In the bustling streets of Seattle, a drama unfit for a soap opera unfolds as the city’s socialist Mayor, Katie Wilson, comes under fire. A motley crew of local business luminaries including Microsoft, Costco, and Nordstrom have donned their armor and penned a letter demanding action. Their message is straightforward: enough of the rising crime waves—it’s time to adopt a 100-day public safety action plan. Maybe Seattle’s version of the 100-day workout plan? Well, whatever puts a stop to crime faster than a police car with the siren blaring.
These business magnates want CCTVs back in action, not for Hollywood-style surveillance, but rather to combat the lurking shadows that seem more numerous every day. Mayor Wilson, however, had paused these all-seeing eyes, citing a need for a privacy audit. One could imagine her saying, “Big Brother can wait while we measure how much we’re infringing on your right to jaywalk.” Her solution? Increase bicycle patrols. Because nothing shouts “security” like bobbing officers dodging through traffic on two wheels, right?
Under the backdrop of Wilson’s defenses—a.k.a. the mention of increased foot and bicycle patrolling—the pressure is palpable. She’s quick to point out plans of hiring a new police chief and processing a jaw-dropping 3,500 police officer applications. Where she’s finding her hopeful recruits in a city swaying of late toward crime, we’ll never know. But one must hand it to her; she’s wielding promises like a magician with a deck of cards, and those promises need addressing swiftly.
And if hiring isn’t enough of a sprinkle of goodwill, she’s pushing forward with a comprehensive gun violence reduction strategy. Meanwhile, the city council isn’t fully buying it, choosing instead to dream up plans of enlisting outside groups to tackle the issue. It’s like they copied her homework and changed a few answers so it wouldn’t look too obvious. At least they’re acknowledging the problem, albeit with what some might see as hesitance.
So, in Seattle’s ongoing saga of rising stairs and crime sprees, the crowd certainly favored action. How about an applause for the hardworking CEOs and top brass who are calling for a safer city? As their letter flies through city hall, everyone eagerly awaits the next thrilling chapter of Mayor Katie Wilson’s political acrobatics. Surely, there must be a plan tucked away somewhere that involves more than just mere fancy rhetoric?
