Thread by @andrew_ace_agh

Alright, y'all: thread for the Mayor's interview w/ Crosscut incoming.

As always, tips highly appreciated:

venmo: houstonace
CashApp: $Archstar

(I've never met David Kroman in person but he is attractive.)

And now we start!

first Q re law enforcement:

asking about what reimagining policing means for her -

"do you believe policing can be reformed?"

Durkan setting the stage for what has happened this year before the killing of George Floyd (noting the stress the city was under from COVID before)

"Not just policing, but as a society what are we doing."

Acknowledging the disinvestments in the Black community (she seems to understand the causes)

Policing isn't who shows up and when they show up, but also create the well communities that don't have to call the police.

Kroman pushing: what does the department look like in the next year?

Durkan saying that she doesn't want to

"Should we reform? Absolutely."

Notes two items: crowd control policies and the day to day work that police do.

"We will not be there in a year..."

Kroman asks if she's willing to move money away from the police.

Durkan says yes, but thinks it's the wrong question. Noting that her discussions will include more of commmunity. (noted small businesses...)

"I don't think you should be looking for some arbitrary cut..."

Doesn't believe you can squeeze the money communities need out of the police budget.

Says that you should expect the $100MM she talked about before will be in her budget coming out soon. Notes the disparity in life expectancy between children in South Park and children in...

Laurelhurst (might've said Magnolia).

Again notes that the criminal justice system reflects the systemic racist of the country and says that we have to "break that."

Has yet to give specifics as to how that happens on a civic level.

Also talks about her experience as a federal prosecutor.

Kroman asking how Durkan is suited to reform the system when she's been in the system for so long.

She says both herself (legal experience side) and the activism side.

"At some point you need to transform the demand for change..." into actual change.

She believes that destroying the system will only mean another system will replace it. ("human nature")

Kroman asks how the Mayor feels SPD dealt with protests this summer.

The crowd control techniques "fell short." Looking forward to the process that will decide how crowd control policies change. Cites OPA / CPC / OIG reports.

"In what ways did it fall short, specifically?"

Discusses the East Precinct demonstrations.

Essentially saying that indiscriminate use of force was not ok (but said that there were some protester )

Kroman now getting into the recall and the question of what abilities the mayor has in directing the police force.

"What role do you specifically have in how those protests were handled this summer?"

"I have not been focused on the mechanisms of that." (recall process)

"This recall is political disagreements...but i'm going to focus on solving the problems for..." citizens of Seattle.

Is stating that the Charter is clear about the and that it isn't her place as a white woman to tell an "African American woman who has risen through the ranks how to do her job." (so throwing Best under the bus)

(this is going super fast so I'm doing as best as I can!)

Talking about the HealthOne and providing alternatives to police first responses.

Last Q on policing: "Looking on the CHOP, did that go on for too long?"

Durkan says that history will look back on CHOP with a mixed bag.

"The summer of love comment was stupid."

Talks about how things changed once it became a national story.

Says that after the violence "we knew we had to change it." (retaking the space)

Now to COVID / budget / and evictions. A potential wave coming

Q: "What are you doing to prepare for that?"

(Also asks about the 1,000 promised tiny homes from her campaign)

"The city, the state, and the country should be doing everything they can to stem evictions."

(Seems from her comments that she hopes Biden wins and the city gets a lot of federal help.)

Says she's talking with the governor for mortgage relief as well.

"Bring our tax dollars back when we need them most."

Now Q as to why she didn't sign the JumpStart Tax.

If not a payroll tax, how can revenue be increased?

"I think we need a hybrid."

Talks a regional payroll tax. Didn't want a different tax in Seattle versus the rest of King County. Also thinks we need a city income tax.

"I think we can tax the wealth and drive that money to the things we need as a city." Recognizes the stark difference between tech workers and service workers during this pandemic.

next Q is what Seattleites will notice differently come this budget? (austerity Q)

Mayor says that the city is doing a good job of currently still providing services. Says it'll be more of small things and include furloughs and layoffs.

Also notes the increase of encampments and says that ability to manage them (by the city) will be reduced.

segues into the first audience question which is related to what the city is going to do in the next six months to help people living outside.

"The city of Seattle will not solve that problem in the next six months."

Says they will open more permanent supportive housing...

Says they're bringing down the cost of that housing as well (doesn't say how, I'm assuming the design review exemption)

Durkan says: #1, we need more housing.

Says she's working with KC Executive Constantine to get more PSH built.

Also says we would've had more shelters but COVID distancing makes it worse.

Notes that people shouldn't be moved based on CDC recommendations (says nothing of the sweeps that have happened in the past few weeks).

Durkan is saying that Seattleites will notice more unhoused people as those who were in greenbelts and similar places come closer to downtown for resources

She also just said a lot of people who are homeless were not living in Seattle when they became homeless (this is untrue)

Also says the cities of the region also need to be doing more and hopes the regional authority will help do that.

(pass the buck, pass the buck)

Asked if she's concerned that Amazon is growing workers in Bellevue. She answers yes. (eyeroll)

Does note that Seattle can't presume all the jobs that are currently remote will come back.

"I want Seattle to keep and grow those jobs."

Q related to the working relationship w/ Council.

"is that a storyline we should care about? and B, is that something you agree with."

Durkan says the story is not "helpful, informative, or even accurate."

Says it's important that policy disagreements don't look like personality disagreements. Says she has regular convos with council members. (there hasn't been a breakdown in communication)

"There's so much toxicity around this administration."

"Are Seattle's golden years now further away?"

"America's golden years are further away." Says Seattle is no exception.

"I still believe Seattle can get it right. And if we can't, I'm worried about America." (wow, something I agree with.)

Keeps going back to investing in community and hitting that hard. (She's working on that pivot, y'all.)

Last Q: "What's the future of the streetcar?"
(damn, @KromanDavid with the pin point accuracy)

"I can't tell you on the streetcar" but 'if you look 5-10 years into the future Seattle is still going to be a place people want to be.' (paraphrasing)

"We need more transportation." Says Sound Transit's pauses give her more concern.

Durkan asks rhetorically: "How we get more bike and ped infrastructure?"

Believes infrastructure is critical and we'll have to make hard choices in the short term but need to think long term.

(Damn, we all just got gaslit on transportation, huh.)

Ends with saying it's been a hard time for everyone right now and:

"We need to rebuild that reservoir of kindness and compassion and trust."

And that's it! We're done for the day.

As always, thanks for reading; cannot wait to see the comments. This has been: #AceReporting