52 Replies to "ELECTION RESULTS: The hot races & issues"

• Chris August 2, 2016 (9:21 pm)

  Seems like the numbers have been updated since this post. LG is an example – http://results.vote.wa.gov/results/current/Lt-Governor.html

  • WSB August 2, 2016 (9:24 pm)

    Yes, I’ve actually just updated both governor and lt. gov. I noted that they would change through the night – other counties have different counting policies. Thanks – TR

• Fred August 2, 2016 (9:53 pm)

  How is it that housing levies continually pass here in Seattle? Are property owners really voting yes to raise their own taxes? I voted no because this local government has been terrible wrih tax dollars… Never saving for a rainy day, always quickly threatening to pull critical services, NEVER trying to just use the budget they have, ALWAYS asking for tax payers and drivers to foot the bill for those who do t drive or pay taxes…

  When will they politicos here stand up for the tax payers and work a budget with what they have like we all do??? It must me that the majority of voters in the city are renters who are too foolish to understand their tents go up every time they vote more home taxes up… 

  Lets just use the new levy money to paint rainbows on all cross walks, open up our streets even more to the nations homeless and raise those fn taxes…

  so sick of one trick pony sEattle politicians…

  • Joe Dirt August 2, 2016 (11:08 pm)

    I am continually amazed too. 

  • qc August 2, 2016 (11:18 pm)

    I know it’s frustrating when elections don’t turn out as you hoped, but blaming the results on “renters who are too foolish to understand” doesn’t hold water.

    This city has a lot of compassionate people who don’t mind spending ten bucks a month to help put a roof over the head of others less fortunate than themselves. These people include homeowners and renters alike – and they clearly form a majority of the citizens of this city.

    Signed,

    A homeowner who voted to raise my own taxes to help others

  • Alf August 3, 2016 (10:47 am)

    Tired of seeing these lies repeated. Those who don’t drive are subsidizing those who do. If people had to directly pay the actual cost of gas and roads, most of you wouldn’t be able to afford it. Miles driven are a net loss – they cost society money. 

• AMD August 2, 2016 (10:25 pm)

  I’m a homeowner and I voted for the levy because it’s paying for something we need.  Chipping in is part of being part of a community.  It’s going to cost me an extra $10 a month.  That’s well worth it to me so that more members of my community can have permanent housing.

  I don’t love the way the city handles money sometimes, but I’d prefer to fight their poor planning in a way that doesn’t take money away from important services that are used by people that didn’t even remotely contribute to the city’s budget issues.

  • Joe Dirt August 2, 2016 (11:15 pm)

    It’s $100-$200 per year per levy. It adds up over decades, not to mention all of the other nickels and dimes. I can afford it, that’s not really the point. We’re wasting millions of dollars on things that do not work, year after year, and it’s foolish people keep voting for it. It is the definiton of insanity.

    Gluttons for punishment.  A fool and their money are soon parted. But this is Seattle after all. Has anyone else read various message boards around the Sound? Seattle is the laughing stock of the county, state, and nation.

    • Gina August 3, 2016 (7:35 am)

      What? The elevated park fsiled?  But it was going to employ so few to think about it and not do anything!

    • datamuse August 3, 2016 (8:38 am)

      Has anyone else read various message boards around the Sound? Seattle is the laughing stock of the county, state, and nation.

      
      And yet, people keep moving here. Most peculiar.

      • Brian August 3, 2016 (9:09 am)

        B-b-b-b-but they’re making fun of us! ON THE INTERNET!

    • Ok then. August 3, 2016 (8:45 am)

      “Laughing stock of the nation”? Hyperbole solves nothing. Perhaps you should air your grievances in an actually constructive manner.

      As others said, if this money is not given up as such with these levies, income tax will soon be on the ballot.

      There are so many reasons the “laughing stock of the nation” is one of the most desirable places to live in the states. Maybe you need to get out more? There are countless other places in the US that have crippling crime, water shortages, no jobs, no money. I urge you to go to Chicago, Detroit, literally anywhere in Kansas, the South. Go live in Flint for a stint.

      People here cry about taxes, traffic and public transportation. You have no idea how worse things could be.

• XXX August 2, 2016 (10:59 pm)

  I agree with Fred. I’m done with these levies. 

  “It’s only $XX extra dollars!” 

  Extra dollars I don’t have anymore because every stupid levy gets approved.

  I vote no on everything now.

  • Joe Dirt August 2, 2016 (11:16 pm)

    Amen

• AceMotel August 2, 2016 (11:55 pm)

  There are approximately 500 votes between Walkinshaw and McDermott (no relation to Jim McDermott) at the moment, almost midnight on Tuesday night.  Let’s not count the chickens yet.  

