Seattle's Progressive Policies Plunge City into Economic Turmoil

Seattle's City Council and King County have implemented a series of progressive policies, such as mandatory high wages for delivery drivers and increased taxes, which have led to devastating economic consequences for businesses and residents alike.

In the wake of the chaotic summer of 2020, when lawless activists established the "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone" (CHAZ) in Seattle, the city has been plagued by a series of troubling trends that have had catastrophic economic ramifications.

In a misguided effort to support delivery drivers, Seattle's progressive City Council passed an imprudent law, known as the "PayUp" ordinance, requiring delivery platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats to pay drivers over $26 per hour, translating to a $60,000 annual salary. This mandate far exceeded the starting salaries of critical workers like EMTs, whose average wage in Washington state is around $24 per hour.

Seattle's Progressive Policies Plunge City into Economic Turmoil

The economic fallout from the PayUp ordinance has been swift and severe. Demand for delivery services plummeted after its implementation, with drivers complaining of insufficient orders due to the increased costs. Small businesses in local communities have suffered significantly, with DoorDash reporting that Seattle retailers have lost more than $14 million in revenue between February and May this year. According to the Washington Alliance for Innovation and Independent Work, businesses that rely on third-party delivery apps have lost over $28 million in revenue to date.

Recognizing the damage caused by PayUp, wiser members of the City Council attempted to reduce the minimum wage for delivery drivers to $19.97, in line with Seattle's hourly minimum wage. However, the anti-business left mobilized the city's Ethics and Elections Commission to try and bar two of the council members from voting on the legislation, successfully forcing one to recuse herself.

Seattle's Progressive Policies Plunge City into Economic Turmoil

The so-called "violations" of the council members in question were alleged "conflicts of interest" due to family connections to the restaurant and hospitality industry. This logic implies that any city council member with a business background would be unable to vote for any broad policies that could help local businesses. Cowering to radical activists, the Seattle City Council has now gone on record as unable to support local businesses.

King County, in whose jurisdiction Seattle falls, recently raised its minimum wage to a nationwide high of $20.29. Washington already had the highest minimum wage requirement at $16.28, but that was insufficient for the activists who run Seattle's local government. The compromise bill that would reform the delivery superwage also sets the new wage at a minimum of $19.97 an hour.

Seattle's Progressive Policies Plunge City into Economic Turmoil

Other states offer similar cautionary lessons. California imposed a $20 minimum wage at fast-food restaurants starting in April, and the economic catastrophe is already piling up. According to analysis from a leading trade group, 10,000 jobs have been eliminated in the first two months alone.

To meet increased costs, restaurants have scaled back hours and reduced operations, and some iconic restaurants have been forced into bankruptcy. The consequences have been so dire that even extremist California Governor Gavin Newsom delayed a $25 an hour mandate for health care workers.

Seattle's Progressive Policies Plunge City into Economic Turmoil

While the well-being of workers is undoubtedly important, punishing companies with arbitrary taxes or singling out one industry with a super wage only exacerbates the pain for everyone. Costs continue to rise and people are hurting, and no one supports the idea of hard-working people unable to make financial ends meet.

Just as people grew tired of CHAZ in 2020, Seattle residents are losing confidence in their elected officials. In last year's election, a trio of moderates flipped control away from progressives. Let's hope common sense prevails and these regressive taxes and fees are viewed in the same way as lawless encampments on city streets today—a relic from a bygone era that belongs in the dustbin of history.

Seattle's Progressive Policies Plunge City into Economic Turmoil