Seattle’s socialist-in-chief is no longer laughing about chasing away businesses and wealthy residents. But the attitude adjustment may be too little, too late.
Just a few weeks ago, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson infamously giggled when asked if she was concerned about wealthy residents fleeing Seattle because of her policies.
“I think the claims that millionaires are going to leave our state are, like, super overblown. And if—the ones that leave, like, bye,” Wilson said to applause at Seattle University.
As I wrote at the time, this flippant attitude toward a potential wealth exodus was remarkably foolish.
Businesses and the “rich” were already leaving Seattle, but hitting the accelerator on leftist policies is causing a full-blown economic meltdown. The result will be a loss of hundreds of millions—likely even billions—of dollars in future tax revenue.
And it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that a political program based on taxing the rich doesn’t even begin to work if there are few rich to tax. But here we are. Reality is setting in.
Now for the consequences.
In November, Wilson stepped into a labor dispute between Starbucks and its employees, saying that she was “proud” to join the picket line.
“I am not buying Starbucks and you should not either,” she said of Seattle’s signature brand.
That didn’t go well with Starbucks management, which has announced plans to effectively leave the state of Washington.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz even took to the pages of The Wall Street Journal to blast city and state leaders for making a bad situation worse.
Schultz wrote in early May that Seattle faces “serious” problems, including “chronic homelessness, disorder in core business districts, persistent budget deficits, declining public-school outcomes, and a slowing technology hiring cycle.” He lamented that Washington and Seattle have failed to meet those challenges.
“Seattle’s mayor, Katie Wilson, has chosen to cast business as a foil rather than a partner,” he wrote. “Her socialist rhetoric vilifies employers, even while she continues to rely on them for revenue. She has encouraged residents who disagree with her policies to leave.”
While I don’t find Schultz to be all that sympathetic—he’s been seemingly happy to back idiotic causes in the past to appeal to woke leftists—his sudden turn against the Democrat powers that be suggests that Seattle is in real trouble.
Now, the mayor seems to regret her anti-Starbucks line.
In an interview with The New York Times on Sunday, she admitted comments calling for a Starbucks boycott were “not productive in the sense that they caused more harm than good.”
That would be an understatement.
Other Seattle leaders have expressed dismay at how things are going too.
Seattle City Councilmember Rob Saka, a Democrat who once fully supported Wilson, said to The New York Times that he’s “gravely concerned” about Starbucks pulling the plug and moving to Nashville. “This is real,” he said.
Jon Scholes, the president of the Downtown Seattle Association, who was on Wilson’s transition team, said to KOMO News that “tone and tenor and words matter if you’re leading a city.” He warned that Seattle’s business climate was “at a bit of a tipping point, and we should take nothing for granted.”
His association recently released a report that highlighted the issues facing the city.
“Downtown lost an estimated 13,000 jobs in 2025, the steepest decline since the pandemic outside of 2021,” the report said, according to KOMO News. “Office vacancy rates remain stubbornly high at more than 30% overall, with Seattle’s central business district exceeding 32%. Some of downtown’s most valuable office towers have lost more than half their assessed value since 2021.”
This makes Wilson’s comments about saying “bye” to businesses even more egregious. Seattle was already facing a crisis, and she just made it a lot worse.
As radio host Buck Sexton wrote on X, the socialist tough talk may have tickled the fancy of purple-haired activists, but they aren’t the ones paying the bills.
Whatever pivot Wilson makes, and I imagine it will be a rhetorical one at best, is not likely to get her out of the hole that she and fellow Democrats have dug in the city.
Seattle has become a poster child of Left Coast zaniness, a hotbed of crime and disorder, an example of the human cost of allowing mass open-air drug use, and a warning about how a beautiful city can be mismanaged to oblivion.
Wilson should have been doing everything in her power to assure businesses and residents that she would create a more suitable climate for them to thrive in. She didn’t, and I don’t blame businesses for throwing up their hands and moving along.
Jarrett Stepman is a columnist for The Daily Signal. He is also the author of “The War on History: The Conspiracy to Rewrite America’s Past.”
