>>>
>>> SO
>>> SO THIS WEEK SEATTLE LEADERSHIP REPEALED THE
CONTROVERSIAL BUSINESS HEAD TAX
THAT IT PASSED LESS THAN A
MONTH AGO.
MONTH AGO. THIS HAS CERTAINLY GOT FOLKS ON
BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE
TALKING.
TALKING.
TALKING. SEATTLE UNIVERSITY POLITICAL
SCIENCE PROFESSOR MICHAEL LOWE
IS HERE TO HELP US UNDERSTAND
WHAT IS GOING ON.
IT'S CONTROVERSIAL AND IT'S
CONFUSING.
CONFUSING. FIRST OF ALL, WHY IS IT CALLED
A HEAD TAX.
>> THEY'RE TRYING TO MEASURE IT
BY EMPLOYEE.
BY EMPLOYEE. IT'S AN EMPLOYEE HOURS TAX, BUT
THE HEAD COUNT, COUNTING THE
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES AND TAXING
A BUSINESS ON THAT MEASURE.
>> WHAT WAS ITS INTENT?
THE FIRST ONE WAS IN 06 FOR
ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION
ISSUES.
ISSUES.
ISSUES. THAT WAS REPEALED VERY QUICKLY
AFTERWARDS.
AFTERWARDS. THIS ONE WAS FOR HOMELESSNESS
SERVICES, 8% 0% FOR HOUSING.
THE COUNCIL WAS LOOKING FOR
MONEY AND THEY TAXED
APPROPRIATELY IN THEIR MIND.
>> WHO WERE THEY TAXING.
>> BUSINESSES OVER 20,000
THRESHOLD.
THRESHOLD. 500 BUSINESSES IN THE AREA.
AMAZON WAS THE POSTER CHILD,
BUT YOU SAW A LOCALLY OWNED
GROCERY STORE SAYING WE'RE
GOING TO BE HIT BY THIS AS
WELL.
WELL.
WELL. >>
WELL. >> AMAZON WAS THE FACE OF THE
OPPOSITION, BUT THERE WERE LOTS
OF BUSINESSES SAYING THIS IS
NOT A GREAT IDEA.
>> AND ONES WHO WERE NOT MAKING
AS MUCH AS AMEND MIGHT BE AS
WELL.
WELL.
WELL. >>
WELL. >> WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THE
PASSAGE AND THE REPEAL?
>> A POLITICAL COMET STRUCK THE
EARTH.
EARTH.
EARTH. RIGHT BEFORE THE VOTE PASSED
YOU STARTED TO SEE A GROUND
SWELL COME UP.
THERE WAS ALREADY POLLING THAT
I THINK THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY
HAD THAT SHOWED THERE WAS
SOMETHING GOING ON IN SEATTLE
THAT I THINK SUPPORTERS OF THE
HEAD TAX WERE NOT NECESSARILY
TRACKING OR DIDN'T BELIEVE WAS
ACTUALLY GOING TO OCCUR.
>> WHAT WAS THAT?
>> HOMEOWNERS THAT ARE USUALLY
NOT POLITICALLY INVOLVED AT
ALL, MY NEIGHBORS ARE SO
FRUSTRATED WITH THE ENCAMPMENTS
AND OTHER THINGS ABOUT THE
HOMELESS ISSUE IN THE CITY OF
SEATTLE, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING
FOR A LIGHTNING ROD AND THIS
TAX BECAME IT.
IT IS A FASCINATING MOMENT
BECAUSE THIS TAX WAS SUPPOSED
TO ADDRESS WHAT THEY'RE
FRUSTRATED WITH, YET THIS IS
EXACTLY THE GROUP YOU SAW COME
OUT AT THE BALLARD TOWN HALL
AFTER THE TAX PASSED THAT WAS
ALMOST A RIOT.
>> WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS,
BREAK THIS DOWN FOR ME.
