Thoughts from this morning's annual One Night Count of homeless people in King County (and random thoughts might be all I'm capable of at 4 p.m. after reporting to the Compass Center under the Viaduct for my counting assignment at 2:15 a.m.):

1. I was again amazed by the number of people who participated in the count. Some 125 teams comprised of almost 870 volunteers spread out over the county between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. to count and to witness the immediate reality of people sleeping in doorways, under Interstate 5, on open sidewalks and in cars.

2. My team was assigned to Jose Rizal Park and the greenbelt extending south from the park to Holgate St. I walked the upper area with Beacon Hill residents and police officers last summer to get a sense of the drug dealing and camping that was happening then. In addition to the fact that it was dark this morning, the area looked completely different - completely swept out. Ivy, underbrush, blackberries and trash had been cleared out exposing many former hiding areas. We also checked out one camp that had been "swept" by the city after posting a warning (the poster was still there). Where did the former campers go? We don't know, but we may learn more in the future since the City Council has asked that outreach workers try to ask a few questions of the campers they contact in the future. Nothing identifying, just basic questions about where the person lived before, why they avoid shelters, where they might go next.

3. I'd never walked underneath Interstate 5. We walked under the north-bound lanes of the freeway looking for people sleeping there or under the south-bound lanes. We spotted a few people. The rule is that you don't wake anyone up, but do the best you can to see how many people are asleep and whether it's men or women. We ended up marking "unknown" for the three people we noted. We could see someone wrapped up in a sleeping bag and blanket, but we couldn't tell male or female. The noise from the freeway was intense.

4. In the end, team counts totaled 2,826 people living on the streets, in parks and in vehicles. While numbers in Seattle didn't change significantly (perhaps a small victory), numbers in South King County rose dramatically. People sleep on a sidewalk or under a tarp in a park for many reasons. We need to stay hopeful and focused and continue to build the network of options that works for each of those people to be safe, healthy and secure.

Thanks to the volunteers of the agencies that make the One Night Count possible, including the Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness, the Downtown Emergency Services Center, the Compass Center and many more. Thanks, also, to the great people at St. Cloud's in Madrona for making us a terrific breakfast.

Unrelated random thought: Walking sober through Pioneer Square at 2:05 a.m. on a Friday you see a few bar stragglers whose condition dims the glow of the new era of responsibility, diplomacy and smart power. There's a lot of work to do in the new world, people. A hangover on a workday isn't going to help. However, do patronize your favorite eating, drinking and dancing establishments. Austerity is in, but all work and no play is bad economic policy for waiters, bartenders, bouncers and their families.

However, the Daily Journal of Commerce is tough these days. Headlines from last Thursday's paper:

"State jobless rate jumps to 7.1%"

"AIA sees steep decline in 2009 - December billings continue to fall"

"Builders confidence hits new record low"

And that's without the Starbucks layoff announcement of last week. It's going to be a long couple of years. As someone else said, "Austerity is the new black."

Public Health - Seattle & King County just released the latest version of "Communities Count: Social and Health Indicators Across King County." The report is a joint effort by Public Health, King County governments and local foundations to take the vital signs of people, so to speak. Through surveys and interviews with people all over King County, researchers look at 38 indicators of how people are feeling about their life and our region. The report looks at safety, wages, housing affordability, school readiness, insurance coverage, environmental health, satisfaction with transit, employment in the arts, proximity of superfund sites to neighborhoods and much, much more.

Some good points - smoking rates continue to decline, relatively more kids graduated high school than previous years, and rates of violent crime were down county-wide. Too many not so good points - if you're poor or a person of color living in King County, you are far less likely to earn what you need to survive, less likely to find a home you can afford, less likely to have insurance and less likely to get the physical activity recommended for staying healthy. Unfortunately, of the 38 indicators measured by the research team, 13 moved in the wrong direction when it comes to disparities income, education and race.

You might be saying. "I need a report to tell me that?" Keeping track of our progress and our shortcomings is important, especially as we contemplate cutting the city budget later this year. A healthy community takes great schools, good jobs, affordable housing, great parks, safe streets, clean water.... All the things we pay taxes to protect. You can see the full report at www.communitiescount.org