-Hi.
My name is Tye Reed,
and I'm running to be the next District 5 councilmember.
Most of you might know me as the co-chair
and co-founder of the House Our Neighbors Coalition
behind the successful campaign for social housing.
I am also a mutual aid organizer,
a member of the Transit Riders Union,
a board member for both Be:Seattle
and the Housing Justice Project, as well as a displaced renter
who is ready to represent your community
on the Seattle City Council.
For the past three years, I've spent nearly every week
distributing survival supplies to people living outside,
listening to their needs, and learning exactly
what would work to get them inside.
I've worked alongside countless organizations
researching and advocating for solutions that ultimately end up
being ignored or modified into ineffectiveness
by elected officials.
It's become all too easy for politicians to ignore our needs
while insisting they're our allies during election season.
That's exactly why I'm running on a platform
to uplift the demands laid out in the 2022 Solidarity Budget.
Community members have already told us
what they need to live and thrive
in a safe and healthy Seattle.
Politicians simply need to say "yes."
I will start by immediately focusing my office's attention
on passing bold, progressive revenue
to fill the projected $200 million shortfall
in the 2024 budget.
I will do this by increasing the JumpStart Tax
on large corporations,
and implementing a capital gains tax at the city level.
Seattle is tired of regressive taxes
that make every year harder and harder
for working-class families.
Seattle must stop the sweeps.
While this might not be a popular position to take,
we know that they just don't work.
Last year, the city carried out over 900 sweeps,
many at the same location multiple times,
with nothing to show for it
except a worsening homelessness crisis.
Millions of our tax dollars are being wasted on services
that are impossible to access.
Finally, I will prioritize creating safe spaces
for our kids, elders, and disabled neighbors.
I will start by pedestrianizing Aurora
with sidewalks, trees, and lit crosswalks.
I will fight to make sure the 130th Street station
opens on schedule, in 2026,
with zoning that allows for dense affordable housing
in our district.
I'm not running on the idea
that we need new solutions to our problems.
I'm seeking your vote precisely because we already have them.
We just need leaders courageous enough to make them happen.