Seattle’s long-term financial situation is dreary and bleak, and we’re not talking about the oddballs in the autonomous zone or defunded police. It seems the city leaders are as bad at finances as they are at securing the safety of their residents. And they just can’t so ‘no!’
UNFUNDED LIABILITIES ARE OUT OF CONTROL
The problem is the city has guaranteed $6.2 billion in retirement benefits to its workforce yet hasn’t funded $2 billion of those promises (2018), according to a Forbes report. Therefore, each city resident owes $5,400 just to cover the unfunded liability, according to fiscal accountability organization Truth In Accounting.
These are the people who want to defund the police, perhaps that’s partly because some officers make as much as $414,543.
364 Seattle Police Department (SPD) employees made over $200,000 in 2019, and 1,326 Seattle officers made at least 6 figures, Forbes reported Tuesday. The top 10 highest paid officers made between $304,417 and $414,543.
If you are a tree trimmer, make over $150,000, and if you are the chief librarian, you make $197,704. Electrical lineworkers earn more than $300,000.
The assistant chief of collaborative policing Adrian Diaz ($241,802), who seeks to foster positive relationships between the department and the community; hostage negotiation officer James Garner ($273,917); and bomb squad sergeant Daniel Miller ($279,266).
Obviously, they need the hostage negotiator, – probably not for that amount – and the bomb squad sergeant – they can’t pay him enough – but the collaborative policing assistant is a complete failure as the autonomous zone and the burning of the police precinct proves.
Forbes found 102 annual pensions worth over $100,000 each.
IN SUMMARY
Seattle is allowing criminals to take over blocks. Businesses affected by that decision are suing the city. Homeless drug addicts are taking over the local park, and other parts of the city — they’re spreading out. Will the highly-taxed residents and businesses even stay? One billion-dollar business is leaving due to “unrest” and possibly high taxes. A lot more could follow.
It’s a beautiful city but it’s being destroyed.
It’s a blue city.
As a business owner I have excluded the city of Seattle for service. When Technicians feel like they must carry guns for protection it is time for a Corporate policy change.
Can’t feel sorry for the City or the citizens. They voted for this crap and you are seeing the effects of public employee unions on all of the major cities, either Red or Blue. Bankruptcy over promised pension deals will be the death blow to the cities. They will simply default and the unions and their members will be left in the cold. The politicians promise more and more for votes but they can’t cash the checks to make it happen. Obozo was right about one thing, elections do have consequences and Seattle, Portland, LA, NYC, Chicago, Baltimore, DC are shining examples.
Priceless. Let this leftist city implode.
Prime examples of a city led by Socialistic principles highly paid State workers lowly paid citizens and welfare constituents.
Unfortunately “BLUE CITIES” leaderships are KILLING the values of SEATTLE, & encouraging thieves, anarchist, drugs, confusion, & deadly killers!!! There’s REALLY NO ORDER, NOR VALUES!!