♪♪
-Good afternoon, everybody.
Thank you for being here.
I got some exciting things we want to talk about,
and I want to thank community members for being here.
Neighbors, great folks from Lake City.
I want to give some special recognition
to have Council Member Rincon Juarez here.
Thank you for being here.
You can only -- you can't have more than 3 or 4
because you got a quorum.
But thank you for being here.
Uh, deputy Mayor Tiffany Washington,
deputy mayor Greg Wong, uh, director Markham McIntyre.
Uh, we have HSD, Human Services Department,
Sean walsh and Michelle Caulfield from, uh,
Office of Sustainability environment.
I want to thank you all for being here
because this is
we have a lot to talk about here in Lake City.
I first want to ground us in a quote.
"Hunger is not an issue of charity.
It's an issue of justice."
And so when we talk about the quality of life
at this very special part of the city,
we talk about the recent announcement
of Fred Meyer closure.
We talk about some of the public safety challenges we have.
Let's get it all out there and let's talk about it.
Let's talk about what we're going to do.
Oh, I didn't see you here, chief.
Chief Amy Barden of our CARE department.
I also should acknowledge you as well.
[ Applause ]
I have to acknowledge that too many
Seattle neighbors are struggling to afford access
to one of the most basic needs -- food.
Access to their medication.
With this president of ours that we unfortunately have.
When you look at his tariff policy,
you look at what he's done to cause inflation.
You look at his dangerous actions to cut food investments.
You know, he is the -- he's imposed the largest cut
to Snap benefits in our entire country's history,
slashing billions of dollars
in funding dedicated to what we're talking about today,
addressing food insecurity.
And so when we hear the recent announcement in Fred Meyer
as an example,
as your mayor and as our administration must do
and should do, the question becomes, what can we do?
What are we committed to do?
And that's what we're going to go through today.
We know the truth.
The truth is that food is too expensive.
We know that in too many cases,
it's inaccessible due to grocery closings and food deserts.
And quite frankly, this work is very personal to me.
I have friends of my wife here, and, you know,
my wife worked to address food deserts as the president
of United Way of King County.
And as mayor, I work to update our city's
food access plan for the first time
in over a decade.
So today I'm announcing some very concrete,
specific steps that we're going to do,
and I'll even talk about some ideas
that we're still working on that
I think you may find very interesting.
So I'm announcing today the important steps
through my budget proposal
to make significant investments of $12 million
toward food access.
What does that look like?
Well, we're working to ensure
that more of our residents and neighbors
have access to healthy and affordable foods.
There's no single solution
when we're addressing challenges like this.
What you want to see is sort of a series of investments
and a strategy to make sure
that we recognize the significance of the problem.
So number one,
one of our cornerstone investments
is the expansion of the Fresh Bucks program.
Our proposal that I will propose
to you all the budget Committee, the council.
We will double the amount invested in the program
with $6 million investment.
Let's talk about what that does.
[ Applause ]
Now, Fresh Bucks is a food program that many of you
know that helps low-income residents afford
fruits and vegetables through a monthly stipend.
This is what we're going to do.
And you're going to hear from Professor Melissa Knox after me.
You're going to hear from her comprehensive analysis
on the success of this particular program.
So what this investment actually does is will expand
the monthly stipend by 50%, up to $60 per month.
And we currently have a waiting list of 4,000 people
who want to participate in this program.
This investment will take those people off the waiting list.
We will we will go from 12,000 to 16,000 families
who will participate in this program.
[ Applause ]
Number two.
I'm very happy to announce that
my budget invests $300,000 over three years
to extend the Lake City Farmers Market
by an additional 15 weeks.
[ Applause ]
People love farmers markets, not only
because they get fresh, healthy food.
Not only they're supporting our community and our local growers,
but you walk around and you build community.
And so we will eventually transition to Saturdays
from the current Thursday afternoon schedule,
and we anticipate great success.
Now, this does not solve issues created by Fred Meyer's closure.
We recognize this, but this is a step
toward increasing food access
in this particular neighborhood.
Food assistance benefits accounts for 10% of sales
at the Lake City Farmers Market in 2024,
so that's nearly doubled compared to nearby markets.
Number three,
our proposed investments will add $4 million
to support local food banks, provide home delivery,
provide weekend food access for the kids,
our youth, and support year round prepared
hot meal programs and youth summer meal access.
I said that a little quickly,
but let me break it down in simple terms.
A lot of these kids are on free and reduced lunch.
That is their means to eat.
