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-Hi. My name is Jeremy Cook,
and I'm running for Seattle City Council
because we need people
on the Council
who will address the city's problems
with straightforward solutions.
The biggest issue we face right now
is the number of people
who are openly using heroin
and methamphetamines.
They freely discard
their needles and trash,
as well as defecate
on the streets, sidewalks,
and other public areas.
These people are also committing
thefts, muggings, and assaults
to pay for their drugs.
We need to tackle this problem head-on.
People who are caught
with small amounts of meth or heroin
should be offered treatment
the first time.
If they decline treatment,
they should be arrested
and forced into long-term
correctional programs
that are outcome-driven.
These programs have proven
to work in other areas,
reduce recidivism as well as addiction,
and in the long-run,
save taxpayers' money.
This would also discourage
others from coming here
to freely use drugs
and victimize people.
Many of these people
are not from Seattle.
We also need to find ways
to more intelligently
use taxpayers' money
and work within
the city's $6 billion budget.
Just because it's an expensive idea
doesn't mean it's a good one.
We don't need
a $400 million police precinct
or a $285 million streetcar
that only runs for two miles.
I would also like to repeal
some of the city's most regressive taxes,
including the bag tax,
sugar tax, and ammo tax.
We need to get Seattle moving again
by reprogramming
the city's streetlights
for speed and efficiency
rather than purposely slowing them
down to appease bicyclists,
who account for a very small
percentage of commuters.
We should also consider
more yellow left-turn caution lights
and look at other ways
to reduce people's commute times.
For more information,
please visit my website,
cookforcouncil.com.
Thanks for watching,
and I would appreciate your vote
in the upcoming election.