Jonathan Choe

Journalist and Senior Fellow, Center on Wealth and Poverty

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Exclusive: Records Show KCRHA Gave Over $100mil to Providers Last Year and 30 Employees Had Six-Figure Salaries

Jonathan Choe
May 18, 2023
Follow the Money According to a 2022 document from the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (@KingCoRHA) the agency dished out a staggering $107, 396, 057.97 to providers. Look at all the non-profits and players in this industry. Stunning amount of money being spent to address the region’s homeless crisis. It’s broken down by agency name and project. So much to unpack. I encourage all journalists in #Seattle and #KingCounty to start picking this apart. According to a recent KCRHA call, homeless service providers also complained about late payments being an issue this year and last year as well. Post Mortem Check out this tweet showing records of KCRHA staff salaries. 30 of the 100 employees made at least $100,000. …

KCRHA CEO Marc Dones Steps Down

Jonathan Choe
May 17, 2023
Post Mortem Even before Marc Dones abruptly resigned on Tuesday as CEO of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (@KingCoRHA), the agency was under heavy scrutiny for it’s performance or lack thereof. Questions were being raised about spending and salaries, especially after Dones asked for $12 billion dollars to fund housing in the region. As Helen Howell becomes interim CEO, the KCRHA Governing Committee and other boards have a lot of soul searching to do. Do they stay the course and stick to the framework left by Dones, or is it time for a total gut rehab? Clearly, the “HOUSING FIRST” strategy is not working. The public is asking for more transparency and accountability, like actual measures of success and failure. In his exit letter, Dones touts …

Tacoma Small Business Struggles Amid Homelessness Crisis

Jonathan Choe
May 15, 2023
When Blake Mara and her business partner, Brian Cheeseman, started Heritage Coffee and Plant House in Tacoma’s Dome District last summer, they wanted their unique concept to become a destination for local artists and a community gathering place. Mara says she “saw the potential of the local neighborhood,” and Cheeseman adds he wanted to make the area “better for our whole community, not just us.” Like any new business, Mara and Cheeseman knew there was financial risk involved. Mara says she invested everything she owned in Heritage, but “had absolutely no idea how bad it was going to be.” Mara and Cheeseman could never have prepared for the homelessness crisis spiraling out of control at their doorstep. They tell me about the drug use surrounding their shop and …

Crisis in Downtown Seattle Shows no Sign of Stopping

Jonathan Choe
May 14, 2023
Mother’s Day Weekend Madness The warm weather is bringing out even more open air drug use and dealers in downtown #Seattle and the #Chinatown-ID area. I’m seeing clusters of people passed out on the streets as locals remain desensitized and tourists literally just walk past the problem. The black market of stolen goods is hopping. People are jumping on and off the King County Metro (@KingCountyMetro) buses with tons of stolen merchandise. It comes and goes in waves. Without fail, evenings are the worst. Might as well call in the National Guard (@WANationalGuard) for a weekend stint. Can’t hurt right? It’s now been about a month since Mayor Bruce Harrell (@MayorofSeattle) announced his Downtown Activation Plan and signed the Executive Order to address the …

Bellevue Police Reports Reveal Constant Altercations with Homeless Man Living at Dog Park

Jonathan Choe
May 12, 2023
Chris Wilson resides in Bellevue’s Robinswood Dog Park. Depending on who you ask, he’s either a well-known homeless man trying to get by, or an unhinged menace plagued by drug addiction and mental illness. Wilson is known for his erratic behavior at the park. “For the most part, I avoid him,” says Katherine McCarter who claims she was assaulted by Wilson last month after petting his dog. McCarter says she “never dreamed that this level of viciousness would come out,” and captured the entire encounter on a body camera. Bellevue Police officers responded to her call, and separated McCarter and Wilson when they arrived. Body cam footage from McCarter shows her telling officers that Wilson was in her face and she put her hands on his chest to keep him at a …

“The jails aren’t taking misdemeanors,” Say King County Deputies as Drug Use Continues on Sidewalks

