Summer events create concern over cleanliness of Ballard Commons Park

08/08/2018 Meghan Walker Ballard

Tomorrow (Thursday, August 9) is the first installment of the Ballard Commons Park summer movies series, and there’s been some concern among residents about the cleanliness of the park. A number of My Ballard readers have reported seeing discarded needles at the park on various occasions. A comment thread in the My Ballard Group had members writing with widely different takes on the issue; one person said they’ve been visiting the park for a decade without any needle sightings.

So, My Ballard checked in with Seattle Parks and Recreation to hear what they’ve found in the park.

Seattle Parks crews clean the park three times a day, and regularly do a sweep to look for needles. In the past three months, they’ve picked up and logged six needles total; three in May, none in June, and three in July. A spokesperson from Seattle Parks says many of the homeless who use the park pick up needles themselves. At each visit, Parks staff remove trash and recycling and pick up litter.

Anytime there is an event scheduled at one of Seattle’s parks, they send crews to do a thorough cleanup ahead of time. “Park’s staff receive a list of all park events in their region and try their best to clean the park in advance of any events,” Rachel Schulkin from Seattle Parks said. “The northwest crew is spread between Green Lake, Carkeek, Golden Gardens, and Ballard Commons all of which have quite a few summer events. But Colleen, the Crew Chief, assured me that they will make sure to put the summer movie series on their list.”

If you see discarded needles in public parks, Seattle Parks recommends you contact the Parks Maintenance Request Line at 206-684-7250. If you choose to address the problem yourself, follow these guidelines on safe handling and disposal.

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Guest

Anthony Scott

Maybe the Nav Team could shadow them and sweep up some discarded junkies as well.

Guest

LINDA SORIANO

NIMBY Anthony Scott, keeps spewing anti-homeless comments on My Ballard Group too.

Guest

Anthony Scott

I will always be a proud NIMBY when it comes to criminal activity.

Member

hayduke

LOL, that one got you 7 downvotes from the hug-a-thug crowd. How dare you be against criminal activity in your backyard!

Member

hayduke

Ooh, summer movies at the Commons! Let’s see, what would be appropriate for the venue? “Requiem for a Dream?” “Basketball Diaries?” “Ttainspotting?”

And btw, is the parks department responsible for getting needles out of the Honey Bucket?

Member

Uff da

They honey bucket vendor gets to fish for needles and alot of other disgusting stuff in, on or around the units, and the City probably pays extra for that. You know, in addition to about $1,00 or more a month to swamp out the potties. I sure hope they pay the truck driver extra for the stuff he deals with every day.

Member

Paintking

People ARE getting wealthy on the backs of these people. If you made $100K a year working for the city on homelessness, and more, would you want this mess to end?

Member

Toad (of Toad Hall)

How about “Interview With The Vampire”? I’m thinking Kshama.
Or “Falling Down”? Here I’m going with Mike O’Brien!
And there’s “Meatballs. ” Our illustrious City Clowncil.

Member

heybige

Three times a day?! I mean, that’s great “customer service” but sheesh, it sucks they have to do it so often.

Guest

Mitch

I’m sure this statement of fact will upset some, but heroin addiction makes people poop. A lot. Hence, the need to frequently pump out the port-a-pottys. Sorry, folks. Look it up.

Guest

Mitch

Are these people mad at heroin for giving addicts diarrhea, or mad at me for pointing it out? Hard to tell.

Member

Pork Pie

I thought horse gummed you up. William S. Burroughs talked about having stools like porcelain…terribly hard to pass. Now coke on the other hand…

Guest

Embarrassed for Seattle

1) Seattle Parks need “rangers” to keep the scuzzy behavior out and keep the place clean. Other places do this, but for some reason we don’t. Seems basic, but you know this being Seattle obvious solutions are somehow impossible

2) Filling the city up with junkie criminals and then being shocked at their mess and rampant criminality is sheer stupidity. This is what you get when you cede space to antisocial losers.

Who should we thank for this? The Democrats? The social justice commies? O’Brien? Bagshaw? Sawant? We have been in a “crisis situation” since Murray and NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE except shiny happy Durkan Twitter nonsense and attempts to raise taxes. Have some pride, you spineless enablers. Pathetic.

I guess, though, that the robberies, rapes and murders, attacks on tourists and children and random mayhem weren’t enough so just go about your dog parent blinkered iPhone lives and pretend everything is ok. Terminal narcissism meets peak liberal arrogance.

