Pen & Eye #17 – SODA and SOAP
By David Stoesz and Marie Bouassi November 30, 2024
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2024 issue of Seattle magazine.
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Tax on Short-Term Rentals like Airbnb Again Under Discussion
In Washington, the legislation would allow cities and counties to tax the rentals to fund affordable housing.
The Washington Legislature is again considering empowering local governments to tax short-term housing rentals, much to the irritation of homeowners who rent out their properties on platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo. House Bill 2559 would allow cities and counties, starting in April 2027, to impose a tax up to 4% on short-term rentals to raise…
Getting to Know Katie Wilson
The Seattle organizer opens up about her path, her people, and the city she calls home.
Katie Wilson has spent much of her adult life organizing in Seattle, co-founding the Transit Riders Union and playing an instrumental role in designing and passing the JumpStart Seattle Payroll Expense Tax on large corporations. This week, however, with elections just around the corner, we’re focusing on the person behind the work. Wilson is running…
Scenes from Seattle’s ‘No Kings’ March
Photos capture a mile-long procession of about 90,000 demonstrators moving from Seattle Center to downtown in a peaceful, creative show of unity.
Over the weekend, on a gray, chilly Saturday afternoon, Seattle showed up by the thousands to partake in the second “No Kings” march. An estimated 90,000 people joined Seattle’s primary protest—starting at Seattle Center and marching into downtown—surpassing June’s protest of the same name by about 20,000 participants. The “No Kings” protests began earlier this…
Tariffs Could Cost Washington Billions
A new report warns Trump’s tariffs could raise grocery bills and energy costs while putting tens of thousands of Washington jobs at risk.
Washington’s grocery prices could grow more than 16% if President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs are allowed to continue, predicts a new state report. If a family now pays $6,000 per year on groceries, their spending could increase to about $7,000 in 2027 if the president’s signature import taxes remain in effect, according to the analysis…