[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following Letter to the Editor was submitted by a verified Burien resident. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of South King Media or its staff. The writer of this Letter also contributed $1,200 to Hugo Garcia’s opponent in the 2025 Burien City Council election.]

To the Editor,

Have you been by the DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center) building in Burien lately? What you’ll see are crowds of drug users gathered out front, openly dealing and using drugs in the middle of the day. Where are they getting those drugs? Many are supplied directly by tenants inside the building, just as has happened at other DESC locations in downtown Seattle. This was no secret when Burien was pressured into accepting DESC, yet here we are.

We have Hugo Garcia to thank for this disaster. As an agent of Dow Constantine and King County, Mr. Garcia pushed relentlessly for DESC, manipulating the Planning Commission and misleading our City Council. Now, Burien residents are paying the price. I challenge Hugo to stand in front of that building today and tell us how it has “helped” Burien.

These individuals are not Burien residents. They are drawn here to buy and sell drugs. To fund their addictions, they are committing crimes throughout our community. Meanwhile, DESC contributes not a single dollar toward our police department or public safety, and our King County–controlled police force is not enforcing the laws. Property values around the DESC site have plummeted. At least 16 overdose deaths have occurred there. And despite DESC’s promises to be a “good neighbor,” they have proven to be nothing of the sort.

Burien cannot afford to let this continue. DESC is not providing meaningful treatment or pathways off drugs. They are simply warehousing addicts while enabling drug dealing on our streets. The impact on our community is devastating.

I urge every citizen of Burien to attend the next City Council meeting and demand action. We must stand together and call for the DESC in Burien to be shut down immediately. Our city deserves better.

Sincerely,
John L. White
Burien Resident

EDITOR’S NOTE: We reached out to Burien City Councilmember Hugo Garcia for a response to this Letter, but he did not respond.

Also, the vote to approve DESC was made by the Burien City Council on June 21, 2021 by a 6-1 vote. Councilmembers who voted YES were Kevin Schilling, Sofia Aragon, Bob Edgar, Jimmy Matta, Cydney Moore, and Krystal Marx.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you have an opinion you’d like to share with our highly engaged local Readers? If so, please email your Letter to the Editor to scott@southkingmedia.com and, pending review and verification that you’re a real human being, we may publish it. Letter writers must use their full name, as well as provide an address and phone number (NOT for publication but for verification purposes). Read our full Letter to the Editor policy here.

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25 Comments

  1. Definitely concur with Mr. White on this DESC issue. A vibrant community requires a strong focus on public health and safety, neither of which DESC extends to Burien. Essentially a housing first policy without treatment as DESC is, is just a better tent. Drugs, trash, and human wreckage do not make a better Burien.

    Closing DESC and relocating its “residents” to an actual treatment facility would be a step in the right direction.

    Reply

    1. Just out of curiosity, I’d love to know where in the area there’s a treatment facility with 95 beds open that we can relocate these folks to.

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      1. I’m sure the total could be shared among various facilities that would prioritize treating the addiction, rather than enabling and just watching people die. Basically the DESC is just a roofed KC Courthouse camp with no encouraged support network and foolishly backed by misguided Activists and grift.

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    2. DESC buildings have never worked — not once. They’re just another failed social experiment cooked up by Seattle/King County’s out-of-touch progressive leadership. And now, for some baffling reason, Burien thought it was a good idea to copy Dow Constantine’s disastrous playbook and inflict the same damage on our city.

      If you have any intention of governing responsibly, do the exact opposite of whatever Seattle and King County are doing. Their policies are a blueprint for decline.

      There are multiple documentaries that broadcast DESC’s failure if you have yet to drive by or see this in reality whether in Burien or Seattle etc..

      Anyone who is voicing that DESC buildings are doing their job and are great additions are either bold faced lieing or have NO CLUE what their talking about.

      FOR REAL FACTS
      Go talk the homeless crowds around them and you’ll find all your answers you need just like multiple documentaries have already done. – these are facts not opinions from the actual homeless using DESC’S drug ridden system- DO NOT LISTEN TO THE PROGRESSIVE ACTIVISTS TRYING TO SAVE THEIR OWN FACE !

      Reply

  2. First, Mr. Schaefer, ask Kristine Moreland for that info about drug treatment centers. I don’t believe that you really want to know considering your past activities and disruptions. Hugo Garcia needs to be questioned about his past actions and his plan for the future. I worry about the competence of anyone who would consider voting for him. Thank you Mr. White and Mr. Gould for thinking about Burien and all of its residents instead of pandering to drug addicts who come to town.

