Went on a job-hunting trip there a couple of years ago. Certainly many nice things about it. But after considering its problems, and the local toxic politics that appear to stand in the way of progress towards solutions, we nope'd out.
I read that close to 50,000 Americans die EACH year due to opioid overdose. I'm pretty sure this is more than the death total of the Vietnam, Korean, and Iraqi wars combined.<p>I can remember being a kid in the 70's and how the start of the news each night was about which local kids died in the Vietnam war during the past week.<p>Perhaps it's time to declare this a war to save the (potential) addicts and act accordingly.
I’m happy that my city is at least dispositionally in favor of treating homeless people with dignity. On that level I’m proud of Seattle.<p>On the other hand, I feel a little like we (the people of Seattle) are a little short on action to address the magnitude of the homeless and opium issues. It’s starting to feel a little like the “hopes and prayers” that the right uses to respond to gun violence.<p>On the other hand, as one of of the aforementioned hand-wringing do-nothings (or do-too-littles) of Seattle, I struggle with what I can do or where I can best help. City leadership hasn’t done a great job at mobilizing the well-intentioned masses, and I don’t know if that’s because they aren’t doing a good job, or if we’re just belligerently apathetic.