Guest

Rose

Great post

Guest

I am not harvey

I agree

Guest

doom

how is this just now becoming a concern.. is this the first visit to the park?

Member

Uff da

I would like to know when Parking Enforcement or SDOT will join the activities and kick Q-Tip (aka Mr. President) out of the 2 parking spots he takes up 24/7/365 for the last 4 years around the park. He doesn’t pay taxes, dines daily at St. Lukes and holds court as goodwill ambassador for his park resident buddies. It is reported he refuses services, and is often seen on a park bench sharing a pipe full of the good stuff. How is he allowed to stay?

Guest

Embarrassed for Seattle

Why are any of them allowed to loiter/camp around committing crimes and ruin the neighborhood?

Member

skip

Uff Da: You forgot to mention that Q-TIp (aka The Mayor Of Ballard Commons) has a disabled card attached to the rearview mirror of his Junkie Mobile. That’s why he gets to park 24/7.

Member

Uff da

Does he have a sticker for his second car (the beater bleached out Plymouth or whatever)? Did he get the sticker(s) because he is, in fact, disabled? He gets around just fine and has for many years. Does the sticker give him a right to occupy both parking spaces? Why does he not accept services? Why has he been street camping at the park for years now (a couple of his buddies do the same – as many as 8 or so)? He would have been a good candidate for Nickelsville, but I guess it would be a longer walk to Starbucks and St. Lukes, and he’d have to find some more doper buddies to hang with, and you can’t use (or drink) in the sanction camps, so they say.

Guest

Byte Me

The park is a cesspool and the permanent dwellers are the floaters.

Member

hayduke

“Q-tip.” Is that the gentleman whose girlfriend died under mysterious circumstances a few weeks ago?

Guest

LINDA SORIANO

My friend, the sweet and lovely Bevin Armstrong did not “die under mysterious circumstances”. She had a serious medical condition.

Guest

NO’Brien

What was her cause of death? And why was she living in a filthy van instead of in a women’s shelter? What did you, as her friend, do to try to help connect her with services?

Guest

LINDA SORIANO

It is shameful how you describe a Vietnam Veteran. He may not look or act like you or society expects him too. He is highly intelligent and he protects the community. But then you wouldn’t know nothing about that because you’re too busy judging.

Guest

Never forget

He sure protected Bevin.

Member

Uff da

There are lots of Vietnam Veterans who get their act together, especially after nearly 50 years. So, no pass there. Protects the community – according to other voices, he instigates fights. Ask the folks at the Motor Vehicle office what they think of him, or SPD.

Guest

NO’Brien

Do you think he should be allowed to camp in his vehicle for free in a busy area with little public parking, for more than a decade, and also store his junker car in the same area for free?

Member

eric

yeah right, lets set up a blanket in the grass…summer of Hep A

Guest

John Smith

It’s fucking pathetic that people even NEED to worry about getting stuck by a nasty HIV needle in the park? How is this normal??? Where did people lose their minds??

Member

elenchos

Do any of you haters even live here? You hate Seattle, and hate the people of Seattle. Bitching about us is your attempt to set a record for Most Lame Hobby Ever.

We get it. You hate us. Find somewhere you don’t hate and go enjoy the living fuck out of it. Please.

Guest

Embarrassed for Seattle

Yes, I’ve lived in Seattle over 20 years and have seen all the chaos over the last 5. Grow up. We are all invested in living and working here and are sick of being insulted for not wanting to tolerate crime. There should not be squats of toothless junkies picking at scabs on every corner. Go dye/shave your head.

Member

elenchos

You sound like someone who only wishes the worst for us. You don’t sound like you even like us. Maybe 20 years ago it was different, but it’s time to face up to it. You’re not one of us, and you think we’re garbage.

Do us all a favor. Leave.

Guest

Embarrassed for Seattle

If you behave like garbage, well, you are garbage. This has nothing to do with poverty. This is about an entire city being forced to pay for and endure an army of degenerates.
If you’re among them, by the way, YOU’RE WELCOME for the hundreds millions of dollars spent reviving the overdose cases, chasing down felons, and patching up hobo fight victims not to mention the free meals, the overpaid “consultants” and the entire “homeless” infrastructure. We won’t hold our breath for the collective “thank you” card since most of you seem to lack common decency and respect for others.

