Guy Oron

Guy Oron

@guyoron.net

Seattle-based writer and journalist. Pronouns: he/they. Subscribe to my newsletter Gossip Guy for free! gossipguy.net

3.4K followers310 following1.2K posts

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NEW: I’m excited to announce a new project I’ve been working on, the Seattle Sweeps Open Data Repository. This open-source data set contains records related to Seattle’s policies of displacement against unhoused people. gossipguy.net/introducing-...

gossipguy.netIntroducing the Seattle Sweeps Open Data RepositoryAuthor’s note: 2024 — what a year. It’s been a lot. And yet we keep going. I’m deeply grateful to all of you for your support of Gossip Guy. Across a dozen posts, 240 of you have decided to subscribe ...
Guy Oron@guyoron.net

My story "What happens after city officials take everything you own?" for @realchangenews.org has just won first place in Poverty & Homelessness Reporting - Small in the NW Excellence in Journalism awards. Thank you so much to @spjwash.bsky.social for the recognition!

Such a historic and hard-fought victory! Lula and the Brazilian left beat the entire establishment and U.S. imperialist meddling. Their win is a win not just for Brazilians, but also the climate and world.

Raider@iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social

Lula has done it again 🫶🇧🇷

Guy Oron reposted

LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO LULA REELEITO

It’s important not to understate how few homeless RV residents will likely be able to obtain a permit under this regime. Also, the council made it clear that it doesn't see RV/trailer living — including by folks who aren't homeless — as a legitimate form of housing in Seattle.

Guy Oron@guyoron.net

NEW: The Seattle City Council just passed legislation, that while presented as a permitting program, will effectively ban homeless people living in RVs and trailers on city streets. The city doesn't even have a safe lot open yet. Read in @thestranger.com: www.thestranger.com/news/seattle...

Guy Oron reposted

The council rejected CM Maritza Rivera's amendment to exclude permits from people with criminal records. But by and large, the package is set to pass. Advocates and RV residents say that the legislation will spark a wave of banishment, further displacing unhoused vehicle residents.

Guy Oron@guyoron.net

The Seattle City Council will be voting on a proposal to require RV residents to register for a specialized permit. The package would also increase funding for services and outreach. But many providers and advocates are concerned the legislation will push hundreds further into the margins.

Also follow Erica who's been live tweeting the meeting: bsky.app/profile/eric...

Erica C. Barnett@ericacbarnett.bsky.social

The first comment at today's public hearing and vote on Dan Strauss' plan to ban RVs in Seattle, restricting them to two-hour parking, is from someone who owns an RV he and his wife travel in. He wants an exemption for RVs parked on the street at the residence where they're registered.

The Seattle City Council will be voting on a proposal to require RV residents to register for a specialized permit. The package would also increase funding for services and outreach. But many providers and advocates are concerned the legislation will push hundreds further into the margins.

NEW: The Seattle Social Housing Developer has officially announced its first original construction project, a 20-unit low-rise apartment building in the Central District. It represents another milestone in the agency’s ambitious expansion plans. @thestranger.com www.thestranger.com/news/seattle...

thestranger.comSeattle Social Housing Developer Announces First Construction Project - The StrangerAt a chilly morning press conference today, Seattle Social Housing Developer (SSHD) Interim CEO Tiffani McCoy announced plans for the agency’s first original construction project, a five-story apartme...

This is a consequence of the impunity given to Israel and directly connected to Israel's mass assassinations of Palestinian journalists in Gaza. All perpetrators must be brought to justice, and mainstream media must end its complicity with this brutal, anti-free press regime.

The Washington Post@washingtonpost.com

Masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villagers on Friday, setting olive groves on fire and slinging rocks. Caught in the attack was Post photographer Heidi Levine. “They just kept kicking me and kicking me, like probably 50 times,” Levine said. https://wapo.st/4yt6dHY

The Seattle Social Housing Developer is announcing its first construction project: a 20-unit low rise apartment building in an infill lot in the Central District. It will be built on a lot owned by late WA House Speaker Frank Chopp’s family, and is scheduled to complete in 2028.

The budgeted cost will be $15 million, translating to about $750,000 a unit. It will be built to passive house green and universal design standards. The majority of the units will be family sized (2-3 bedrooms).

Guy Oron reposted

MAJOR NEWS: The Seattle Social Housing Developer is announcing its first new construction project, in the Central District at 2402 E Yesler Way. The SSHD board is set to vote on property acquisition momentarily. Construction is set to start next year and wrap in 2028.

The Schrödinger paradox: Traffic safety both is and is not public safety

Ryan Packer@typewriteralley.bsky.social

The question that @guyoron.net asked Bob Kettle about why "Public Safety" doesn't include traffic safety — the consistent #1 concern of Seattleites in public safety surveys — continues to get under his skin. Just now Kettle once again implied Guy "doesn't seem to know" what they're talking about.

At this point they're basically inventing reasons to be mad at Katie Wilson

Erica C. Barnett@ericacbarnett.bsky.social

No other mayor has ever gone through a "public process" before deciding to hire their own chief and let the old one go—an absolutely absurd demand—and it isn't "performative" to do a community process before hiring a police chief. it's standard. mynorthwest.com/kiro-opinion...

