Remember how exciting this "voting" business was last year? Those were the days, huh? We got to vote Barack Fucking Hussein Goddamn Obama into the White House. We were making history. Hey, any black lesbian Jews with scary middle names running for mayor?
Nope.
Stranger Personals
What do we got instead? A closeted-Republican can of hair spray outpolling her openly Democratic rivals in the King County executive race. Two Port of Seattle races so boring that they ought to be underwritten by Ambien. And the American Chemistry Council pouring $1.3 million into an effort to repeal a sensible city ordinance that would require supermarkets to charge a small fee for the plastic bags that strangle baby otters in Puget Sound and cause cancer in burlesque dancers.
The bag fee will be decided on August 18. Meanwhile, the two leading candidates in every other race—thanks to our "top two" primary system—will move on to November's general election. By voting in the primary, you can help the best candidates in each race advance and send the worst candidates packing. For example, in the county executive race you can vote for a Democrat with the balls to call out the Republican in the race. And for mayor, you can make sure that someone who's different than Greg Nickels—someone like Mike McGinn—makes it through to the general election and save us from having to choose between Nickels and Nickels-in-a-Dress in November. Plus, two of the three city-council races on the primary ballot are up in the air. So grab your ballot and a bottle—take a shot every time you read the word "council"—and vote. This election may not be historic, but your hangover will be.
King County Executive
When you're going up against a stealth- Republican like Susan Hutchison—and, trust us, whichever Democrat gets through the primary will be going up against her—you need to be willing to call her what she is: a political lightweight and a partisan extremist; a shitty fit for the most liberal county in the state; and a blow-dried, brain-dead, lying, hypocritical, and cowardly piece of shit.
Dow Constantine, current King County Council chair and former state legislator, had the balls to say just that. (Except that "piece of shit" bit—that's our thoughtful analysis.) It was politically risky, fraught with the perils of taking on a well-liked former TV personality and the dangers of going negative early, the kind of thing that other politicians would have taken a pass on (and did—we're looking at you, Larry and Ross). Dow stepped up, took a risk, and reminded us that he not only has great lefty politics—strong on the environment, an ally of the local music and club scene, a leader on transit—but the kind of daring, cunning, and grit required to beat Hutchison in the November election and keep the county executive's chair in Democratic hands.
Which is important, because it's really, truly, fucking-frighteningly possible that this county—its protected lands, its controversial needle-exchange program, its reproductive-health services—could, after this election, fall under the control of Hutchison, a woman who gave thousands of dollars to anti-choice wacko Mike Huckabee, disparaged "evolutionists" this year at the Governor's Prayer Breakfast, served as a board member of the right-wing think tank Discovery Institute, enthusiastically backed George W. Bush, Dino Rossi, and Dave Reichert, and who has zero—zero—relevant political experience.
And the shit that pours out Hutchison's mouth about being a nonpartisan running in a nonpartisan race for a nonpartisan position? You know who helped pay to encourage voters to make it a nonpartisan position last year? Hutchison. Her strategy all along was to hide her true political colors from the voters. It's a plan she's been working on for a long time, and one that could work. We need an authentic liberal with a taste for the jugular to take Hutchison out and then steer the county out of its budget crises and other myriad problems. That's Dow Constantine.
King County Council
Position 9
Bev Tonda is a pink-sweatered ray of strawberry sunshine. Bev Tonda can take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile. Every time Bev Tonda claps her hands, a fairy punches a rapist in the tit. Bev Tonda is a self-described "Democratic-leaning Republican" who lives in a log cabin she built with her own teeth on the banks of the Cedar River and occasionally says the craziest thing ever ("I was raised Christian, I'm converting to Judaism, and I hang out with Muslims!!!"). There was no chance the SECB wasn't going to endorse Bev Tonda—her opponents are Reagan Dunn, the shriveled weasel who fell out of Jennifer Dunn, and something called a Mark Greene—but we really fell in love with her after her hour-long endorsement meeting, when she e-mailed to let us know that she didn't fucking want our endorsement: "I do feel compelled to say that I was not looking for an endorsement from The Stranger when I came to interview on my lunch hour. The part-time unpaid intern billed the appointment as an interview." Vote for Bev Tonda. Vote the FUCKING SHIT out of her!
Court of Appeals Judge
Position 3
Anne Ellington is the incumbent in this race, and everyone in the world loves her. Except Robert D. Kelly! He specializes in personal-injury claims, has a website better suited to a mortician than a candidate for the appeals court, and thinks he can do a better job. No one in the hard-nosed business of ranking judicial candidates seems to agree, and neither do we. (There's no quid pro quo here, Ms. Ellington, but should anyone from the SECB ever come before you because some crooked cop planted dope on a straight-edge Stranger staffer or our publisher finally got arrested for sexting while driving—just remember your friends at The Stranger, okay?)
Port Commissioner
Position 3
Port Commissioner
Position 4
You don't have to read our endorsements in Port of Seattle races. Seriously. The only thing duller than port races is the Seattle Channel. (And the only thing duller than the Seattle Channel is Seattle school-district races.) Do yourself a favor and skip ahead to our endorsement for mayor, which comes next because that's the order of the races on the ballot, which is insane. Interesting races should be at the top. Anyway...
The port runs the waterfront and Sea-Tac Airport, has a $604 million annual budget, and oversees 4,000 acres in real estate (nobody knows how much it's worth—the port hasn't appraised it all). It's also losing business (down 8 percent in 2009) and is best known for scandals and lousy performance in state audits. Some hero needs to march into the port and straighten shit out. But none of this year's candidates seems equipped for the job. Some candidates are ideologues, some are egoists, some are too cozy with commercial real estate, and at least one candidate is all three. (That's David Doud, a "top broker" at Wallace Properties who said he was running because the job "is synergistic with my career." However you vote, don't vote Doud.)
We're going with Rob Holland (lefty, uniony, big on jobs) and Tom Albro (an entrepreneur who runs the company that operates the monorail). Yes, Albro has some Republicans in his closet, but he's also got the support of Senator Ed Murray, who met Albro and grilled him about "choice, the environment, and gay and lesbian issues." During our endorsement interview, Albro's opponent Max Vekich was short on specifics, long on rhetoric, and occasionally incomprehensible. The port needs a business-minded person who isn't evil. That's Tom Albro. (We hope.) The port also needs a reliably lefty, union vote. That's Rob Holland. (Ditto.)
Mayor
Mayor Greg Nickels has accomplished some things—did you know that he built light rail with his bare hands? And he has the right idea about cities—he's pro-density, for instance. But he has been the mayor for eight years, he's not a popular guy, he's waged a clumsy war on bars and clubs, and it snowed a lot right before Christmas. Luckily, there is one person running against Nickels who—unlike all the rest—offers a real choice and who can prevent it from snowing in Seattle ever again.
That's Mike McGinn.
McGinn is the only candidate who disagrees with Nickels about one very big issue: blowing billions (more than $900 million from the city) on a tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the aerial freeway on the waterfront. McGinn points out that we don't need the tunnel, that it's a car-only infrastructure project with a price tag equal to every property levy we're paying now combined, and that Seattle taxpayers are going to be on the hook for all cost overruns. With the city in distress in so many other ways (schools, gang violence, economic development), we can't afford a tunnel that we don't need. Simultaneously, McGinn is the only candidate for mayor who calls bullshit on nonissues (like everyone's sudden opposition to the head tax, which requires businesses to pay $25 for each employee who usually drives solo to work and helps pay for transportation projects—he thinks it should stand). He's got the strongest environmental record. He's got the strongest civic résumé among the candidates who've never held elected office (founded the nonprofit Seattle Great City Initiative, chaired the local Sierra Club). He used to practice business and employment law. He rides his bike everywhere. He's mayor-shaped.
