Seattle is Dying

Economics
Link to film (60 minutes)

VOCAB: Unintended Consequences: is that actions of people—and especially of

government—that have effects that are unanticipated or unintended. Examples:
Minimum wage, seatbelt laws, Happy Meal Laws, Corn subsidies

Describe a time in your life when a choice you made had an unintended consequence:
So I graduated 8th grade back in 2017. My friends and I decided to go all out and
enjoy one another’s presence one more time. Long story short I was in an accident
and was hospitalized for two weeks.

Describe the problems Seattle is facing?

What was once a beautiful city has become the epitome of the word embarrassing
due to the fact that its overrun by poverty.

What are some of the underlying causes of the problems Seattle is facing? How is the
City of Seattle’s policies causing this problem to get worse?
They’ve stripped police of their authority and the higher ups say to call 911 ro

Describe some potential solutions:

In California, our economy has improved AND government spending on homeless and
government housing has increased, however the number of homeless is still
increasing? What policies might be contributing California’s worsening problem?
(Possible answers: AB 109 in 2011 moved some felons from State Prison to County
Jails, Proposition 47 in 2014 reduced felony convictions to misdemeanors for crimes
such as drug possession and theft under $950 ), Proposition 57 in 2016 repeat
offenders who exhibit good behavior in jail can be released early, AB 2942 in 2018 gives
prosecutors the discretion to review cases and recommend a sentence reduction, San
Francisco’s 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Homeless Can Sleep On Public Property
Without Citation ) Now the State is considering forcing cities to offer housing for the
homeless.

What can California learn from Seattle?:

Read this below quote:

“As a formerly homeless person in NYC and LA, I have a unique perspective. In all of the
years that I lived on the streets, I never once met a fellow homeless person who was out
there because an unexpected car repair or because their rent went up $100 a month. Folks
like that usually have a network to tap into for assistance or worst case scenario, they'd
relocate to a less expensive area before sleeping under a bridge or in a stinky alley. The
vast majority of street homeless people are struggling with substance abuse and/or mental
health issues. If we don't effectively address those issues, we're destined to fail.
As for the increase in homeless in the midst of the greatest and most prolonged economic
growth in American history, I can easily explain that. Cities that offer the most robust
assistance to homeless attract homeless people from all over the country and world. They
create a form of homeless tourism. Walk around any skid row area and you'll find that a
large number of its inhabitants are out of towners.” - Kacy Knight •

What advice does Kacy Knight, a former homeless person, have for us? (see above)

The end