TRUMP-PROOF SEATTLE

One of my first political acts in Seattle was joining the massive march for immigrants’ and workers’ rights on May 1, 2006. That’s the Seattle I believe in. We stand up for the most vulnerable. We believe in democracy, climate action, robust public services, and good jobs. But all of that is under threat like never before.

 

We know what’s coming, because it’s already happening. Cuts to safety net programs, cuts to federal grants that support local services and infrastructure projects, tax cuts for the rich, attacks on the most vulnerable members of our communities. We need city leaders who will step up to the challenge and defend against federal cuts and overreach.

 

I vow to protect our neighbors and defend Seattle’s status as a sanctuary city. We must also step up to fill in the funding gaps, or we will find ourselves unable to deliver the basic services that people depend on. I co-wrote the book on Seattle’s progressive revenue options. As mayor I will develop and advance the most viable proposals — including a city-level capital gains tax — to make sure that progress in Seattle does not grind to a halt due to loss of federal support.

A note on the phrase “Trump-Proof Seattle:” Some readers will remember a 2017 campaign for a city income tax on high-income households, which I helped to coordinate, that was inspired by Trump’s first election. Here we are eight years later, again having to think about how to protect ourselves and our neighbors from the actions of an even more virulent federal administration.