Editor's note: Above video is a report fact-checking claims made in "Curing Spokane"
SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane developer Larry Stone funded and produced a video suggesting a cure for Spokane, focused specifically on criminal activity in the city. Now, candidates for Spokane mayor are responding to the documentary.
The four solutions that Stone presents for curbing criminal activity in Spokane include building a larger Spokane County Jail, more police walking the downtown streets, selling the STA Plaza and moving it underground, and developing better urban parking.
The video also claims that downtown Spokane business owners continue to deal with an influx of crime.
Mayoral candidate Ben Stuckart released a statement about the video on his Facebook page:
The problem with videos like “Seattle is Dying” and Larry Stone’s sequel is that they spend thousands of dollars with a camera embarrassing, inciting, and shaming our people to make a political point.
You would think as much damage as these videos do to our community, that the solutions offered in the film would be a bit more than adding parking spaces, spending more taxpayer dollars on a new jail, and building an underground bus stop.
I don’t see how Larry can watch his own film and decide the solutions are parking spaces instead of mental health treatment, underground bus stations instead of affordable housing, and a bigger jail instead of programs that get our people out of poverty.
We have challenges, just like every other city (including Boise), but we also have solutions. We need an administration willing to make them happen.
That’s why I’m running for Mayor, and that is why Spokane can count on me to get our people off the streets, keep our downtown growing, and continue making this the best place in America to call home.
Candidate Nadine Woodward also released a statement of her own, writing:
Spokane developer Larry Stone has gone to great lengths and personal cost to document the serious problems facing our city. Downtown crime and our addiction crisis is driving businesses to leave our economic center and keeping residents from enjoying our incredible restaurants, wineries, breweries and stores. Not to mention the property damage and loss of revenue many businesses have suffered.
Thank you, Larry, for recognizing the need for a stronger, more visible police presence, with officers on foot patrol in the city’s core enforcing our laws. This is my number 1 priority. I am proud to have the endorsement of the Spokane Police Guild and, as your mayor, I look forward to working with SPD to make downtown safer for EVERYONE!