They figured they'd hit on the best idea since sliced bread, ice cream and zippers: Build an apartment house for the worst drunks they could go out and scrounge up.
The city's "gee-whiz-kids" decided that giving homeless, chronic alcoholics a cozy little place of their own where they could drink themselves into oblivion, would actually end up saving money.
For example, they reasoned the residents wouldn't be visiting Harborview's emergency room so often.
In a way, they were right.
Instead, the emergency room as been coming to the residents.
There have been 39 aid calls to the "Bunks for Drunks" apartment complex since it opened 3-and-a-half months ago.
That averages out to almost 3-times a week that Medic One has rolled up to the $11 million booze palace, where residents can not only get free or reduced rent, but are told it's 'just fine' for them to bring friends in to share a bottle or 10 of some fine muscatel, and are never - ever! - pressured into getting treatment for their alcoholism.
So, how do the folks running this operation think it's going so far?
I wouldn't know.
Bill Hobson, Executive Director or Downtown Emergency Services, refused to talk to me.
I can understand that though.
I'm still sobered by the stupidity of it all.
Want to share your thoughts with Ken Schram? You can e-mail him at kenschram@komo4news.com
And be sure to catch Ken Schram and John Carlson on their new radio show, "THE COMMENTATORS." Airing Monday through Friday, from 10 till noon on KOMO 1000, Ken and John will be delving into news of the day offering their own particular brand of insight and perspective - with a healthy dose of irreverence and humor thrown in for good measure.