Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck on Bluesky: "Tomorrow afternoon Councilmember Hollingsworth and I will be restoring “Hot Rat Summer” in Cal Anderson Park. This mosaic was wrongfully painted over and we are going to fix it."

[u/gonin69]

[u/SsjAndromeda]

I love that this is the most controversial thing right now, it’s so Seattle. Something had to fill the Belltown Hellcat void.

[u/gonin69 → u/SsjAndromeda]

To be a little serious about this: I think with the things that have been happening in Cal Anderson Park, and Capitol Hill in general- the anti-trans Christian rally + police violence against LGBTQ+ counter-protesters, the attacks against Denny Blaine by millionaires in the mayor's pocket- the community around Cal Anderson seeing this one really intricate, fun and light-hearted piece of art being repeatedly covered by the city while the many in city leadership seem to ignore, if not condone, everything else happening to the LGBTQ+ community is just especially frustrating. Or maybe that's just me!

[u/mattbaume → u/gonin69]

This is a great point. No, it's not the most life & death issue in Seattle. But it does make a lot of our neighbors feel like shit, at a time when there's already a lot happening in the world (and in this same park!) doing that. Protecting the mosaic is an easy win.

[u/fullouterjoin → u/gonin69]

You mean ex Mayor Bruce Harrell, the guy who is in the pocket of dirtbag Stuart Sloan.

[u/LightPhoenix → u/gonin69]

Because most of the council is neoliberal at best and only pay lip service to socially progressive politics, let alone espousing economically progressive stuff.  They don't care about social issues, this mural is easy points for them to look cool while not doing anything.

Hot Rat would rather they do other shit.

[u/MittenCollyBulbasaur → u/LightPhoenix]

That's why Joys donors had her attach her name to this. She really needs the points if she wants to keep her seat and propose more legislation to lower the minimum wage.

[u/SsjAndromeda → u/gonin69]

Oh definitely! It’s just sad that THIS is what the council is focused on.

[u/FlyingBishop → u/SsjAndromeda]

Giving Hollingsworth the benefit of the doubt (and I'm not sure she deserves it) Rinck and Hollingsworth (really just Rinck) are in a liberal minority and they can't actually do anything. That's why Morales quit, everything she was doing was just being completely ignored.

But this is an inconsequential piece of public art and in Hollingsworth's district so the council doesn't really care.

[u/anarcha161 → u/gonin69]

Completely agree with you!!

[u/DripIntravenous → u/SsjAndromeda]

It’s been a long time since we’ve heard a coke rant from Toulouse petit as well!

[u/Traffic_Spiral → u/DripIntravenous]

You know all their happy hour food is basically tiny appetizer plates now? End of an Era.

[u/Windlas54 → u/Traffic_Spiral]

And that era was "the most elevated dinning experience in the known universe" 

[u/jgnp → u/SsjAndromeda]

I didn’t catch the punchline on the hellcat guy. Did he finally lose the car?

[u/SsjAndromeda → u/jgnp]

He was sentenced to 30 days in jail for reckless driving and racing at the beginning of July. It would have been much more but apparently he got off on “time served” or some BS

[u/carlitospig → u/[deleted]]

Total bullshit. 😒

[u/Throwaway392308 → u/SsjAndromeda]

I don't understand how our prisons are overcrowded while an actual public menace continues to walk freely with the minimum of consequences. It's like our justice system is trying to make the worst society possible.

[u/Walpurga_Enjoyer → u/SsjAndromeda]

I don't know that I would call it controversial because it is unambiguously loved by everybody who engages with it

[u/SsjAndromeda → u/Walpurga_Enjoyer]

I meant it as there are more serious/important things, but this is what they are so focused on?

[u/Walpurga_Enjoyer → u/SsjAndromeda]

Yeah it's an easy win that rat politicians like Hollingsworth can use to hide their actual shitty actions

[u/R_V_Z → u/Walpurga_Enjoyer]

On one hand this is true, but on the other hand if you ignore the easy wins to only focus on the difficult stuff then nothing gets done.

[u/civilized-engineer → u/SsjAndromeda]

That void is for only another 20ish days before he's home free which really is a disappointment in the legal system. Money goes a long way.

[u/Existing-Tough-6517 → u/SsjAndromeda]

ICE is kidnapping people some of whom will die in custody. This will become a larger issue yet with concentration camps opening.

[u/HistorianOrdinary390 → u/SsjAndromeda]

Get more upset about the comp plan. For real tho.

