Ballard Senior Center to receive city funding

Meghan Walker Ballard

The Ballard Senior Center will soon receive funds from the city’s $1.7 million that will be awarded to senior centers around the city. The funding was announced today by Mayor Jenny Durkan as she toured senior centers around the city.

“Our senior centers provide opportunities for volunteerism, lifelong learning, transportation, and healthy meals. These investments will help our neighbors live longer and enhance their quality of life,” Durkan said in a statement about the funding.

The awards will be dispersed to 12 centers next year, and will range between $67,000 to $180,000.

Other nearby centers to receive funding include the Greenwood Senior Center (operated by the Phinney Neighborhood Association) and the Wallingford Community Senior Center. No word yet on what the Ballard Senior Center plans to do with the extra funding.

42 thoughts to “Ballard Senior Center to receive city funding”

  3. Maybe they could some long delayed repairs like the plumbing and single paned windows. Insane the regulations for getting some conpany in to do any work on a city owned building. Shameful how the basic systems are not maintained.

  4. Bet you a grande pumpkin spice latte that some of Durkan’s pals is are associated with one or all of these facilities.

    Still, I support our seniors.

  5. This pittance is insulting compared to the so-called “homeless” spending. Seniors are the ones who help build and sustain our former lovely city, not to mention paying ridiculous taxes in our community without a reasonable tax subsidy. The Johnny-come-lately vagrants who have moved in are a plague and next we will be paying in many ways for the impending hepatitis outbreak in our Shitty of Seattle.

        1. Yes, now you’re talking! Treat the poor, maimed, sick, and morally weak in exactly the way prescribed by Charles Darwin. The least among us, those people in the most unfortunate circumstances, should definitely take the Darwinian approach to these human social issues.

          It’s neat we finally agree on something. Good talk.

          2. You were thinking of this one, right?

            “The aid which we feel impelled to give to the helpless is mainly an incidental result of the instinct of sympathy, which was originally acquired as part of the social instincts, but subsequently rendered, in the manner previously indicated, more tender and more widely diffused. Nor could we check our sympathy, even at the urging of hard reason, without deterioration in the noblest part of our nature. The surgeon may harden himself whilst performing an operation, for he knows that he is acting for the good of his patient; but if we were intentionally to neglect the weak and helpless, it could only be for a contingent benefit, with an overwhelming present evil. We must therefore bear the undoubtedly bad effects of the weak surviving and propagating their kind. ”

            Darwin also was a big supporter of the ‘death tax’, or even banning inheritance altogether: “Primogeniture with entailed estates is a more direct evil”, etc. Yay Darwinism! Tax the rich, help the poor!

          3. Dennis aren’t you going out this weekend? Get some air! It’s beautiful outside.

          6. Got it, but it’s not a prescription.

            And, “YOU don’t know most of those [12,000] people.” Karma happens. Slamming heroin has predictable consequences. Perhaps not always, but predictably.

          7. Vulgar Darwinism and vulgar Hinduism.

            Darwin said it is fucking EVIL, genius. That’s not a prescription? Just commenting? Just saying? You know, sure go ahead and let needy people suffer and die, it will only cost you your HUMANITY and you’ll be FUCKED. That’s all. Not a prescription. Just telling you, you know, it’s e v i l.

            “Let nature take its course, Darwin style” means the strong should help the weak, the healthy should help the sick, the rich should help the poor. That’s Darwin style. Darwin wasn’t a fucking Nazi. He was’t a selfish prick. He believed the definition of being civilized was to help other. He specifically describes “savages” in that section of the Descent of Man as being unwilling to help those in need. Go read the whole thing.

            “Karma”? A cheap bastardization of Eastern religion, throwing out all the demands for kindness, charity, *giving up your wealth* and humility, and keeping only a misunderstood idea you call “karma”, which is just a way of saying “life is fair”.

            Life is not fair, ya big baby. Darwin had a low opinion of those who operate that way. He was a smart man.

          9. Vulgarity all around.
            Proverbs 1:3, Galatians 6:7, others. People CHOOSE to slam heroin. the consequences of that CHOICE should be publicized undiluted with condescension.
            Rather like the public health approach to tobacco smoking. People don’t steal to feed their tobacco addiction, nor are “environmentally critical areas” polluted by the trash and excerement of tobacco smokers, nor biohazardous sharps. Yet the government prioritizes prevention of the tobacco plague compared to the opioid epidemic. Ever seen an anti-opioid public service announcement?

          10. So you’re done smearing Darwin’s good name with your crockpot hate and paranoia? Good. Can’t blame Darwin for your loony notions. He believes in doing good.

            You have this notion that all homeless people are heroin addicts. You think all crime is caused by junkies. You have no evidence of any of this. You probably work backwards from the dogma that life is fair, and imagine something you can blame people in need for. You picked heroin.