• Mike August 3, 2016 (12:04 am)

  Only…only $10/month.  I pay more per month in additional taxes per month now, than my apartment rent cost me in 1997.  As a 13 year long home owner, I’m done footing the bill for no return. Time to add a rental fee tax, maybe that’ll wake a few voters up.

  • Ok then. August 3, 2016 (4:59 pm)

    As a thirteen year homeowner: how much has your property value gone up in those thirteen years? I’d love to know.

• dale August 3, 2016 (12:33 am)

  Enough with the Im a homeowner or taxpayer. All residents pay taxes. Your not privledged, you dont get two votes because of this. Stop it. PS..my mother pays more in real estate taxes for a home that is worth 40% of an average west seattle home. 

• furryfaces August 3, 2016 (1:39 am)

   I am one of the foolish home owners that voted for this measure. 

    

    

• TheKing August 3, 2016 (3:41 am)

  They are loading the mercy bullet for the working middle class as the votes are tallied. 

• 935 August 3, 2016 (5:15 am)

  YES!!

  The idiocy of the Seattle Voter shows its ignorance again. This is becoming laughable.

  “Only an extra 10 bucks a month” … I bet these are the same people who continually give money to the ‘will work for food’ sign holders…

  Congratulations Seattle Voter….you just gave a mandate to a idiot mayor (a fair representative of your short sightedness) whom many of you despise. AND – just under $300 million (yep – thats over a quarter of a BILLION dollars) to a moron, his staff and developer buddies who are “making this up as they go”. GOOD JOB!!

  I guess the mantra around here should be “when it’s everyone’s money, it’s no one’s money.

• GOP in WS August 3, 2016 (6:48 am)

  I voted against the housing levy. I’m one of the 18% who decided to vote in the primary. Pitiful turnout.

• Gene August 3, 2016 (7:29 am)

  how about we all — PAY ATTENTION to what actually gets done with the –“only $10 a month”– then meet back here when the next housing initiative comes up & see who was right/wrong. 

• Stats August 3, 2016 (7:34 am)

  • Owner-occupied housing units: 136,362 (48.1 percent)
  • Renter-occupied housing units: 147,148 (51.9 percent)
  • http://www.seattle.gov/dPd/cityplanning/populationdemographics/aboutseattle/housing/default.htm

  • Alf August 3, 2016 (10:50 am)

    You know those renters are the ones providing the property owners with the money to pay those taxes, right? It’s not as though the cost of tax isn’t passed on, especially considering the 10-30% annual increases in rent that renters are faced with 

    • West Seattle since 1979 August 3, 2016 (3:21 pm)

      Oh no, we renters have a free ride, don’t you know?  /sarcasm

    • West Seattle since 1979 August 3, 2016 (3:46 pm)

      Alf, thank you for your comment, and  I’m sorry for the snarky response.  I meant it for people who implied that property tax increases don’t impact renters. Your comment was great.  

• PBtiniB August 3, 2016 (7:45 am)

  I am another homeowner who voted FOR this levy.

  As a Seattle resident for nearly 60 years, I am happy to see that our city continues to have a heart when it comes to such issues. This levy was debated in our household since we are on fixed incomes but, in the end, the cause – and not the cost – won out. We should not be rolling up the drawbridge (even though WS may not have one anymore) and ignore those less fortunate than us.

  “The measure of a society is found in how they treat their weakest and most helpless citizens.”

• Bill Bob August 3, 2016 (7:53 am)

  If you don’t absorb these levies in property taxes, eventually a state income tax will come. Pick your poison. 

• John August 3, 2016 (8:27 am)

  Not again!!!  If it’s only $10/month then why doesn’t the City having volunteer donations.  You can mail in your $10 each month to the City…..and let those of us who know nothing will be become of it…..not donate the $10/month.

  These increases in my property tax will soon drive me out of Seattle.  I’ve lived here my whole life and I’ll soon not be able to afford it.

  It’s always one Levy after another Levy..after another! 

   

  • Brian August 3, 2016 (9:11 am)

    This is what happens when you don’t fund things in a holistic manner. The state doesn’t want to enact an income tax of any sort, so we get levies and initiatives and referendums to deal with the financial fallout.

    .

    If you don’t like it, you can run for office and try to change it. Or you can leave. Or you can keep posting inane crap here that nobody cares about. I’ve been doing it for the last 30 seconds and I feel pretty good about myself.     

• Fauntleroy cit August 3, 2016 (8:57 am)

  Democracy rocks.