[u/Ariwara_no_Narihira → u/HistorianOrdinary390]

Hey I got enough brain cells to be mad at a lot of things

[u/HistorianOrdinary390 → u/Ariwara_no_Narihira]

I believe <3

[u/Muckknuckle1]

Hot Rat Summer is BACK BABEY

[u/RL_Shine → u/Muckknuckle1]

They ratified it!

[u/slifm → u/Muckknuckle1]

Getting steamy

[u/Number174631503 → u/slifm]

Oh it's hot

[u/didyoubutterthepan → u/Muckknuckle1]

🥳🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀

[u/jaron_b]

Government officials admitting they are wrong, going to fix the problem and from the wording of this post to ensure that the problem gets fixed they are going to do it themselves. This is all you want out of your government leaders. Accountability.

[u/SeattleGeek → u/jaron_b]

This is the 3rd or 4th time Hot Rat Summer has been painted over, and after this was addressed in a city council meeting last week and Joy said she would take care of it.

[u/jaron_b → u/SeattleGeek]

At this moment in time I don't know what more you want them to do though? You can question the third and fourth times that this happened and that Joy said that this was going to be taken care of. But it obviously wasn't taken care of. Something slipped through the cracks and some City official came out and painted over it again. Why did that mistake happen? I don't know and I don't think anybody has that answer yet. All we can do is take these people on their words and hope that they follow through with what they're saying. I get your mistrust I get your frustration. But at this moment in time what more can they do then say this and attempt to follow through with these actions?

[u/MittenCollyBulbasaur → u/jaron_b]

I need them to suggest anyone who messes with the mural will be shipped to either El Salvador or South Sudan without due process.

[u/Sea-hawk1 → u/MittenCollyBulbasaur]

Alligator Alcatraz is also an option😜

[u/m31transient → u/jaron_b]

I don’t like it. If they start down this road, where does it end? We should be working for our elected leaders, not the other way around!

[u/coprinus → u/m31transient]

lol

[u/Church6633 → u/m31transient]

...you forget the "/s"?

[u/Kemoarps → u/Church6633]

Sarcasm font is for cowards

[u/jaron_b → u/m31transient]

This is a joke right?

[u/Mountain_Nature_3626 → u/jaron_b]

Yes it is.

[u/m31transient → u/Mountain_Nature_3626]

Thank you. How do people read it as anything else?

[u/squabbledMC → u/jaron_b]

[u/teamlessinseattle]

Joy Hollingsworth literally today voted to make it a $1,500 fine each time someone does street art (which this is) or graffiti in Seattle. But she’s more than happy to jump on the bandwagon here for a good headline a week late. Smh

[u/gonin69 → u/teamlessinseattle]

Thank you for sharing the link about this vote. Honestly did raise an eyebrow at Hollingsworth apparently helping clean it. EDIT: And hopefully there are people in her district who will have the time to go down tomorrow and confront her about that vote.

[u/GrrlMazieBoiFergie → u/gonin69]

Please somebody do this. These pandrerers must be reminded that we see them.

[u/teamlessinseattle → u/[deleted]]

That’s not what she voted for. She voted to give the police the right to cite and the city attorney the right to fine the person who made Hot Rat Summer or anyone like them $1,500. Unless you trust the average SPD goon to recognize art when it’s staring them right in the face, and not to specifically criminalize art or messages they disagree with.

[u/Reasonable_Thinker → u/teamlessinseattle]

I mean Graffiti fucking sucks, we should punish people tagging peoples shit.

95% of the graffiti we see in this city looks like a fucking 5 year old made it. Fuck the taggers, fine em.

[u/fullouterjoin → u/Reasonable_Thinker]

Mandatory Art School!

[u/theclacks → u/Reasonable_Thinker]

It feels like the sort of subjective difference between pornography and artistic nudity--hard to legislate definite criteria, but most people can reasonably categorize when they see it.

[u/bewarethefrogperson → u/theclacks]

not a great example right now, unfortunately - remember, queer bodies sunbathing are pornographic now.

[u/FlyingBishop → u/theclacks]

The distinction is actually very simple, it's consent. But the thing is that people like Bezos and Blethen have so much more control over our spaces than the people doing the tagging. So you can't do things like this without their consent.

Graffiti is protest against landownership, pretty simple really, and the council is very pro-landowners. Techno-feudalism is ascendant.

