Seattle Nice

David Hyde, Erica Barnett, and Sandeep Kaushik
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  • 政治
  • アップデート：週2回

It’s getting harder and harder to talk about politics, especially if you disagree. Well, screw that. Seattle Nice aims to be the most opinionated and smartest analysis of what’s really happening in Seattle politics available in any medium. Each episode dives into contentious and sometimes ridiculous topics, exploring perspectives from across Seattle's political spectrum, from city council brawls to the ways the national political conversation filters through our unique political process. Even if you’re not from Seattle, you need to listen to Seattle Nice. Because it’s coming for you. Unlike the sun, politics rises in the West and sets in the East. 

  1. 1月26日

    Two Years In, CARE Chief Amy Barden Says Her Crisis Response Team Still Faces Roadblocks

    Amy Barden, director of the city's Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) department. Barden has been on the job for just over two years, running the city's 911 operations while also setting up an unarmed team of social workers who respond to emergency calls that don't require police—the CARE Team. The CARE Team is expanding to 48 members this year, and their size will no longer be capped under the city's contract with the Seattle Police Officers' Guild (SPOG), which has historically resisted reducing the duties that legally have to be performed by police, like directing traffic and responding to 911 calls.  But the contract also includes new constraints on CARE that limit where the team is allowed to go and when they have to back off and call police. CARE can't help people if there are signs that they've recently used drugs, for instance, and they aren't allowed to go inside most buildings or respond to people inside cars. We asked Barden about these constraints, along with the requirement that SPD sergeants decide who to send out on crisis calls that come in to 911—police, CARE, or community service officers, civilian SPD staffers who respond to minor issues but lack the mental health and crisis response training of the social workers who make up the CARE team. We also talked about how CARE has evolved in its first 28 months, what happens when people call 911 for a person in crisis, and Barden's hopes for the team under new mayor Katie Wilson and a more progressive City Council. Our editor is Quinn Waller. Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.com Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com Support the show Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

    43分

  2. 1月16日

    Scott Lindsay, Deputy for Ousted City Attorney Ann Davison, Doesn't Mince Words

    This week, we spoke to former deputy city attorney Scott Lindsay. Voters soundly rejected Lindsay's former boss, Republican Ann Davison, last November, but Lindsay argues that many of her prescriptions for addressing crime and disorder were sound—including "stay out" zones for people accused of using or possessing drugs in public, extra penalties for people who commit misdemeanors like shoplifting over and over, and the elimination of community court, which Lindsay called "a complete disaster and shame and stain on the record of city attorney [Pete] Holmes." Although the city has arguably been ruled by a moderate-to-conservative supermajority for at least the last four years, Lindsay says they failed to accomplish all their goals, in part, because former mayor Bruce Harrell wouldn't always get with the program. Seattle, Lindsay argues, still has "radically too few police officers," "no consensus about what to do about our most pressing public disorder problems," and neighborhoods that have been "destroyed" by people using and selling drugs in public.  PubliCola has frequently pushed back on the notion that cracking down on so-called "prolific offenders"—the subject of a report Lindsay wrote for the Downtown Seattle Association in 2019—is a solution to the problems facing neighborhoods like Little Saigon that have faced decades of neglect and disinvestment. Lindsay agreed—and said that isn't the point.  "More people will die every year of fentanyl and meth overdose than will be successful in getting out of the life and getting into treatment and turning their lives around," Lindsay said.  "I'm not saying give up, but I'm saying we need to balance our treatment approach with, how do we stop the havoc that these folks create? And one effective way at stopping the havoc that they create is to constantly disrupt. Use legal tools to disrupt their behavior. Convince them that being on the streets at 12th and Jackson smoking fentanyl is going to get you incarcerated. Even if that's for eight or 12 hours that is in effect, can be an effective tool at disrupting the problem behavior and saving neighborhoods. Little Saigon is gone, but others are on the brink." Listeners will probably have strong feelings about this conversation, which also includes a discussion of Police Chief Shon Barnes, community court, and the "radical abolitionists," in Lindsay's words, at King County's Department of Public Defense, which provides attorneys for indigent defendants. Our editor is Quinn Waller.  Ann Davison's 2025 annual report, referenced in the show, is here. Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.com Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com Support the show Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

    45分

  3. 1月12日

    City Attorney Evans Charts a New Course on Drug Prosecutions

    We sat down with new Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans and Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion founder Lisa Daugaard this week to talk about changes Evans is making to the way the city handles low-level drug cases. Under Evans' Republican predecessor, Ann Davison, people arrested for simple drug possession or using in public were either jailed and prosecuted or sent to a "drug prosecution alternative" where they have to get an assessment to confirm they have an addiction and stay out of trouble for six month.  Evans directed her prosecutors to go back to the pre-Davison policy of reviewing people's cases to see if they're eligible for LEAD, the city's pre-filing diversion program. In response to this reasonable directive, Police Chief Shon Barnes told his officers that going forward, officers had to refer every drug case to LEAD—an overstatement that led to a right-wing media freakout when police guild director Mike Solan claimed Mayor Katie Wilson had ordered an end to all drug arrests.  Evans and Daugaard set the record straight, explaining what LEAD does, who it's for, and how they believe this policy shift will actually help people addicted to fentanyl who use in public—which, they both reminded is, is encoded in the 2023 "Blake fix" law that empowered the city attorney to prosecute minor drug cases in the first place. "What we're doing is not anything inconsistent with what the law has already recommended for our office to be doing," Evans told us. "But nothing's off the table. If someone is not making meaningful progress with LEAD or in diversion, then we do reserve the right to do traditional prosecution." Our editor is Quinn Waller. Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.com Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com Support the show Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