Member

elenchos

Yeah, sweetie, you do not have hundreds of millions of dollars. You don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars. You perhaps have hundreds of dollars, and have seen tens of your dollars taxed, and spent in a way that you can’t stomach. Be that as it may…

If only there was some way you could escape having your tax money wasted this way… if only you weren’t FORCED to support a government that does it all wrong. If only there was someplace you could GO and this wouldn’t happen to you.

Hey! Good news! Seattle has been so badly mismanaged that you can now sell your house for several times what you paid for it. And in a red state you can buy a seven bedroom four bathroom McMansion for what you got selling your two bedroom Ballard bungalow. Nothing — literally NOTHING — is keeping you here.

Really. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass.

Guest

Dan

Ironic, given that you are behaving like garbage. Kudos to the park crew for telling us the real numbers and proving needles aren’t a concern. And kudos to the people putting on family friendly movies in the park, that’s a big positive step towards reclaiming public spaces that the haters and whiners would never do.

Guest

Embarrassed for Seattle

Dan, you don’t spend much time near the Commons after dark, do you?

Guest

LINDA SORIANO

elenchos, I am so sorry that there are so many people acting like ignorant shameless haters towards those struggling to survive the streets. What they don’t realize is that at some point they will be looking to the unsheltered for survival skills! God bless your life journey, elenchos.

Guest

Simon Says

“some point they will be looking to the unsheltered for survival skills”

Like, how do I open a 48 with my teeth?

Or “how do I tell a pregnant woman I want to kill her baby”

Oh that’s right, that actually happened in Ballard last week.

Man on Market Street tells pregnant woman he will kill her baby
By Nicole Jennings
August 7, 2018 at 2:32 pm

Ballard resident Amanda hasn’t let nearly eight months of pregnancy stop her from being active — every morning, she walks from her home to work on Market Street. On Monday morning, however, the routine walk took a turn for the worse.

Amanda was passing a man on Market Street who appeared to be addressing her, but having headphones in, she did not hear what he was saying.

“I could hear him muttering something, and he was talking to me, so I pulled my headphones out,” she told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson. Amanda couldn’t understand what he said at first, but then caught the word “baby.”
“He was like, ‘I’m gonna kill your baby, I’m gonna kill your baby,’” she said.

http://mynorthwest.com/1071489/market-street-threatens-pregnant-woman/

Guest

Mitch

I guess that’s 21 votes for killing babies.

Guest

Mitch

Oops. 22.

Member

Uff da

Not quite, elenchos, I just hate the shallow thinking types who rationalize bad conduct and expect taxpayers to pay for it. Kick these freeloaders out of the Commons, and MAKE them accept services or get the hell out of Seattle.

And, if you think it through, St. Luke’s ought to be sent a bill by the City for constant clean-up costs, and causing a situation that keeps some citizens from using their park.

Member

elenchos

St. Luke’s is a church and is protected by a thing called the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. Nobody in the government of Seattle or any other level government has any standing to tell them whom they can and can’t help. It’s a moot issue.

It’s time for you to leave too. You hate at least two thirds of the people of this city. Probably closer to 80% of us. You hate us and everything we stand for. Why are you still here? Go.

Member

Uff da

The Constitution and free speech have nothing to do with creating conditions which force others to clean up the church’s mess. Don’t know where you got that idea, but it’s flat ass wrong. If you would like to provide some authority for your assertion, I’ll at least read it.

Guest

Simon Says

What if they help Nazis?

Guest

Embarrassed for Seattle

You have no respect for you neighbors, and St Lukes can call themselves “Christians” all they want but they appear to have as little regard for the neighborhood as the degenerates. The whole West Coast is being ruined by this druggie cancer, and you Leftists are the first ones trying to censor people so stop insulting the First Amendment by pretending you care about free speech or God.

Member

elenchos

If you hate the whole West Coast so much, then GTFO. Kansas awaits. Bye.

Member

Uff da

Well ain’t that a hoot, elenchos. I would venture some of us have been here longer than you. You know, when Seattle was a better place to live. Maybe you should take your own advice, especially if you don’t have a job and aren’t likely to make the slightest effort to get one, while you suckle off the rest of us.

Member

elenchos

In the United States of America, people who are business owners are equal to those who are not. In the eyes of the law, those who have jobs are equal to those who do not have jobs. Those who are young are equal to those who are old. The rich have no legal rights that the poor do not share. Those who are “taxpayers” are equal to those who are not. (Though you really don’t understand how much of Washington’s taxes are paid in sales; since we don’t have an income tax, very poor people are very much “taxpayers”, more so than rich property owners. But whatever.)

