Jenny A. Durkan, a Democrat, is the mayor of Seattle.
We are living through the most disruptive era since the Industrial Revolution. From lifesaving discoveries to green technologies to better ways to stay connected, the new economy’s gains have been enormous. But, for too many workers, the shifts have been dramatic and unsettling. Hard-fought worker protections, wages and benefits have faded along with the bricks and mortar of the old economy.
Now, long-term jobs are giving way to gig work. Real wages have barely budged for workers. For many Americans, owning a home is out of reach. The transition is threatening the fabric of our country. We need to change course.
Cities like Seattle are at the intersections of these seismic changes. We are America’s fastest-growing city over the past decade, fueled by innovation, technology and jobs. But our story is, in many ways, still a tale of two cities. Exploding housing costs have pushed too many longtime residents out of our city and into the suburbs. Too many of our neighbors are experiencing homelessness. Too few are building any wealth.