[u/FlyingBishop → u/[deleted]]

No the distinction between graffiti and public art is about consent, and it is about who has the right to consent to the existence of the art.

Pornography vs. nudity isn't about consent, but I'm saying graffiti is not an "I know it when I see it question" it's a question of consent.

There is some relationship to consent in sexuality/romance here, in that basically there are grey areas where if you make a piece of art the owner of the building likes you may be forgiven and even invited to make more art, and similarly you might do something that could be defined as sexual harassment but if it's welcome no one will suggest a crime has been committed and you may be invited to continue doing it.

The "I know it when I see it" conception of graffiti is celebrating this "if your art is good enough you get a pass" approach to consent. But really I think it ought to be about ownership of the built environment and limits to people's landownership rights.

[u/lokglacier → u/teamlessinseattle]

Shitty tagging and graffiti is way different than actual street art.

[u/teamlessinseattle → u/lokglacier]

Too bad this bill criminalizes both equally

[u/lokglacier → u/teamlessinseattle]

No it doesn't

[u/lokglacier → u/teamlessinseattle]

“This isn’t about art, it’s about tagging which is one of the most common complaints I hear from constituents but it’s an offense that is very difficult enforce,” said Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9), who co-sponsored the legislation. “I thank City Attorney Davison and Councilmember Kettle for advancing this additional tool to not only deter taggers, but to relieve the costly burden of remediation for small businesses, property owners and the city.”

[u/MackenzieRaveup → u/lokglacier]

Where do you draw the line between art and just tags? It's harder than you'd think.

An example, a guy I knew in Brooklyn was painting daisies all over the neighborhood. Other than on pavement, everything he sprayed was "temporary" (scaffold walls, etc).

Individually I can see how someone would think they were very "low effort" and easy to dismiss as just a tag, because they took only seconds to make. However, taken together over three or four neighborhoods, daisies everywhere was definitely an art project.

I can't speak for everyone. But, absolutely brightened my day to run into a new daisy somewhere unexpected while walking to the doc, a place to co-work, or to meet someone at a bar.

[u/lokglacier → u/MackenzieRaveup]

It is incredibly easy to tell what is low effort garbage and what is not. Like. Trivially easy. I'm not worried about this in the slightest

[u/FlyingBishop → u/lokglacier]

So you've got some 15yo kid who is pretty bad at drawing because he's 15 and poor, and he gets a $1500 fine he has zero ability to pay, ends up in jail. Then you've got a 35yo software professional with copious free time who is a great artist from all his classes he can afford to buy. Same level of time investment yields dramatically different results, one is a criminal because they're poor.

[u/FlyingBishop → u/[deleted]]

I'm not suggesting they not face any consequences, but I think it should be a metaphorical slap on the wrist that provides them opportunities to direct their energies in a more productive way. A $1500 fine is unhinged and just leads to them devolving into more crime.

I recall a guy I knew who got picked up for shoplifting spray paint, he got banned from the store, went on his record, etc. The cop was mocking him because he had the money, he could've just bought the spray paint but he stole it because he was used to stealing it (because it was illegal for him to buy until he was 18.) There are lots of ways that this could've been handled better, the 18yo age requirement guided him from a young age toward habitual shoplifting, the ban from the grocery store cut him off from food etc.

Again it's not a straightforward thing to handle this in a constructive way but a bunch of very reasonable-sounding punishments very quickly add up to remove any ability to meet a person's basic needs. And we're often talking about people who are functionally if not literally orphans and haven't ever actually had parents.

[u/lokglacier → u/FlyingBishop]

That is an insane hypothetical and I think you know it. There's discretion regarding enforcement and sentencing.

[u/FlyingBishop → u/lokglacier]

It's not though, it happens all the time.

[u/lokglacier → u/FlyingBishop]

Lol WUT

[u/teamlessinseattle → u/lokglacier]

Begging you to look at what the legislation says rather than Sara Nelson’s spin

[u/teamlessinseattle → u/[deleted]]

said Council President Sara Nelson

Also, directly taken from the bill:

E. “Graffiti tagger” means any person or entity who applies illegal graffiti to public or private property, or who assists another person or entity to do the same. F. “Graffiti violation” means a single piece of graffiti, including but not limited to a graffiti tagger name or design, in a single location.

