Rachael Savage for City Council All City Position 8!
Everyone in the city can vote for:
Public Camping Ban: Direct to Detox-Treatment-Shelter.
Our detox beds, treatment centers and shelters are empty while late stage addicts use drugs in the streets of our city center neighborhoods. Banning camping is necessary to get addicts into detox, treatment and shelter. On July 29th, I filed a ballot initiative for the city of Seattle to ban camping in all public spaces. We will start collecting the necessary signatures in 10 days. Together, we will let the Council know what Seattle really thinks. I will take this successful initiative with me to the Council and we will pass this initiative into law.
Public Drug Use Ban: Jail or Direct to Long Term Residential Treatment
The severely addicted use drugs on the streets of Seattle with no fear of arrest. Public drug use creates open air drug markets in our city center neighborhoods. Open air drug markets make the streets unsafe and destroy neighborhood businesses creating a destructive loop. On the council, I will amend Seattle’s current public drug use law to enforce arrests and the 364 day penalty to make residential treatment the attractive alternative for addicts. I will write the law needed to build a temporary city jail, and two temporary secure treatment centers for the addicted and the severely mentally ill.
End Housing First: No More Free Apartments for Active Addicts
Thousands of apartments have been purchased by the city and are being run on the “Housing First” model. This means that apartments are given to the most severe addicts with no requirement for them to stop using drugs or to participate in treatment of any kind. Using the Housing First model in the city of Seattle is why you see groups of addicts using in the streets clustered around each of these Housing First buildings. Housing First buildings create open drug scenes and increase crime in neighborhoods. In addition, addicts die from overdose in these buildings at an incredible rate with 40% of all fatal overdoses over the last 4 years occurring in Housing First buildings. Federal funding to Housing First buildings has just been ended. On the council, I will end city and county funding of Housing First and transform these buildings into safe and affordable low income housing for working adults and families and those successfully exiting treatment.
Build The Jail and Treatment Centers We Need
We can create a new, state of the art system of care, away from our city neighborhoods that will change the outcome for the citizens and businesses and for those who are suffering from addiction and mental illness. Using the money we already spend on “homelessness” we can build first a temporary and then long term facilities for the uses we need. Due to the Fentanyl epidemic, Seattle and all American cities can no longer avoid building these facilities. Last weeks Executive Order shows the current administration is dedicated to ending the fifty year plight of the mentally ill, and the suffering of the addicted by dedicating funding to treatment facilities and creating the legal framework needed to help people in the streets.
No New Taxes. Again, No New Taxes
We can accomplish these goals without taxing city residents or business one more dollar. We will be able to save money in the long term by offering the appropriate treatment. Helping half of those addicted now to become productive members of society rather than residents of Housing First buildings.
Return to A System of Compassionate Law Enforcement
Seattle became famous for creating a compassionate jail or diversion system and getting the addicted into treatment. As the “criminal justice reform” movement took over in the 2000’s we took out the threat of jail and our diversion system lost its teeth. At the same time our county addiction treatment system was dismantled. We can return the police and the courts to their proper role of firmly moving the addicted towards change and rejoining society. Everything I have proposed so far and everything I will work on in council will further this goal. By accomplishing this goal we can restore meaning and purpose to the difficult jobs done by our law enforcement officers and jail personnel. This will make retention and recruitment far more effective.
Public Camping Ban: Direct to Detox-Treatment-Shelter.
Our detox beds, treatment centers and shelters are empty while late stage addicts use drugs in the streets of our city center neighborhoods. Banning camping is necessary to get addicts into detox, treatment and shelter. On July 29th, I filed a ballot initiative for the city of Seattle to ban camping in all public spaces. We will start collecting the necessary signatures in 10 days. Together, we will let the Council know what Seattle really thinks. I will take this successful initiative with me to the Council and we will pass this initiative into law.
Public Drug Use Ban: Jail or Direct to Long Term Residential Treatment
The severely addicted use drugs on the streets of Seattle with no fear of arrest. Public drug use creates open air drug markets in our city center neighborhoods. Open air drug markets make the streets unsafe and destroy neighborhood businesses creating a destructive loop. On the council, I will amend Seattle’s current public drug use law to enforce arrests and the 364 day penalty to make residential treatment the attractive alternative for addicts. I will write the law needed to build a temporary city jail, and two temporary secure treatment centers for the addicted and the severely mentally ill.
End Housing First: No More Free Apartments for Active Addicts
Thousands of apartments have been purchased by the city and are being run on the “Housing First” model. This means that apartments are given to the most severe addicts with no requirement for them to stop using drugs or to participate in treatment of any kind. Using the Housing First model in the city of Seattle is why you see groups of addicts using in the streets clustered around each of these Housing First buildings. Housing First buildings create open drug scenes and increase crime in neighborhoods. In addition, addicts die from overdose in these buildings at an incredible rate with 40% of all fatal overdoses over the last 4 years occurring in Housing First buildings. Federal funding to Housing First buildings has just been ended. On the council, I will end city and county funding of Housing First and transform these buildings into safe and affordable low income housing for working adults and families and those successfully exiting treatment.
Build The Jail and Treatment Centers We Need
We can create a new, state of the art system of care, away from our city neighborhoods that will change the outcome for the citizens and businesses and for those who are suffering from addiction and mental illness. Using the money we already spend on “homelessness” we can build first a temporary and then long term facilities for the uses we need. Due to the Fentanyl epidemic, Seattle and all American cities can no longer avoid building these facilities. Last weeks Executive Order shows the current administration is dedicated to ending the fifty year plight of the mentally ill, and the suffering of the addicted by dedicating funding to treatment facilities and creating the legal framework needed to help people in the streets.
No New Taxes. Again, No New Taxes
We can accomplish these goals without taxing city residents or business one more dollar. We will be able to save money in the long term by offering the appropriate treatment. Helping half of those addicted now to become productive members of society rather than residents of Housing First buildings.
Return to A System of Compassionate Law Enforcement
Seattle became famous for creating a compassionate jail or diversion system and getting the addicted into treatment. As the “criminal justice reform” movement took over in the 2000’s we took out the threat of jail and our diversion system lost its teeth. At the same time our county addiction treatment system was dismantled. We can return the police and the courts to their proper role of firmly moving the addicted towards change and rejoining society. Everything I have proposed so far and everything I will work on in council will further this goal. By accomplishing this goal we can restore meaning and purpose to the difficult jobs done by our law enforcement officers and jail personnel. This will make retention and recruitment far more effective.
Why Rachael Savage?
We have a historic opportunity to end the conditions that have been holding Seattle back. We can become a world class civilized city. It can be done.
The Mayor and the City Council have not accomplished this task. The Democrats have not accomplished this task. To build our city for this century we need a new movement. A movement of Seattle citizens who have seen enough of the fifteen year failed “progressive” experiment and enough of the business Democrats inability to offer a practical alternative.
As a retail business owner for twenty five years, Rachael Savage has suffered first hand the direct consequences of attempting to house the addicted and the mentally ill in our city neighborhoods. She is a leader with thirty five years of personal and professional experience in addiction recovery. In the process of helping thousands of others to find recovery, she has come to understand that helping those who are addicted means separation from drugs and teaching our addicted a way to live without turning toward the escape of addiction.
Rachael is a leader who recognizes that we will need to use the direct help being offered by the federal government and that those in power who share our goal of safe, prosperous cities are our true friends, regardless of party affiliation.
Rachael is stepping forward to be of service to the city. In order to represent you on the council and begin the process of creating a newly safe, clean and prosperous Seattle, Savage needs your help.