally nobody proposes rent control the way it was posed in the EMI poll: i.e. counterposed to a "broad-based" approach. Both Licata and Sawant propose rent control be part of a broad-based approach. Therefore, I think the EMI poll is inaccurate about the level of support for rent control in the city. A better question would have been "Do you support rent control as part of a broad-based approach?"

So why not by-pass Mr. Okamoto all together and start a citizens initiative and bring the matter to a vote of the people? If rent control is really that popular it would be a shoe-in. After all, the 15 NOW people were ready to do it for raising the minimum wage.