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Calling the movement “flat wrong, divisive and counterproductive,” Seattle City Councilmember Rob Saka is celebrating Tuesday’s vote approving a resolution shunning the city’s past efforts at diverting spending and resources from its police department and acknowledging the failure of the “defund movement.”
“As a black man, growing up in this country, an Air Force veteran, someone who has busted their hump and was able to overcome the foster care system and any number of life changes that we all face, it didn’t benefit me,” Saka said prior to Tuesday’s vote. “It didn’t benefit any of the communities I have been involved with.”
CHS reported here on Saka’s non-binding resolution that “reiterates support for first responders, acknowledges failure of defund movement and embraces focus on underserved communities” and its support from Mayor Bruce Harrell. Both Saka and Harrell are Black.
In his statement on the council’s approval, Harrell focused on a procedural aspect of the resolution requesting the Seattle City Attorney submit “the last remaining SPD policies to the Federal Monitor for review” as Seattle ends years of oversight of its police department after a civil rights investigation found evidence of excessive force and biased policing. CHS reported on SPD’s reforms and the lifting of the consent decree here in 2023.
The push to distance the city from efforts to reform police spending from two Black leaders of one of the most progressive major cities in the country also comes as Seattle City Hall has attempted to walk a fine line standing up for civil rights while also staying out of MAGA crosshairs.
District 3’s Joy Hollingsworth representing Capitol Hill and the Central District was another Black leader supporting the resolution. Hollingsworth was part of voting the resolution out of the council’s public safety committee and also joined the vote in approving the resolution Tuesday. Dan Strauss, Cathy Moore, andAlexis Mercedes Rinck were no present for the vote.
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I am constantly amazed at how dumb Rob Saka gets each time he talks. How did West Seattle and South Park elect this nut case?
His opponent, Maren Costa, unambiguously signaled she was in favor of ‘Defund.’ I’m furious that she own-goaled so hard and so unnecessarily. But hey, at least we’ll know better than to even give her a shot next time.
https://www.thestranger.com/elections-2023/2023/05/12/78988983/seattle-city-council-candidates-pick-sides-on-defunding-the-police-kinda
Costa was so much more qualified even conservative Phil Tavel endorsed her because Saka was dangerous
We all know Rob doesn’t likes cuts that don’t directly benefit him. Like 2 million dollar curb cuts.
This is an incredibly troubling look for the councilmembers who voted in favor when juxtaposed with the recently leaked emails showing SPD’s internal chaos and degeneracy…maybe don’t defend blatant corruption.
https://www.theurbanist.org/2025/04/01/seattle-police-department-increasingly-unstable/
Also…make sure to take note of the specific wording above regarding “efforts to reform police spending” AKA THEY WERE NEVER DEFUNDED. Wow so bold, councilmembers and mayor. As if it wasn’t already clear where you stood on allowing police to brutalize Seattleites.
Such a non-story! Do you jobs better losers!!
One of the funnier ass things about Liberals and by extension, Democrats, is they are such status quo lovers, that they have to worry about associative and reputational lies while doing the exact opposite of what they’re accused of doing. Or not doing.
Fascists have basically gotten Liberals to fatten up the security state by insisting they’re far left State hating weirdos (and those types literally take joy in not voting for Democrats, and don’t have anything resembling legitimacy in the eyes of demos or The State).
Saka is a Fox News conservative. He even posts Fox News screenshots on instagram
Do the other CMs know that when they follow along with him? Hahahah, this is my point.
I’d love to not hear gunshots regularly in my neighborhood and for people to stop driving recklessly down our streets.