What do they do on weekends or during the summer?
So we recognize that deficiency in the system
and we will address that. So I'm starting in my
description of what we're doing
to look at those most vulnerable.
That's why I started with Fresh Bucks,
and now we're going to the kids.
That will be a $4 million investment
to address this issue.
So our local food banks, our home delivery meals
and our youth will be recognized in our strategy.
Number four.
This is where it even gets -- we have to acknowledge
the realities of what's happening in this city.
We will dedicate $1 million toward addressing theft,
shoplifting, property damage at our grocery stores.
We'll look at the funding, infrastructure improvements.
I'm sorry -- We will fund infrastructure improvements
and security solutions that help stores that are open.
What we have to do is we have to get in front of these issues.
We don't control the stores.
These -- these are private stores.
But we have to understand what we as a city
can do to help them from closing to begin with.
So we've had many discussions over the years
about what they refer to as shrinkage.
I'll refer to it as shoplifting and theft.
So we will invest $1 million toward their assistance
to make sure we can get in front of these issues.
Number five, we will also look to the future
by proposing a $700,000 investment
to support the opening and expansion
of small businesses offering healthy,
fresh foods and cultural household essentials
throughout Seattle neighborhoods.
So let me talk a little bit more about that.
You know, in our One Seattle Comprehensive Plan update,
you know that we are just --
Oh.
He wants police?
Okay, you got it.
[ Laughter ]
You -- you're going to get a couple right now.
All right. Let me go back to this
because this is a very important --
this is a very important investment that I --
I'm sorry I -- I got a little distracted.
We want corner stores.
We -- in our comprehensive plan,
we really loosen up the restrictions
to be able to have corner stores.
Now what we're doing is we're putting $700,000 to the council
to make sure that we invest in this,
in the opening of these stores.
So this will encourage and incentivize food access
with a specific focus on food deserts.
And this is very consistent with our comp plan.
This is very consistent with the other programs
we had in place, such as Seattle Restored
or the Storefront Repair Fund.
I want to give thanks -- our Office of Economic Development
for thinking outside the box
and how we can encourage food access through --
through small, uh -- grocery stores on our corners.
Six, we're investing $4 million into a very place
based focus under our Chief Barnes and under Chief Barden.
We look at places where they are --
there are an inordinate amount of issues
and a place based focus was suggested.
We have to double down in certain areas,
and Lake City is one of those areas.
And so we are investing $4 million
into improving the public safety,
promoting economic growth
and encouraging neighborhood renewal.
So what does it look like?
It looks like a coordinated cross-departmental
public safety strategy, trash removal, spot pressure
washing of sidewalks, improved lighting,
police actions focused on those causing neighborhood harm,
all designed to boost economic vitality.
But I want to acknowledge
the public safety challenges that we do have.
Many of you know, -- have heard me talk about the fact
that when I took office, we -- we lost almost --
almost one fifth of our department, about 300 officers.
But we have a great trajectory on the officers
who were hired this year alone.
We should probably have
between 100 and 150 new officers.
So we have a good trajectory,
but it has been very challenging.
Which leads me to my next investment.
What happens to the Fred Meyer, the shell of the store?
I'm going to talk about that a little bit more.
Well, the first thing we were going to do is we're
going to present legislation to our legislative body
that bans property restrictions and non-compete clauses
for grocery store and pharmacy leases.
So what this means is when a grocery or pharmacy closes,
sometimes they place restrictive covenants
that block efforts to bring on a new store...
a new pharmacy.
So this legislation is designed to prohibit that.
We understand that grocery and pharmacy
stores are essential services for our neighborhood.
They bring the vibrancy and the health to our neighborhoods,
so we must put an end to these restrictive covenants.
We believe in our administration
that this is good policy to put forward,
and I look forward to the Council's deliberations on this.
Eighth, in Olympia in January, our legislators --
our state legislators will go back to work.
We will seek legislation
to exempt groceries and pharmacies
from Washington State's business and occupation tax,
recognizing that these businesses operate
with razor thin margins
and are vital for a healthy and thriving communities.
Now, that may sound a little wonky to some,
this is critical to making sure they succeed.
This is holding them up to make sure
that you have access to food,
and this is a policy solution that we will advance.
We will testify. We will write position papers.
And this will be well received, we believe,
by our state legislature.
Before you hear from the speaker after me,
I want to talk about sort of
how we approach from a conceptual standpoint,
what we're trying to do.
We try to think outside the box.
This is a holistic approach.