Jonathan Choe
May 12, 2023
Send in Reinforcements With the sun shining and temps rising, I wanted to see what it looked like in #Chinatown-ID Thursday afternoon during the lunch rush. Without fail, I saw a crush of fentanyl addicts passed out on the street with foil littering the ground. One dude even spit on me and tried to punch me in the head. Remind me never to go out to a #Seattle drug den with flip flops. Thankfully, King County Sheriff’s Deputies were there and gave me some disinfectant to clean my sleeve and bailed me out. Otherwise, listen to the dire situation right now in the King County Jail. Deputies say they are NOT arresting anyone for misdemeanors out here! In other words, it’s turning into a game of whack a mole. It’s the worst kept secret in the city! No wonder we …

Journalist Jonathan Choe Punched While Covering Fentanyl Crisis in Seattle

Jonathan Choe
May 10, 2023
National Guard Time? This is now the third weekend in a row I’ve been out to the downtown #Seattle core since Mayor Bruce Harrell (@MayorofSeattle) announced his Downtown Activation Plan and signed the Executive Order to address the fentanyl crisis. HOT SPOTS: 3rd Ave & Pike street/ 12th Ave and Jackson St/ 3rd Ave & Cherry St/Westlake Park Easily one of the worst weekends for open air drug use and the thriving black market of stolen goods. There were also more drug overdoses. This is all happening with construction projects in the area. But even that did not keep the addicts and dealers away. We haven’t hit the warm summer months in the city. Imagine how bad it’s going to be out here when tourism season truly begins. This area is in trouble and …

Andrew Yang, “we haven’t been able to solve problems that are driving people out of the cities”

Jonathan Choe
May 9, 2023
Exclusive The Yang Gang is in #Seattle this weekend! Andrew Yang (@AndrewYang) energized a room full of movers and shakers in the city’s business, media, and political scene. Very impressive crowd. The first Asian American Democrat to ever run for the Oval Office continues to captivate folks from all across the spectrum and on both sides of the aisle. Saturday evening, I was in the same room with people labeled far-left or far-right, searching for common sense solutions. That’s how bad things have gotten in this city. LOL. Of course I had to ask Yang about the drug addiction and homeless crisis happening front and center. BTW, he’s now all in on the Forward Party (@Fwd_Party.) #Math#FWD#ForwardParty#Forward …

This is the New Seattle, It’s Out of Control

Jonathan Choe
May 7, 2023
Total Disaster It keeps getting worse on 3rd Ave & Cherry St in downtown #Seattle, just one block from City Hall. More “trap tents” have been set up by the same folks this weekend. Many are DESC (@DESCSeattle) residents who just spill out into the street and hang out, smoking fentanyl and conducting illicit activity. This drug den continues to draw all kinds of bad actors to the area. Even though city sweeps are happening weekly, it just keeps on coming back! On occasion folks like Mac Larkin will accidentally wander on to this notorious intersection. He immediately regretted it. Watch this interview. It pretty much sums up the state of the Emerald City. Once again, some random homie recognized me and started coming at me as I interviewed Larkin. This place is out …

Seattle Overdoses Add up as Drug Use Legislation is Introduced

Jonathan Choe
May 7, 2023
Overdose After Overdose This past weekend, I personally saw three people overdosing on drugs and then being revived by first responders in downtown #Seattle. I always check on people if they are doing the “fentanyl fold” or just slumped over. This woman was totally knocked out near @PiroshkyBakery. But once @SeattleFire arrived, they got her up without NARCAN. Drug overdoses happen multiple times a day in this American city. Why are we allowing this? When it comes to drug over dose deaths, Councilmember Sara Nelson (@cmsaranelson) says #Seattle has seen “a death toll rivaling that of Covid-19.” So where is the government intervention? Where are the mandates? Lockdowns? Just wondering. I think we need to continue this conversation. Drug Bill #Seattle …