And he's opposed Mayor Nickels on issues before and won. In 2007, at the Sierra Club, he led the fight against the ballot initiative that bundled light-rail funding with highway funding. McGinn argued that if voters rejected the roads-heavy measure, the light-rail component would come back to the ballot the next year and win. Nickels argued that this was our only chance to expand light rail. McGinn was right and Nickels was wrong: Even though the measure had been polling at 57 percent, the campaign against it worked, and the following year, funding for just light rail was on the ballot and passed by a wide margin. And in 2008, while running Great City, McGinn chaired the campaign for the parks-improvement levy, which won at the polls, despite the opposition of Nickels. Unlike Greg Nickels, Jan Drago, James Donaldson, and Joe Mallahan—the other major contenders in the primary race—McGinn has no campaign manager and no staff outside of a scheduler who works five hours a week. His is a volunteer-run organization, grassroots, of the people. It is the opposite of the Nickels campaign and the Nickels machine. For the good of the mayor's race, for the good of the city, McGinn is the man to challenge Nickels in the general election.
City Council Position 4
After 16 long years on the city council, Jan Drago is vacating this seat to run for mayor. Drago has been among the more conservative—and erratic—voices at City Hall. She's pushed for onerous nightlife regulations and a smaller levy to build affordable housing. Drago also recently said she wants to "establish and enforce a norm for acceptable and safe behavior on the streets," which sounds like the last thing that happens before anti-democracy tanks come rolling through Westlake Park. If a progressive candidate takes her place, it will tip the council's balance leftward.
But the current front-runner and top fundraiser in the race, Sally Bagshaw, hasn't demonstrated that she's more progressive than Drago. Bagshaw, who worked as an attorney and prosecutor for King County for over a decade, has contributed to only the council's more conservative members in election years. And Bagshaw's campaign-contribution filing reports read like a roster of Rainier Club members—and those people have enough friends at City Hall already. We wanted to like David Bloom, a cofounder of the Seattle Displacement Coalition, but his anti-density activism made us fear he would be an advocate against sensible development. Bloom also told the SECB that he wants to rebuild or retrofit the viaduct, which is a mind-fuckingly atrocious idea.
Bagshaw and Bloom are not young. And frankly, city council meetings already look like an AARP bridge club. The city council lost its younger members, Judy Nicastro and Heidi Wills, back in 2003, and it's time for some fresh blood on the council. So we're throwing our ink behind Dorsol Plants, a two-tour Iraq war veteran who turns 25 this month. He's assembled a battalion of supporters and speaks passionately about the issues facing the city. He has dozens of smart ideas, including rewriting neighborhood plans to accommodate more density, especially around light-rail stations, and supporting targeted human services to help people avoid losing their homes to foreclosure. Plants wants to expand alternatives to incarceration for low-level drug offenders and grow the youth-violence-prevention initiative.
Plants lacks the experience of his competitors, but in the few months since launching his campaign, he's demonstrated organizing skills and the nimble mind required by a city council member. Plants is also a renter—an unrepresented group on the council—and he doesn't own a car, like a lot of people in this city. We think Plants will be a reliably progressive vote on the council.
City Council Position 6
Did we say we wanted to see fresh blood on the council? We do. We've gushed about Nick Licata before (see almost every issue between 1997 and 2007), but, as he runs for a fourth term, we figured his best years in politics might be behind him. Licata, a devout lefty with some latent anti-growth/NIMBY tendencies, has been on the lonely end of 8–1 votes lately, and, in 2002, he fought light rail. So we listened closely to his primary challenger, Jessie Israel, an employee of King County Parks and Recreation who says Licata is "bogging things down" and promised to make Seattle "more livable."
But some of what we heard from Israel stinks. For example, she said she was voting for mayoral candidate Joe Mallahan, a dud when we met him, who props his campaign on a thin résumé with T-Mobile. Israel also supported repealing the bag fee, siding with the American Chemistry Council, which was bankrolling the pro-pollution campaign to the tune of $1 million at the time of our meeting. (Israel reversed her position when the plastic lobby threw another $300,000 into the campaign, calling it a "game changer"—please note, wealthy corporate interests, that you'll get a pass from Jessie on the first $1 million, but then watch out!) Israel talks about change, but it's not clear what revolutionary policies she would muscle through the council.
Licata, on the other hand, has consistently pushed underdog legislation that the SECB supports. In his most recent term, Licata created a group to study whether the city could avoid building a new $200 million jail. The group appears to support diverting low-level, nonviolent offenders into less expensive, more effective treatment programs. Licata also fought to provide better public defense for indigent people in the municipal court system while raising standards for judges. When considered along with his career on the council—where he secured funding for pre-arrest diversion programs, led the first council discussions on reforming drug policy, and called City Attorney Tom Carr on his bullshit—Licata has proved to be the strongest council member on issues of civil rights and smarter criminal justice. He's also fought against nightlife restrictions. In addition, in the last few years, he's passed bills to provide more workforce housing, increase standards for pedestrian safety, and get more police on the street.
The issues we disagree with Licata about—sometimes favoring a less dense city, his idiotic stance on retrofitting the viaduct—are votes he doesn't have a shot of winning. But no other city council member has carried the torches that Licata has carried for 12 years, and neither candidate running against Licata this time appears ready to pick them up. Licata still has fire in his belly, and we want to see more.
City Council Position 8
Mike O'Brien, who rode his bike to meet the SECB, has a great ass. But that's not the only reason we want to see him on the council. He's simultaneously a granola-munching environmentalist (former chair of the local chapter of the Sierra Club) and a business wizard (got his MBA from the University of Washington). The combination of idealism and realism is refreshing, and we think O'Brien's approaches to increasing density and transportation represent the sort of forward thinking Seattle needs more of.
Others in the race didn't impress us as much. David Miller, while a strong nightlife advocate, concerned the SECB because his anti-development fights as past president of the Maple Leaf Community Council indicated a tendency to support irrational NIMBYs over sensible city planning. In his meeting with the SECB, Miller was reluctant to support towers on the Yesler Terrace redevelopment, the best way to produce more low-income housing in the middle of the city, and was reticent to endorse infill development outside of prescribed urban villages. Others in this crowded race ranged from scary (Robert Rosencrantz wants to "give neighborhoods more authority" over nightlife) to bland (Jordan Royer loves Greg Nickels and doesn't present any particularly interesting ideas).
On the other had, O'Brien supports removing parking requirements from housing developments, allowing developers to build small apartments and condos to reduce housing costs, and maintaining the head tax for pedestrian and bicycle improvements. He believes Seattle must build much more housing within city limits to combat suburban sprawl—to reduce the region's carbon footprint and bring down housing prices—and we wholeheartedly agree.
Referendum 1 (Bag Fee)
(uphold the disposable-bag fee)
This was a tough one, as both sides made excellent points. On the one hand, environmentalists who know about things like "science" and "dead sea mammals" have researched the issue thoroughly and say that the 20-cent fee on disposable shopping bags—the proceeds of which go partially to the stores and partially to fund recycling programs—would help decrease the number of plastic bags currently piling up in landfills, or being downcycled to shittier plastic bags and then piling up in landfills, and, eventually, slowly disintegrating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch until they resemble tiny, delicious plankton particles that fish mistake for food but are actually POISON.
On the other hand, plastic-bag companies want more money! Waaaaaaaah!!! Do you want to see plastic-bag companies and chemical corporations cry? ON THEIR BIRTHDAY!?
Despite compelling arguments from the staggeringly disingenuous anti-bag-fee spokesman, whose organization, the Coalition to Stop the Seattle Bag Tax, has raised an absurd million-plus dollars from chemical companies and trade associations like the American Chemistry Council (but "one guy in Ballard gave $25!" he told us), we decided to go ahead and endorse a "YES, FUCKING OBVIOUSLY" vote on upholding the bag fee. Because 20 cents is approximately the same as zero cents if you remember to bring a reusable bag to the store anyway, which people who don't want to pay the fee will do, and we'd like to continue having oceans, thanks.
Seattle School Board
District 5
This race pits incumbent Mary Bass, the dissident board member who fought against the school-closure plan and a longtime advocate for the needs of Central District families, against several challengers who say Bass has become too dissident—and ineffectual—for her district's good. While we've supported Bass in the past, her challengers are right. Bass lost the school-closure fight, which was a familiar experience for her—in the right, but without enough votes from fellow board members to win. Enter Kay Smith-Blum, co-owner of the "European specialty store" Butch Blum, longtime do-gooder-about-schools (creating and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for public-school "annual funds," for example). Smith-Blum is exactly as crazy as you'd expect for someone who really, really wants to dive into endless collective decision-making about chronic, incredibly knotty public-school problems.