• CMP August 3, 2016 (9:37 am)

  As a new homeowner (I luckily married into my house, otherwise I’d move to another state if I remained single) and former longtime renter, I voted no on on that housing levy.  The city seemed to accomplish very little with the last housing levy and now they want to increase it with seemingly no improvements?  I just don’t see enough people benefiting from it based on how housing prices have increased in the past five years.   I’d be down with with a state income tax; at least that would seem more fair based on income and not the supposed value of your home which is over inflated by the county.  Seattleites once again take the “feel good” approach over common sense.   

• Neighbor August 3, 2016 (10:05 am)

  Levy fatigue will bite this Mayor eventually, perhaps when ST3 fails. I’m more frustrated with what we get for $10/month – handouts to developers selected by the Mayor and his cronies to build what, a few hundred housing units at a cost of hundreds of millions. And of course the mayor will stack any accountability committee with his cronies, just as he did with the Move Seattle Levy. Put Shefali R and his lackeys on on a committee that is a fascade for accountability.

  • West Seattle since 1979 August 3, 2016 (11:51 am)

    I’m not a fan of the mayor either, but they can’t just build anywhere.  Many neighborhoods have height limits, including West Seattle.  Many people want their neighborhoods to stay single-family and fight against density.  (I’m sure many in West Seattle feel this way).  

    So whoever the mayor is, whoever the developers are, they can’t build as many units as are needed because of these other considerations.

• John August 3, 2016 (10:12 am)

  Where did this $10 bucks a month come from?  That’s based on a $440,000 house.  Is there such a house in Seattle?  The City just jumped my little bungalow to $630,000.  My lots only 6,000 sf with no view.

  • WSB August 3, 2016 (10:37 am)

    John – since you ask, yes, our house’s assessment (75-year-old 2 br/1 ba) is well below that. It’s on a 4,200 SF lot – 6,000 is actually kind of generous in-city! Our property-tax bill is just over $300/month, per the county website. – TR

• Norma August 3, 2016 (10:24 am)

  I’ve lived in Seattle most of my many years.  We old timers really don’t care if we’re the laughing stock of the world.  We live in paradise so why should we care.  Not that it’s anybody’s business but I’m a voter who voted for the housing measure because I believe that everyone should have a chance at affordable housing.  I voted against the elevated park because I’d rather put my money into bringing better transportation back to the neighborhoods and will not vote for any more rapid transit until this happens!

• WSRenter August 3, 2016 (11:06 am)

  We voted against it because it appears not to do enough to help and the city appears to be erratic in how to handle the issue with no good plan. As renters, we voted against it; not that any of you “holy than thou” homeowners care. 

• Fred August 3, 2016 (12:20 pm)

  QC, That is good for you if you want to help people out by paying more tax…but what if I don’t want to? If you want to help you can easily donate money to a non profit…

  Forcing those of us who to against our will doesn’t seem right…

• Fred August 3, 2016 (12:36 pm)

  QC,  And you are right…foolish is the wrong word…

• Diane August 3, 2016 (1:21 pm)

  THANK YOU Stats for the truth; more truth; renters also pay for
  property taxes & tax levies that are passed on to us via landlord rent
  increases; and actually renters pay way more than the actual property tax
  increases; renters all over Seattle have been getting rent increases of $200
  per month, $300 per month, even doubling of rent (which is forcing many
  longtime tenants out of their homes; thus “homeless” and in need of the
  services this housing levy will help provide); I live in one of the remaining
  barely affordable old apt buildings in WS; my landlord explicitly stated “need”
  to increase rent “due to property taxes and levies”; last year my rent went up
  $50 per month; this year my rent went up $60 per month; I dream of the day my
  rent would ONLY go up $10 per month, or even $20 per month, or $30 per month;
  that would be a god-send

• Diane August 3, 2016 (1:23 pm)

  PbtiniB; THANK YOU for your wonderful heartfelt comment; I
  am also on fixed income, but will have to work til I die to supplement my SS
  retirement; with each rent increase I have to work an extra shift per month
  JUST to pay the increase; and those of us on SS retirement got ZERO cost-of-living
  increase this year; and yet the rent goes up

• WSRenter August 3, 2016 (1:50 pm)

  Oh, and I forgot to mention the $700/month rent increase we were hit with. Needless to say we are out.

• K. Davis August 3, 2016 (2:25 pm)

  To all the anti-levy folks who are so outraged at the “stupid” mayor and supposedly systemic mismanagement of local government, etc., I applaud your passion and encourage you to act further on your strongly-held beliefs … do move away.  Move to a conservative paradise where levies are voted down and local government works so well to meet civic needs.  

  Try Mississippi.  I hear things are most excellent there.  

