Tim Burgess' City View

What I'm Looking for in Mayor McGinn's Monday Budget Message

The Mayor will present his proposed budget for 2012 to the City Council and kick-off our budget season in a speech next Monday at 2:00 p.m. at City Hall. The Council’s process of reviewing, modifying and approving a budget is done in a very short 57-day period that ends on November 21 when the Council votes to adopt our version of the budget. (Seattle is the only Washington city required by state law to approve its annual budget no later than the first Monday in December. Why? I have no idea. But it means we will be in a sprint to complete our work with extremely limited time to do the job and do it right.)

I will listen carefully on Monday to what the Mayor has to say. The goals and priorities he outlines for us will be a measure of his focus and leadership. We are in tough times. We need vision to ensure that even with constraints on our revenues, critical City services will continue to be delivered and delivered effectively. Here are important areas of emphasis requiring strong leadership that I hope the Mayor will prioritize:

Outcome-Based Budgeting and Program Accountability
As I wrote in the Seattle Times earlier this year, we don't do a very good job proving that we spend taxpayers' money efficiently and effectively. One of the very best ways to build public trust and confidence in government is through increased accountability. We need to set measurable goals and stop funding programs that don't achieve good results. Getting the city government bureaucracy to adopt rigorous outcome-based accountability standards will require very strong leadership grounded in collaboration and respectful partnership with our excellent city employees.

City Government Makeover with Strong Service Focus
Today's economic reality compels us to rebuild city government by discontinuing unnecessary functions and services and creating more efficiencies. At the same time, we need a strong service focus. Government must be oriented to serve the people, not the bureaucracy. Author Ken Miller says it well: "The work of government is noble. The people of government are amazing. The systems of government are a mess." That is precisely why we need a top-to-bottom makeover which will increase our capacity to do more good work. This is work for the long-haul and requires deep engagement with our partners in every city department.

Acknowledgment of Significant Public Safety Challenges in Some Neighborhoods
Major crime is down in Seattle, as it is across the nation, but the reported frequency of other crimes is up. These so-called quality-of-life crimes increased 4% in 2010 compared to 2009, and as of July 2011 they remain at this higher level. Such crimes include all drug trafficking and use violations, car break-ins, prostitution, non-aggravated assault, liquor violations, graffiti and other more petty street disorder offenses. Frustration and anger about quality-of-life crimes are widespread and growing. Specific intervention plans, tied to measurable outcomes, are urgently needed from the Mayor and Police Chief to address these public safety problems. Platitudes about living in an urban environment and “that's just the way life is in the city” won't cut it any longer.

Policing Reform
We should embrace sweeping changes in how we police our city and how we manage our police resources. 

Experience in other cities reported in research findings and the fiscal limitations on police hiring indicate we should formalize proven strategies and spread them citywide. We should move away from the traditional American policing philosophy that focuses on the policing of the overall population. Instead, we should adopt a new philosophy of policing place, because crime is intensely concentrated and anchored at a few micro-places and policing the frequent offenders responsible for a vastly disproportionate amount of crime.

Seattle police, to their credit, have experimented with several new policing strategies over the last few years. Two examples in particular prove my point. First, after the 23rd and East Union "hot spot" intervention by the City last autumn, 911 calls in area fell by over half. Businesses are thriving, and new businesses are opening. The people in an area which has been plagued by crime for decades are rejoicing. Second, after Seattle police focused its efforts on frequent offenders involved in auto theft several years ago, the rate of auto theft dropped by more than half.

Smart policing gets results.

Caring for the Most Vulnerable Among Us
Poverty is increasing in our region. There are dangerous signals about a weakening middle class, something I wrote about last week. Our city is well known for the effort we take to care for those among us who need support. My colleagues and I have sustained (and sometimes increased) funding for human services in each of the past three years. We will do so again.

And in doing so, we should also become much more committed to funding human service programs with proven track records. One great example is the Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) which serves low-income mothers. NFP has been tested and evaluated for over 30 years. It works. The City currently provides funding at a level that allows us to reach about one-third of the new moms in Seattle who qualify for NFP services. Since this program is so effective—providing benefits that significantly outweigh its costs—we should extend it to all qualified moms.

We also need to be innovative in how we arrange for or directly deliver social services. For example, many of our immigrant and refugee neighbors—now 17% of our population—already poor, are experiencing increased economic and other hardships which I believe require unique and specialized interventions. The City can do so more effectively if it consolidates its outreach and services to these communities, allowing better coordination of resources available to them.