With Fred Meyer as an example,
I'm never afraid to address the elephant in the room.
What's going to happen to that building?
Well, I don't want to build false hope.
I see politicians doing that every day.
I build real hope.
I'm asking my team to look at.
Is it possible that we could have
markets there all year long?
Is that a possibility?
Is it possible we could have
the Pike Place Market
show us their brilliance of
bringing out here to Lake City?
Is it possible to build housing
in that shell, with a market.
Rest assured, we are disruptors in how we run this city.
We are trying to make this a beautiful place.
When people say they live in Lake City,
they will say it pride, and they'll know that they
have an administration and a team holding them up.
So what we wanted to do today
is talk about the very specific things we're going to do.
This will be done,
but what will also be done is to continue outside the box
thinking with you.
And that's why we chose this farmer's market
as a proper place to talk about visioning,
because this always -- you never see anyone mad in the market.
Well, maybe you do every now and then,
but the market is where people smile and shake hands.
So we're excited about this holistic package
to bring to Lake City.
But I need to impress upon those that live here
that we are in it with you. We are here for you.
And you're going to hear from some folks
that could say a little bit more about what they're doing
and how our plan sort of ties into the work
we're doing together. So next, you're going to hear
from Jennifer Antos,
the executive director
from Seattle Neighborhood Farmer's Markets.
And I sort of pumped you up a little bit, Jennifer.
So don't let them down with what you're going to say.
-All right. -[ Applause ]
Thank you.
I'll try to make this as exciting as possible.
Thank you, Mayor Harrell,
welcome to the Lake City Farmer's Market.
It is so great to see the familiar faces
from our community here.
My name is Jennifer Antos. I'm the executive director
for the Neighborhood Farmer's Markets.
And I'm here today to share what this proposed investment
that Mayor Harrell mentioned in the Lake City Farmer's Market
means for this community.
Lake city is a growing, dynamic neighborhood.
And since 2002,
this farmer's market has been one
of its most important gathering spaces for the community.
People come here for fresh food.
Our local farmers and producers
bring harvest from across Washington state.
But right now, the market only runs for 18 weeks
during the summer, and it runs on Thursday evenings,
which means a lot of working families,
people with school aged children,
um, folks can't make it.
And it also means that just
as the summer days start to get shorter,
access to fresh food drops off for the season.
With support from the city,
we have an opportunity to change that.
This investment would -- would extend
the Lake City Farmers Market
by 15 additional weeks into December.
And in the future, ideally,
it will also shift the market to a Saturday
so that more people and residents in the community
and more producers who are producing year round
can take advantage of this space.
It strengthens the sole income and viability
of our local producers so that they can continue
to produce that food for all of us,
for everyone's benefit.
And we know the demand is there.
Our farmers are ready to bring more food into areas
of this city, including Lake City,
but the supply only grows when we invest in it.
So through public support,
through people's choice to come shop at the farmers market,
and through a shared recognition
that a community can feed itself, we will get there.
This also advances equity.
Mayor Harrell mentioned that compared to some of the markets
that we organize in more affluent neighborhoods,
the purchases in this market made using SNAP and Fresh Bucks
are -- can be double what they are in other neighborhoods,
which means that low-income families,
seniors, and immigrant communities
are asking and seeking for fresh, high-quality food
from Washington State, and we want to make sure
that local food is within everybody's reach.
Expanding the market means just that.
It also means more support for community partners,
food banks, meal programs
through donations and relationships
through this farmers market.
It also means continued energy in this space
that is so central to the Lake City neighborhood,
connecting the library, Albert Davis Park,
and the future site of the community center
born anew.
So it isn't just about extending the market season.
It's about investing in our food security,
in justice, in our regional producers,
and in the health of the Lake City neighborhood.
So I'm grateful to you, Mayor Harrell,
for recognizing that opportunity
and look forward to working with city
and the whole community to make that a reality.
Thank you. -Thank you, Jennifer.
Thanks, Jennifer.
Thank you, Jennifer. You did not disappoint.
The next speaker is César García.
Many of you know him as the co-director
of the Lake City Collective, a champion
for community engagement and investment in Lake City.
And I've just thoroughly enjoyed
working with César over the years.
César, please share some words with us.
-Thank you.
Good afternoon, everyone.
And my name is César García,
and it feels so different to be in my own community
speaking in front of you, it really does.
I've been in other places, you know, other parts of the city,
and it just feels good, you know,
like, Lake City, you know?
Please raise your hand if you live in this area.
