Seattle Nice

This week Erica joins from an undisclosed location not far from the U.S. Supreme Court.  Here in Washington State, elected officials have been busy reacting to the court's recent rulings, especially the Dobb's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.  Can Seattle save us from this Supreme Court? How about Governor Inslee?  If you like Seattle Nice, where respectful and heated debate is still en...

Publicola broke the story earlier this week about a new SPD labor contract that tries to tackle an intractable problem - ensuring that the discipline of police who break the rules sticks when that process was fair. It doesn't always happen .  Plus, we learn that Sandeep and Erica are not soccer fans. But they still manage to disagree about the value of a taxpayer-funded stadium that's ju...

On June 1, KUOW and the Seattle Times broke the story that Seattle police stopped investigating adult sexual assaults this year.  Is this a misallocation of police resources or a short-staffing problem? Plus, Erica accuses KEXP's John Richards of boosting the "Seattle Is Dying narrative."   Is she right?   If you like Seattle Nice, where debate is encouraged, please help support the...

Seattle is facing a looming budget deficit and city leaders are now exploring options for how to address it. A task force is being assembled to look at how to raise progressive tax revenue. That’s not so easy in this regressive tax state where a progressive income tax is not allowed.  Are budget cuts also on the table?  What is to be done? If you like Seattle Nice, please help support the pod on P...

If you like Seattle Nice please help support the pod on Patreon. Any monthly level is very welcome, and it will qualify you for upcoming members-only events and special content.   https://patreon.com/seattlenice?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=creatorshare  This week Seattle leaders celebrated how the city handled the removal of a homeless encampment at Woodland Park, whi...

Erica and Sandeep discuss the leaked draft Supreme Court abortion ruling and Washington State politics.     If you like Seattle Nice please help support the pod on Patreon. Any monthly level is very welcome, and it will qualify you for upcoming members-only events and special content.   https://patreon.com/seattlenice?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=creatorshare  Send us...

This week, Erica and Sandeep debate Sound Transit's move to loosen up on fare enforcement.  If you like Seattle Nice please help support the pod on Patreon. Any monthly level is very welcome, and it will qualify you for upcoming members-only events and special content.   https://patreon.com/seattlenice?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=creatorshare  Send us a text! Not...

This week Erica has some "Seattle Nice" things to say about Seattle's new Republican City Attorney Ann Davison. Plus, the pod debates a new  Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce poll that confirms everything Sandeep believes about Seattle voters.   If you like Seattle Nice please help support the pod on Patreon. Any monthly level is very welcome, and it will qualify you for upco...

Erica and Sandeep tackle two of the biggest issues facing Seattle this week according to local news reports: Income inequality and a growing dog poop crisis.  If you like Seattle Nice please help support it on Patreon https://patreon.com/seattlenice?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=creatorshare  Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattleni...

Erica and Sandeep discuss the King County Regional Homelessness Authority with some agreement, plenty of disagreement and requisite Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome references.  Two podcasters enter.  Do two podcasters leave?   If you like Seattle Nice please help support it on Patreon https://patreon.com/seattlenice?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=creatorshare  Send us a text!...

Seattle TV reporter Jonathan Choe was reportedly fired this week after Tweeting about a far-right Proud Boys rally. But before this incident Choe composed other controversial Tweets about homelessness and crime. Sandeep and Erica discuss and debate Choe’s larger oeuvre, as well as the underlying issues.  If you like Seattle Nice please help support it on Patreon https://patreon.com/seattlenice?utm...

This week Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell postponed his plan to crack down on disorderly conduct along Third Avenue in downtown Seattle. Erica and Sandeep do a deep dive on that decision, and disagree about the criticism Harrell's facing. Sandeep and Erica also offer competing Gen X takes on why the majority of Gen Z college grads tell pollsters they want to move to Seattle.  Is it 1992 all over...

On Friday Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell talked up his "Operation New Day" crime-fighting campaign with law enforcement leaders including  U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Brown  and the DEA's Frank Tarentino.  Will the focus on downtown  "hot spots" work to address a spike in serious crime? Longtime friends and political opponents Erica and Sandeep do not agree.   A special appeal...

All of sudden, nearly everyone from Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell to members of the City Council to the business and philanthropic communities are talking about encampments on the streets of downtown Seattle. What gives? Are efforts to remove encampments going to work? And are they fair to homeless people?   If you like Seattle Nice please help support this pod on Patreon https://patreon.com/seattle...

Former hippie Erica calls out former hippie and new Seattle City Council member Sara Nelson. Sandeep plays defense.  At issue: Crime against small businesses, and a fight on the city council over symbolic resolution-making.   If you like Seattle Nice please help support this pod on Patreon https://patreon.com/seattlenice?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=creatorshare  Send...

Sandeep and Erica take sides in the raging debate on the left over crime after Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell holds a presser on public safety.  We also hear their takes on Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat's explosive crime column and KEXP DJ John Richard's crime tweets.   If you like Seattle Nice please help support this pod on Patreon https://patreon.com/seattlenice?utm_medium=socia...

Erica and Sandeep ponder the puzzling decision to invite former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani to a King County GOP event (now reportedly cancelled) and debate proposed voting reforms. Even when we agree we disagree.  If you like Seattle Nice please help support this pod on Patreon https://patreon.com/seattlenice?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=creatorshare  Send us a text! N...

Are we dense enough? That's the question state lawmakers are taking up this month. Erica and Sandeep both say no, but still find plenty to disagree about.    If you like Seattle Nice please help support this pod on Patreon https://patreon.com/seattlenice?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=creatorshare  Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails rea...

Seattle's eviction moratorium is extended as is Sandeep and Erica's witty repartee on the latest "short but not so sweet" edition of Seattle Nice.    If you like Seattle Nice please help support this pod on Patreon https://patreon.com/seattlenice?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=creatorshare  Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to ema...

Bruce Harrell's swearing in speech this week was all about love and unity. Or was it?  This week Sandeep and Erica slice, dice and analyze the new mayor's first address to the city. Are the comparisons to New York City's new mayor Eric Adams valid? Plus, Debora Juarez was elected Seattle's first Native American city council president. How did she land the position?   If you lik...

New Year's Eve is Jenny Durkan's last day in office, and her legacy is now up for debate.  Sandeep and Erica dive into the juiciest issues she faced during her mayoralty including an unflattering nickname, homelessness, police reform, protests, and political labels. They also speculate about what might be different under Mayor Bruce Harrell, who is being compared to other blue city mayor...

Seattle recently elected its first Republican to any office since the 1980s. Sandeep and Erica debate what that means for other blue cities, and what a new Republican city attorney means for the future of Seattle.   If you like Seattle Nice please help support this pod on Patreon https://patreon.com/seattlenice?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=creatorshare  Send us a text!...

In this inaugural episode, Sandeep and Erica explain why Seattle socialist Kshama Sawant appears to have survived a recall campaign and speculate on what it might mean for the future of Seattle and the American left. Erica also discovers she has something in common with Sawant: They both love HBO's Succession . Finally, Erica and Sandeep are tearful over the death of singer, guitarist, and li...