Seattle's Strengths and Opportunities
I've listed some of my priorities which I hope the Mayor addresses next Monday. While City coffers are not flush, the limits on our resources also offer us an opportunity to be more innovative, more focused and more deliberate in how we organize and manage City services. That is a good thing.

We have an amazing city with terrific assets—the beauty of our setting, the caring and energy of our people, the drive and talent of those who run businesses, large and small. We are fortunate to live here.

Because all of us love our city and want it to flourish, it’s important to pay close attention to the budget and business of City government because it affects Seattle’s prosperity and vibrancy. That’s why I will listen closely to what the Mayor proposes on Monday. And why my colleagues and I will work together diligently in the coming weeks to develop and adopt a final Council budget we can all be proud of.

Lessons on the Fragility of Life

Three things over the past couple of weeks have reminded me of the fragility of life.

Two weeks ago, a friend, neighborhood activist, former youth soccer coach, husband and father took his own life at a seemingly desperate and hopeless time. Phil Irwin was a good man; he coached my daughter’s team in their early years when they were just learning team sports. He followed a coach we parents had essentially "fired" due to his biting, degrading and never-ending screaming. (Continue Phil's story and more after the jump.)

Facts Are Friendly: Citywide Affordable Housing Distribution

Sometimes when I'm at neighborhood meetings or walking neighborhood business districts, I hear concerns about the clustering of social services and affordable housing.

In the spirit of "facts are friendly," my office asked the City's Office of Housing for a map showing the distribution of City-funded affordable housing projects. Take a look after the jump. The first map shows projects by size and the second highlights recent projects. 

Health, Crime and Growth in Southeast Seattle

Two events Saturday afternoon in southeast Seattle—one in the far south, the other up north at Franklin High School—highlighted the challenges and opportunities this culturally rich, growing and important area of our city faces.

We kicked off the afternoon with the grand opening of Neighborcare's sparkling, high quality medical and dental clinic in Rainier Beach.  Neighborcare is the city's largest provider of health services to our low-income and uninsured residents.  They also operate several of our school-based health clinics.

The new Rainier Beach clinic is the first of Neighborcare's facilities to combine dental and medical care at the same location. 

We moved to Franklin High School for a Great Cities event focused on the relationship between health, transportation, growth, and public safety. (Much more after the jump.)

Arizona Shooting Lession: Taking Care

The tragic shootings in Tucson, Arizona earlier this month bring into sharp focus a key public policy issue.  How do we care for individuals with serious mental health challenges? So far, the answer to this question is not very well at all!

Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, a national advocate for improved care for the mentally ill, recently wrote a concise and well argued piece in the Wall Street Journal documenting the problem.  Here's an excerpt—

A 2007 study by the U.S. Justice Department found that 56% of state prisoners, 45% of federal prisoners, and 64% of local jail inmates suffer from mental illnesses.

So, we have a choice.  Pay for effective treatment before problems—like the Arizona shootings—occur or pay a lot more after predictable tragedies occur later.  I favor for former. 

This issue will arise soon in another context here in Washington State. Because of state revenue declines, the Legislature is closing prisons and releasing prisoners back to the streets.  It's essential that the Legislature allocate some of the saved expenses for community supervision and monitoring of the released prisoners.  We erred when closing state mental health hospitals and failing to provide effective community-based treatment services and we will err again if we release prisoners without proper community-based supervision and monitoring, such as the Neighborhood Corrections Initiative that has been so successful. 

 

Changing Course on Prostituted Children

Yesterday's Seattle Times carried the gripping and tragic story of Kelsey, a young woman from Everett caught up in the seamy and violent world of juvenile sex trafficking.  Susan Kelleher's article captures the reality for the children "recruited" into street and Internet prostitution. (Kelsey posted this photo of herself on her MySpace page. She has disappeared and is reported missing by police.)

But, Kelleher's piece doesn't tell about the dramatic shift in public policy and policing that has taken place over the past two years as parents, communities, police, prosecutors and public officials struggle with the growing problem of human trafficking, much of it centered on coercing children—some as young as 12 years of age—into a world of violence, neglect and horror. 

For example, Seattle police changed the name of their Vice Unit to the "Vice and High Risk Victims Unit," a change that reflects a fundamental shift in how police view women caught up in street and Internet prostitution, including juveniles.  I know that this name change isn't just artful packaging, either.  