Yeah. You know, to all my fellow residents,
you know, staff, businesses,
you know, we know that Lake City is a strong community.
We know that.
And we are a resilient community.
So when we get in the news that, you know,
this one major store is going to close, we are ready.
You know, we are ready.
And we have been building capacity over the years.
And this market is one of the -- one example.
I want to give a shout out to Pat and Nancy,
who are over there.
They are -- many of you know them, but they are...
you know, they volunteer their time
with many organizations in the area.
And Lake City Collective is one of them.
And they provide so much for our kids
that I, you know -- I can go on and on,
so much appreciation for them.
I'm going to show you -- I'm going to share with you
what we have been doing things through our partnership
with the City of Seattle, with the Mayor's Office.
And we see -- I see here a lot of people, you know,
that I like to call friends because all the time --
all the time that we have spent together.
And before I forget,
you may know that the City of Seattle
won the -- an award this year,
which is the All-America City Award.
And you need to know
that Lake City was represented in Denver.
And I have one of the -- my fellow teammates,
and I'm going to be asking -- I've been asking for a sign,
a big sign entering Lake City,
145th and coming into Little Brook,
with the All-America City Award.
I would like to see that on a pole.
[ Chuckles ]
Our organization works mostly in the north end of Lake City.
You won't see me here a lot.
And the way that we have been building resilience
is through programs
like I'm going to tell you each one.
Fresh Bucks -- we have enrolled
close to 1,000 households in that program.
And a lot of the feedback
that you hear about increasing the benefits
comes from this relationship with the community
and with all those families who were asking for that.
All these families, they are not --
they are not asking for more.
They are asking for more options.
Mm-hmm.
We just recently started our pilot program
where we had also our own market because even though,
you know, this big store that is closing across the street is,
you know, it's a big loss,
you will see that not a lot of all our communities,
or the communities that look like me,
we couldn't find all the products that we will eat,
like culturally products.
So that's why we are doing our own market,
you know, our own effort.
And I'm going to say it really quick.
So we have been a part of the Environmental Justice Fund.
The Environmental Justice Fund also provided seed money
for our own community garden.
We also -- we have been
not only a partner to the Fresh Bucks program,
but also, we were lucky to be an awardee
of the Food Equity Fund.
Through the Food Equity Fund,
we not only increase the size of our community garden,
we have more produce,
and but also we brought back the community kitchens
that we started in this part of the neighborhood in 2020.
And also, we have been supporting --
we had a cohort of businesses,
a food -- food-preneurship businesses.
And also, thanks to our partnership
with the Office of Economic Development,
we have been supporting businesses,
many of them restaurants.
And one of the programs is Back to Business program.
And so we have been supporting businesses not only
here in Lake City, but also in the whole city.
I wanted to finish by saying
that all this work hasn't been possible --
would not be possible without a lot of the people,
many of them that you see here today,
that are behind the camera, like really --
and many, many, many more community members
who cannot be here.
So I just want to thank the city.
I want to thank everybody.
And I want to say that Lake City is a strong community,
and this is a new era for Lake City.
Thank you.
-Thank you, César.
Thank you. César.
So our last speaker -- then I'll close us up --
is Melissa Knox, an associate teaching professor
of the Department of Economics at the University of Washington.
And she was part of a study evaluating
the Fresh Bucks program.
And, Melissa, we'd love for you to share a few words.
-Hi, everyone. Good afternoon.
My name is Melissa Knox.
And, yes, our team did a study,
or is working on a study analyzing the impacts
of the Fresh Bucks program.
And our findings are pretty compelling.
So to start off,
we surveyed around 2,000 households in Seattle.
Some of these folks had Fresh Bucks,
and then some were just on the wait list.
But, you know, behind those numbers,
those were real people,
all of whom had to make trade-offs
when they went to the grocery store.
Some people were, you know, parents with young kids at home.
Some people were older adults living on their own.
And nearly everyone in the study was living with an income
that was well below the living wage for Seattle.
So let me tell you about what we found.
First of all, so for families who are
newly enrolled in Fresh Bucks,
their ability to put enough food on the table,
what we call food security,
increased by more than 30%.
We also saw that individuals with Fresh Bucks
were over 30% more likely to report
eating fruits and vegetables once they got the program.
And even better, these gains were sustained
and held up for people who were on the program
for more than one year.
But we also identified some challenges.
When people left the program,
those -- those gains disappeared quickly.
