From the Jan 8 – Jan 14, 2004 issue

News

New City Council Member

Tom Rasmussen

(Ousted Margaret Pageler) Background: Head of the Mayor's Office for Senior Citizens. Gay. Has rich dot-com boyfriend. Extremely pleasant to Stranger reporters, despite being described in these pages as "a tiny man who tucks his shirt in tight as a hospital sheet." His Pledge: "To help seniors stay in their homes." Our Prediction: Impressively, he landed the chairmanship of the city council's human services committee. Considering he's such an unassuming guy, we're pleasantly surprised that he muscled his way to his committee of choice. We think it's a sign of things to come. Tom will be a feistier advocate for seniors and low-income folks than people realize. Another good sign: Rasmussen hired experienced Heidi Wills staffer Mike Fong. Key Ally: Peter Steinbrueck Biggest Contributor, by Business: $4,925 total from employees at his boyfriend's firm, Onvia.