    42分

  4. 2025/12/20

    2026 Forecast: Will Katie Wilson Save Seattle with Pragmatism?

    We have no clue what 2026 holds, but that hasn't stopped us! The annual "Seattle Nice" prognostication episode returns with Publicola Co-Founder Josh Feit to offer hopes and predictions for the city's 2026. The main event: Mayor-elect Katie Wilson’s looming tenure. Will she defy her critics and steer a progressive agenda with pragmatic, results-oriented grit? We're all optimistic.   The discussion also gets into Seattle's biggest flashpoints including the need for greater police accountability, and the role of the CARE Department. We also talk over ideas to tackle density and affordability, including a “sprawl tax” (or “urban pass”). Finally, the conversation shifts to the quiet crises plaguing the city: dimming transparency at city hall, the struggle for a vibrant nighttime economy, and an accountability deficit in the city's public education system.  Our editor is Quinn Waller.  Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.com Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com Support the show Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

    48分

  5. 2025/12/12

    Is SPD contract a "complete failure" of police reform by current city leadership?

    On this four-year anniversary episode of Seattle Nice, we dissect two major policy and political battles, starting with the contentious Seattle Police Officer Guild (SPOG) contract. Passed by a narrow and unusual 6-3 City Council vote, the contract gives officers significant raises— a 42% increase overall— without requiring key accountability measures. We also discuss Mayor-elect Katie Wilson’s decision to retain Police Chief Sean Barnes, and the Trump administration’s erratic moves on homelessness funding.  Our editor is Quinn Waller.  Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.com Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com Support the show Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

    32分

  6. 2025/12/05

    Executives Gone Wild? Seattle, King County Shakeups 

    A new era is dawning in Seattle and King County, with big changes happening at the top. We break down the personnel shifts, including Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson's choice of Brian Surratt as her sole Deputy Mayor. Is the pick in part a strategic move by Seatte’s new progressive mayor to win over the  business community? Plus, we explore the uncertain future of Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes: Will Mayor Wilson keep him on? Finally, we dive into the controversy surrounding King County Executive Girmay Zahilay’s "layoffs,” as reported by PubliCola.  Quinn Waller is our editor.  Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.com Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com Support the show Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

    43分

  7. 2025/11/20

    Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson says Seattle Nice is “Special”

    Mayor-elect Katie Wilson turned down numerous invitations for national television appearances over the past week, telling Seattle Nice, “That is not my job.” But she took time out of her busy transition planning to speak with us (and you!). With assistance from our amazing Patreon supporters, and other listeners, we took advantage of the opportunity to pose the incoming mayor of Seattle questions on a wide range of topics, including the following: What concrete actions is she going to take to tackle affordability? How does she plan to deal with the City Council's adoption of a budget proviso requiring her to fund the Unified Care Team, which sweeps encampments?How, specifically, does she intend (as she has promised) to get 4000 homeless people into shelter or housing in her first term?What’s her response to Donald Trump calling her a "very, very liberal slash communist mayor" and does she consider herself a soccer fan like Zohran Mamdani?Given her opposition to the use of CCTV surveillance, what is her approach to ensuring fan safety and security during the World Cup?What’s the role of market capitalism in solving Seattle’s problems, given her commitment to socialism?  Along with being Seattle's socialist mayor, does she accept the mantle of being Seattle's urbanist mayor, and what does that mean to her?As a City Hall outsider, how does her conception of politics differ from that of Bruce Harrell, the veteran incumbent she improbably vanquished?And much, much more!  Our editor is Quinn Waller.  Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.com Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com Support the show Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

    44分

  8. 2025/11/14

    A Political Earthquake: Katie Wilson’s Huge Mayoral Win and the Price of Pizza

    The votes are in and a new era begins in Seattle politics. In this episode: The Concession and the Controversy: Was Bruce Harrell’s concession speech gracious enough?The Affordability Referendum: Wilson’s focus on pocketbook issues—housing, rent, and the rising cost of living—was the centerpiece of her campaign. Why didn’t Harrell’s response work? How will she deliver? Campaign Attacks: Were the Harrell camp’s attacks on Wilson (e.g.,"millennial socialist who still lives off parents’ money") unfair? Sexist? Shifting Politics: The cultural shift away from identity politics toward "bread and butter economic issues." Have white progressives changed their tune?  Road Ahead for Mayor-Elect Wilson: We analyze the challenges for an outsider promising to deliver on affordability. We also discuss the importance of her upcoming staff appointments, possible difficulties posed by Harrell's budget, and Wilson’s plans for housing, progressive taxation, and homeless encampment policies. Is Katie Wilson going to govern like Boston's progressive Mayor Michelle Wu?Our editor is Quinn Waller.  Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.com Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com Support the show Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

    41分
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予告編

番組について

It’s getting harder and harder to talk about politics, especially if you disagree. Well, screw that. Seattle Nice aims to be the most opinionated and smartest analysis of what’s really happening in Seattle politics available in any medium. Each episode dives into contentious and sometimes ridiculous topics, exploring perspectives from across Seattle's political spectrum, from city council brawls to the ways the national political conversation filters through our unique political process. Even if you’re not from Seattle, you need to listen to Seattle Nice. Because it’s coming for you. Unlike the sun, politics rises in the West and sets in the East. 

情報

  • クリエイター
    David Hyde, Erica Barnett, and Sandeep Kaushik
  • 配信期間
    21年 - 26年
  • エピソード
    177
  • 制限指定
    不適切な内容を含む
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Seattle Nice
  • 番組のWebサイト
    Seattle Nice

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