So the progress faded,
and people were back to eating fewer fruits and vegetables,
and they were back to worrying about
how they were going to put food on the table.
So the message from our research was pretty clear.
Fresh Bucks does work. It improves diet.
It improves food security.
It improves economic security,
and it gives people peace of mind.
So, but for that impact to last,
what we found was that people do need to be able
to have access to a consistent, sustained benefit.
Even then, we think there's more that could be done.
Even with Fresh Bucks,
only about 30% of the individuals we surveyed
said they were food secure.
Most were eating fruits and vegetables
around three times per day, which is good,
but still not quite what we would say
is enough for a healthy diet.
So larger benefits could change that.
And especially given rising grocery prices, you know,
the increase in benefits, I think,
will be even more important than ever.
But at the end of the day,
our study, our numbers told a pretty simple story.
When Seattle invests in programs like Fresh Bucks,
they make it possible for individuals and families
to worry less about where their next meal is coming from.
And they can focus more on living a healthier life.
Thank you.
-Thank you. -Thank you.
-Thank you, Melissa.
So I'll close this up by saying this,
and then we'll be more than happy
to entertain any questions.
We have to acknowledge Lake City's had some challenges.
As someone that used to play in the streets of Lake City
as a kid, we would come here for different ball games,
who have friends over here,
Lake City is not unlike many other cities
or areas in the country.
The fentanyl crisis, the opioid crisis,
the ravages of COVID in terms of economic development
has affected all of us.
But I have to impress upon you that you have a city behind you
that recognizes these challenges
and are putting forth real investments,
a real strategy -- not-pie-in-the-sky --
looking across the country on what works
and what does not work.
And that's what this investment strategy will have.
And I look forward to the council's deliberation
on these issues and the policy solutions in Olympia,
where we will work with our legislators
to make sure we get the kind of relief that Lake City deserves.
And with that, I'd be more than happy to take any questions.
And I will wait. Uh, yes. I'm going to take some --
Usually I'm supposed to take press questions,
but I'm in a good mood today, so I'm just going to go for it.
Go ahead, please. It's you. Go ahead.
No, it's okay. You're standing next to Anne,
so you're okay with me.
-Well, there are two questions related to one another.
One, you're going to close down in the middle of October.
That's coming up really quick.
And I'm just imagining that whole area just being --
just being abandoned. And, you know,
what kind of security is going to be available?
That would be one.
The other one is if -- are there any communications
with Fred Meyer and the city
that you would be able to share with us,
you know, concerning some of the ideas of the...?
-I'll repeat the question so you can hear.
The first one is, given the fact that
they announced they may vacate the property in October,
what safety precautions are taking -- will be in place
to make sure it doesn't become a very blighted area
or an unsafe area?
And that's exactly what we're doing.
So our chief -- we have actually command staff here.
We have the chief of police reports to Chief Public Safety
Natalie Walton-Anderson right here.
And so they are on top of the issue.
They'll make sure that they have
the right patrols and the right --
and part of this investment strategy was simply that --
making sure we could keep it safe
and make sure we are sheltering people.
And that's why our recruiting strategy has become so important
for us to make sure it's safe.
So we understand it may be vulnerable,
and we'll make sure that we throw the --
the right forces behind it, not just police,
but our CARE Department as well.
That's why the CARE Department, of course,
is an unarmed response to people that may be in crisis.
So we'll make sure we have a holistic approach as well.
We also have our deputy mayor of homelessness here.
I don't that's not her title,
but she's in charge of the homelessness strategy,
so we'll make sure the area is clean and safe
to the best of our ability. Now, let me talk to you
about the second part of your question.
I have had discussions with the people running Fred Meyer.
And what I've said to them, quite frankly --
and these are ongoing discussions --
is, "Can we think out the box collaboratively?"
People need food here.
They need access to their medications.
What does moving forward look like?
And I'm not -- we don't have a plan yet.
The discussions are ongoing,
and that's why I use the term "false hope."
I don't want to build you false hope.
I have to look at what they're willing to do.
And we're having those discussions.
I have to look at if -- they own the building,
and if they sell it,
that's why the restrictive covenants piece is critical.
What can it look like after? And I'm just a firm believer.
I always look up and say, I'm a firm believer
that when one door shuts, a greater door should open.
That's what this is designed to do.
I do not want to see my enemy.
My enemy is plywood, desolation, crime,
those kinds of elements, in a building or in an area.
So we're going to do everything through this strategy.
This is a $50 million strategy to design toward this.