And been here longer? In the United States of America, those who have “been here longer” aren’t shit. Been here longer doesn’t put you in a privileged class.

Member

elenchos

Most every normal American knows all this. One of the reasons Mr. Sockpuppeteer sounds so much like a Russian troll is that he doesn’t seem so share American values. He speaks of classes of property owners and those with roots vs those who are interlopers as if the rules of some backwards ‘stan applied here.

This ain’t Kazakhstan, Ivan. This ain’t Uzbekistan. This ain’t Russia. In America, you ain’t shit. The guys living in tents, or living in boxes, or sleeping bags — they ARE AMERICANS. They’re just as good as you. You constantly puff yourself up, but we don’t have a class system in this country, which you don’t seem to know very much about.

Guest

Embarrassed for Seattle

It isn’t about money you lunatic. Even the poorest during the Great Depression had faith and dignity. This infantile defense of stunted personalities and overgrown children who’ve invaded our parks is pathetic.

Only an entitled child would insult their neighbors for demanding peace and safety. Not surprising you’re unable to remain employed: attitude determines altitude, kid.

Member

briarrose

Were you alive in the 30s?

Member

elenchos

Yet here you sit, insulting everyone who isn’t housed. You lump them all together, as criminals and junkies. As if housed people commit no crimes or abuse no drugs. Who do you think makes the drug traffickers rich? Panhandlers? It’s people with bucks in their bank accounts making illegal drugs a trillion dollar enterprise. Yet you insult a certain class, merely because they don’t present themselves as wealthy enough for your standards.

If you had any faith or dignity, you would treat all people with basic respect, instead of inciting hate with your slanders.

There’s going to be smiling crowds out in Ballard Commons park, enjoying the grass and sun and movies. Your nasty insults are lies and everyone who is there will see it for themselves.

Member

Paintking

This elenchos thing is merely a product of the pure garbage being spoon fed to them by mslsd and CNN and sadly our very own medias (times). You say blue, they’ll say red. You say it’s hot, they’ll say it’s not. You are for sanity a and law abiding people. They sand for anarchy and whatever their cause of the day may be. And isn’t it weird that everybody using common sense gets thumbs down while they spew hate, use smart ass tactics, and have no good arguments for a damn thing. I’m from here and 60 now. I don’t need a lesson or being told what I see isn’t what I see.

Member

hayduke

What about the junkies and the criminals? Are we equal to them?

Member

elenchos

You apply these words “junkies” and “criminals” arbitrarily, based on your wild paranoia and reckless prejudices. You seem to have a really hard time understanding that the rest of society doesn’t see a giant rubber stamped “JUNKIE” on some guy on a street the way you do. Society — the law — just sees a person.

Be addicted to illegal drugs is not a crime, by the way. It bears repeating because no matter how many times we go over that, you guys can’t figure out why the police aren’t arresting people for being addicts. The courts have ruled on this. Many times. Look it up.

If someone is convicted of a crime, then they may lose certain rights and freedoms as prescribed by law. Otherwise, they are equal to anyone else, even if in your opinion, they are a “junkie” or “criminal”. Your opinion is worth doodly squat. Zero. Nada.

What country do you hail from? I’m thinking Yemen, or North Korea maybe? It sounds harsh.

Member

NoCamping

Great post! Spot on…^

Guest

Sally Simple

Elenchos other people have the right to their opinions. You telling anyone who disagrees with you to leave is ridiculous. People are invested in this community and want a decent neighborhood in which to live. How about you leave if you don’t like the feedback. How does that sound to you?

Member

Paintking

This IS what totalitarianism looks like. It’s people like this that have voted “d” all their life and have no clue as to others ideas/opinions. I call them Poobah’s. How much do U want to bet their TV is glued to MSNBC? Skipping history class can be dangerous.

Guest

Shala Daniel

Why should people leave? I’m from here and my family has been here for countless generations, we don’t like what’s happening to our home and have a right to be upset about people ruining our home. If you want to kill yourself with drugs/alcohol go right ahead, but do it someplace else.

Member

hayduke

Nah, we just hate the dirtbags and the criminals. And that’s not two thirds; it’s a relatively small percentage of our population that the city gives a free ride to, letting them know that anything goes because, you know, they’re “vulnerable community members.” And if by “us” you mean you’re one of them, well, that goes for you, too.

