-Hi, there. I'm Bobby Goodwin.
And I'm running for city council
because I've been frustrated by the direction of Seattle
since our leaders first abdicated their responsibilities
to the anarchism of the CHOP.
Since then, our city has been increasingly covered in graffiti
and inundated by property crime
while a toxic compassion has taught us to walk past
and otherwise ignore our neighbors suffering
as they kill themselves with fentanyl and other drugs.
We have abandoned any sense of accountability,
and it's time we do better.
For the last 12 years, I've worked as a public defender,
representing some of the poorest and most marginalized among us.
Many of my clients are chronically homeless,
suffering from substance use disorders,
as well as co-occurring mental illnesses.
I know that we can treat people with respect
while still expecting responsibility.
Over time, I've learned to skillfully navigate
difficult conversations with prosecutors and clients
to help reach reasonable resolutions.
And it's that very skill set that has me uniquely qualified
to meet this moment, and help bring about the reforms
that our city so desperately needs.
One of my first priorities is to begin reconciling
the trust gap between the community and SPD.
We need more officers out of cars,
and patrolling streets on foot and by bike.
We'll provide housing subsidies
to both help attract new officers,
and to make sure that more of our officers
are patrolling the streets of the communities
they actually live in.
We will prioritize community safety over officer safety.
We need to expand access to medically assisted treatment.
Suboxone and methadone save lives.
The data also tells us that cannabis products,
especially high-concentration THC,
are contributing to psychosis amongst the youth.
And yet the industry perpetuates a myth of harmlessness.
We need to require honest warnings,
and to increase the taxes on these products,
to help fund the behavioral health services that we need.
We also need to build more tiny houses.
We need to permanently eliminate design review
for any affordable housing projects,
and we need to clamp down on short term rentals.
When we replace a single family home with a triplex,
only to have two of those units end up on Airbnb,
we're not helping housing density.
With your vote,
I promise to prioritize the practical and the actionable.