TRUST is a theme that has infused columns for the last few weeks, trust in our fellow citizens and trust in our institutions. In last week’s column, the focus was on broken trust between the City of Spokane administration and the voters over the enforcement of Proposition 1. A simple resolution affirming the city is serious about enforcement of the homeless camping ban near children’s facilities failed to make it out of the briefing session and on to the council agenda.
As Councilmember Jonathan Bingle pointed out at the briefing session, the majority on the council has been quite all right with passing symbolic resolutions on all sorts of topics where the city has little or no influence. His resolution would have helped build bridges in a divided community where trust in the system is low.
Many thanks to Councilmembers Jonathan Bingle and Paul Dillon for responding promptly to my requests for conversation and comment as deadline approached.
RESOURCES:
Original column: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/jul/25/sue-lani-madsen-city-breaking-trust-with-voters-ov/ (Clipping of column as published is at the end of the Substack post; it was inconveniently formatted vertically last week)
Spokane City Council Briefing Session Video - July 22, 2024:
https://my.spokanecity.org/citycouncil/meetings/2024/07/22/briefing-session/
Original reporting:
The Spokesman-Review: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/jul/22/spokane-city-council-shoots-down-resolution-suppor/
“This resolution … just says we are doing the will of the people and are enforcing what 74% of Spokane voters voted for,” Bingle said Monday afternoon. “All I can surmise from this is we actually don’t want to enforce Prop 1.”
The Center Square: https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_cd63e3ea-4925-11ef-953a-17efee3ba85d.html
“Officers will respond to illegal camping complaints as able and warranted,” SPD wrote in a statement last week, “depending on the particular situation, other calls for service, and staffing.”
2023 Reporting on Councilmember positions: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/oct/27/truth-tester-many-claims-in-spokane-city-council-e/
Dillon on Prop 1: “Dillon opposes Proposition 1, which if approved by voters this November would ban camping within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, playgrounds and licensed day care facilities.”
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