I HONESTLY DON'T THINK I
UNDERSTAND THIS AS FULLY AS I
SHOULD.
SHOULD.
SHOULD. WHAT IS THE ARGUMENT FOR A HEAD
TAX?
TAX?
TAX? THIS
TAX? THIS IS SOMETHING BE DONE IN
OTHER COMMUNITIES AS WELL.
>> WE HAVE VERY FEW TAX OPTIONS
IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY FORM OF
INCOME TAX.
INCOME TAX. THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE VERY MANY
TOOLS.
TOOLS.
TOOLS. I
TOOLS. I SPOKE TO A COUNCIL MEMBER
BEFORE GETTING ON, AND THEY
SAID I GET A HUNDRED CALLS
ABOUT HOMELESSNESS.
ABOUT HOMELESSNESS. I HAVE TREMENDOUS PRESSURE TO
ADDRESS IT.
ADDRESS IT. THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW TOOLS I
HAD.
HAD.
HAD. THAT'S THE PRO SIDE.
THE OPPOSITION INVERSELY WERE
SAYING WE DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'RE
SPENDING THIS MONEY.
WE DON'T THINK YOU'RE DOING
WORK THAT'S VERY EFFECTIVE
ANYWAY, SO WHY GO OUT AND GET
MORE MONEY IF YOU'RE NOT USING
IT EFFECTIVELY ANYWAY.
>> THEY WEREN'T AGAINST TRYING
TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT
HOMELESSNESS, THEY JUST DIDN'T
TRUST THIS MECHANISM IS THE
RIGHT ONE FOR IT.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
>> I DON'T THINK ANYBODY NODS.
THE PRO SIDE, TWO COUNCIL
MEMBERS DUG IN AND WOULDN'T
VOTE FOR A REPEAL, ARE SAYING
YOU NEED TO REPLACE THIS WITH
SOMETHING, WHICH WAS NOT DONE.
THERE ARE 7 COUNCIL MEMBERS
THAT MAY HAVE VOTED TO REPEAL
FOR OTHER REASONS, A, IT WAS
GOING ON THE BALLOT AND LIKELY
WOULD BE REPEALED IN NOVEMBER.
AND FROM HAVING THIS GROUND
SWELL, WAITING TO GO VOTE WITH
SOME ANGER AGAINST THE
GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT. YOU SAW THAT PLAYING OUT OTHER
THE WEEKEND, AND THAT'S WHAT I
BELIEVE LED TO THIS VOTE TO
REPEAL.
REPEAL.
REPEAL. >> ARE THERE REASONABLE
ALTERNATIVES OR MAYBE A BETTER
QUESTION IS NOW THAT WE WENT
HERE AND TOOK IT BACK, IS THERE
AT LEAST MAYBE A THOUGHT THAT
LET'S GET EVERYBODY AT THE
TABLE AND WORK OUT SOMETHING
THAT EVERYBODY CAN ACCEPT.
>> I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE.
THERE HAS BEEN.
THE PROBLEM IS WE CURRENTLY
HAVE A HOUSING LEVEE, A
PROPERTY TAX THAT HAS BEEN
SUCCESSFUL FOR DECADES.
THAT'S IN PROCESS.
DO WE GO BACK TO PROPERTY TAX?
PROPERTY TAXES ARE HIGH IN
SEATTLE RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S WHY THE COUNCIL WENT
HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
REALLY, YOU HAVE A LOT OF
DISCUSSION MOVING TOWARDS IS
SEATTLE OVERLY MADE FOR SINGLE
FAMILY HOMES.
FAMILY HOMES. YOU CAN SEE THE BUSINESS
COMMUNITY SAYING 70% OF THE
CITY, YOU CAN'T BUILD ANYTHING
MORE THAN ONE HOUSE.
SHOULD WE LOOK AT DUPLEXES OR
TRIPLEXES.