Fuel Stolen Nightly from USPS Trucks by Homeless in Seattle

Jonathan Choe
May 5, 2023
You can see, and smell, the gasoline staining the black top at Wallingford, Seattle’s United States Postal Service (USPS) station. But these aren’t your usual spills. John Pierce is a supervisor at the Wallingford station and says for the past few years, several homeless men have been siphoning gas from his delivery trucks in the parking lot. The men even go underneath the vehicles to cut fuel lines. “Every day’s a challenge,” says Pierce who tells me that the men “collect with a bucket” and siphon it out of their trucks with hoses. One of the postal service’s most prolific offenders comes by in broad daylight to steal fuel. The man has removed the license plates from his blue Ford pick-up. Pierce tells me these men are “not afraid of the …

Man Starts Fire, Threatens to Kill in Seattle’s SODO

Jonathan Choe
May 4, 2023
Fire Fire Fire Just making my rounds Wednesday afternoon in SODO when I spotted this character. Dude was wearing a blonde wig, torching a pile of plastic, and then threatened to kill me. “Blow your f****** head off N****. ” He started off by calling me the N-word but eventually corrected course and went with Jackie Chan. LOL. Just another day in #Seattle. This is your district Tammy Morales (@CMTammyMorales.) Hey, at least 3rd Ave & Holgate St. remains clear of RV’s. Gotta take the W’s when you can. @MayorofSeattle @GovInslee @kcexec @seattlecouncil @KCCouncil @CMSaraNelson @CMTMosqueda @KingCoRHA @DiscoveryCWP …

King County Regional Homelessness Authority Scrambles to Improve Reputation

Jonathan Choe
May 4, 2023
Crisis Management Time The King County Regional Homelessness Authority (@KingCoRHA) just dropped this slick promo video featuring embattled CEO Marc Dones who rarely takes questions from the media. This comes at a time when his agency is being accused of incompetence and mismanagement. Dones is dealing with complaints from service providers about late payments, elected officials continue to scoff at his $12 billion dollar homelessnesss plan, and there have been numerous communication missteps this past year. Remember when Dones incorrectly cited state law and insisted no one could be removed from encampments unless a “permanent housing solution” was offered? Even Gov. Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) had to correct Dones. And King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn (@KCCReaganDunn) …

Homeless Encampment Shooting in Seattle’s International District

Jonathan Choe
May 2, 2023
Encampment Shooter on the Loose Monday morning, I got tipped off about a shooting in #Chinatown-ID. But once I got there, law enforcement officers were swarming a homeless encampment off Dearborn St. under I-5 on Washington State Department of Transportation (@WSDOT) property. It’s finally being cleared later this week. One person was shot in the ankle. The circumstances remain unclear. Shooter is still on the run. I returned later in the evening and bumped into some fentanyl addicts who were clueless about what happened. More crime and drug related problems in Councilmember Tammy Morales’ (@CMTammyMorales) district. Lets see how she votes on the proposed bill to make open air drug use a misdemeanor. #Seattle @GovInslee @MayorofSeattle @kcexec @SeattleCouncil @KCCouncil …

Seattle’s Third Avenue and Chinatown Full of Overdoses, Meth Fumes, and Stolen Goods at Night

Jonathan Choe
May 1, 2023
Downtown Madness Continues The warm weather is fueling a crush of illicit activity in the downtown #Seattle core this weekend. Dealers are out peddling fentanyl for as little as one dollar a pill. Once again there were multiple drug overdoses and the black market of stolen goods is flourishing. I was out late Saturday night into the early Sunday morning hours, focused primarily on 3rd Ave and #Chinatown-ID. The moment the sun sets, it gets absolutely wild. Even the classical music crowd exiting Benaroya Hall (@benaroyahall) got a taste of the “fetty” and meth fumes. Not enough police officers to keep up. There is no denying the severity of what’s happening to Coucilmember Andrew Lewis’ (@CMAndrewJLewis) district. Like I said, it’s going to get a …