Although it looks the ordinance will likely pass, Council President Joy Hollingsworth has introduced a last-minute amendment to clarify that non-pricing related surveillance for loss prevention and criminal enforcement would still be allowed. Privacy advocates are calling for it to be rejected.

Guy Oron@guyoron.net

NEW: Seattle is about to ban supermarkets from using your data to set individualized prices and coupons to curb price gouging and discrimination. The big grocer lobby is pissed, and is spamming Seattleites with scary text messages. Read in @thestranger.com: www.thestranger.com/news/seattle...

NEW: Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has released a new gun violence prevention plan after weeks of criticism from big business. Key components include empowering the City’s recently expanded CARE Department and keeping investments in youth services. @thestranger.com www.thestranger.com/news/mayor-k...

thestranger.comMayor Katie Wilson Presents Gun Violence Prevention Plan - The StrangerSeattle Mayor Katie Wilson is rolling out a plan to tackle gun violence by better integrating city departments and maintaining services for youth. The announcement comes after weeks of relentless crit...

CARE Chief Amy Barden says that in the last 6 weeks, crisis responder utilization has increased to 80%, about double the rate during the same time last year under former Mayor Harrell. Interim SPD Chief Andre Sayles says he’s been pushing rank-and-file cops to divert more calls to thd responders.

Guy Oron reposted

I get that people like to clown on Macklemore, but he's quietly done so much good for Seattle. Besides the stuff on his website, he's donated to the music program at my kid's school and sponsors the free summer parks concerts.

Phil Lewis@phillewis.bsky.social

Rapper Macklemore has been dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour after he made a “Free Palestine” speech on stage earlier this month

Guy Oron reposted

This segment about public safety is worth a listen and Guy Oron makes an excellent point about the lack of criticism of the Harrell administration, during which gun violence continued to rise in Seattle despite a national downward trend. Seattles #1 public safety issue since 2023 is traffic safety.

Guy Oron@guyoron.net

On @citycastseattle.bsky.social today @bretthamil.bsky.social @samjleeds.bsky.social and I dissect the recent political discourse about public safety and ask if Mayor Katie Wilson is being unfairly criticized as homicide numbers decline from their post-COVID peak: seattle.citycast.fm/podcasts/wha...

Guy Oron reposted

Robin Hunt and I made a zine about the Black Lives Memorial Garden as part of Common Area Maintenance’s pocket neighborhoods collection. You can pick up a physical copy tonight 5:30-7:30pm at King Street Station during the Pioneer Square art walk.

An interesting Seattle political fact: This station was included in ST3 after heavy lobbying from then-newly elected District 5 council member Debora Juarez. It will open just 2 months before she finishes out her last interim term in that very same seat.

Ryan Packer@typewriteralley.bsky.social

JUST ANNOUNCED: Pinehurst Station at NE 130th Street will open on September 30.

SEA and Seattle Public Schools have just reached a tentative agreement, averting a teacher’s strike on the first day of school tomorrow.

Guy Oron@guyoron.net

BREAKING: The Seattle Education Association has officially authorized a strike, with 91% voting in favor. Its 6,000 members will join the picket lines starting on Wednesday — delaying the start of the school year — unless the union reaches a last-minute deal with the district.

MOHAI workers announced the formation of a union today, with more than 70% of eligible rank-and-file workers signing cards with CWA Local 7800. They are asking for voluntary recognition from the Seattle museum. Some of their core demands include pay equity, transparency and benefits for part-timers.

Look at these two charts. Two serious safety issues—homicides and pedestrian traffic deaths—which cause immense heartbreak and loss to Seattle communities. Both have seen concerning trends in the last decade. Are they both taken seriously by local media and policy makers?

This is not to conflate the issues; each deserves focused attention on its own. But when public safety becomes political football, it's important to ask what concrete (and data-driven) policies are being implemented to address these concerns: www.thestranger.com/news/seattle...

thestranger.comSeattle Mayor Katie Wilson Signs Order on Traffic Safety - The StrangerLast week Seattle politicians spent a whole lot of time talking about public safety, but one actually did something about it. The big news came on Friday when Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson signed an exec...

Guy Oron reposted

Seattle Officer Caleb Howard is featured in our 2026 Protest Pack. It's on sale now! Buy it here: tinyurl.com/divestcards26

DivestSPD@divestspd.bsky.social

Officer Caleb Howard should've been fired in 2018, when he assaulted another cop's son — and the officer himself — but SPD saw his violent temper as an asset. Read all about Howard's record here: www.divestspd.com/p/bad-cop-ba...

Someone is polling Seattle voters to test out opposition messaging against city council candidate Nilu Jenks. Appears like some of the statements are not just incendiary but also inaccurate...

Guy Oron reposted

BREAKING: The Seattle Education Association has officially authorized a strike, with 91% voting in favor. Its 6,000 members will join the picket lines starting on Wednesday — delaying the start of the school year — unless the union reaches a last-minute deal with the district.

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson signed an order to speed up traffic safety projects. But it couldn’t happen without some drama from Rob Saka, who tried to upstage her with his unfinished bill, and Bob Kettle, who used a poll to (yet again) call for more police cameras. www.thestranger.com/news/seattle...

thestranger.comSeattle Mayor Katie Wilson Signs Order on Traffic Safety - The StrangerLast week Seattle politicians spent a whole lot of time talking about public safety, but one actually did something about it. The big news came on Friday when Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson signed an exec...

Guy Oron reposted