A person has to be crazy—or Cheryl Chow—to want to serve on the school board. But while Bass is ha-ha-wince-whatever crazy, Smith-Blum is holy-shit-she's-probably-right-and-she's-going-to-chew-my-face-off-if-I-disagree-with-her crazy. And that fresh brand of crazy—plus Smith-Blum's mind for spreadsheets and track record of strong public-school advocacy—is just what this position needs.
Full disclosure: Smith-Blum owns a business that advertises in The Stranger. The SECB does not take advertising into consideration when making endorsements. If we did, we'd have to endorse a lot of local she-male escorts.
Seattle School Board
District 7
This race came down to two qualified candidates: Betty Patu, a
three-decade veteran teacher in Seattle schools, and Charlie Mas,
wonkiest wonk of all school-district wonky-wonks. Mas, who maintains a
creepily obsessive school-board blog, is clearly well-versed and
interested in the überboring intricacies of school-board
bureaucracy. But Patu—currently a teacher at Rainier
Beach—has that rock-solid, unflappable gravitas that comes with
sitting behind a public-high-school desk for 30 years, as well as a
concrete understanding of what works and what's bullshit in Seattle
Public Schools politics, and a commitment to underrepresented
minorities like Asian/Pacific Islanders. Best of all, she's
hard-fucking-core. In her endorsement meeting, Patu—in the
context of an anecdote about personally connecting with
students—told the SECB that she once talked down a former student
who was holding another student at gunpoint. "Give me that gun," she
barked, barely blinking. Betty Patu, we will literally do anything you
say. Just please don't cut us. 
Share via
As another commenter put last week, check this out from the group Port Reform (www.portreform.org):
"A leaked email reveals that Port Commission candidates Tom Albro and David Doud, who share a campaign manager, are appealing for help and funding from a large group of anti-environmental interests, real estate developers, and cronies of former Port CEO Mic Dinsmore."
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/DjBcx
Albro's supporters include:
George (Skip) W. Rowley, Chairman of the Board of Rowley Properties and a real estate developer. He funded Pat Davis' campaign and the Citizens for Healthy Economy PAC in 2007.
Randy Pepple, Republican strategist and chief of staff for Rob McKenna.
James Blackmore of General Steamship and Cruise Terminals of America, which has a contract to operate the Port of Seattle's cruise ship terminals at Pier 66 and Pier 91. Blackmore was criticized for taking Mic Dinsmore on perks like fishing trips. He is on the board of the Port-owned World Trade Center Seattle.
Jim Dwyer, former Port of Seattle CEO. He is now President and CEO of the insurance company Delta Dental and was accused of helping Mic Dinsmore influence port elections in 2007.
Bob Wallace of Wallace Properties, a commercial real estate developer, and source of the Meydenbauer Center controversy at the Port during Dinsmore's tenure. He came under fire in 2005, when he was treasurer of "Citizens for a Healthy Economy" an independent expenditure committee to shield port commissioner Pat Davis. He led the fight for the 3rd runway, dismissing community concerns about noise and pollution. Wallace is port candidate David Doud's boss at Wallace Properties.
James Eddy Warjone, CEO of Port Blakely Forestry the second largest timber owner in WA and owner of Pacific Lumber and Shipping, a forest products export firm. He is also a real estate developer and former chair of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. He helped the Port of Seattle come up with a response to the State's scathing audit of the Port's practices.
Mark Knudsen of SSA-Carrix, the country's largest port terminal operator which controls 3 of the 4 cargo terminals at the Port of Seattle. He is a former senior staffer for Dinsmore. SSA-Carrix is controlled by Goldman-Sachs.
J. Tayloe Washburn, attorney for Foster Pepper. He is former chair of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce and land use attorney. He is the lead advocate for the deep bore tunnel. He helped the Port of Seattle come up with a response to the State's scathing audit of the Port's practices.
and more...
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/DjBcx
Port Commission races are a dull and dreary topic, but you've culled the best of the bunch. I worked with Tom Albro when he was board chair of The Municipal League around 2000-2002. The League was about to die after 90+ years and Albro really stepped up save an independent voice for good government in our region. He restarted the League's oversight of local government activities, helping to instigate a major investigation into City Light that led to some major shakeups there. If Albro brings the same focus to cleaning up the Port, it can only be an improvement.
Too bad the Stranger is too young to remember that Albro-backer Ed Murray, who is great on lots of other issues, faced ethical questions for working on contract for Mic Dinsmore and the Port of Seattle in 2006.
Seattle Weekly: Ed Murray's Port Job
The state House transportation chair wanted to consult for the Port of Seattle, so the Port found work for him.
http://tiny.cc/T80CN
According to emails obtained by the Seattle Weekly, Murray had SSA's Hemingway get him a contract from Dinsmore. http://tiny.cc/T80CN
Who was Pat Davis' big supporter? Hemingway.
Who was Ed Murray's big supporter? Hemingway.
Who is one of Albro's biggest supporters? The Hemingway family.
The Stranger just got played.
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Yes, she changed her mind on supporting the plastic bag tax, but as she explained, it's because she originally wanted a ban on plastic bags -- not because she supports free plastic bags like the chemistry council. Would you criticize Licata if he flip-flopped on wanting to rebuild the viaduct?
If you want specifics about what progressive policies Jessie Israel supports, she lists literally dozens of specifics at super-progressive Friends of Seattle's thorough endorsement page (with video):
http://www.friendsofseattle.org/2009-vot…
Nick Licata's non-endorsement page for comparison:
http://www.friendsofseattle.org/2009-vot…
Also, like you said, the city council is fairly geriatric, and will also be 78% male if Israel (and conservative Bagshaw) lose.
(I'm not involved with any campaign, or Friends of Seattle, in the slightest.)
It just doesn't sound smart.
7
I'm still conflicted about Albro/Vekich. I wish the endorsement had said a little bit more specifically about the chioce.
Its clear that you really don't get how important the Port of Seattle is. Even I know that the the Port creates thousands of jobs. Without the Port of Seattle, we would be Olympia.
When an agency this important is as fucked up as the Port of Seattle, one would expect the Stranger to take this race a little more seriously.
Maybe next time the Stranger can get its shit together, get off its ass, and give this race (and voters) the respect they deserve.
11
What gives? Oh, right, Dorsol Plants is 24 years old. Which means he's hip. Old people are so LAME! Plants has some ideas he thought up about human services on the campaign trail, while Bloom has been involved with human services advocacy for 30 years. He'd maybe like to see some affordable rental housing near transit hubs, while Bloom co-founded the displacement coalition. We can trust Plants to be a "reliably progressive vote" more than Bloom, who has been a community activist since before Plants was born.
The reason we can trust Plants is because he is young and untested. He's also pretty nice and earnest. Those people last long in politics! They come in with fresh new ideas and become instant game changers! Like his idea that we should all support the tunnel now. And did I mention density? He favors that.
13
Carry on.
Mary Bass is qualified and experienced. You insult our children by thinking that somebody else should have her position because she is "crazier".
And Patu? Seriously? First of all, she's a teaching assistant, not a teacher... there is a big difference. Second of all, it's at one of the lowest-performing schools in the state. How does that qualify her to run anything except her mouth? I saw her at a candidate's forum and she had nothing to say. Platitudes spilled from her mouth. Furthermore, I don't see how a commitment to a very small minority of her own race would benefit the schools as a whole or the board.
Smarter endorsements: Bass or the dude with the glasses, and Charlie Mas
1. Charlie Mas is Jewish. Go ahead slade and vote for him.
2. The Board job does not include disarming students, but does include engaging and deciphering wonks.
3. Betty Patu has retired, so she is not "currently a teacher at Rainier Beach".
17
But hey, the bag tax will die cause people realize we need to get real and ban them anyway, wusses.
18
Also, Kay Smith-Blum? Not impressed. It's easy to raise a hundred thou if you go to the right school in Seattle. I'm more concerned with the Central Cluster schools (Stranger, do you know what a cluster is?), where one school barely scraped together $2,000 this year. The system is inequitable, and Kay's from the plush side of the tracks.