            You never cite any evidence for any of this. I don’t think you even understand the need for evidence, since your fanatical belief that life is fair is self-justifying.

            Bad. Things. Happen. To. Good. People. It’s true.

            Also, homelessness has increased. Crime has not. Clearly, homelessness isn’t driving crime, and clearly drugs and drug crime aren’t caused by homelessness.

            Housed people buy the most drugs. They have money for drugs; maybe you noticed drug cartels are rich? You don’t get rich selling to people with no money.

            The facts say you’re wrong. Face it. Stop lying. Stop falsely accusing people you don’t know of crimes you know nothing of.

          12. Like your usual fails, elenchos, Darwin “prescribed” nothing. He did describe what he observed as a good scientist – naturalist,biologist, geologist – in nature. Once again you are in way over your head with your opinions.

            On the other hand, why are we wasting financial resources, political good will, and time trying to prop up the gene pool with those who do not want help or do not value their own life while imposing on the rest of society, and sacrificing those who might contribute to society if they are helped? A question worth pondering, my pseudo-intellectual blogger dude, eh elenchos?

          13. “why are we wasting financial resources, political good will, and time trying to prop up the gene pool?”

            I don’t think you have the necessary reading comprehension for this. The answer Darwin gave to that precise question is very clear: we could gain only “contingent” benefit, and it would cost us the “noblest part of our nature”.

            We could, perhaps, “improve” the gene pool in a superficial way, but it would cost us everything. We would cease to be civilized, and we would cease to be human. We would have selected for particular traits, as we do with livestock, and we’d be no better than livestock. Darwin used the word “evil” for that outcome.

            Not a prescription! Oh, no. Darwin was in no way saying “don’t turn into garbage people”. Darwin merely points out that turning into garbage people is a thing. Saying a thing is evil in no way is the same as saying “don’t do that”.

            We did apparently waste a lot of resources trying to teach you to read. Can’t win them all, I guess.

          14. lol, nothing more civilized than bum poop, needles, and bike thieves!!! you win this round erica!!!

            but seriously, not talking about breeding here, just wondering what is gained by propping up people that are unwilling to be a productive part of society. although, second thought, the last thing we need is for homeless junkies to reproduce….

          15. You don’t know that the people you’re talking about, the ones who look to you like they don’t belong, and who you think therefore must be homeless, are unwilling to be productive. You don’t know who is and isn’t a junkie. You don’t know anything about the ones who do use drugs, and what may have led to that. You don’t know who is pooping anywhere. You don’t know anything about the people you speak of.

            You just trot out this entire crock of shit every time: they’re all junkies, they’re all criminals, they’re all filthy and disgusting, and none of them want help, or are willing to work or try. Every single word of that, every single thing you claim, is baseless. You’re making it up based on zero facts.

            I’m not going to break this down every time you repeat it. To keep it short, every time you say it, I’ll just reply, “you don’t know that”. Because you don’t.

  6. Yes!!! The city owns the building and doesn’t keep it up with basic maintenance. Why don’t some of the big developers donate and support the centers?

  7. “The awards will be dispersed to 12 centers next year, and will range between $67,000 to $180,000.”

    So about the cost of one or two bum’s upkeep.

    1. Hello.

      This article is about Seattle senior centers receiving funds to make improvements.
      Your comment is and unsubstantiated statistic about homeless spending.

      🐘 Therefore irrelevant 🐘

      1. This article is about expenditure of tax dollars – entirely relevant. We could be spending more on this and many other things were it not for our expanding population of street bums and addicts, some from elsewhere who also don’t pay taxes in Seattle. Yes as relevant as the elephant in the room that it is!

        1. Well, America voted for decades of tax cuts on the wealthy and the resultant systematic dismantling of our safety net. We were told something would trickle down…there you have it!

          Until more rational minds are hitting the ballot boxes, this will continue.

  8. Would like to see quicker and more secure system for payment of meals, classes, books, rummage sale items, etc. It’s pretty shocking to see volunteers write credit card info. by hand in this high tech. age…makes seniors seem “ slow” to learn and keep up….although I imagine it is to save money.

  9. If Seattle’s elderly want more money from the City they need to up their game:

    Start taking dumps on the sidewalk when a perfectly good toilet is 50 feet away.

    Stop throwing away plastic drinking straws, start throwing used needles all over the place.

    Stop talking about all those years you worked for a living and start stealing childrens’ bicycles.

    Stop having an “evening nightcap” and start having a “morning piss-up”.

    Stop muttering to yourself and start yelling at complete strangers in the park, preferably using f-bombs in front of kids.

    Start doing more of the above and Mike O’Brien will open up the taxpayer spigot for you!