Our "High Risk Victim" detectives have built highly successful cases against the predators (pimps and johns) who prey on these women and have worked with federal and regional authorities to break up gangs and other organized criminal enterprises who specialize in prostitution.  

Seattle's Good Side

I saw two perfect examples of Seattle's good side last week. 

Last Friday at lunch I sat and listened as Lily Tomlin made us laugh at ourselves.  She was in town to help Plymouth Housing celebrate its 30th anniversary of effectively and efficiently serving our homeless neighbors. (Nicole Brodeur writes about Tomlin's visit in today's Seattle Times.)

Plymouth Housing got its start when parishioners at downtown's Plymouth Congregational Church stood up and took action to help homeless people living on our sidewalks, in our doorways, and under trees in our parks.  That direct action 30 years ago has grown into one of our finest social service organizations that houses over one thousand individuals in small, comfortable apartments.  Many Plymouth residents struggle with chronic mental health, alcohol and drug problems.  Many are military veterans.  Plymouth not only provides each with an apartment, but they staff their buildings with professionals who are especially equipped to lend necessary and important assistance to the residents.  Often called "housing first" or "wrap around services," this link between an apartment that brings dignity to residents and services to deal with very real and specific challenges is the core reason for the organization's success.  

Plymouth is an excellent partner of the City, which has provided funding for more than 900 units of housing in 12 different Plymouth developments over the years.  It is well managed and recognizes the value of accountability and measuring effectiveness.

Last Thursday morning at breakfast I marveled at how the newspaper, Real Change, has given a boost to thousands of homeless and low-income women and men over the past 16 years.  The Real Change breakfast was a bit more edgy, provocative, even prickly, compared to the Plymouth lunch.  Real Change follows the personality of its founder and editor Tim Harris, who, as I've written before, makes us uncomfortable in a good way.  There were a few gentle barbs thrown at me because of my sponsorship of an aggressive solicitation ordinance earlier this year that was passed by the Council but vetoed by Mayor McGinn. Joe Martin, a long-time Seattle humorist and passionate advocate for the poor, delivered a very funny roast of Harris, who was celebrating his 50th birthday at the breakfast.  Tim himself was designated Seattle's "brutal humanist," and gave a thoughtful speech about what he sees right and wrong with our good city. 

While listening to Harris, I thought of my neighborhood Real Change vendor.  His name is Walter and he's stood at exactly the same spot in front of my favorite grocery store for years.  We have interesting conversations about his life, my life, the banner headline on this week's edition of his paper, how sales are going.  I remember when he told me he had moved into a more permanent shelter.  Walter is my most personal link to Real Change, but the breakfast gave me a better glimpse of the scope and breadth of their work.

Two meals last week.  Two examples of the good side of Seattle.

Roberto Maestas: A Seattle Legend

Roberto Maestas, a fierce advocate for justice and compassion, died this morning at University Hospital surrounded by his family and dear friends.  His passing is a huge loss for Seattle.

Viewed by some early in his career as a firebrand, I knew Roberto later in his life as a principled leader who was driven by a keen sense of right and wrong, a man with a gentle heart and loving spirit. 

Roberto was a man who fought for justice but did so by bringing people together.  He built coalitions, recruited advocates. He was gentle yet strong.  He had an unfailing sense of compassion and forgiveness. His life demonstrated the power of moral authority, placing principle above expediency. Through his life, Roberto touched many.  His influence will be remembered; he was clearly one of our elder statesmen, a true Seattle legend. 

Rest in peace, Roberto.  Thank you for your good service to our beloved city.  

HistoryLink has an excellent summary of Roberto's life here.  Visit the website of El Centro De La Raza, the organization Roberto, and others, founded in Seattle here. Comments from my colleagues follow the break . . .

More Children Rescued

Seattle police have rescued 24 prostituted children from the streets so far this year.  In 2009, Seattle area law enforcement agencies rescued 30, the highest number of any city in the United States. 

Earlier today, U. S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced a new federal effort to protect exploited children, including those caught up in commercial sex trafficking enterprises.

Earlier this year, the city opened the nation's fourth residential recovery center for prostituted children.  Run by YouthCare, this safe-haven is designed to help juveniles who have been exploited for prostitution. 

The Sally's

Got squeezed between the Sally's on TV last week.  It's amazing what C. R. Douglas can pry out of us.  We covered a host of issues.

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