Member

elenchos

Scott Lindsay couldn’t even scrape together 25% of the vote. Three fourths of Seattle rejected his SS style crime wave hysteria. Seattle is against you. The park workers saying your needle hysteria is nonsense are against you. The families enjoying Ballard Commons park are against you. You really do’t fit in. Why are you here?

Member

hayduke

Why am I here? Because I love my city, warts and all. And it needs to be defended and taken back from vagrant enablers like you.

Member

elenchos

The only thing you do is post the same thing over and over every day here on this blog. You think hijacking threads about sandwich shops is “defending” this city? It’s not. It’s just crapflooding, trolling. It sucks.

Come watch the Goonies tomorrow in Ballard Commons. You can tell the families enjoying their park what danger they’re in. Tell them you love the city but can’t they see it’s a needle invested cesspool? Can’t you people see it! Ask them.

You ask them, and watch them back away slowly. Nobody buys your crazy talk. You’re a failure and you should quit and do something else.

Member

Pork Pie

And your posts are always the same, too. Sorry.

Guest

Rose

Born and raised. 3rd generation

Member

elenchos

AND? So what? Does that make you better than anybody else?

Member

briarrose

Me also. So what?

Guest

Simon Says

PJ O’Rourke said it best: you’re never too poor to pick up after yourself.

Guest

Simon Says

I guess the negative votes mean some people think you can be too poor to pick up after yourself. Either that or Elenchos is hammering away on his VPN.

Member

elenchos

Takes courage to face the reality that nobody around here like you. Guess not everybody has courage. That’s OK.

It’s OK, man. There, there.

Guest

Simon Says

Funny you would show up. I suppose people are so stupid they think you can be too poor to pick up your mess.

Guest

Embarrassed for Seattle

Huh, almost like she “camps” on these comments sections…

Member

Uff da

So, elenchos, you got a real job, or do you just like to spend your time blogging with only about 25% correct information on topics you find necessary to spew forth acid on? If you don’t have a job, there is no time like the present with all the openings, even for unskilled labor.

Member

elenchos

Stop asking where I live, where I work, what I do for a living. Stop asking. I know what you’re doing. It’s obvious why you keep trying to wheedle information about me so you can figure out my identity. It’s not because you’re going to send flowers.

Give it up, morons. You’re not fooling anybody with these played out gambits and tired tropes.

Member

Uff da

Only asked if you had a job, nothing more. Apparently you don’t. Go figure.

Member

elenchos

What exactly is apparent? Nothing.

You suck at epistemology. Your basic reasoning skills are pathetic. You have zero information about me. You haven’t “just asked” me if I have a job. You (or one of your sock handles) has actually posted this same question going on half a dozen times now.

Aside from the obvious goal of harassing me at home, at work, anywhere you can, you keep underscoring your ignorant belief that we should live in a class society. Taxpayers have more rights than others. People with jobs are a higher class than others. Property owners are a higher class.

This is America, fucker. Your phony classes don’t exist. Go live in some backwards dictatorship if you want laws that treat privileged classes better than the mob. All are equal in the eyes of the law in my country. Love it or leave it.

Member

elenchos

There are publicly certified documents showing that SS has had restraining orders issued against its leaders. This is a fact. The leaders of loudest NIMBY/anti-homeless hate groups have been proven to be guilty of campaigns of personal harassment at people’s workplaces, their homes, going after their target’s friends, their families… These documents are on file with the courts.

So you ask me again and again about my job and I have NEVER given you a scrap of information. Why? Because I don’t have a job? Or because I know you will use it to dox me? To swat me with fake police calls to my house. To publish my address and phone number at 4chan and stormfront and wherever the white supremacist Promise Keepers and such scum hang out.

Your reputation precedes you, fucker. I’m not telling you anything about me.

Member

Pork Pie

You sure are self-important.

Member

elenchos

Hey, let’s agree I’m not important. OK? Then we can agree to stop asking what I do, or where I work. Because I’m NOT important. Deal? Good talk.

Guest

Mitch

I believe the clinical term is paranoid schizophrenia.

Member

peckerwood

Oh, Gawd. If you’re going to slander someone (or a group of people) at least try to be credible. The not-so-infamous petition for a protective order was filed by Crank Barnett after someone wrote about her self-aggrandizing “journalism”. It was against an individual, not a group. And Crank Barnett’s petition was refused by a judge. So, in fact, there never was a “restraining order”; the judge saw no merit in Crank Barnett’s allegations.

