PubliCola on KUOW's Week In Review

Density, asylum seeker encampments, public school closures, and more.

This week on KUOW’s Week In Review, I discussed the week’s news with host Bill Radke, KVI Radio host John Carlson, and the Seattle Channel’s Brian Callanan.

On the agenda: Why is Seattle Public Schools planning to shut down a quarter of its elementary schools, and is this money-saving move a good idea in the long term?

Are asylum seekers in Seattle “playing a game” with US and local officials (as Carlson argues), and should the city treat refugees the same as every other unsheltered person—by telling them about shelter beds and forcing them to move along?

And should Seattle allow more density in historically walled-off single-family neighborhoods, or keep concentrating renters in large buildings on dense, dangerous arterials? (You already know my answer, but Carlson and I also debated the factors that lead to rising housing costs).

All that and more on this week’s Week In Review. Not featured: My impromptu song, “🎵The Most Unflattering Light In Show Business🎵,” courtesy of the studio lighting that invariably makes me look like an ancient cave witch.