TRIPLEXES. ALL OF THAT IS ON THE TABLE AND
MAY BE WHERE PART OF THE
DISCUSSION GOES.
DISCUSSION GOES. >> IT'S SO COMPLEX.
DO WE HAVE A UNIQUELY BAD
PROBLEM WITH HOMELESSNESS IN
THIS CITY, IN THIS AREA.
>> NO, I THINK THE WEST COAST
HAS A CHALLENGE FROM VANCOUVER
BC TO SAN DIEGO.
TEMPERATE CLIMATE, PROGRESSIVE
CITIES THAT ARE PROVIDING
SERVICES AND I THINK YOU HAVE A
LOT OF CITIES AROUND SEATTLE
THAT AREN'T DOING AS MUCH FOR
HOMELESSNESS.
HOMELESSNESS. WE MIGHT SEE SOME OF THEIR
RESIDENTS.
RESIDENTS. WE'RE TRYING TO TACKLE MENTAL
ILLNESS, ADDICTION, ECONOMIC
INEQUALITY.
INEQUALITY. WHEN SOMEBODY IS FRUSTRATED
ABOUT HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY,
LET'S TALK ABOUT ISSUES, IT'S
HARD.
HARD.
HARD. IT'S GOING TO TAKE RESOURCES TO
FIX THEM.
FIX THEM.
FIX THEM. THIS CAMP THAT IS UPSET ABOUT
THE TAX MAY BE AT ODDS WITH THE
BUSINESS COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT
THE NEXT STEP IS AS WELL.
>>> I HAVE HEARD PEOPLE ARGUE,
TECH HAS COME IN.
PROPERTY VALUES COME UP.
IT MAKES IT HARDER TO BUILD
AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE NEED ALL OF THESE
CONSTITUENCIES ON AN ANSWER,
DON'T WE.
DON'T WE.
DON'T WE. >> WE DO.
>> WE DO.
>> WE DO. ON ONE SIDE, THERE WERE PEOPLE
WHO SAID CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
HERE, YOU NEED TO PARTICIPATE,
BUT THERE ARE ALSO PEOPLE WHO
WERE HERE WHEN THAT BILLBOARD
WENT UP AND SAID WHEN THE LAST
PERSON LEAVES SEATTLE, PLEASE
TURN OUT THE LIGHTS.
AND WHY WOULD WE ISSUE JOBS.
THAT'S A REALLY DIFFICULT
DISCUSSION TO HAVE WITH PEOPLE.
I UNDERSTAND IT.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY CAN TELL
YOU WHAT THE NEXT STEP IS.
>> WELL, I HOPE WE GET
SOMEWHERE WITH THIS.
I UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BETTER
BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE RIGHT
NOW.
NOW.
NOW. I
NOW. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER
IS.
IS.
IS. I
IS. I DON'T HAVE AN OPINION ABOUT
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. I'M
THIS. I'M CURIOUS, WHAT DOES THIS DO
TO THE WORKING DYNAMICS OF THE
CITY COUNCIL NOW AND THE MAYOR?
>> I HAVE A LOT OF EMPATHY FOR
BOTH CAMPS.
BOTH CAMPS. THEY BOTH TOOK A LOT OF SLINGS
AND ROARS IN ALL OF THIS.
THE COUNCIL WAS TRYING TO AGREE
ON THE WORST TOPIC IN THE CITY
OF SEATTLE.
OF SEATTLE. THE I THINK THE MAYOR INHERITED
THIS SHIP PRIOR TO SAILING AND
THEY NEGOTIATED THE 275-DOLLAR
HEAD TAX, VERSUS 500 AND PASSED
IT, AND ALL HECK BROKE LOOSE.
THEY REPEALED IT, TRYING TO
PROTECT THE LEVEE.
AND I THINK IN BOTH CASES, THE
MAYOR AND COUNCIL MADE THE BEST
DECISION OF BAD DECISIONS.
>> WE WISH THEM LUCK