We're in back-to-back SECB meetings all afternoon, so excuse me for simply regurgitating this press release. (On the plus side, Sandeep Kaushik wrote it and he's a former Stranger staffer, so that counts, right?)
This afternoon at the Crocodile, members of the Seattle music and nightlife community endorsed Ed Murray for Seattle mayor, praising Senator Murray's commitment to a vibrant arts, music and nightlife community, a robust and fair economy and a nimble and responsive city government that relentlessly embraces equity. [Relentlessly!!!!]
Seattle music and nightlife supports over 22,000 jobs, $2.6 billion in sales, and generates millions of dollars in taxes on top of providing one of the richest music scenes in the world, and the endorsements of many of the cityâs leading nightlife community leaders is a major boost to Murrayâs campaign.
âWe are a very fortunate city to have two mayoral candidates with progressive values who understand and appreciate the cultural and economic value of the music and nightlife community, but after careful analysis we all agree that Ed Murray will be the more effective mayor,â said Steven Severin, owner of Nuemos, Moe Bar and Barboza.
Real quick, here's my analysis of endorsement: First, they expect Murray to win. This is a pretty late endorsement, Murray's polling really well, so this isn't what you'd call going out on a limb for your values. Also, Murray introduced a bill to abolish the so-called dance taxâan obscure 9.5 percent ticket sales tax on events that promote dancingâwhich surely curried favor with nightlife advocates. (While the bill went nowhere for complicated reasons, but the tax was repealed this summer, thanks in part to great organizing from Seattle nightlife folks.) Meanwhile, Mayor Mike McGinn failed in his very public push to extend bar hours in Seattle, which was a bummer.
You'll find a list of the nightlife leaders endorsing Murray after the jump.
⢠Steven Severin, owner of Neumos, Barboza, More Bar
⢠Jessie Summa Kusiak, founder of Skylark;
⢠Dan Cowan, owner of the Tractor Tavern;
⢠Susan Silver, Silver Management;
⢠Marcus Charles, owner the Crocodile; Local 360 CafÊ & Bar;
⢠Mike Meckling, owner of Neumos, Barboza, Moe Bar, Spitfire;
⢠Chase Jarvis, artist and founder/chairman of creativeLIVE;
⢠Jeff Steichen, owner of Batch 206 Distillery;
⢠Pete Hanning, owner of The Red Door
⢠Shelley Brothers, owner the Wild Rose
⢠Travis Rosenthal, owner of Rumba and Tango
⢠David Meinert, owner 5 Point CafĂŠ, Big Marioâs, Lost Lake CafĂŠ
⢠Anthony Frazier, owner Trinity Nightclub
⢠Jed Smithson, owner Nectar Lounge
⢠Curtis Bigelow, owner The Lobby Bar
⢠James Weimann & Deming Maclise, owners Bastille, Poquitos, Von Trapps
⢠Dana Sims, owner of El Corazon