You may stop slandering people and spreading bald lies now.

Member

Uff da

No, actually I just asked if you were employed. Didn’t ask what you do or where you work. I really don’t care. I just want to know if you, ultimately pay income and property tax, or whether you do, indeed, suckle off the rest of us. Got news for you. One reason we are in the housing shortage mess is that a class higher than you or me made decisions that caused some of this, you moron.

Guest

Simon Says

He’s a self-proclaimed public intellectual!

Ergo, he’s a middle aged software developer with fat wife.

Member

elenchos

AND? Does that mean anything?

Let’s say I’m an unemployed millennial who lives in his mother’s basement. Let’s say I’m a blue collar tradesman, self made a job creator, property owner and “taxpayer” as you guys define it. Or perhaps I have a wife or husband. I won’t even go into your body shaming nonsense. Let’s stipulate whatever you want about me. Post a photo of your wife is you think this is important.

Does that change the reality of the families enjoying Ballard Commons Park with their children with little fear of needles or violence? Does that change the data proving there is no crime wave in Ballard? These facts are true or false regardless of where I live or what I do or don’t do.

One of the reasons you are shifting attention to me is that you have no answers for the photographs showing large crowds of people at fairs and movies in Ballard Commons. Or the online police crime data. Or the obviously skyrocketing property values, or the obvious lack of empty storefronts. People see with their own eyes you’re wrong. Say what you want about me, it doesn’t matter.

Guest

Mitch

One of the reasons that City employees have reported so few needles is that junkies reuse and share them over and over again, which is also largely responsible for the epidemic of the very contagious and often fatal Hepatitis C infections among that population. From the Centers for Disease Control:

“The Hepatitis C virus is very infectious and can easily spread when a person comes into contact with surfaces, equipment, or objects that are contaminated with infected blood, even in amounts too small to see. The virus can survive on dry surfaces and equipment for up to 6 weeks.”

Enjoy the movie, folks.

Member

elenchos

I don’t think you even live in Washington, let alone Seattle. No income tax here, so sales taxes are extremely high. Anybody who eats or wears clothes or traveles from A to B pays inordinately high sales taxes. Everybody is a taxpayer in Washington. This state is #1 in the nation for making sure the poorest among us still pay a LOT of taxes. No other state taxes the poor like this state. Were number one!

You do realize how renting works right? The landlord pays the property tax. Where does he get the money? From the TENANT. High property taxes mean higher rents. Renters PAY PROPERTY TAXES. I feel like I’m explaining this to a child. Grown ups get this stuff. Are you a child?

You sound like you’ve never been to Washington. Never bought anything in Seattle. Have you?

Guest

Mitch

There is no sales tax on food, except at restaurants.

Member

elenchos

So? The poorest 20% in Washington still pay 17% of their income in taxes, higher by far than any other state. Florida is a distant second with 12.9%, and Texas at 12.5%. Meanwhile, the top 1% are only paying 2.4% of their income in taxes. It’s totally out of whack.

Consider that high property taxes drive up rents. A working person trying to scrape together enough to become housed has all the more difficulty because rents are so high, and taxes are part of the reason. High property taxes and sales taxes hurt everyone.

We had a chance to shift this burden, to pay for some city services for the homeless by taxing the highest grossing companies. It wouldn’t have it the working poor, or the middle class. It would only have taxed those paying a measly 2.4%.

You guys constantly complain about property taxes, and the first time someone does something about it, you jump on the Amazon bandwagon and kill the head tax. Why? Spite for the unhoused class. You care more about not helping those in need than about fixing the tax structure.

Guest

Mitch

Okay, then let’s start taxing food? And/or, facts are so mean!

Member

elenchos

Huh? The crazy is strong in this one.

What if we have progressive income tax, like most other states? What if we only made the poorest 20% pay 8 or 10% of their income in taxes? What if your property tax was half what it is now? And Seattle sales taxes were only 5% instead of nearly 10%? Like a NORMAL state?

The reason we have so many billionaires hanging out here doing nothing is because there is such a skewed tax structure. It can be fixed. Maybe we wouldn’t have such an abnormally high number of people on the street if our system weren’t so skewed to inequality. Ever wonder about that?

Democrats did just take over Olympia in a big way. So….

