But it doesn't have to be that way. Seattle has a lot of high paying jobs, sure. But because Seattle artificially restricts housing supply, the high paying job

But it doesn't have to be that way. Seattle has a lot of high paying jobs, sure. But because Seattle artificially restricts housing supply, the high paying jobs bring in people like me that can absorb the cost, pushing out people that can't absorb the cost. Those people tend to work in jobs that keep other living costs low, meaning that if they continue to exist at all, they exist at higher prices...exacerbating the effect. Seattle needs to stop focusing on raising pay. Their focus on wages for Airport workers and Fast Food workers completely misses the point: Those wages are already high from a US market standpoint...they are too low here because living costs are too high here. If you set a wage floor, the employers disappear. Alaska Airlines will move their hub to Portland or Vancouver, and all the Fast Food chains will cut their losses and close shop. A focused effort on destroying barriers to new housing development effectively reduces the cost of living and increases living standards for everybody, without pricing out the lower-wage employment.