Reprinted with Permission from The Daily Signal – By Jarrett Stepman
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
Seattle cooked it’s own goose, the one who laid the golden egg is leaving, why the surprise, you vote brainlessly, you get brainless, that is how it works in the real world.
People better wake up!! Communist in politics is going to destroy America from within like it was told many years ago. This is America and we were founded on Christian fathers who understood how the country needed the Lord!
The communist way always sounds great, but in the end they own and take everything away from the people.
Oh well. Negative rhetoric and policies continue to lead Blue cities to financial disasters.
Businesses leave as soon as they see their profits go down plus tax increases from the city leaders. A double whammy. Woke liberalism doesn’t work. Robbing Peter to pay Paul ends up robbing Peter to pay Peter. Sooner or later there is no more taxes to run a city or state. The budgets in these dem states are so high. Deficit spending is okay with these progressives. Pay everyone from cradle to grave. No need to get an education nor a job. No need to stay healthy, free healthcare. Free free. If this was such a great policy wouldn’t some one have done this already somewhere. All it leads to is poverty, food shortages, then housing shortages, there is nothing left to take care of the populous. Businesses leave the country, first the cities and states where they are located and then the country. Communism doesn’t work. Building 5 billion dollar grocery stores to give away free groceries? Any elementary student can tell you this will not work. Free buses for transportation, will crash before it even gets a start. The democrats call for letting the criminals out of jail. But they don’t look down the road what it leads to. More crime. They even applaud those who try to assassinate our president or VP or cabinet members. People, we live in a sick country right now. People in these dem states and dem cities only have to look at themselves. The blame lies with those who voted for these people and cheered them on. They all lost their common sense and replaced it with hatred for those who think different than them. They would rather kill you than have a dialogue.
There’s another group of millionaires who may demand to move out of Seattle, the professional football and baseball players. What will she say when she loses the Mariners or the Seahawks?
I’m sorry, but Katie Wilson looks like someone who never finished high school. And when I’ve heard her talk, she definitely sounds like someone who never finished high school. And apparently she has the wisdom of someone who never finished grade school.
Socialism doesn’t work period
Why is it that you can look at these people and just know that they are liberals.One thing that they all do is let their mouths overload their posteriors.This wilson,mamdumi,the squad,newscum,peeloosi,mad maxine and more,many more,all the same intense dislike for AMERICA.
Seattle voters, YOU DESERVE THE MISERY SHE BRINGS. ENJOY SOCIALISM.
After MONTHS OF WARNINGS, YOU are the ones who elected this never worked an honest day in her life incompetent flake. For decades she lived with mommy and daddy until she went to school, paid for by Daddy of course, and was a dropout.
She should do the courageous and right thing for Seattle and WA. Immediately call a press conference to say she is officially RESIGNING as mayor, and APPOLOGIZE to the taxpayers for her despicable actions and policies that she has foolishly implemented. Further, tell all the MORONS that voted for her that they indeed are morons. And let them know that Socialism, and it’s brother, Communism, are no good, have never been good, and never will be good. And that they are pure evil and have never worked anywhere in the world since their satanic inception. Further, they have murdered, raped, and massacred hundreds of millions of people around the world (men, women, and children) over the years.
But TRAGICALLLY she won’t. She’s far to selfish, ignorantly arrogant, brainwashed, and mentally challenged to do what is actually good for the masses.
Oh to bring back that beautiful city – Seattle…and Portland, Oregon. The west coast up to 20 years ago and when marijuana became legal was gorgeous. Now it is a place to stay away from. A dear friend who was born and raised in Seattle said legalized marijuana will destroy the city. That and the leaders who promoted and approved it in the first place have brought this decline to a once lovely place to be. I feel sorry for them and all other socialist run cities who haven’t brains enough to realize what they’re doing. The people I’m angry with the most are the voters in both Oregon and Washington who continue to put these imbeciles into office. They have gotten what they deserved.
lol. Well NYC. Is on the same path.
This is NOT playing house in Mommy & Daddy’s living room….THIS IS REAL LIFE.
ABSOLUTE PROOF: “Stupid is as stupid does.” Mama Gump.
I wonder if she is as stinky as she is ugly.
???????????????? I love it! Reap what you sow Commie!