That's where Andre Helmstetter and Joanna Cullen, whom you've rendered invisible, come in. I love me some Mary Bass, but for results I'm voting Andre. He knows the District 5 issues.
As for your endorsements. Kay Smith-Blum is very energetic and smart but unfortunately, does not know this district well enough and certainly doesn't show that she could work as one of seven. She won't be out there on her own and part of the reason not to vote for Mary Bass is because she was too much on her own. Same thing would happen with Smith-Blum but for different reasons. Andre Helmstetter is the better, smarter choice (or even Joanna Cullen).
Charlie Mas isn't the only person writing for Save Seattle Schools. I do,too and if we're obsessive, again, it's about educating the children who will run our country (and pay for our Social Security, remember that?). We're the ones going to the meetings and actually reading the budgets and figuring out where your tax and levy dollars are going. So yeah, having someone like Charlie who knows this district inside and out just might be the ticket. Betty Patu for all her good works, isn't going to be encountering gun-toting students at Board meetings (way too dull for that,remember?) and we need someone who understands governance and policy-making.
Both your School Board endorsements sound like you are more afraid of the candidates than endorsing them. The School Board isn't really the place to kick ass and take names. It's about defending and creating great public education.
While you have every right to make whatever endorsement you please, it seems odd to point to that as the example of your decision?
Sounds like tired, lazy liberal defaults at work. Somebody, please, give me a specific reason to vote for Vekich.
24
And I still wonder whether he's actually interested in doing all the mayor work, or if it's more about gaining the power to do what he wants about the relatively few things that seem to capture his attention.
I mean, I'd definitely elect him as "tunnel-thwarter" if such a position existed - I know he'd work nonstop and be good at it.
And overall, a really informative endorsement explanation page. The editorial positions are a little bit "I know what I like and I like what I know," but you guys do one hell of a lot on that shoestring you got.
25
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Also, I heard that Marty Kaplan once wrote "lol" in a text message.
1. Vekich has oversight experience. He's a former 4-term state legislator in Olympia who passed landmark environmental legislation and workers' rights (specifically farm workers) legislation. He knows how to ask tough questions instead of just rubber-stamping port staff proposals and he'll speak up when no one else will.
2. Vekich actually wants to improve the Port. When I've heard him speak he talks a lot about addressing the port's impacts on the communities, environment, and jobs. He's focused on making the Port a better economic engine and reducing its negative impacts -- he is not using it as a political stepping stone like Tarelton and Albro.
3. Vekich is who he says he is. Maybe he got flustered in the Stranger interview? That's understandable because those guys can be dicks.
I came to know Mary Bass through the closure process, being a parent at TT Minor I was active in the process trying to keep TT Minor open. Up that point I had never thoughtfully considered who I was voting on the school board; it didn’t seem important. I was incredibly naïve about how schools are managed and still feel woefully uninformed about the ins and outs of how the district manages schools. I was raised in Department of Defense schools, this was never a conversation my parents had, there was one neighborhood on base and one school.
I will not be voting for Mary Bass and this is why.
I attended several meetings regarding school closures with Mary Bass at the table. At almost every meeting she implored people to “look at the numbers – look at the numbers”. A strange mantra to my ears because I thought, “you are the school board member, why aren’t you looking at the numbers? Why aren’t you telling us about the numbers and the arguments to be made against closing the schools in your district?”
At one of these meetings, I directly asked her about what proposals she thought would be palatable to other board members to keep schools opened, she said she didn’t think that way. The message to me was, in essence, I don’t play political games in trying to get things done and voting for what I think is right. And this is a very important point for me, while it is commendable to be on the side of the righteous and brave to stand alone while speaking your truth, it is nonetheless impossible to get things accomplished on a school board when you are one vote of seven, your no vote means nothing more than an “I told you so” which I am sure feels good for her but for the rest of us that suffer the inaction it is very unsatisfying. Nothing is accomplished when you are unwilling to offer a proposal that might not be all that you want but acknowledges that there are valid differences in what intelligent people believe is the right thing to do.
At the 11th hour, and I mean that literally, the eve before the final vote there was a meeting with Mary Bass. I was there until almost 11pm and people were still there when I left. The meeting was full of discussion about what the numbers said about what viable options could be proposed tomorrow. What was the point? What was she doing up to this point? I couldn’t figure it out. How was she going to get any board member to vote for her last minute proposal when they had no time to seriously consider it? I am willing to consider part of this is an issue of how governance is set up for the school board but it still doesn’t answer why she was doing what seemed to me an about face. Hadn’t she been begging us to look at the numbers? Why hadn’t she been? Hadn’t she said she was unwilling to negotiate alternate proposals? Wasn’t that what she was doing now?
Admittedly, this is my version of what happened, there were others at all those meetings who will have different impressions than mine, I am sure. Intelligent people can disagree. However, the impression I have been left with is that Mary Bass does not even walk her own talk. She at the final hour was looking at the numbers and calling other board members trying to work out some sort of proposal. And what did she finally end up with, a proposal to please everybody except those that could make a change, the voting members of the school board.
I blame you for Reichert.
(Well, the SECB and that Simms guy who appointed him sheriff.)
I love Mary Bass, bless her heart, but got really disheartened seeing her on the losing side of 6-1 and 5-2 votes along with Harium Martin-Morris. Harium should be on notice, as well if he can't find an effective coalition on the board. I'm hoping that some fresh faces will provide that opportunity. I'm leaning towards Charlie Mas and Andre Helmstetter.
I don't see how the board can sleep at night with the trail of broken promises and busted math curriculum they have following in their wake. Call Charlie an obsessive wonk, but I can tell he lies awake at night contemplating how to get SPS to be accountable for a change. That's the kind of guy I want working for me.
I love Mary Bass, bless her heart, but got really disheartened seeing her on the losing side of 6-1 and 5-2 votes along with Harium Martin-Morris. Harium should be on notice, as well if he can't find an effective coalition on the board. I'm hoping that some fresh faces will provide that opportunity. I'm leaning towards Charlie Mas and Andre Helmstetter.
I don't see how the board can sleep at night with the trail of broken promises and busted math curriculum they have following in their wake. Call Charlie an obsessive wonk, but I can tell he lies awake at night contemplating how to get SPS to be accountable for a change. That's the kind of guy I want working for me.
Can we please get a real waterfront that real people who really live here frequent? Does anyone believe that can happen with a highway running down the middle of it?
All that being said, for the most part they selected the right candidates (outside of Albro). I don't get it, Albro is a Rebublican who has washed down his political opinions on the environment, unions, and social issues; and he is in the pocket of real estate firms (the ones who caused the port corruption in the first place, and on a national scale, the industry that caused the economic meltdown).
Vote for OUR values and vote for:
Position 3: Rob
Position 4: Max
All that being said, for the most part they selected the right candidates (outside of Albro). I don't get it, Albro is a Rebublican who has washed down his political opinions on the environment, unions, and social issues; and he is in the pocket of real estate firms (the ones who caused the port corruption in the first place, and on a national scale, the industry that caused the economic meltdown).
Vote for OUR values and vote for:
Position 3: Rob
Position 4: Max
Mayhaps you have never read The Stranger before, but you should try looking through all of their tongue in cheek humor and get to the bottom line:
- Albro is competent, and hopefully not evil
- Vekich is also hopefully not evil, but "short on details, long on rhetoric, and at time incomprehensible."
I'll go for a Port Commissioner I can trust, but in the absence of that, I'll go for one I can understand when he speaks.
Ok, I will look "through all of their tongue in cheek humor and get to the bottom line:"
First I would like to address their first assertion,
"Albro is competent, and hopefully not evil"
There are many Republicans that are competent, but I have a liberal philosphy that they don't agree with. However competent a candidate is, if they don't buy into my world view, they will not make decisions that I would agree with (eg. John McCain was competent, but not a Democrat).
There are Democracts that I don't find all that competent, that I would have voted for in the general election because the alternative would have been a Republican (eg. Bill Richardson over McCain). Simply put, I have values that make me a Democrat and I will not be smoothe talked by a Republican to make me think he understands me.