    Reply

    1. Kathy K.M. McNee, as far as I’m aware Kristine isn’t demanding the closure of Bloomside, so why should it be on her to tell us where these people should go instead?

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    1. That 1811 DESC facility focused on Alcohol abuse addicts, not once in the dozens of times I’ve traveled by Burien’s hot mess have I ever seen anyone drinking. Stop equating booze you can buy at a store to illegal drugs only available on the street as part of your argument.

      Reply

      1. It’s crazy to me that abuse of certain drugs is shrugged off but abuse of other drugs is viewed as a moral failure that makes people unworthy of help in the eyes of some.

        Reply

        1. You’re certainly not one to speak of helping when your own actions have been one of enabling and continuation of the sadness and futile future of addiction.

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    2. Reply

      1. Here’s some more to add ! Thanks for listing

        https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4fvXID2soao&pp=ygUSZGVzYyBzZWF0dGxlIGRydWdz

        https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OZIGPFQ1yO8&pp=ygUaZGVzYyBmYWlsdXJlIGRydWdzIHNlYXR0bGU%3D

        https://mynorthwest.com/local/low-barrier-homeless-shelter-cid/4068447

        https://fixhomelessness.org/2022/licton-springs-cement-place-shows-seattle-is-falling-behind-on-homeless-crisis/

        https://mynorthwest.com/seattle-red/subsidized-housing-projects/4048116

        Reply
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  4. For the record, the vote to approve the program on June 21, 2021, was 6-1. The Councilmembers who voted YES were Kevin Schilling, Sofia Aragon, Bob Edgar, Jimmy Matta, Cydney Moore, and Krystal Marks.

    HUGO WASN’T EVEN ON THE COUNCIL YET!

    Reply

    1. Mr. White did not say Mr Garcia was on the City Council at the time of the original decision, but that he was pushing the Planning Commission and the City Council to approve DESC. Now, Mr Garcia is running for reelection to the City Council.

      Reply

  5. You would think john white would take some pictures and video of the activity and take it to the police station and file a report . Then the police will have to take a look into or start a investigation and then work on busting the dealers then the addicts . But if not then your just complaining to complain just like the people in the facebook groups that complain and make garbage up to get more clicks and views .

    Reply

    1. Jimmy – this has been done numerous times in Burien, also there is multiple documentaries observing and interviewing the homeless living in these DESC buildings that are dealing with their enabled drug addictions.

      Nothing has been done to change this across DESC buildings hence why people like John are speaking out. He’s calling on the people now because the governing bodies aren’t moving on this subject – like they should be

      Reply
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  6. Out of sight, out of mind. No “solution” suggested in this article is based in reality or experience. Which underfunded substance abuse program should they be relocated to? I doubt Mr. White could name a single one. What exactly is your evidence regarding “drug dealing” and your implication that this dealing is being perpetuated by DESC tenants. This program exists precisely because we lack the resources to solve this issue, yet you’re fighting a solution because you see people experiencing homelessness as less human than you. I suggest you bring evidence to back your stance in the future, because a rant based in fear and supported by “trust me” does nothing to solve the homelessness crisis in our community.

    Reply
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  7. DESC is a disaster! The “good neighbor” policy that the residents are supposed to sign is a joke & isnt enforced. This program has a very bad track record & does nothing but enable this insane type of behavior. How can tenants get sober when their neighbors are getting high? This place is no good for Burien & needs to be shut down like the other DESC properties as they do more harm than good.

    Reply

  8. Loving thy neighbor is helping them which is different from condoning dangerous behavior. Mr. White does not need to take pictures. We are talking about a drug problem right now and not a homeless one. I have spoken to the police. They told me that the DESC building is where most of their calls come from now. They are called there almost every day. They have gotten hundreds of calls and there have been multiple overdose deaths. It is a disaster and a drug dealer’s dream.

    Reply

    1. Did you file a police report on the drug dealers or did you just speak to a officer. If you file a police report then the police have a legal obligation to fight the problem . But if you just told a officer about the issue that is not the same thing.

      Reply

  9. Sounds like Burien needs to put their big boy pants on and resolve the issue. If the individuals are committing crimes in your community, do want you do to criminals. Create groups to provide resources for people who want to better and move on. Sounds like a government management problem.

    Reply

  10. John White’s “facts” are nothing more than allegations. He has provided no evidence whatsoever to back up his opinion. He demands a simple solution to a complex problem…shut down the facility that is trying to deal with the issue.

    And where will the homeless and “drug dealers” he claims are there doing business go? Into YOUR neighborhoods. Great solution, John.

    Reply
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