Member

hayduke

“All are equal in the eyes of the law…”

Well, when you don’t actually enforce the law, I suppose you’re right.

Member

elenchos

And what has Seattle done again and again and again when given the option for voting for one of your preferred “get tough on crime” candidates? Seattle said no, in a big way. Every time.

You’re not wanted here. Are you?

Guest

Willy

I understand the problem of homelessness in Seattle is a real thing. And total transparency, I am a transplant to this amazing city I now call home for 5 years. I moved here like most carpetbaggers for work, but a huge part of why I consider Seattle home is it’s liberal mindset. # Libtard As a practicing devil worshipping liberal I am wide open to the philosophy of you be you and it’s none of my business how you live your life. ( I guess more like a devil worshipping Libertarian). Ballard is a great hood and unfortunately I cannot afford to live there, but nonetheless it’s where I hang out. When I moved here 5 years ago you could walk around downtown and smell the food from all the great restaurants and the occasional blunt and it was great. Amazing vibe good people and it truly felt like home. A couple weeks ago I had to get a tire repair and it was going to take a couple hours to fix, so I decided to walk around downtown Ballard. I quickly realized that Human feces is the new smell of Ballard. Regardless of your politics we should all be… Read more »

Member

elenchos

Wait, so the neighborhood you CAN’T afford to live in smells like shit? Dare I ask what the neighborhood you can afford smells like?

Have you seen the crowds at the Ballard Sunday Market? Have you ever tried to find parking? It’s packed. People do not choose to go to buy fresh produce and hot grilled food with their grandparents and children in a neighborhood that smells like human feces.

Nice essay, but you’re a liar.

Guest

Someonewhoactullycares

Why does everyone continue to feed elenchos. Just like pigeons… don’t feed once because they will always come back. Elenchos, I’m sure that you will rant about this post but guess what …. could care less and will not respond

Guest

Willy

I guess honest feedback that doesn’t fit your narrative must be a lie?

Have you walked around downtown Ballard in the early AM before the shops open?

Member

Paintking

Yes, crowds of Nuevo-riche leftists, who have more nannies than I do towels and potato chips. Crowds of conditioned liberals who only know what THEY know. Ever heard the words tipping point? While I won’t totally lower myself with swearing, I will say you ARE part of the problem, rather than 1 single solution. Dealing with you is much like my 93 year old father. You’re here every day, we can tell, but can’t tell you much. MBGA: Make Ballard Great Again

Guest

Martin Cron

Either a liar of just really unlucky.

I live and work in Ballard. I walk Ballard sidewalks literally every day. I have seen and smelled some things I don’t like, but (unlike when I worked downtown) I have never encountered the smell of human feces.

Guest

LINDA SORIANO

The NIMBY atmosphere in this thread is absolutely ignorant.

Member

Paintking

How far does 1 have to go to purchase these horse blinkers? How tight do YOU have them now on? For Gods sakes woman, are you this possessed by liberalism? Is this how hate manifests itself? Are the trees in your forest still blocking your view? Is spending close to if not more than $1 BILLION locally on these precious druggies then still not enough? It’s your elected officials not mine. My vote doesn’t count any longer in this diverse city. I bet that makes you happy too. So why don’t you start promoting another giant property tax increase, again, and then bitch about the cost of living here.

Guest

Joe

Put a fence around it and remodel the park for more dogs…..ha ha read a lot if comments and Ballard is past the tipping point. Best advice is move somewhere where you fit like I did and never have to go to “Toon Town ” keeblers elves and s#$+ bird yuppies and bumation Nation !

Member

broham

Does the elenchos dude have a job? I’ve never seen a person spend so much time on a blog arguing his point, must be nice to have a lot of free time. He does make some good points though and he has good spelling and punctuation and syntax and I appreciate that. How does he get all the replies in his favor and so many? I can’t believe that many people vote for his rants and against others. Strange times we live in.

Member

Toad (of Toad Hall)

IMHO ‘elenchos’ is a she. Now, I’m not gender shaming and I do not have anything against women (in fact I think everyone should have a woman as a spouse or significant other).
But to get back to ‘elenchos’: the tone, the passion and the emotion expressed speaks to the “Fairer Sex” as it was labelled back in my dear old mormor’s day. Not that there’s anything wrong with that!

Guest

Martin Cron

It looks like Ellenchos spends more time here than others because, unlike some people, he/she uses the same account each time, instead of hijacking every single thread with new sock puppet names.