As for the second assertions,
- Vekich is also hopefully not evil, but "short on details, long on rhetoric, and at time incomprehensible."
He may not be all that articulate, and when that is the case, I give my fellow Democrats the benefit of the doubt and do some research about where they stand. From the content on his website, and the people at Portreform, it appears that his values are consistent with mine.
I just wonder how much research was put into the decision on Max.
As I previously stated, the Stranger did a wonderful job on the rest of the endorsement for all of the others positions, just not the Albro one!
http://thegreennw.com/2009/08/seattles-s…
Looks like we're getting into a legit Internet relationship here. Ooh. La. La.
I get what you're saying about the need for someone to line up with your philosophy and vision in order for you to vote for them. Heck, that's why I vote for most people. However, on a purely as-stated-in-their-campagin-materials-and-at-official-forums stance, Vekuch and Albro don't differ much, if at all. They are both running on the same basic platform:
1. We need jobs. The port can make jobs.
2. Pooping on the environment sucks, let's make the port green.
3. Lying and corruption also suck - go accountability!
So at the end of the day, when there's no difference in vision, what matters? I'd go with competence.
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The Central Administration of Seattle Schools speak about that and data driven decision-making while using only "Club Ed" politics and failing ideology in decision-making.
Charlie Mas is the only current candidate, who issues a real call for accountability and has enough command of the situation to bring it about. To bring change and convince a majority of 7 directors will require extensive knowledge and the ability to communicate; Mas brings both skills in abundance.
Consider Andre Helmstetter, Mas, and Martin-Morris as a potential thinking force that could generate enough thought to produce something other than another two-years of "Rubber Stamping".
She's also well known to be a bully and treat people very poorly to get her own agenda met. Not a team player.
McGinn will be a continuation of the issue-oriented one-sided leadership we've had for far too long. If we can never come to agreement or compromise on an issue we will be in constant gridlock. I am the only candidate who is a true centrist who wants to build partnerships to get things done. We don't have enough resources for the government to do it all.
I encourage all of your readers to look at all of the candidates for mayor and make your decision based on what you hear and what future you would like for Seattle.
I've got a great plan at www.SiglerforSeattle.com.
Thanks,
Norman Sigler
If the author of the endorsement had even bothered to skim the voter's guide, they'd see that Referendum 1 has some glaring flaws. For example, exempting big box stores, y'know that ones that actually distribute the bulk of the plastic shopping bags in Seattle. The supporters of Referendum 1 also never addressed the fact that polling done by the city showed that 91% of respondents already reuse and recycle their shopping bags.
Yes, a bunch of chemical companies spent a bunch of money fighting Referendum 1 but it's still an unnecessary and poorly-written law and the Stranger demonstrated extremely poor judgment in dismissing all opposition to Referendum 1 out of hand.
Plastic bag tax?! You nuts?! Why not to raise the fee on garbage bags instead? Be thrifty, use your grocery bags as your garbage bags, duh. These is what i am talking about, folks who come up with these ideas don't even know how to be thrifty.
I am staying away as far as I can from McGinn, Dorsol Plants, and other green freaks. Sorry guys, their green ideas only work when economy is booming and everyone has money and plenty of time. And economy will never boom like it did post 9/11 because that whole era was nothing but a lie. We live in a different time now when everything we thought was right gets discredited by the minute, so... I urge everyone to look at the calendar, then their bills, their work schedule, their social life, their healthcare access, and think if it at all makes any sense before you talk about saving the environment, getting rid of vehicles and taxing plastic bags, etc. Then go research on each candidate for yourself!
Unfortunately The Stranger's ideals are stuck somewhere in 2002 and I can no longer agree with their picks. However, we agree on Constantine and maybe Licata for his opposition to the Mercer pedestrian/bicycle(code word for real estate beutyfication project) that turned out had nothing to do with reducing congestion.
In the mayoral race, I found more reasonable talk on transportation and crime prevention in Norman Sigler's and Elizabeth Campbell's campaigns, people who I never even heard of before. The rest is just a bunch of old mushy-goo that has nothing but the same old stale dead ideas.
Plastic bag tax?! You nuts?! Why not to raise the fee on garbage bags instead? Be thrifty, use your grocery bags as your garbage bags, duh. These is what i am talking about, folks who come up with these ideas don't even know how to be thrifty.
I am staying away as far as I can from McGinn, Dorsol Plants, and other green freaks. Sorry guys, their green ideas only work when economy is booming and everyone has money and plenty of time. And economy will never boom like it did post 9/11 because that whole era was nothing but a lie. We live in a different time now when everything we thought was right gets discredited by the minute, so... I urge everyone to look at the calendar, then their bills, their work schedule, their social life, their healthcare access, and think if it at all makes any sense before you talk about saving the environment, getting rid of vehicles and taxing plastic bags, etc. Then go research on each candidate for yourself!
Unfortunately The Stranger's ideals are stuck somewhere in 2002 and I can no longer agree with their picks. However, we agree on Constantine and maybe Licata for his opposition to the Mercer pedestrian/bicycle(code word for real estate beutyfication project) that turned out had nothing to do with reducing congestion.
In the mayoral race, I found more reasonable talk on transportation and crime prevention in Norman Sigler's and Elizabeth Campbell's campaigns, people who I never even heard of before. The rest is just a bunch of old mushy-goo that has nothing but the same old stale dead ideas.
http://publicola.net/?p=10913
Where apparently several people whose writing I've seen in the news section of the Stranger are editor and news editor...very interesting.
Anyway, they endorsed Vekich, and here are some of the reasons that they gave for doing so over Albro...they also explained why Albro might not be someone to vote for...(whoa nelly...)
"Vekich not only says he’ll prioritize getting the Port’s environmental record up to green standards, he’s truly fired up about it—advocating for an upgrade at all the terminals that would include pushing for non-polluting, energy-efficient trucking and eliminating toxic runoff. He calls recent steps the Port has taken to clean up its act “token actions.”
Most important, as an eight-year Democratic state legislator (D-35) and a lead player in passing the state’s Growth Management Act, Vekich will bring sorely needed lawmaking experience to the perpetually sloppy Port Commission (the Port CEO Mic Dinsmore salary fiasco, the Christmas tree at SeaTac fiasco.)
Vekich has the undisputed backing of labor, including the Teamster, SEIU, the King County Labor Council, and the longshoreman. His critics, including his opponent, paint him as a labor lackey, but we like that Vekich is in sync with the people whose livelihood depends on a successful and environmentally sound Seattle Port.
Vekich’s main opponent is Seattle Monorail Services director Tom Albro. Red flag: Albro’s contributors list (unlike Vekich’s) looks all too familiar: It’s littered with business interests that benefit from the Port’s $70 million tax levy largesse, such as Holland America, SSA Marine, airline service companies, and the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce.
Also on Albro’s business-as-usual donors list: Ousted state lands commissioner Doug Sutherland and Eastside developer Kemper Freeman, whose conservative agendas are out of step with Seattle. Albro himself has given money to GOP gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi and GOP Attorney General Rob McKenna."
And PS Larry has since stepped up to the plate in combating that crazy-ass "nonpartisan" Hutchison. Ross just...needs to learn how to speak properly first, insults come later.
And PS Larry has since stepped up to the plate in combating that crazy-ass "nonpartisan" Hutchison. Ross just...needs to learn how to speak properly first, insults come later.
66
We'll see how much sway the hipster and Sierra Club contingent of Seattle voters has in this month's primary. I still don't think McGinn finishes better than a distant 3rd, with maybe 12-18% of the vote.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9HKLU6y-…
I agree that it should also apply to all retailers and I agree that in the end we should just ban them all together. But in the interim, is it better to reject the referendum and push it back to the drawing board or approve Ref 1 today and continue to work on extending it to the Walmarts and eventually banning them. Seems to me this is a first step and if we wait who knows how long it will take for something to pass.
Right now that's why I'm voting to approve, what I see as, a lacking referendum.