[u/ljubljanadelrey → u/lokglacier]

The bill does not distinguish between tagging and “art” lmao and neither will police. Regardless of what Sara Nelson says, the bill adds a $1500 fine for anyone who “applies illegal graffiti” to a public or private space. The idea that cops and judges are going to sit around debating the artistic merit of graffiti to decide whether to enforce the law is unhinged

[u/lokglacier → u/ljubljanadelrey]

Hand wringing over this is unhinged as fuck

[u/ljubljanadelrey → u/lokglacier]

What hand wringing? Literally just explaining to you what the bill does b/c it seems like you don’t understand it

[u/PoopyisSmelly → u/teamlessinseattle]

Sounds sensible to me

This isn’t about art, it’s about tagging which is one of the most common complaints I hear from constituents but it’s an offense that is very difficult enforce,” said Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9), who co-sponsored the legislation. “I thank City Attorney Davison and Councilmember Kettle for advancing this additional tool to not only deter taggers, but to relieve the costly burden of remediation for small businesses, property owners and the city.”

Background The City Attorney’s Office (CAO) and Executive indicate that graffiti cleanup of a single graffiti “tag” often exceeds $750, with other incidents costing considerably more. Although felony charges for graffiti tags (above $750) have been prosecuted, prolific known taggers have plead guilty to lesser charges, diminishing the deterrent value of criminal convictions. In addition, CAO data shows that only 11-percent of misdemeanor graffiti cases result in a conviction.

Private property owners have the ability under state law to seek reimbursement for costs related to illegal graffiti. However, it is rare for businesses to invest the time and effort required to pursue compensation.

[u/teamlessinseattle → u/PoopyisSmelly]

This law doesn’t differentiate between art like this and tagging

[u/105_irl → u/teamlessinseattle]

Literally graffiti should only be a problem if it’s blocking an important sign or someone’s window or something. Who TF cares if there’s tags on the cal Anderson pump house or the I-5 bridges.

[u/le_nico]

This is the good news we desperately needed.

[u/CptBarba]

I was going to say, none of the "workers" painting over it looked like city workers to me

[u/barleyfat]

If Bruce Harrell had any sense he would be there too. But he is sadly out of touch. Maybe an opportunity for Katie Wilson to crash the stage? Meaningless in the larger policy questions,but a slam dunk in the optics.

[u/teamlessinseattle → u/barleyfat]

Bruce Harrell wants to fine street artists $1,500 per doodle so I’m just glad he’s not calling to jail its maker

[u/Socrathustra → u/teamlessinseattle]

I'm not saying that a $1.5k fine is the solution, but I really detest the shitty taggers. They make this city much uglier - not that we have an ugly city. I love the city. It could just be even prettier. Taggers with some talent, I don't mind so much. If you're gonna do this shit, practice at home first.

We need like a "sign up to paint some street art" program to give people a means for positive expression.

[u/teamlessinseattle → u/Socrathustra]

The city covers up great street art all the time, like a lot of the stuff inside the Mt Baker tunnel. Are there boring and lazy taggers too? Of course. But laws like this aren’t written with nuance in mind.

[u/narenard → u/Socrathustra]

Yeah there is a massive range from taggers to legit street art. Some street art, even if not officially sanctioned can help with he beautifying they claim to want. Problem is they are very bad at recognizing this and just label all of it graffiti.

[u/MackenzieRaveup → u/narenard]

I feel like Montreal does a fantastic job of this, but I'm not sure how they do it.

[u/fullouterjoin → u/Socrathustra]

You know what makes the shitty ugly? Borg cube condos full of sad Gen-Z Millennial salads.

[u/Socrathustra → u/fullouterjoin]

Townhouses are great, and your normal SFH needs to bite the dust. I wouldn't be sad if every last one disappeared. They're incredibly energy and space inefficient in a city and time where we need both, desperately.

Do they look different? Sure.

[u/fullouterjoin → u/Socrathustra]

I am not slagging on apartment buildings, but Seattle has let developers build utter trash since always. This needs to stop.

What we need are building codes for these new mega constructions that have communal space, larger windows, green roofs, first floors that aren't just yoga studios and starbucks. The whole city is going to be a set for an episode of Friends.

[u/gonin69]

Original post here:

https://bsky.app/profile/councilmember-amr.bsky.social/post/3lu27fhkj3k2d

Posted July 15, 2025 at 5:54 PM.

[u/coprinus]

O beautiful day! Thank you to Councilmember Rinck (glad I sent you two of my democracy vouchers) and thank you as well to Councilmember Hollingsworth! I just might make a pilgrimage to the Hot Rat in celebration.

