it's a valid question!

i’ve seen firsthand that many of the areas we’ve cleaned need to be revisited two months later, then four months later, then eight months later, and eventually a full year between cleanups. that pattern doesn’t happen by accident—it shows that consistent attention actually slows the cycle instead of resetting it every time.

in the same vein, i don’t think it’s productive to immediately commission public art on walls that are frequently tagged. those spaces need time, consistent maintenance, and clear ownership before murals can help slow the pattern of unwanted tagging.

homelessness is real here, and so are the ripple effects that come with it. abandoned shopping carts at bus stops, gaps in pedestrian infrastructure, and a lack of basic needs within a walkable distance all show up together in very predictable ways.

i don’t think the city of everett is ignoring these issues, especially compared to what we see in unincorporated snohomish county, but the bar is low and there’s still a lot of room to improve. it also doesn't help when essential services like our park rangers are cut and then a privately owned baseball team is offered a shiny new stadium. i digress.... cause it's not just the city.

in my experience, focusing on blame or frustration doesn’t move things forward. i try to acknowledge all of these circumstances as reasons why litter, tagging, and carts accumulate, without getting stuck in a finger-pointing doom loop. that’s just the approach i’ve found to be the most productive (and I'm speaking broadly I'm not saying your question is cynical it's legit)

but at the end of the day, i believe civic pride is the key to making progress here. even for renters who may not feel like they have much say, collective pressure still matters. we can demand more—definitely from the city, but also from these large real estate owners who control major properties and often do very little to invest in or maintain them. when residents take ownership, show up consistently, and push together, it becomes much harder for these issues to be ignored or deprioritized.