Posted by WAB, Seattle
Do me a favor. Next time you're on Bainbridge island, go to Restoration point. That big low lying piece of land pointing east, as well as Blakely Rock it the harbor to the north, is a manifestation of a rupture (See: land before time-esque earthquake feature where the ground actually fractures and causes baby Brontosauri to become separated from their mothers and go on a colorful mezosoic adventure the whole family can enjoy) of the Seattle fault system. The verdict is still out on this, but that 20 feet of rupture may have been caused by an earthquake slightly more shallow and slightly larger than the 6.8 nisqually earthquake of 2002. And there's a major highway built on unconsolidated fill from the Denny regrade right on top of it. So eh, let's do something about it? If you guys are going to talk all this shit, then suggest solutions.
Like it or not, people drive. They do! I know, it's ludicrous, but people travel everywhere in this country by burning up dead shit, and it's a reality that we have to deal with. The less we're going nowhere in cars, the better.
Anyway, when the viaduct collapses and the city has done effectively NOTHING to remediate the situation, I blame y'all.
And don't get me started on calculating CO2 emissions from all the ()*@#$(R*ing cars stopped on I-5 every day because of this city's inability to shit without cancelling 3 toilet construction projects before getting anyone can actually sit down and do their biz.
/rant
In general it appears that the way to get the Stranger's endorsement is to simply be more lefty than the next candidate, logic, reason, or reality be damned. Go ahead and criticize Hutchison for misrepresenting herself as anything but a far-right conservative - I'm on board with that; but simply dismissing others for not hugging the tree tightly enough? Please, give us a bit more to consider. Some of these races are actually pretty damn important, and deserve more thoughtful discourse than describing someone as an "ally of the local music and club scene."
I know for a fact that Betty Patu knows the issues concerning parents because she has worked directly with school faculty, students, parents & the community. I am very greatful to Mrs. Patu for helping my son graduate. She took the time out to meet with my son and I to find out what assistance we needed. Immediately following our meeting, she explained the academic requirements to me, met with my son & his counselor to ensure he was enrolled in the correct classes, connected my son with a tutoring program, assisted me in filling out College applications & Financial Aid for my son and connected me with other resources to help me. I am only 1 of many parents that Betty Patu has helped over the years. Betty Patu is about serving the underserved. Betty Patu played a key role in keeping Rainier Beach High School open TWICE by organizing students, parents & the community in fighting the Seattle School Board with their "slash & burn" tactics. This is the person I want representing me & my community on the Seattle School Board.
It's amazing what people will say when their candidate is not endorsed. I have never read so many ignorant comments by so many uninformed "WONKY WONKS" in my life. It's obvious that all of you are on the campaign to elect the "WONKIEST WONK OF ALL"- Charlie Mas!!!
To MEKS-
Do more research before you make comments about something you clearly don't know anything about! Betty Patu is not a "teacher's assistant", she is an Administrator. I will have you know that Rainier Beach High School is not "one of the lowest-performing schools in the state". Rainier Beach High School has met the AYP Standard over the past 3 years. There are 12 highschools in the Seattle School District and Rainier Beach was only 1 of 3 highschools to meet the AYP Standard. What does that mean for the remaining 9? Yes you guessed it- they DIDN'T meet the AYP Standard!
You stated that you don't see how "a commitment to a very small minority of her own race would benefit the schools as a whole or the board". Betty Patu has never only served her own race. My son & I are African American and Mrs. Patu never hesitated to help us when we were in need. She's about serving the underserved regardless of race, ethnicity or gender and we are far from "a small minority" and YES I DO THINK THAT THE SCHOOLS & THE BOARD WILL BENEFIT AS A WHOLE!
To FACTCHECKER-
You said "Betty Patu has retired, so she is not "currently a teacher at Rainier Beach". What's your point? Betty Patu just retired this past School Year after 32 years, but you wouldn't be able to tell because she's still providing academic assistance to students at the high school. If your going to call yourself "Factchecker" come up with more interesting facts next time!
To MELISSA WESTBROOK-
What makes you think that Charlie Mas knows the school district inside & out? Going to School Board Meetings for 8 years doesn't qualify him as an expert. What has he accomplished as a result of attending these meetings? How can Charlie Mas adequately represent those of us who are underserved if he hasn't taken the time out to find out who the underserved are? I have lived in the 37th District for over 20 years and didn't hear about him until he decided to run for the Seattle School Board. I have never seen him at any of the school closure meetings for Rainier Beach, AAA or TT Minor. How is he fighting to save our schools & he hasn't even made himself accessible to our community to hear our concerns or issues with the Seattle School Board.
Betty Patu knows & understands the issues surrounding our youth, community & schools in the 37th District. She has been proactive for years in raising academic standards and providing the resources & tools for students & parents to reach these standards. Betty Patu has successfully directed award-winning educational programs recognized to increase graduation rates,
grow the number of college-bound students and reduce gang violence.
You stated, "Betty Patu for all her good works, isn't going to be encountering gun-toting students at Board meetings". Where do you live? Are you not aware of the increase in youth violence in Seattle? Particularly the South End & Central District Areas. How do you think this is effecting our schools? There have been frequent shootings at the schools and community centers. Who's to say that the Board meetings are exempt??? It's obvious to me that this is not your reality, however it is a reality for others including myself. Don't be so small minded that you neglect to see the bigger picture. You question the relevance of Betty Patu's heroic act in talking down a former student who was holding another student at gunpoint? Read between the lines! She was only able to do this because of her established relationship with the student & his family. This is very relevant to the safety of children in our schools. I think your perspective would change quickly if it were your child being held at gunpoint.
MY VOTE FOR SEATTLE SCHOOL BOARD POSITION 7 IS FOR BETTY PATU. SHE IS THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE TO REPRESENT THE 37TH DISTRICT.
First, I asked him about the traffic situation. He mentioned that there was a group that studied the consequences of not replacing the viaduct and found that improvements could be made to I-5 to help alleviate the increased traffic. McGinn specifically mentioned closing the Seneca St. exit. I asked him about the merging problem from the west seattle bridge on to I-5 and about how there are only two through lanes from Michigan street all the way through Mercer street. Not only did he have no answer, he dismissed the question completely.
Next, he said how he was pro-nightlife in seattle and would help restore the vibrant music and nightlife scene that seattle had prior to Nickels destroying it. He was asked by someone else if he knew what agencies he would be coordinating with (I said *cough* SPD *cough* and got a laugh). McGinn gave no specific answer, but worse than that, he said that there are lots of people and committees that assist the mayor and help him do "stuff" (he actually said "stuff"). He then mentioned that he didn't organize the event and that he didn't do the graphic design for his website and that he relies on other people to do things for him. That was his whole answer; he never mentioned anyone specific that he would work with or talk to other than people who help him with stuff. Another clear dodge.
I then told him my commute situation where I live in west seattle and commute to redmond every day. I explained that the reason I can't take a bus is that driving is always significantly faster, even in traffic, and that my time is more valuable to me. I asked how transportation improvements could help benefit my getting to work. McGinn raised an eyebrow that I worked in redmond and lived in west seattle and said that his priority was getting people from west seattle to downtown and that the other stuff would have to wait until later. To me, it seems like he simply doesn't care about me and the 15,000 other people who work at MS and the other 250,000 trips accross lake washington that we make each day. That's not acceptable.
Finally, I asked him about what he would do to fight the likely propaganda that would rise against taking any action that is in favor of bars, clubs, concerts, and all the other things that people love to hate and yet still go to. He had no answer. He asked me if I had a suggestion. I said that we should make the busses run when the bars close on Friday and Saturday nights (they don't) and this got a cheer from the crowd. I said the same about the light rail (change to every half-hour after 10pm on Friday and Saturday and run until 3am). I also proposed eliminating parking penalties on Sat and Sun mornings for cars left overnight until noon the following day to give drunk people a chance to get home safely by not driving and still be able to collect their cars the next day without worrying about them. Did McGinn say "wow, great idea" or "well, here's the problem" or anything like that? No. He said nothing.
Now I'm just an ordinary citizen but what I'm seeing is that when *I* ask him about simple issues, he's dodging questions and folding like a piece of paper. I'm just some dude. What about when the city council starts grilling him? What if some special interest group gets after him with their own agenda? What if these things run contrary to what the people of seattle want? Do you really think McGinn is going to fight for what is right for seattle? After meeting him, I must sadly say that I do not think he will. I simply cannot support him for mayor any longer and the stranger was foolish to endorse him. I'm not going to say who I'm voting for (but it's NOT Nickels), just please do not vote for McGinn, he's not ready for this job.
