As Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson prepares to announce her own gun violence prevention strategy and the City Council’s Public Safety Committee votes 3-0 to advance a separate plan, KIRO host Gee Scott isn’t sold. He’s spent decades watching cities promise to fix gun violence with plans, partnerships, and press conferences, and he doesn’t believe any of it anymore.
“I am 50 years old, born and raised in Chicago. I’ve been hearing all of the ‘stop the violence.’ I’ve been hearing and seeing all of the plans,” Gee said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “I think a lot of it is performative. We have a new plan. We are bringing stakeholders together. You guys know the buzzwords.”
Angela asks whether the tension helps or hurts
KIRO fill-in host Angela Poe Russell asked whether a mayor heading in one direction and the council heading in another can actually produce results.
“Ideally, governments work better when they can work together, and I don’t know if we’ve reached the point where the council should be throwing in the towel on her,” Angela said. “Is this going to be effective to have a mayor in one direction and the city council in another? I just can’t imagine it will be.”…