So, if we assume people on both sides of the aisle are aware of the problem, why do you think nothing is being done? Granted, I was just a visitor, but I did see an area of vagrancy and open drug use. Not everywhere I went, but that area I described previously. So it is apparent. Please don't just ascribe it to stupidity. I'm sure some officials are, and some voters are. That is everywhere. But enough voters are electing these people, and even assuming a normal distribution of intelligence, most of them aren't going to be stupid.

There aren't "both sides of the aisle" in many blue cities: they operate under 1-party rule. Seattle elected its first Republican to any citywide position in over 40 years when Ann Davison assumed the office of city prosecutor.

As for how or why things got the way they are...that was by design.

You live in a reasonably reddish/purple state. Those of us who live in deep blue states don't have a moderating effect of a 2nd party. All there is are versions of democrat. So that means that policies that are marketed to "Give people a second chance" are put into place. And that means government is the solution to everything and individual agency doesn't factor in. At all.

Seattle, Denver, LA, San Francisco, Oakland, Portland, you name it have all put in the exact same set of policies that

1. Decriminalize and destigmatize drug use
2. Assume that poverty is the root cause of homelessness, not drug use
3. Assume that there is an infinite golden goose that can lay as many tax dollar eggs as the cities can spend
4. Overpolicing is a huge problem, and as such diversionary programs and no cash bail are needed.
5. Treat many crimes as "survival crimes" owing to (2) and don't charge the perpetrators for them (witness shoplifting's explosion)

The ripple effects of those DISASTROUS policy decisions spread beyond the city and into the suburbs in no time. Meanwhile, small businesses are shoplifted out of existence, crime explodes, public transit becomes unusable, parks and public spaces become overrun with encampments, drugs and violent incidents, and the criminals you didn't prosecute graduate to more serious crimes.

And once a downtown is dead, people move away. That's how you doomloop a city.

In summary, decades of voting in the same people with the same ideas have led us to urban policies that full of carrots but require zero accountability on the part of the people receiving the aid.

cbsnews.com - Denver businessman dumps human poop steps city county building jon caldera


LOCAL NEWS
Businessman Jon Caldera dumps human poop on steps of Denver City and County Building

"This is a present from the homeless to the people who have kept this homeless problem going," he said.

President of the Independence Institute -- a think tank in downtown Denver -- Caldera says he's tired of the homeless using his private property as their public restroom.

He says at least twice a week security cameras catch a homeless person defecating outside his business or worse.

"We have to clean up vomit and urine and syringes and used condoms and feces. We didn't cause the homeless problem in Denver but we have clean up after it," Caldera said.

Caldera says he's tried appealing to police and Johnston to no avail. The answer he says isn't tiny homes, it's jail cells.

Bolding mine. This guy is 100% correct. You could clean these places up through use more sticks instead of infinite carrots.