And that's why the -- again, anticipating some of this,
looking at the trends in the country,
that's why in our proposed comp plan --
it didn't get a lot of attention --
why we opened up the possibilities
to corner stores on every corner.
And that's why we put $700,000 here to incentivize them.
My mother and grandparents owned small stores.
It's very near and dear to me,
and I think that will be the most important thing
for the vibrancy as well.
So more to come on the Fred Meyer situation.
We're on it.
My team's aware of our discussions,
and you'll be hearing from us next several weeks,
but we're going to push this package through
for your protection.
Yes, yes.
-You mentioned that your proposal
includes about $1 million earmarked
towards addressing theft
and infrastructure improvements at grocery stores.
Can you talk about the partners or the city agencies
that would be involved in those measures?
Would that include partnerships with SPD?
-Yeah. Let me repeat the question so those could hear,
which is a press question.
I said that we are investing $1 million
toward addressing theft and shoplifting
and property damage at stores.
And I think that's the reference you're referring to.
Funding infrastructure improvements
in security locations that will help stores that are --
that will stay open.
So what this looks like
is environmental design -- CPTED,
crime prevention through environmental design.
So we would look at the area.
We get the experts to tell us what looks good.
Should we cut this hedge? Should we build this fence?
We work with the community
on sort of what they believe is occurring,
because some blighted areas, they're not all the same.
So that $1 million gives us a fund
to be able to figure out what solutions make sense.
And there are experts in this area,
and we will use those experts.
Thank you.
Yes.
-I'm hearing a lot about community here.
It looks like this is a proportion, a good proportion
that represents the community here.
I've lived my life on both sides of the spectrum
when it comes to community.
And there's a divide here.
Obviously there's crime,
there's drug use, there's homelessness.
And then there's another side. Right?
Um, but they're almost, um --
they almost work in tandem, one, each side the same.
Um, I'm wondering if there's anything being done
to desegregate people.
The homeless that are out here, they're left to their own,
not only their own, you know, economic status,
but their culture is based on all they have.
And they feel like the other side sees them
either as the enemy or doesn't see them at all.
And when that happens, they're left to their devices,
they're left to their way of getting things done,
and they feel like the rest of the world around them
isn't acknowledging them as people.
They're not going to have the sympathy or empathy
or anything else to do anything to help you guys,
because they feel like they're not being helped.
I'm just saying -- I mean, I just hear "community" a lot,
and community means everyone in the area
working together, right?
I think it would be very helpful
if there was some type of extension,
a hand of acknowledgment
of just saying, "Hey, can we talk?
Can we rub shoulders for a second so we really --
to really show you that we do really care?
We really are acknowledging you guys.
We really do want to consider what you're going through.
We really want to know who you are,
versus seeing you as a statistical number
and the crime that the drug activity.
We're all people here.
So that's all. I just, you know...
-Thank you. So let me address that.
My name is Bruce. May I call you by name, sir?
Eric? So, Eric, first of all, I see you, I hear you.
I think your words are very truthful.
And so what I've tried to impress upon you
as someone who was born in this city,
when I go to many people who are unsheltered,
I don't see strangers.
I see people literally that I grew up with.
So I walked inside this tent village,
oh, maybe four weeks ago, shook hands,
stayed there for a while to understand their stories.
And so I'm calling upon all Lake City residents
to see everyone, whether you are sheltered or unsheltered,
as human beings worthy of love and worthy of compassion.
And the only question we could ask ourselves is,
how can we help them?
There, but for the grace of God, go I.
And so in our administration, Eric, we hope to, number one,
get you shelter, get you food, get you health care.
And that's why I opened up my remarks by talking
about what our president is doing to cut these types
of vital pieces toward being healthy.
We also -- it's not -- it should be noted
that this is next to a library.
My mother worked at a library most of her career.
That when it gets hot,
we have a cooling center to cool people down.
And so I use that as one example of many is that the city,
it is our goal -- and I have many executives here --
our goal is to make sure people like Eric
are loved and cared for.
And our strategy, our investment strategy,
our policies have to recognize them as human beings.
And where we fall short, Eric, we ask for some grace
because our hearts are in the right places.
We could only hope that our actions
and our investments match our hearts.
So thank you for your words,
and I think this program gets at the heart of your point,
that everybody is worthy to succeed.
And we have to recognize that
that is part of the human experience.
I'm going to take -- I'm going to close down questions,
unless the press has one,
and I'm going to count us down from three, two...
One Seattle, everybody. Let's do it.
Thank you very much.