Homeless Encampment Grows at North Seattle’s Hubbard Homestead Park

Jonathan Choe
April 30, 2023
It Keeps Expanding Four new tents popped up near the skate bowl over the weekend at Hubbard Homestead Park (@SeattleParks, @SeattleShines) bringing the grand total to 19. This homeless encampment is on the city’s radar, but there is no timeline yet on when it will be removed. Neighbors and local biz owners say it’s become a blight on the Northgate community. Along with the overwhelming use of fentanyl, some of the campers are also being blamed for thefts in the area. Someone went on the Nextdoor app and claimed a tent was being used to run a meth lab. Of course I had to check it out. Otherwise, everyone living here was super accommodating and wanted me to tell their stories. Once again, there is no one size fits all to this crisis. But in most cases, root causes …

Tents Reappear at Ballard’s Leary Triangle

Jonathan Choe
April 27, 2023
It Was Inevitable First tent just showed up to the Leary Triangle in Ballard. City removed the fencing and concrete blocks around this parcel last week, hoping to turn this into a dog park. Meanwhile, the tent encampments in the area continue to expand. The 72 hour parking rule is being enforced, but the RV’s keep coming back. Councilmember Dan Strauss (@CMDanStrauss) has his hands full. Marc Dones and the @KingCoRHA needs to do more outreach here. I counted at least 30 tents and RV’s in this area alone. No end in sight for this part of #Seattle. @GovInslee @kcexec @MayorofSeattle @seattlecouncil @KCCouncil @SeattleParks @seattledot Block Party’s Over…Sort of Earlier this month, SDOT removed the blocks around Leary Triangle. But no sign of any other …

Seattle City Attorney Introduces Legislation to Ban Drug Use in Public Spaces

Jonathan Choe
April 27, 2023
Rapid Reaction #Seattle is joining a growing list of local jurisdictions in WA trying to come up with it’s own drug laws after the state legislature FAILED to fix the one expiring this summer. Thursday morning, #Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison (@_Ann_Davison_)introduced legislation that would ban open air drug use(meth, fentanyl, etc) in public places, making it a misdemeanor. Councilmembers Sara Nelson (@CMSaraNelson) and Alex Pedersen sponsored the bill. Right after the press conference, I went straight to one of the most notorious drug dens in the city(#Chinatown-ID) to get reaction. As you can imagine, it was not well received among the drug users and addicts. Lots of indifference. NO FEAR of police. But if the bill passes, it’s at least something on the books …

“You are gonna die,” Jonathan Choe Chased by Man With Knife Threatening to Kill

Jonathan Choe
April 26, 2023
Crazy Town Gets Crazier Another insane Monday afternoon in downtown #Seattle. I was doing my usual rounds, about to report some POSITIVE NEWS regarding the encampment sweep at 3rd Ave & Pike St this morning. Mayor Bruce Harrell (@mayorofseattle) defending the corner from “trap tents” that are set up consistently to sell drugs just a block away from City Hall. Most of these folks are not homeless people. Many live in the nearby DESC buildings, hang out, and attract even more problems. As usual, I wanted to show the progress. But one fella didn’t want me pointing the camera at all the drug activity. So he pulled out a knife and started chasing me! He also threatened to kill me and hurled the N-word and racist Asian slurs in my direction. Witnesses called cops. But …

Olympia’s Problems Continue, Crime at Retail Stores

Jonathan Choe
April 25, 2023
More Olympia Problems This is wild. Just minutes from Governor Jay Inslee’s (@GovInslee) Mansion and the Capitol Campus, workers at this Starbucks (@Starbucks, @StarbucksNews) on Martin Way say some nut job recently smashed the drive-thru screen with a golf club. So the store no longer allows indoor seating for safety reasons! Employees also say thefts along with smash and grabs are spiking in this strip mall with Hobby Lobby (@HobbyLobby) and several other chain stores. Meanwhile, a problematic homeless encampment next door on WSDOT (@WSDOT) property is exploding out of control. It’s been allowed to flourish since last year. It’s now packed with more than 30 tents and structures. Fires are also constantly breaking out at this camp. Many biz owners say they are …