“It’s a beautiful thing when someone changes his mind,” said the Church Council of Greater Seattle’s Sandy Brown at a July 24 press conference. “Bob Edwards has changed his mind.” Up to now, the Port Authority’s response to calls to save 162 units of affordable family housing could be summed up in one or two words. Those would be “No” or “Hell, no” depending upon your interpretation. Today, that response became much more ambiguous.
While this is good news, we are still some distance from declaring victory. On July 24, Port Commissioner Bob Edwards will introduce a resolution to his four fellow counterparts that opens the possibility for compromise. Should a majority agree, a proposal will be drafted for broader approval that “directs staff to explore compromise.” This is not exactly the win we need, but it’s a great start.
Edwards has shown admirable moral courage in taking this first step. The Port Authority has “come into the family,” as King County Executive Ron Sims so graciously put it, due to immense pressure from the County and the broader community.
This has included an occupation of the property by the brave members of SHARE/WHEEL, and a recent “Lamentation Service” at the site that stacks the moral authority of the faith community against the narrow economic interest of the Port Authority and the City of Burien.
Like all development that happens at the expense of the poor and powerless, this is about money, opportunity, and power. We need to keep our guard up and the pressure on.
For daily posts by Tim Harris see apesmaslament.blogspot.com