Seattle Times<\/a> that she would first \u201canalyze speculation activities \u2014 not actors \u2014 in our escalating real-estate market,\u201d then \u201cpropose legally viable taxes to curb the profiteering exacerbating our housing affordability crisis.\u201d<\/p>\nThe idea of a speculation tax first gained attention when Seattle City Councilmember Lisa Herbold asked King County Assessor John Wilson if there was a way to create a database of \u201cspeculative investors,\u201d especially purchases made under \u201cLLCs or shell companies,\u201d that is \u201cneutral about the national origin of the investor.\u201d Wilson responded, concerned that Herbold was suggesting Seattle create a database of investors based on national origin, particularly investors from China. Wilson alleged this kind of policy would stoke racist sentiment.<\/p>\n
When the Times reached out to Moon and candidate Jenny Durkan for comment, they both had a different take. Moon stated, \u201cI applaud Councilmember Herbold\u2019s initiative to better understand speculation activities, share Assessor Wilson\u2019s concerns about efforts to identify investors by national origin, and believe starting this work with a focus on the identity of purchasers puts us on the wrong track.\u201d<\/p>\n
Candidate Durkan’s spokesman had a less forgiving response. \u201cJenny believes strongly that taxes, penalties and bans based on nationality are wrong and illegal,\u201d Durkan spokeswoman Stephanie Formas told the Seattle Times. \u201cChanging the name to \u2018non-resident\u2019 does not change the fact that this started as anti-Chinese buyer tax. Seattle has a dark history of discrimination against people of Asian descent, such as the Chinese Exclusion laws and the mass internment of Japanese. We cannot go there \u2014 particularly in the age of Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n
The clash continued, with both Moon and Durkan releasing statements throughout the day. \u201cThe government database based on national origin is a figment of the Durkan campaign\u2019s imagination,\u201d said Weiner over email to Curbed Seattle<\/a>. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing in anything Moon\u2019s ever said or written that even mentions this.\u201d<\/p>\n
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