Brett Frank-Looney

Dad. Husband. Real Estate Investor & Commercial Tenant Broker. UW Grad. Foster School of Business. ΣΑΕ. Seattle ➡️ Chicago ➡️ Seattle

[Brett Frank-Looney @BrettFL1]

@jacksettleman Ask for Craig and tell him I said you must have the chocolate cake

[Brett Frank-Looney @BrettFL1]

Nailed it.

[The Vigilant Fox 🦊 @VigilantFox]

Bill Maher’s audience audibly gasps when he reads what the Democratic Socialists of America are actually saying out loud:

MAHER: “Trump has told 1 trillion lies, but when he says the DSA are actually COMMUNISTS, that’s not one of them.”

“And it’s not hard to prove it just by quoting the DSA and their candidates.”

“J.D. Vance was on the show, and I told him that if the Democratic Party keeps going in the direction of the DSA, my vote was in play. And all I heard all vacation was, ‘Oh, my God, you’re a Republican now.’ No, that's not what I said. I said in play, and here’s why.”

“Because not a week goes by where I don’t read about some newly chosen, exciting new face in the Democratic Party. And then when that face opens its mouth, the Communist Manifesto or some other crazy shit comes out! Again.”

“Let’s just read the quotes. The DSA platform says: ‘You work as much as you are able and no more than needed.’ If that was any closer to Karl Marx’s dictum, from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs, they’d be sued for plagiarism.”

“New York Mayor Mamdani once tweeted, Karl Marx’s words exactly. They’re not trying to hide it. Their most popular influencer, Hasan Piker, thinks communism is so groovy, he laments the fall of two of the most murderous regimes in history, the Soviet Union and Chairman Mao's China.”

“Mamdani's aide, his top aide, Cea Weaver, said, ‘If you don't believe in the government's sacred right to seize property, it's over.’ And ‘impoverish the white middle class.’ What? That's a goal? You know you're supposed to scare people into voting for you, right?”

“One of the new, soon-to-be Democratic congresspeople, Darlesia Chavalier, supports seizing all properties from landlords and said, ‘Seize the means of production.’ Mamdani has said ‘The end goal is seizing the means of production.’ I think they want to seize the means of production.”

“Now, maybe you missed that in school or missed school altogether, but THAT'S COMMUNISM.”

“Now the coalition within the DSA called the Marxist Unity Group is in ascendance. And I must take them at their word. When their words include, ‘Our commitment is to the long-term struggle for a fully liberated classless society. In a word, communism.’”

“What do they have to do, tweet out ‘Elect more communists’? Oh, yeah, Cea Weaver did that.”

[Shows tweet, audience audibly gasps]

“Yes, [she really did that]! ... People gotta realize this is going on.”

[Washington Men's Soccer @UW_MSoccer]

THE DAWGS ARE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

[Jay Parsons @jayparsons]

As Washington state legislators pass statewide rent control, it's worth considering the perspective of President Obama's chief economist on rent control.

[Future 42 @future42org]

Rent Control ignores economic reality, and harms renters in the long term. So why do Olympia Democrats keep pushing it?

"Rents Have Increased, But Affordability Has Stayed the Same"

Via @CaitlynMcKenney at DI

[Caitlyn McKenney @CaitlynMcKenney]

Rent control advocates think they get to define "housing stability." They don't. Proud to share my thoughts on commonsense policy and true stability for renters in the @seattletimes.
https://t.co/nZFiwUWooQ

[Change Washington @ChangeWash]

Latest article from ChangeWA...

Rent control reduces rental supply and will actually increases rent cost.

Bill sponsor just happens to be the Dir. of City of Seattle Housing. Thus partially responsible for current homeless crisis despite billions spent.

https://t.co/ro1IqAB6Wr

[Brett Frank-Looney @BrettFL1]

@BigTenNetwork @UWAthletics @UW_Football Well done, @JRemington44!

[Brett Frank-Looney @BrettFL1]

@BarackObama Foreword by @TheSharkDaymond

[Jay Parsons @jayparsons]

Imagine a respected, major media outlet publishing a news article on vaccines or climate change that doesn't once mention the majority view of scientists. Wouldn't happen, right? So why don't the same standards apply when the topic is rent control?

I'm not the "anti-mainstream media" type. I spent the first few years of my career in media and I know most journalists are honest people who want to make a difference. But it baffles me that major media outlets -- like this recent story in The New York Times -- continue to make the mistake of applying a different set of rules when it comes to rental housing. How does this happen?

Don't blame "left-wing bias" because that's not what this is. On the topic of rent control, most liberal and even socialist economists share the same view as conservative economists. You've probably heard the famous quote from Swedish socialist economist Assar Lindbeck: "In many cases rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city — except for bombing." Or his peer Gunnar Myrdal, who said: "Rent control has in certain Western countries constituted, maybe, the worst example of poor planning by governments lacking courage and vision."

Here's what the science says:

1) A survey of 464 economists found that 93% agreed that "a ceiling on rents reduces the quantity and quality of housing available." (AER)

2) A Stanford study found that rent control in San Francisco reduced rental supply, led to higher rents on future renters, created gentrification, and reduced housing options for all but the most wealthy people. (Diamond)

3) Numerous studies have shown that rent control incentivizes higher-income earners to stay put, reducing availability for lower-income earners. One famous one was former New York Mayor Ed Koch, who maintained a $475/month rent controlled apartment even while living in the mayoral mansion. This leads to a misallocation of housing resources. (Olsen, Gyourko and Linneman).