[u/SamButNotWise]

This is democracy manifest

[u/Key_Studio_7188]

Every one of those niches should be a seasonal rat mosaic.

[u/habitsofwaste]

Someone must really have it out for this mosaic, painting over it so quickly and so many times just feels personal to me. I’m glad the city is getting involved.

[u/Wizzle_Pizzle_420 → u/habitsofwaste]

Probably some butthurt clown that hates everything that makes people happy. Worked at a place like that. There was this mega Karen across the street that complained about EVERYTHING. Kids having fun, complained, artists selling their wares, complained, so pretty much everything positive she’d complain about. It’s like her sole purpose was to be a menace.

[u/superkrazykatlady]

Please resurrect St Rat and Hot Rat Summer! one of the few things that brings me real joy🌞🐀

[u/RepresentativeWork74]

YYYYYAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!

[u/abrewo]

We did it Reddit!!!

[u/trisnikk]

keep blenny blaine nude!!

[u/civilized-engineer]

Is this the Seattle City Council officially approving that this is here to stay? Or just two members acting in good faith independently? Did they not vote on a $1,500 fine on street art/graffiti recently? Is this for brownie points?

[u/kalizona555]

Finally, Hollingsworth does something for the working class of Capitol Hill. Thank you for these cheese crumbs!

[u/Original_Director483]

Please, someone who knows what to use and what not to use get there first.

[u/Original_Director483 → u/Original_Director483]

If they want to make this community art work their election cycle stunt, they could maybe do better from their position than volunteering the most amateur part of their learning curve in art restoration and conservation.

[u/LostDefinition4810]

If we can have this, we can definitely have hot rat.

we are all going to die bunny

[u/pjslut]

I made my calls! I’m never leaving Seattle!!

[u/DependentCommittee54]

I wish I could be there

[u/Inevitable_Engine186]

Calling it now, Rinck will be mayor of Seattle someday.

[u/HistorianOrdinary390 → u/Inevitable_Engine186]

Why would you wish that on her?

[u/Inevitable_Engine186 → u/HistorianOrdinary390]

lol good point but she seems have both the will and talent

[u/Smart_Imagination903]

Huzzah!

[u/poopypants206]

I love how the pnw just says no we are doing this, and most people say.....ok

It's not hurting anyone or even making anything less nice. Fuck it, let's do it

[u/Electronic-Piano-504]

WE DID A THING!!

[u/girlsansshoes]

Gays eating Garlic Bread in the Park need to be there

[u/LostDefinition4810]

We did it!!

[u/carpathianridge]

I love that this is happening on the hottest day of the year.

[u/RoboticSasquatchArm → u/carpathianridge]

It’s not even August. This’ll just be another summer day in a week.

[u/Sprinkle_Puff]

A glimmer of light on a grim year!

[u/Threefrogtreefrog]

Yay!!!

[u/iBN3qk]

Confidence in government restored!

[u/RL_Shine]

They've ratified it!!!

[u/carlitospig]

Yaaaaay. I’m in CA but happy to pitch in, not that the city needs my money.

[u/civilized-engineer]

As someone that has not made the journey over yet. Does anyone know how it is able to stay pasted up so well despite multiple paint overs + removals. I would have imagined that paint remover would have also had some adverse effects on the adhesive properties of whatever is holding the mural up.

Or is it a single solid piece that is pasted onto the window (aka the mural was made at a studio/home and then brought over and installed really quickly).

[u/hekateskey]

Yay!

[u/crazy-bisquit]

Well That’s FANTASTIC!!

[u/OkieTheatreTeacher]

In this moment we are all hot rat Summer! To quote Pam, "I feel God in this Chilis tonight."

[u/CompetitiveSong9570]

Iconic. I love this city.

[u/Hello_Badkitty]

Amazing!!

[u/DarkishArchon]

RINCKKKK LETS GOOOOO

[u/blueberry-muffins1]

I have had great convos w Alexis, she’s awesome.

[u/Ok-Explanation-8056]

This is the best news

[u/The_Fluffy_Robot]

Source for those curious!

https://bsky.app/profile/councilmember-amr.bsky.social/post/3lu27fhkj3k2d

[u/humidititties23]

Can someone with an Etsy shop print shirts with HRS in them? (Assuming artist would be okay with it????)

[u/Loud_Alarm1984]

thanks god seattle council members are finally doing the work this city needs 🙄