Also, don't bother just taking my word for this. Please. Go out and meet McGinn and formulate your own opinion. If all this comment does is make you re-think your vote and take some more time to dig into McGinn's positions and ask him some tough questions. See what he says. I did, and I'm not impressed.
I was at the "Drinks with McGinn" thing, and while he seems like a decent man with a commitment to civic issues, he was a wild disappointment. The guy couldn't give a simple, straightforward, specific answer to ANY question. He failed even when he had many openings to move beyond campaign rhetoric and dive into specifics. And he flat-out dismissed questions on transportation and homelessness and crime and poverty and so much mroe.
For example, I asked him, "How can we get Seattle into the 21st century on transportation?" His answer had a couple nice ideas but basically was (a) walk more, (b) ride your bike and (c) expand the freeway. Wow, really? That's not a fucking transportation system, it's not even wishful thinking. And when he began placing Seattle into the context of other, more developed West Coast cities like Portland (in terms of transportation), he didn't really formulate a plan that made sense on any specific grounds.
Another person asked about homelessness, an issue really important to me as I've known someone mentally ill who was homeless, and it was just dismissive. My friend Jeff asked about commuting from West Seattle to Redmond, and he was dismissive. He basically said we have to worry about commuting into Seattle first, which is just so backwards given and doesn't address the issues of citizens commuting across 520 and I-90 for work. He basically didn't care. It's as if commuting to the east side is just a nothing issue and that Redmond isn't our neighbor (which it is). No mention, from a guy who is Mr. Community, about engaging Bellevue, Redmond and even West Seattle as our neighbors and finding constructive ways to address costs (believe me, I take a shuttle so my car is off the road --- I mean he didn't even think about THAT).
Oh yeah! The best part was this surly, heavy-set guy who kept asking for money in an increasingly alcohol-fueled and at times offensive way. It was the most blatant, in-your-face thing ever --- literally telling people, "YOU NEED TO WRITE A $25 CHECK." It was way, way over-the-top and Mike looked visibly embarrassed as this guy trotted himself out 3 or 4 times.
It was a letdown. Mike seems like a great person and a valuable public servant, but when you run for mayor --- especially against someone like Nickels, who I disapprove of --- you need specifics, innovation and a lot more. It's not enough that I agree with him on his progressive issues. We need more; McGinn isn't it.
Such as reading the Rucker Report, which says the tax will have little to no impact on landfills or oil dependence.
http://www.seattlebagtax.org/RuckerRepor…
Or you could try talking to the poor and elderly who often get only $3-$6 a day for food, and will have to pay for this tax out of their own pockets, since they are not exempt from it, and the state will only give them ONE reusable bag each.
Or maybe talk to the many people and organizations who actually reuse these bags, weather it's to hand out goods, or keep our parks clean.
And then there is the fact that we are trying to prevent something that is recycled both through our city recycling program and through the stores from ending up in the landfill? There is no reason any should be there unless they were used for garbage bags. Spend some money on education about recycling programs rather than punishing people for buying more items than fits in their Whole Foods bag.
If you still want to vote for it, fine, but please tell people the facts before you blindly lead them.
Also, I'm a strong supporter of the Eastside rail link. I recognize the importance that Microsoft has on this region, and certainly on this city. But when you locate a major campus 30 miles from an urban center, you're setting yourself up for some serious gridlock. How about instead of investing major infrastructure and transportation dollars on getting Microsoft employees to their jobs in BFE Redmond, we get Microsoft to locate in SLU? What a difference that would make to our region.
Also, and not to be a dick, but when you live in West Seattle and work in Redmond, you probably should just shush and sit in the corner. You sort of brought it on yourself (and you're not going to get a lot of sympathy for working at Microsoft).
I'm #77 and I fully understand your passion for McGinn, which I shared based on his incredible civic resume and dedication to community. I like McGinn and I want him to continue serving Seattle. But he's not ready to be mayor.
The issue with Microsoft/Redmond/Seattle isn't a Microsoft issue -- it's the pure fact that lots of businesses are now relocating and developing on the East side and they are our neighbors. If you believe in community, in sustainable transit options for Seattle, that means we have to engage our neighbors East of us (as well as North, South and West) and craft solutions that work. This means (a) you don't simply dismiss someone who lives in West Seattle and (b) you come up with a better answer beyond walking, riding your bikes and making new choices. I don't expect McGinn to wave the magic wand and provide the comprehensive transportation plan we all know doesn't exist, and I like that he stresses personal responbility, but he basically doesn't have or didn't have a more viable, innovative, creative transportation plan.
What about, for example, proposing tax incentives for large and small busineses that do what Microsoft does and provide connector shuttle services and/or luxury buses that transport employees to their point of destination. I live near the Sand Point/Wedgwood area of Seattle and it only takes me about 25 minutes start to finish to get to Redmond and I fly past the gridlock on 520 because of the Connector. Why not encourage more businesses to do the same, and why not hold monthly or quarterly meetings with the mayors of Bellevue, Redmond, Medina, Issaquah, Everett, Tacoma, Lynnwood, Auburn, etc., to help put the heat and pressure on Olympia?
There were other issues that came up and I don't want to regurgitate myself, but I didn't get substantive, specific information from McGinn. Like with schools and education, he basically said he wants to invest in our children and communities. Of course he does because we all do --- but invest in what, target what, do X to achieve Y, etc.
I believe McGinn is a good man with sharp intelligence and has the ability to do great things for Seattle. I just don't think he's my guy for mayor any more, and I think he needs to sharpen and specify his policy positions to be more inclusive, more specific, more innovative.
It was even more exciting as we proceeded up the hill hitting the Redwood, Linda's, and the patio at the Wild Rose. People were very anxious to meet McGinn and ask him what he could really do for them, to help improve their lives in this city. Everyone I spoked to was very impressed. A few people even joked about moving to Seattle from the eastside just to have him as their mayor.
All in all it was a great night and I look forward to electing this man as my new mayor!
Also, Charlie ran for School Board before; it might help to pay attention to elections especially in your own district.
The point seems to be that it is The Stranger who thinks it is an important point that Mrs. Patu could break up a fight. Is that most important thing you look for in a School Board Director?
Seems odd that someone would tout a candidate as highly as Concern Parent does Betty Patu and seemingly have an on-going relationship with her and yet not sign their name?
Just sayin'.
Now McGinn may be surrounded by smart people like many of us, but I'm not electing those smart people to office; I'd be voting on McGinn and his policies and they simply didn't impress me. He lacked specifics, preferring to lean on those "smart people." I want a political leader who's smarter than me and is better informed on the issues than I am, which is one of the reasons I voted for Obama because he meets those criteria. I just don't see that in McGinn. What I do see is someone who is very pro-environment, which is good, but he's so pro-environment that he's willing to be green and force people to be green at the expense of other things which are just as important. I listened to him on Dave Ross a few months ago and one of the things he said is that being green is sometimes more expensive and less convenient but that he'd still force that option. Basically, instead of finding a way to make the best option a better option, he's forcing the green option on us.
Nothing represents this currently than the bag tax. The reason I oppose this is simple scientific fact: in psychology, it's a well known fact that people respond better to positive reinforcement than negative reinforcement. If we penalize people for not being green by using their own bags, particularly in this economy, they'll just feel resentment and hatred towards the policy. Instead, we need to find ways to encourage people to want to be green. It will make them happier, and if we really make them want to be green, then they'll change their lifestyle on their own. McGinn doesn't see this and his policies reflect that. It's simple fact: rewarding people for doing something is more effective than punishing them for not doing something and he (and Nickels) are both blatantly ignoring that fact. If he's in favor of the plastic bag tax just because he's green, I shudder to think what my utility bills will be when he greens up city light and the rest of SPU. Find a way to make things better by being green, don't just be green to be green.
