Letter to the Editor: It's a terrible idea for King County to become people's landlord
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
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The county takes on tremendous liability risk with every property added to KCHA's portfolio. State and local governments are paying gargantuan sums to settle civil suits for all kinds of torts. It's a nightmare for the state budget. The government is not forcing lawsuits with poor quality facts to go to court where plaintiffs have to face their own risk of appearing before a judge. This has led to the proliferation of a predatory legal industry with ambulance-chasing lawyers financing their lavish lifestyles at your and my expense. What about slips and falls at this now county-owned building? Will a county worker be out there immediately when it's icy to put down rock salt? I doubt it. When a potential defendant has unlimited funds as a government does, and doesn't vigorously fight frivolous suits, expect even more six or seven figure losses.
If KCHA owning apartment buildings is such a good idea, maybe we should have a vote about it. After all, we're constantly told that there won't be money for schools, parks, police, fire, ambulances, and life flights if those tax measures fail at the ballot box, but somehow there's always millions available to buy property, whether KCHA is doing it for its own portfolio, or the County itself is buying hotels to turn into low-barrier shelters. It's a great way to fleece taxpayers, continuously increase the share of the local economy under government control, and further increase everyone else's cost of living to fund the whole apparatus.
Dan Adams
If KCHA owning apartment buildings is such a good idea, maybe we should have a vote about it. After all, we're constantly told that there won't be money for schools, parks, police, fire, ambulances, and life flights if those tax measures fail at the ballot box, but somehow there's always millions available to buy property, whether KCHA is doing it for its own portfolio, or the County itself is buying hotels to turn into low-barrier shelters. It's a great way to fleece taxpayers, continuously increase the share of the local economy under government control, and further increase everyone else's cost of living to fund the whole apparatus.
Dan Adams
Shoreline
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11 comments:
I am surprised that SAN even published your letter. Common sense against the broken system.
I totally agree. Government stay out of the property rental business
Another building in Shoreline where no property taxes are paid
Yes, it is a terrible idea, Dan. Another misguided do-gooder costly fail this time by county gov't. We have gotten use to Seattle coming up with bad ideas but the county used to be interested in commonsense. In this state now it is every level of gov't overspending and going wild with taxpayer's money. Where are the cuts? Where is the recognition that we have been pouring the hard earned money of real families into a huge amount of failed programs for the homeless for yrs.
PS: Everyone stop referring to Shoreline as an "urban village". It is not. It was designed and lived in as a suburb. If people wanted to live in a failed city they would move south of 145th.
Dan, these are good points, but can you perhaps tell us where this insider information is coming from? Is there an alternative idea you can offer that doesn't capsize the state budget, but also stabilizes the cost of living for us with homes and without?
It's a tough subject. Capitalism dictates land/property owners sell to the highest bidder. That's understood.
But if land owners don't sell to the County, how will we house the un-housed? Your arguments sound as if they aren't anti housing, but the underlying message is clear.
Governments are the only entity that CAN help house people. Private industry is governed by Capitalism, and they won't help.
There has to be a starting point. Your argument is designed to shut down the conversation before it even starts.
Let's all hope that Government entities that purchase land and buildings to house people living on the streets works. That's what we need.
Common sense is hard to find. Thanks for your letter to the editor.
Dan this is an interesting perspective. Have there been lots of suits by "victims" in KCHA buildings? Where can I find the info?
I agree. King County needs to get out of the landlord business and we should vote on it. Low income housing leads to low income tenants leading to problems. Look at what is going on south of 145th.
I agree, but Shoreline’s city council and mayor want to make Shoreline “Seattle North”. We need to make 145th a wall from one shore to the other to keep Seattle trash out and take a broom to Shoreline’s city council.
Could you please provide some examples of lawsuits in the last few years. I'd like to better understand this issue.
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