As they say, FAFO. Idiots will never learn.
This so-called socialist mayor is a disgrace. I hope lots of businesses leave Seattle and never look back. These awful big mouthed socialist mayors can FAFO.
This woman needs some specialized help (as does everyone who thinks the government is here to take care them). The government is not our friend, the sooner the younger generation (and deluted older generation) learn this the easier their life will be.
To the socialist idiots when you realize to late that life is gonna mean squat , as you life your life in subpar housing, working even harder to make ends meet ,as you bus to and from urban ghetto housing, and bitch and moan at how unfair your life is. Just remember..you allowed it to happen.
KARMA STRIKES AGAIN………stupid/moronic/imbecilic/idiotic/ mayor ISN’T LAUGHING NOW!!!!!
It is Econ-101. Give away funds on whatever program you choose, and tax the wealth producers until they flee. Now, the increased out-of-work population demands even greater funds, but those who sponsor the jobs have left. You have a shrinking tax base, so you raise taxes again. More employers leave, more people out of work. It is the Socialist Death Spiral.
maybe we should start throwing these people out of the country because they don’t want to be Americans so they are a threat to our country nobody has a right to change our country to suit them. the constitution is not a suicide pact
stupid is as stupid does, eh Katie?
Mayor Wilson is a moron, elected by morons. “The blind leading the blind and all falling into the ditch” seems to be the most apropos’ at this juncture. Seattle seems to be doomed to continual failure with it’s DemoKKKRAT leadership and voter base. Why ANYONE would choose to live in that rat hole is beyond me!
My Dad, who is a Marine Corp Vietnam Veteran, told me a long time ago. “Socialism works til you run out of other peoples money” Nuf said…
Perhaps all of the Socialist/Communist brainwashing by the radical liberals in our public schools will backfire after all. You can keep not-so-smart people believing that Communism works until they actually begin discovering what their taxes are REALLY being used for in your city or state. All of a sudden, YOUR state and local taxes become ridiculously high because the hard working people with the money move away. They want to keep their money instead of giving it to people who don’t want to earn it. Seeing so many lame-brain women as governors and mayors in these blue states certainly is not speaking well for our sex. There are men as well, but so many of the really hate-spewing are women. The woman running for Congress who said she will put all Jews in Concentration camps is the worst. She should be cited for hate speech and not allowed to be on the ballot. Sorry I do not recall her name but I cannot forget he intent and hatefulness.
As the saying goes, “You can’t fix stupid.” Any one of my five grandchildren ranging in ages from 7 to 23 could have predicted the outcome. Hopefully, her voters treat her to appropriate feedback in the form of a recall.
Like, well… bye!
NOW SHE’S PANICING?! what did she (and for that matter her fellow democrats in the tax the rich crowd) think would happen?
What a fool she made of herself! Arrogance and pridefulness always lead to humiliation.
Well deserved, Mrs. Humble Pie!
Rich people create jobs and open businesses. This is simple economics. But I guess it’s too much for a Lib to understand.
I’m hoping the same thing will happen in New York City. I don’t feel sorry for people who vote for these “socialist/communist” types. They cast their vote despite numerous and repeated warnings by people who know – they made their bed let them sleep in it. It should provide a good blunt lesson about the fruits of socialist thought, comrade.
BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA! Look at all them chickens, jest a-comin’ home to roost. You kin jist hear ’em cluckin’ – “toljaso, toljaso, toljaso. cluck, cluck….toljaso.”
How dumb do you have to be? This is the result of parents thinking that their kids know more than they do. It turns out, their computers are the only thing smarter than the whole damn generation.
Laptops and smartphones. That’ll solve all our problems. It’s like welfare for the brain. Just give it to them. They don’t need to earn it. That’s so hard. Oh, don’t cry, baby. Here’s a consolation prize. You get to be MAYOR OF SEATTLE!
Time and time again we get to be entertained as we watch these idiots FAFO, and they never seem to learn from their predecessors.
How foolish these Socialist Democrats are. They think they are smart, however they are the dumbest on earth.
