SEATTLE —
Seattle Police Chief John Diaz will step down from his post, multiple sources told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.
A source said that Assistant Chief Jim Pugel will be the interim chief.
An official announcement is expected to be made at 11:30 a.m. Monday. Watch it live on KIRO 7, at kirot v.com here or on the KIRO 7 iPad app here.
The job of Seattle mayor mixes the jobs of chief administrator and political leader. After campaigning as a political leader, McGinn has become an apparatchnik, more concerned with filling pot holes or scheduling neighborhood meetings than providing the leadership Seattle needs.
Diaz was brought into office to heal bad relationships between the police and minorities who claimed they were being abused. McGinn should be standing besides the Chief. If McGinn can not do that, the mayor owes his employer .. the voters a major explanation.
This is not the only example. Mayor McGinn came into office as an opponent of the establishment, then synonymous with the tunnel. As Mayor, the environmentalist McGinn became close to Vulcan .. Paul Allen’s real estate empire. Vulcan is building an ugly urban mess at South Lake Union. Now Vulcan wants to build two huge towers along the shore of Lake Union, turning this precious Seattle resource into a swimming pool for wealthy condo owners.
While we hear a lot about new jobs in SLU and income to the city, as a worker there I see mostly Amazon and few jobs relocated from UW or Children’s research campuses. Other than Amazon, I am skeptical that these jobs are bringing income to Seattle. Vulcan does as Vulcan wants and the taxpayers may be paying for the infrastructure needed to support Mr. Allen’s fleet of yachts and private jets for many years.
Here is my primary ballot:
Murray ◊ Burgess ◊ Steinbrueck ◊