    1. Or support bringing back taxes on the wealthy so that the GDP produced by the middle and lower classes trickles back down as useful services, like senior center funding?

      1. Tax revenue doesn’t magically cause people to behave properly, and poverty doesn’t make people transform into meth head degenerates. You insult poor people, especially those in developing nations, by treating the despicable antisocial behavior of our pet junkies as something normal or expected from all people of limited means. Shame on you. Yet another predictably backwards take from our resident social reality dyslexic, Truth.

        You should ask these seniors what they think of the junkies in Ballard. Bet they remember the Depression and many probably struggled without becoming feral animals like our current interlopers. Oh and all the local liberals love to tout their record employment figures and high wages “Seattle Success Story” so really, most of these people simply refuse to work.

        Grow up.

        1. You don’t know most of these people.

          The reason you can so easily generalize about the 12,000+ people homeless people here is your belief that life is fair. It prevents you from imagining that so many thousands could end up so much worse off than everybody else without being less worthy. You don’t believe bad things can happen to good people. Like a six year old would think.

          The moment I truly came to understand that life isn’t fair was not learning that people in extreme poverty aren’t really any more defective than everybody else. It was when I started meeting and getting to know very, very rich people. Turns out there are just as many screw ups and lowlifes sitting on millions of dollars as there are working stiffs and guys living in a cardboard box. The goodies are not all distributed according to each persons merit.

          Sock puppetry is also despicable antisocial behavior. Follow the rules of this website, if acting like a lowlife bothers you so much.

          You need to learn that. Life is not fair.

          1. @ Elencuss: blah blah blah. I detest your Poobah righteousness. Please move your wallet, U R mumbling again. You prove that anybody can say anything and become mayor or city council clowns. An apologist with attitude. Do you work for Nike?

          2. You prove that anybody can say anything and become mayor or city council clowns.

            If that’s true, Scott, you should win in a landslide…right?

      2. @ Truth. 1st: the truth isn’t your specialty is it. 2nd: the top 1% currently pay roughly 1/2 of all federal taxes, with 20% paying nearly 85%. I do also realize that facts are tough for dumber down big city liberals. Why don’t YOU simply get out YOUR checkbook and leave others alone ? 3rd: name a country that has taxed itself into prosperity. I’ll wait………. Face it, you are a lost cause towing the old lefty corporate line of tax + spend politics. I urge you to knock on doors asking for $$ every Friday for your pet projects. You won’t do that BUT will vote for those currently fleecing us. You just admitted taxation is meant to punish, rather than to raise necessary $$. Um, we’ve fought wars to keep this shit away from America. But I do like the words “trickle down” as it does beat being TRICKLED ON. Who do you think you are here: Reagan? LOL. I miss him :)

        1. The United States wasn’t exactly a superpower in the 19th century. In 1909 we began a progressive income tax, and next thing you know we dominated the world for the next century. Built a massive state, instituted the New Deal, became militarily dominant and a beacon to the world.

          Angry grumps predicted income tax would be the end of us. Also Social Security. And Medicare. They’re always wrong.

          So I would say it is the US that taxed itself into prosperity. And even if that wasn’t the case, why can’t Seattle tax itself if it wants to? Why can’t Seattle have an income tax? What does Spokane or Yakima care? All we want is local self-determination. The rest of Washington can do what it likes, why can’t we?

          What you hate about democracy in Seattle is that you’re so unpopular. But that’s your inadequacy. Maybe you shouldn’t lie about simple facts, or use dozens of fake screen name to conceal your identity. Just pick one name. Play it straight and you might not be so unpopular, and you might not be so opposed to Seattle voting for what it wants.

        2. Scott, I know YOU might like the GDP you produce to line the pockets of the wealthy, but I would much rather the GDP I produce to go towards things like education, infrastructure, health insurance, social services, etc.

          name a country that has taxed itself into prosperity.

          I know in your sad, pathetic life, you haven’t ventured out into the scary world, but in western Europe, they have high taxes. They also have great education, cheap, effective transportation, universal health care, safety nets, workers rights, consumers rights, etc. Hell, and old fart like yourself would appreciate the services for old people, so you don’t have to work until you’re 80 and still worry about going broke before you die. Sure, they pay high taxes, but all said and done, they probably make out ahead of us, once you factor in how much we pay for healthcare, education and getting old.

          Why don’t you go to one of these countries, walk into a bar and tell them how terrible their lives are. They’ll probably laugh you out of the bar. Probably buy you a beer first though.

          You just admitted taxation is meant to punish, rather than to raise necessary $$.

          Yeah, god forbid the wealthy bestow back upon us the wealth that we generated for them.

          Um, we’ve fought wars to keep this shit away from America.

          The war on the middle and lower classes?

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