Socialist Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant is at it again, proposing far, far-Left policies that — in the end — do nothing to solve the problems they seek to address. This week, Sawant “proposed legislation that would put a cap on the amount of money landlords charge incoming renters.” The Seattle Times reports:
“The ordinance would limit move-in fees — including a security deposit and any nonrefundable, one-time payments — to no more than the cost of one month’s rent.
“Sawant’s legislation also would require landlords to allow renters to pay their move-in fees in installments rather than immediately and in full. Landlords asking for last month’s rent up front would likewise be required to accept that sum in installments.
“The council member said her proposal is aimed at reducing costs for Seattle renters during a time in which many of them are struggling to make ends meet.”
Sawant’s latest regulatory proposal targets landlords by limiting their ability to control how they run their own property. Essentially, Sawant blames — and punishes — property owners for the rising costs for renters in Seattle.
But, as KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson recently asked, who is really to blame for the cost hikes?
“Why are Seattle renters having such a tough time? Why are Seattle rents so high? It’s because of the cost of government; because of people like Kshama Sawant.
“And if she truly understands economics, she has to understand her culpability in driving rents as high as they are because of the cost of the City of Seattle’s decisions. It’s true with every tax proposal that comes along that she supports. Sound Transit needs $54 billion? Yeah, vote yes. What about every levy that’s proposed? Let’s give billions to metro – vote yes!
“These have a cumulative effect and they have driven rent up higher than almost any place in the country. And then Sawant, a socialist, pretends that she cares about the people who are hurt by her advocacy of idiocy.”
Seattle politicians like Sawant push property tax increase after property tax increase to pay for their agenda. The latest, Sound Transit 3 (ST3), would increase the property tax by .25 per $1,000 of assessed value ($100/year on a $400,000 house).
These increases impact property owners and renters alike. To put it in terms socialists like Sawant might understand, when property taxes increase, so does rent.
So, if Sawant is so concerned with the rising costs of rent, perhaps she should reconsider her “advocacy of idiocy” — as Monson put it.
This person is a byproduct of Seattle’s voters.