I think McGinn is still a good person and a strong candidate, but like paulwashere said, he's just not the right person to represent my interests, especially after listening to him and seeing not only what his answers were but how he answered (or didn't answer) specific questions asking for detail.
I'm also concerned when people say he "gets it". What, exactly, does he "get"? McGinn owes voters more detail on what kind of management style he has and what his vision is for the city. "No Tunnel" is an advocacy position. It's not leadership.
Remember when we elected Bush president because it was fun to have a beer with him? People are going to vote for McGinn because he's awesome on the issues -- he holds our progressive views, he just doesn't seem to know what the hell he's actually going to do as mayor. One guy asked 3 times if he'd be a competent bureaucrat -- will he know the agencies to employ, the groups to engage, etc., and he couldn't answer the question. I mean that's Politics 101. He couldn't even do that.
"First of all, who in the hell is Charlie Mas??? I have been an active parent, aunt & grandmother in the Seattle Public Schools for over 10 years and not once have I seen Charlie Mas present at the schools/school events, community meetings or school closure meetings."
Charlie Mas not only ran for the School Board eight years ago, he has been to schools, school events, community meetings, and the school closure meetings. Moreover, he spoke at a great number of these meetings. Charlie Mas is a frequent speaker at Board meetings and community meetings. It is regretful that "concerned parent" didn't notice this, but that's the case.
"We don't need another politician on the Seattle School Board who makes rash decisions without gathering all of the information. We need someone who knows the issues firsthand not through hearsay!!!"
Who, exactly, is the person leaping to conclusions without information? It's "concerned parent". Where in the world did this person get ANY of these ideas about Charlie Mas?
"It's amazing what people will say when their candidate is not endorsed."
Yes, isn't it?
"I have never read so many ignorant comments" yet "concerned parent" is the only person who posted ignorant comments here about this race.
"Do more research before you make comments about something you clearly don't know anything about!"
Sound advice, "concerned parent". You should have taken it yourself.
"I will have you know that Rainier Beach High School is not "one of the lowest-performing schools in the state". Rainier Beach High School has met the AYP Standard over the past 3 years."
Actually, Rainier Beach IS one of the lowest performing high schools in the state. It made AYP DESPITE its test scores, not because of them. Rainier Beach made AYP on appeal after it disputed the calculation of its graduation rate. The school's test scores are dreadful. Only 28.6% of Rainier Beach students passed the math portion of the WASL. That is the lowest rate in the city. Rainier Beach also has the second-lowest pass rate in reading, and the second-lowest pass rate in science.
"To FACTCHECKER-
You said "Betty Patu has retired, so she is not "currently a teacher at Rainier Beach". What's your point?"
My point is that she is retired. It's a simple fact, that's all. The Stranger wrote that she is still working for the District but she is not. I'm sorry if that fact isn't interesting enough for you. I hope you find the facts about Rainier Beach High School more compelling.
"To MELISSA WESTBROOK-
What makes you think that Charlie Mas knows the school district inside & out?"
Melissa Westbrook, who is also an expert on school district issues, gave the reasons that she thought that Charlie Mas is one as well.
"What has he accomplished as a result of attending these meetings?"
Charlie Mas has been credited with saving the Spectrum program and he, by himself, kept APP intact for two years. If you don't know what Charlie Mas has accomplished, that's not his fault.
"How can Charlie Mas adequately represent those of us who are underserved if he hasn't taken the time out to find out who the underserved are?"
What makes you think he hasn't?
"I have lived in the 37th District for over 20 years and didn't hear about him until he decided to run for the Seattle School Board."
Then you're not paying attention, are you?
"I have never seen him at any of the school closure meetings for Rainier Beach, AAA or TT Minor. How is he fighting to save our schools & he hasn't even made himself accessible to our community to hear our concerns or issues with the Seattle School Board."
He was there. Does it disappoint you that he didn't use it as a publicity stunt for himself? Too bad. He was there.
It's a shame that people like "concerned parent" can spill lies all over the place like this. This sort of loose talk needs to be exposed and countered everywhere it appears.
94
And better in a union pocket than the corporate pocket.
Neither does Wilson Chin.
Only Charlie Mas, among the candidates for school board in district 7, discusses the issues.
And, as for the test scores at Rainier Beach High School, only 17.0% of Rainier Beach High School students passed the math portion of the WASL this spring. That is absolutely abysmal. It is indisputably one of the worst in the state among regular high schools. The school did NOT make AYP (nor did they last year according to the OSPI web site). There are less than ten regular high schools in the whole state that did worse.
Let's not have any dispute. Rainier Beach High School is unquestionably one of the lowest performing high schools in the state.
Rainier Beach High School's test scores are not a reflection of Betty Patu's effectiveness - either as a teaching assistant or as a board member, but they do go to show that her supporter, concerned parent, is full of crap.
Charlie knows his shit.
I'm not sure why The Stranger excluded me from their editorial board interviews. They invited me and I made it clear that I was interested in participating, but they never followed up with a date. Nonetheless, if you're a voter, feel free to check out my Web page at http://www.porkland.org. I think you'll like what you see, and you're welcome to contact me at (425) 802-5385 if you have any questions.
None of the other school board candidates were there.
This is where the Board work is done - in committee. This is where things are really discussed and decided. This is where the Board works with the staff.
Charlie Mas not only attended the meeting, he wrote a report on it for the public. He seems to be the only school board candidate who is more interested in doing the job than in campaigning. He seems to be the only school board candidates who knows the issues and takes positions on them. You may not care now, but you will care when the District standardizes all of the books that high school students are assigned to read. You will care when teachers go on strike to preserve their academic freedom - like they did in Bellevue.
1. Food banks and the poor will NOT be limited to one bag. We are starting with that as the goal, (giving one to every resident of Seattle) but since the likelihood is many of us already have multiple bags, the extras will go to whoever needs them.
2. To those who want a ban.. YES! Yes, yes, yes. That is our goal, but this route was thought to be what we could get passed NOW. Ref 1. is modeled after a similar initiative in Ireland which reduced plastic bag use by 90%! Don't vote against a good law because you wish it was perfect. It's not, but it's what we can get done NOW. If this doesn't pass, will it take another 5 years to get a ban? 10? How many disposable, polluting bags will go into Puget Sound while we wait for that to happen?
3. Sorry, this IS a fee, not a tax. Why? BECAUSE IT'S OPTIONAL! If you reuse a bag, you pay nothing! When was the last time you had an option to pay your income taxes?
4. For more info, go to greenbagcampaign.org. I don't have time to address everything here. But one thing is for sure: The American Chemistry Council, largely funded by Exxon/Mobile*, Texaco, Monsanto, & Dow**, are behind the opposition to Ref. 1. To the tune of $1.4 million bucks.
*Who proudly brought you the Exxon Valdez spill
**Behind the disastrous Bhopal chemical spill, which killed hundreds.
Do you really think posters like "Valasia" and "Nonsense" are citizens out there? I smell a highly paid corporate shill, which STINKS. YES ON REF.1 !!!!!!
As for Ref 1, I'll be voting against the referendum (repeal the ordinance) for a couple reasons. I usually have a reusable bag with me, but sometimes I buy more than I can fit in that bag (and since I'm usually hoofing it, I don't tend to carry around multiple bags). I also re-use all my disposables as small trash bags or bags for recycling (for the paper ones) as my apt doesn't provide individual recycle bins (do any?). The cost of these bags to the stores is no doubt already factored into their product pricing- it's not like the stores get the bags for free.
Whole Foods and QFC at least already offer discounts for using a reusable bag, and if the city wanted to sponsor that sort of scheme, I would support it. I think the bag fee is too heavy-handed, unfair (for exempting big-box retailers), regressive (and our taxes in this state are already regressive enough) and overly broad (the debate only seems to be over plastic bags, but paper ones would be included too).
All that, and the environmental impact of the bags is grossly overblown. Even a marine biologist at Greenpeace said "We are not going to solve the problem of waste by focusing on plastic bags." (http://tinyurl.com/2hsy8v)
Sorry, environment, but I think you'll have to put up with the 0.3% of waste that plastic bags constitute. Let's focus our efforts on the bigger environmental problems rather than feel-good solutions that only lure us into a false sense of do-goodery.
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