With 7 options, one of them is going to be the right "zodiac sign" for you. At this point, does any other council position have even half as many candidates ? Best Seattle!
Dear some of you: run for the at large seats. Burgess or Clark, one of them is bound to end up a wounded wildebeast that you should be able to pick off...
The next city council could be interesting. It would be nice if we could get someone whose not only progressive, but has done something in life besides activism and/or working on the staff of a long time politician.
What makes a candidate "progressive", anyway? I really see so little difference between the candidates it is a joke. They all want what most people in this city want. For example, they all agree with our congressman 99% of the time (even though he disagrees with the rest of Congress most of the time). They are all progressives. We have no control over whether we can have an income tax (we can't) or even raise the regressive taxes more (we always raise them to the limit). But every city council candidate supports an income tax in this state, and would raise it plenty to pay for all sorts of things. That makes them all progressives in my book.
There are potential differences with specific policy, but no one spells it out. They all want more transit, but where? They all want lower housing prices, but few (if any) are willing to buck the single family establishment to suggest even moderate change (like liberalizing our ADU/DADU laws to match Vancouver BC). In the past they sparred over the 99 tunnel, but most went along (believing, for whatever reason, that the state should decide that).
I really haven't heard any candidate in any race say anything very interesting. It wouldn't surprise me if we spend billions on light rail to areas where it will be ineffective, while doing nothing for areas that need it more. Meanwhile no one will do anything about the high cost of rent, except maybe add some subsidies to a hand full of people who wait years for them.
Sawant, at least, had a solid proposal ($15 minimum wage). The other parts of her platform, of course, are impossible (it is against state law to have an income tax or rent control). But at least she came out with proposals. Everyone else seems to just speaking in platitudes. Progressive? Yeah, right. I suppose you are an environmentalist, too (Wow! In Seattle, no less).
There are potential differences with specific policy, but no one spells it out. They all want more transit, but where? They all want lower housing prices, but few (if any) are willing to buck the single family establishment to suggest even moderate change (like liberalizing our ADU/DADU laws to match Vancouver BC). In the past they sparred over the 99 tunnel, but most went along (believing, for whatever reason, that the state should decide that).
I really haven't heard any candidate in any race say anything very interesting. It wouldn't surprise me if we spend billions on light rail to areas where it will be ineffective, while doing nothing for areas that need it more. Meanwhile no one will do anything about the high cost of rent, except maybe add some subsidies to a hand full of people who wait years for them.
Sawant, at least, had a solid proposal ($15 minimum wage). The other parts of her platform, of course, are impossible (it is against state law to have an income tax or rent control). But at least she came out with proposals. Everyone else seems to just speaking in platitudes. Progressive? Yeah, right. I suppose you are an environmentalist, too (Wow! In Seattle, no less).