When I first came here in 1976,Seattle had several unique neighborhoods. Ballard, Fremont, Capital hill, and several others. Seattle is rich in history. the name "skid row"
came from here. When lumber was king,logs would be sent skidding from the top of Yesler Way, down to the water. The place where the logs would land, fell in an area where out of work loggers lived, as well as poor people, Brothels were everywhere. The
area became known as 'skid row.'
It's better now, but only in certain areas. Emergency housing, free food, and a mission
still thrive today.
Now our stadiums are close to skid row. Sports bars, and funky little shops are in
pioneer square, in the skid row area. You can walk around and see tents and sleeping
bags. It's not un-common to see drug deals . Seattle once spent one million dollars
for one toilet. They purchased 10 of them. The toilets were great to buy drugs or have sex. The city leaders got rid of them finally. They sold each million dollar toilet for $2,800.
In 2014,you see two types of people in the city; poor and rich. Middle class people work
in the city but few can afford to live here. An average price for a one bedroom apartment
in Seattle is $1,540 a month. How about a two bedroom apartment? try $1,846 a month.
Coffee shops selling seven dollar cups of coffee, stores of all kinds selling shoes for hundred's of dollars a pair. The stores are for the rich who thrive in the city.
Neighborhoods close to the city are now for the yuppies, An apartment is now called a Condo. A fishing suburb called Ballard is loosing their middle class homes.Go across the
lake to a city called Kirkland.My first house there cost $19.000. Now the quaint houses
on my old block are being torn down and tall expensive homes are being built. Property
taxes are four times as much as they were in 1976.
The middle class salary in Seattle is slightly under $24,000 a year. Folks in that income
level,live 15 to 40 miles a way. Our loads are always packed.
Seattle already has the highest minimum wage in the Country at $9.32 an hour, There is
a push for $15.00 an hour to be arrived at in seven years. The $15.00 an hour goal started in Seattle. Look for the $15.00 push where you live.
I think untill workers can be educated in higher paying jobs, adults should
receive $15,00 an hour. I do,however,favor a lower scale for kids in high school and who are being trained to do any job.
I am not sure I can say the middle class died during a certain year. Unions were strong
once, now fewer and fewer people belong to one. Women once stayed home and the husband worked, Now you need two salaries to live on. Tax cuts for the rich,great jobs went overseas, New jobs pay much less. Government jobs have shrunk, Walk in to a grocery store and you will see machines that allow you to pay for your groceries. Fewer
and fewer folks will be needed in your grocery store. All working people should be helped
with child care,or whatever is needed, to help folks be trained in professions that pay well.
I guess we have been in a recovery since 2009. I don't see it. What I DO see are people
working multiple jobs and not stopping work at age 66. I see a tight labor market because the old folks are staying in the workforce.
The average family in America has over 13 credit cards. Savings are slipping.
Something has to change in our Country to bring back the Middle Class. Get educated, pay cash for almost everything you buy. Vote for Democrats for all races ,local and national. Republican's are showing the world they want us to move back in time,not forward.
If we as a nation keep doing the same thing, year after year, we will get the same results.
Happy with that?
-It is not because things are difficult that we
do not dare; it is because we do not dare
that they are difficult.
-Seneca