It takes a mere moment’s worth of research into organizations such as the Downtown Alliance and the Pioneer Park Coalition to unearth deep ties between city government officials and real estate/business interests. For those who observe city politics to any extent, this is practically an assumed truth.
More than a vague question of civic ethics, the consequences of this entanglement of government and business is intense and violent. For instance, one direct consequence at the forefront of the public’s psyche as of late is the egregious homelessness crisis, induced by factors like addiction, lack of resources and the rapid rising cost of living in the city.