Even Hitler guaranteed big businesses that he would work with them and allow them to stay in business when he came into power. Here, we have a Mayor of a large city that speaks like a high school student, at best. “Like ya know”, giggle, giggle, “and stuff”. At the end of the day, it is the voters of Seattle and all of the other liberal cities that are at fault. Look at NYC, a little over 2 decades after 9/11, they voted in a Socialist, Muslim Mayor that hates Jews and now has Times Square playing the call to prayer 5 times a day. We raised the drinking age back up to 21, we most definitely need to raise the voting age back to 21 as well. Of course, the libs don’t want that, they rely on uninformed kids that vote on emotion to help them win elections. The only people under 21 years of age that should be able to vote are active duty military personnel, everyone else has to be 21 or older. You can’t have young people that have never had a job and are still in high school, be eligible to vote. Voting matters, and the democrats have saddled our youth and created a generation (or two) of people that are clueless but think they are the smartest people on earth. SMH….
You know I’m starting to think that these Democrat socialists /Communist know what they’re doing I don’t think they want prosperity I don’t think they want business growth I think they want the US in a 3RD world situation somehow they think they’re all gonna be rulers how sad
hope starbucks leaves no matter what – not that i’m any fan of starbucks, but really how about regrouping the u.s. so that the socialists can have their own united states of socialism and people with half a clue can have their own united states of the constitution and the rest can have their united states of idiocy. then we can see which one works and which one does not. when the others fail then we can absorb them into the only one that would work – the u.s. of the constitution and then move on in a few decades.
We really don’t want woke liberal companies in our red states. All they do is come over here and try to turn our state into the blue craphole they just left.
What makes me laugh about NY & Washington citizens is that they were all warned about the outcome of the elections if these two were elected. I’m laughing because it’s funny! What’s even more funny is that they haven’t learned a thing!
Once again, You can’t fix STUPID.
Too bad seattle, you asked for it, now you got it.
Classic example of FA&FO!
This Wilson fool couldn’t have done it better or more efficiently!
The demonic socialist deserve their justice that will be delivered by FATHER GOD! There is no escape for them!!!!!’n
Seattle is a lost cause. Those who can will leave and there is nothing that she can do about it.
“I didn’t say bye, I said buy,” she now claims.
She should be pleased! Capitalism is bad remember? Anarchy for all
She well deserves all the negative responses but this is well Seattle, sort of different and weird (for lack of a better word) from other large cities and has been for a very long time. It’s definetly a beautiful city but for years politically has been extemely very strange. I love the location, how its laid out, the ocean, and many things about this city, would I live there HECK NO. I’ve been in the Northwest (California) since the early 60’s and we definetly have our own wackoness but nothing I don’t think can top the city of Seattle. I can find only two words to describe Seattle, strange and weird. I would like to say wacko but there are many levelheaded people still living there, its the wacko politicians those people elect that make the city very strange and weird. One whacko politician gets elected does crazy stuff as the whole world watches and laughs but then they elect another just as it is in this situation. Such a beautiful city filled I’m sure of beautiful people that make stupid political decisions. I still remember the moron they had during covid and the one they had when the streets were take over by a mob of demonstrators years ago, Don’t think it will every change. Stupid is as Stupid does.. Seattle must now pay for what they unfortunately reaped/elected. Good luck neighbors maybe next time might want to consider doing a little more research on those running for office..Liberalism no wait what you have I think just might be called “severe liberalism” doesn’t work maybe as well or how you thought it would. My prayers are and will be with your city. God Help You.
Can’t wait to see if NYC realizes this fallacy attitude, if they cause the same kind of exodus of both major businesses who employed workers and those rich enough to pay the rents of all those fancy high-rises with exorbitant rents. Most of us who pay taxes are not demanding that we see exactly how our money is being spent and we don’t tolerate unsafe streets when we are told that the city has programs in place to take care of the homeless and is supposedly aiding the mentally challenged but we are not seeing any positive change except in fake reports. NYCHA could be the best option for creating affordable housing if it was run correctly and not as sieve for taking money and not maintaining the buildings but has exorbitant high administration costs. Housing shouldn’t be built to be turned down to upgrade it every 20-30 years.
You can’t fix stupid.
She got what she deserves
She’s a communist.