4) Rent control can "lead to the decay of housing stock" due to lack of funds to maintain rentals. (Downs, Sims).

5) An MIT study found that when rent controls were REMOVED from Cambridge MA in the 1990s, rental housing quality improved as maintenance got funded, crime was reduced, and nearby property values improved. (Autor, Palmer, and Pathak)

6) Rent control reduces supply. When St. Paul, MN, adopted rent control, multifamily building permits plunged 47% in St. Paul while rising 11% in nearby Minneapolis and rising in most of the U.S., too. (U.S. HUD data)

7) Studies show that "upper-income renters gained more than lower-income renters" from rent control. (Ahern & Giacoletti)

Trust the science. Rent control is proven to backfire on those it's intended to protect. The one and only solution: Build, build, build. That means reforms to zoning and impact fees and taxes to incentivize housing development of all types. It includes subsidies and tax abatements for income-restricted affordable housing and attainable housing. It can include demand-side benefits like vouchers and rental assistance, too.

And you know what: That case study is playing out right now! Rents are falling in the highest-supplied markets DESPITE high demand... all because there's even more supply. Shouldn't that fact be included in any article on rental affordability?

Critics will claim there's science favoring rent control, too, but that's misleading. For one, even anti-vaxxers stake claim to research to support their views... but that doesn't mean that the research is of equal weight or as widely supported by scientists as pro-vaccine research.

Furthermore, a lot of pro-rent control research is centered around the negative impact of displacement; and you know what, they're right about that! We can all agree displacement and homelessness are bad for renters and for society, and we should work to reduce it. But is rent control the best solution? What are the side effects? What are the costs-- not to landlords, but to other renters and potential renters? Cynics suggest landlords bear all the costs, but that's demonstrably false.

This is where the science is quite clear. The abundance of research shows us those costs are enormous, ultimately hurting an even greater number of low-income households. In the words of Stanford economics professor Dr. Rebecca Diamond: "And it’s that next low-income tenant that wants to live in the city, that low-income tenant is going to have a very hard time finding an affordable option, because now there’s going to be less rental housing, the prices that that low-income tenant are going to face when they want to initially move in are going to be higher than they would have been absent rent control."

Like with vaccines and climate change, the science should be front and center in media articles.

[Isaiah Stanback @IamSTANBACK]

Seattle and @UW_Football fam we have a deeper problem that needs to be identified, addressed and resolved. If we simply believe these events are by chance then we're fooling ourselves. #PurpleReign

[Brett Frank-Looney @BrettFL1]

What a week on Montlake

[Heisman @HeismanTrophy]

Congratulations to the 2023 Heisman Trophy finalists, @LSUfootball QB Jayden Daniels, @OhioStateFB WR Marvin Harrison Jr., @oregonfootball QB Bo Nix and @UW_Football QB Michael Penix Jr. #HeismanTrophy #MoreThanATrophy

[Joy Hollingsworth @JoyForSeattle]

Thank you Seattle. Im humbled and honored to be chosen to serve you as our Seattle City Council District 3 Representative.

Our work begins today. Looking forward to building our home together.
❤️❤️

#connectingcommunities
#blockbyblock

[Tyee Club @UWTyeeClub]

Not going to USC this weekend? No problem! Join The Young Tyee Club for a @UW_Football watch party at the Fremont Dock this Saturday (11/4) at 3:30 p.m. Drink specials and door prizes available for those who register early.

RSVP: https://t.co/QMWWqYG2Qu

#GoHuskies

[Joy Hollingsworth @JoyForSeattle]

Since we officially launched our campaign in January, we have built our priorities block by block, shaped by YOU to reflect each neighborhood. I humbly ask you for your vote and to be your Seattle City Council District 3 Representative.

Vote JOY By November 7th 🗳🗳🗳

[Tyee Club @UWTyeeClub]

There’s a new reason to cheer for every @UWFootball touchdown! When you join our Pledge Per Touchdown campaign, you’ll make an impact for student-athletes every time your Huskies cross the goal line. And you'll earn priority points for reallocation!

» https://t.co/8TstUZWcUn

[Joy Hollingsworth @JoyForSeattle]

19 Unions with 15,000 members. From iron workers to plumbers, these are the incredible people who help build our city with care, craftsmanship and quality.

Our campaign is so proud to earn their endorsement.
#connectingcommunities
#blockbyblock

🏗🏢🏘👷‍♀️🏠🚧👷‍♂️⚒️🛠🔨🔧🗜🧰🪛🧑🏽‍🏭👩🏽‍🏭

[Joy Hollingsworth @JoyForSeattle]

We're headed to the General Election.
This is because of your incredible support and commitment. Thank YOU.

We will continue to build our message, block by block, with the priorities shaped by YOU, our community.

Onward ☝🏾
#connectingcommunities
#blockbyblock
#JoyforSeattle

[Brett Frank-Looney @BrettFL1]

@Spottnik The one and only Leschi Market!