Week in Review: bar inspections, school board resignations, and housing and homelessness

Bill Radke discusses the week’s news with Sandeep Kaushik, Lex Vaughn, and Enrique Cerna.

Seattle has a team of inspectors called the Joint Enforcement Team made up of Seattle police, fire and transportation and the state Liquor and Cannabis Board. They enforce liquor rules, rules about permitting, health and safety, and lewd conduct. Over the weekend, these inspectors entered 15 Seattle businesses, hookah lounges, restaurants, a roller rink, Climate Pledge Arena, and four Seattle gay bars. At one of those bars, The Cuff, inspectors came in with flashlights and took photos of people. Some customers left the bar. At those 15 venues, the inspectors noted fire code violations and no businesses license. At three of the gay bars they found uncovered buttocks and an exposed nipple, which you technically can't do where there's alcohol being served. The gay bars and their supporters called this harassment of queer people and queer spaces. The LCB said that was not their intention, they’re not going to cite anyone and have suspended enforcement of the lewd conduct rule. When is enforcing a rule fair, and when is it harassment?

There was another enforcement issue this week. Two Seattle School Board members resigned after getting away with something. They say it was not a big deal, they didn't break any law, and it's a manufactured distraction. The Seattle Times reported that Vivian Song appeared to be violating state residency requirements because she’d moved outside the district she was elected to represent. Lisa Rivera said she also moved out of her district and resigned. Why is this an issue?

The trial for a protester who climbed up on an allegedly illegally parked RV to prevent the police from impounding it ended in a mistrial this week. The owner of the RV said that they were waiting for a tire to arrive before it could be moved, and the police said no. When the tire did arrive, the protester got off the RV, but the police impounded it anyway. Should the city have spent money prosecuting a trial for an offense like this?

The King County executive and Seattle's mayor declared homelessness an emergency seven and a half years ago. So it wouldn't be all Seattle's burden, they created the King County Regional Homelessness Authority. This week, that agency said it's appointing a new interim CEO. The organization has had its share of issues, including not paying service providers on time, multiple vacancies in key leadership positions, the termination of Partnership for Zero, and the donor organization We Are In has folded. Are housing and homelessness efforts in King County falling apart?

In addition to being a panelist this week, Enrique Cerna is also a KUOW board member.