South Seattle Emerald

Navigation Team Sweeps Ravenna Woods Encampment Despite Activist Barrier

A sign erected by encampment members at their main entrance. Photo by Kelsey Hamlin

Along a muddy path next to a section of the Burke Gilman trail in Ravenna, 25 activists joined the residents of a homeless encampment Wednesday hoping to halt a sweep. When the Navigation Team’s outreach group arrived, they were surprised to see a band of activists with linked arms acting as a human barrier to vehicles. The outreach notified the rest of their not-yet-arrived team, which then called for SPD back-up. Two more police vehicles arrived, but there was no physical confrontation and no arrests.

Activists rotated through the encampment to provide a presence during the sweep. A few discussed the oddity of Seattle Police Department’s (SPD’s) Navigation Team uniforms. Everything was normal except one item: a Blue Lives Matter patch with “NAV” at the bottom left.

via South Seattle Emerald

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Public Defender’s Office to Help Mitigate Unintended Impacts of Low Level Crimes

Seattle City Council member Lisa Herbold, who spearheaded the program’s implementation. Photo courtesy of Seattle City Council

Seattle City Council passed Resolution 31802 Monday to insert civil “collateral consequence” attorneys into the King County Department of Public Defense (KC DPD) in an effort to inform people charged with crimes about the unintended consequences of conviction.

via South Seattle Emerald

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One Year After First Proposal, Micro Business Owners Weigh Impact of Sugar Tax

South End and Central District community members and small business owners gathered Monday to discuss their personal experiences with Seattle’s so-called “soda tax.”

The soda tax, also commonly known as the sugar tax, was originally brought forward by Seattle’s previous Mayor Ed Murray. The tax originated in part out of a response to America’s “obesity epidemic” and to raise approximately $16 million a year for education, specifically to close racial disparities. As it turns out, this tax may be exacerbating disparities in other areas.Jim Desler, the spokesman for Keep Seattle Livable for All Coalition — which formed last year after rumors of the sugar tax first emerged — cited that grocery items are already above 25 percent the national average in Seattle.

via South Seattle Emerald

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Seattle Teachers Show Solidarity With Striking Bus Drivers

Hundreds of educators joined with striking bus drivers on the picket line Wednesday at a number of protest hubs throughout Seattle.

The gulf between the drivers, represented by the Teamsters union, and First Student, a subcontractor with Seattle Public Schools, has widened since a one-day strike in Nov. 2017 after the two sides failed to negotiate an agreement on improved healthcare and retirement benefits in ensuing months.

via South Seattle Emerald

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