Guest

Joe

I think she is a little mean fat keebler elf hanging out on market St.

Guest

Earl Campbell

I haven’t read through all the comments but isn’t the real issue dog-owners who don’t clean up after their pets (and cat ‘owner’s who just let them out!)?

Guest

Sylvester

If I didn’t let my cat out how would he feed himself?

Member

Paintking

OK everybody. New approach to this elenchos thing here. If this person is NOT a bully, then WTF is? While I’m no psychology major, I do see projection when it’s right in my face. And I bet they’ve used that term a few times to shut others down. So, in sounding like a big city liberal: you ARE a big bully.

Guest

Store clerk

Hey i work at a grocery store right by the ballard bridge and if you think junkies aren’t a problem stop by when we leave at night. My lady stepped over someone shooting up on the side walk just a few weeks ago. I witness drug deals regularily in the garage and no one dares to use the stairwell. We installed locks and needle drops for the bathrooms because we got tired of removing passed out junkies. Want to try herion for the first time? We find full needles as well. I love my job and where i live but i would be willing to wager a lot of momey that most of the people who sit by and preach “do nothing” are either homeless themselves or live the cute 9 to 5 and never have to deal with getting home in a safe manner.

Member

elenchos

Can you point to anywhere here that anyone said do nothing?

Guest

Store clerk

“Do nothing”, “junkie enabling”, bullshit tenant laws. Call it what you will, it’s not working. Waiting on the purge is taking too long.

Member

elenchos

The truth is the city spent a year carefully planning a new initiative to address the homelessness emergency. The would have raised $50 million a year from a tax that was targeted only at the largest corporations in the city. Because homeowners, renters, and everyone are over burdened with excessive sales taxes and property taxes. The nimbys constantly complain about their property taxes.

And yet, the nimbys teamed up with Amazon and various billionaires to scuttle this effort. It wouldn’t have raised their taxes, but they were happy to be pawns of the rich who would have had to pay a small sliver of their profits. And so, we got nothing.

You’ll find the anti-homeless nimbys are opposed to any actual action. They criticize every proposal, but offer no support for any proposal of their own. The guys ranting on this blog are the very ones who are most responsible for sitting back and doing nothing. They have no solutions.

They have actually said that if we sit back and do nothing, the homeless will just go away, somehow. That’s their whole plan. A lot of nothing.

Member

Uff da

“…the city spent a year carefully planning…” Bullshit!

Member

elenchos

It’s all right here:

http://www.seattle.gov/council/issues/past-issues/progressive-revenue-taskforce-on-housing-and-homelessness

At the very top is the detailed proposal they wrote. Where the money would come from, where it would be spent. They have details on all the meetings, the drafts, the discussion. They even have video.

While the anti-homelsss nimbys said “no no no” to everything, they did all that work. They handed you a plan that wouldn’t jack up your property taxes. And you still said no.

You guys have no right to complain. You really think Amazon and Starbucks and Vulcan and all those greedy corporations are on your side? But you guys did their work for them.

Guest

Transplants Go Home

Don’t question this woman. She knows everything. Praise the almighty elenchos, she knows best.

Guest

john shenker

My Ballard editor – could you please shut down the Russian trolls who keep posting comments on your stories. This is classic Russian trolling which attempts to stir up divisions in our communities. Please shut down the comments section of this publication. All of these comments are 100% trolling. You are allowing your site to be used to take us down a destructive path. You can do better!

Member

Toad (of Toad Hall)

“Emergency! Emergency! To get from street!”
From that classic comedy movie “The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!”.
As far as being led down a destructive path, the powers-that-be downtown are doing a fine job without any outside help (thank you very much}.

Member

Pork Pie

Dude they obvz don’t give af. They asked a while ago what to do about comments and then I guess threw up their hands and walked away from it. Now we have sockpuppet vs elenchos 24/7 and neither of them are worth a tinker’s damn. It’s a shame.

Member

electricoutlet

I went by last night while walking the dog and about 50 or more people seemed to be really enjoying themselves watching the movie. I joined some friends around 5:00 pm for a little picnic and we were not bothered by anyone and the park looked quite clean.

Member

electricoutlet

Accidentally posted twice.

Guest

osm0sis

For anyone interested, the park has been clean and the movies have been a fun way to get to know your neighbors

Summer events create concern over cleanliness of Ballard Commons Park

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