• wetone August 3, 2016 (5:25 pm)

  And people wonder why rent and housing cost keep climbing. Seattle government must be laughing at the low turn out, knowing they will get just want they want. I wonder how many people paid attention and read up on this levy to see REAL cost to home owners ? actual cost to home owners is going to much higher than Seattle gov said it to be. How about the last $930mil. levy ? not hearing much talk since they got the money. I know is my wages surely aren’t keeping up with these levy’s and soon coming utility increases.  Can’t wait for Mayor Patchwork and city council to basically throw out single family zoning in Seattle and the fact that they say it will help lower housing cost, when in reality it helps builders and gives Seattle gov more tax income…..lowering housing cost …. not. Results for Seattle people will be worse traffic and livelihood’s.  Wake up people, don’t complain if your to lazy to vote. It’s the only way to change things.

  K.Davis you must work for Mayor Patchwork or be a builder ?  Why should I and most other blue collar or poor be forced to sell our homes because we can’t afford the increased (levy’s)taxes ? many have owned their homes 20-30yrs if not longer. Seattle has a big problem that’s growing quickly and will soon be the land of the wealthy, one minded bullish arrogant people …….   

  • AMD August 3, 2016 (6:53 pm)

    There’s nothing to wonder about.  The reason they’re climbing is demand far outweighs supply.  Renters and home buyers alike are essentially bidding the price up as they accept less and less for their money in the name of just finding somewhere–anywhere–to live.  

    Houses didn’t drop to values in the hundreds of dollars in Detroit because the city did away with taxes, they did because the demand for them evaporated as scores of people left the area.  That’s how supply and demand works.

• Junctionite August 3, 2016 (6:20 pm)

  My property taxes went up 15% last year, my pay went up 2% and I’m probably lucky. I voted against the levy, but I knew it wouldn’t matter, that it would pass anyways.

• K. Davis August 3, 2016 (6:28 pm)

  @wetone … nope neither a builder, nor a particular fan of the mayor’s.  In fact,  I’m a homeowner who voted to raise my own taxes because, as an adult, I understand that government is neither perfect nor a panacea, but do understand that we need to pay for these things.  So I vote against my own self-interest (if I define that selfishly as only what keeps the most money in my pocket) … becauseI don’t view it that way – my sense of self-interest recognizes the benefit I get from supporting the common good.  Hence my amusement at the caterwauling about not being able to afford your house because of a few dollars on a levy.  Sorry – not buying it. 

  Likewise, unimpressed by you and your friends here who can do no more than call people names (love the “wealthy, one minded bullish arrogant” line … so perfectly silly).   

  You don’t like how government runs?  Then participate.  Run for office.  Push your ideas and see if people will vote for you.  Nope … not gonna happen is it?  You’ll just sit around and anonymously call people names and say nothing of substance.  

• Winnie August 3, 2016 (8:24 pm)

  I’ve been a reader of wsb for years but never commented. I’m a native Seattleite. Woman of color. First time home owner. And life long liberal. I also fall into the band of income that would qualify me for housing assistance in the guidelines of this levy. I was lucky enough to be able to buy a condo a little more than two years ago. And grateful that I would have a place to live with stable housing costs. Since then, there have been several levies that add to my monthly housing costs. And the value of my condo has gone up about 30%. Why is the argument always, “it’s just 10$ a month?”  It’s not! There are a least three levies just this year that will raise my property taxes apart from the actual rise in rates. My condo is an asset. Not a source of income for me. Is the city trying to price me out too? And where will I go if I can no longer pay my taxes? I guess I’ll get them back when I have to apply for housing assistance. There should be an income tax. 

• TheKing August 4, 2016 (12:25 am)

  I hear you Winnie. If you read some of the comments by people who voted for this levy, they are saying you should just leave if you don’t like it. One day they too will be on a fixed income when property taxes take up 15-20% of their income. Then they will be faced with the irony of moving elsewhere. 

• Rusty August 4, 2016 (12:43 pm)

  To all the folks who get to ‘feel good’ about voting for this levy, I have a couple questions. 10 years ago we were promised that by passing the previous levy, we could ‘fix’ the homeless problem. 10 years later, they have no actual plan (as our wonderful mayor has said so himself), and the problem is not only not ‘fixed’, it is much much worse, and getting more grim every day. Now they came and asked for twice the amount of the previous levy (not just replacing it, but doubling it) to again ‘fix’ the problem of homelessness in Seattle.  So, in effect, our city government has no plan and has done nothing but exacerbate the homeless issues we have in this city. At what point do you start demanding accountability? At what point do you realize that you’re not really helping anyone by doubling down on failure? If there was an actual, workable plan to help those who want help and make it uncomfortable for those who don’t, I could support that. Supporting the doubling down of failure that doesn’t actually help people wouldn’t make me ‘feel good’, so how is it that you can bury your heads in the sand and just say you’re doing something, when all you’re really doing is subsidizing waste and failure?

Sorry, comment time is over.