Comments

1
Fantastic. I think Alison will do a great job on this issue, and I hope we'll see progress similar to MJ legalization over the next few years.
2
there are more black people in prison right now than were enslaved at the HEIGHT of slavery in this country. Progress you guys! Yeah!
3
Great choice.

Will be glad when she gets President Obama to pardon every black or native man or woman in jail for MJ "crimes" not involving active use of a firearm.

Until then America is still a Police State.
4
I also forgot to congratulate you heroes for doing the heavy lifting re: indigenous peoples day. You guys realize that there are pretty much just as many indians here as there were when we showed up on Alki point, right? [If you count our indigenous friends visiting from south of the border than the numbers are far higher] So....Why aren't we all moving back to northern Europe? I'm serious. Oh yeah; your all frauds.
5
Jeesh, put the pom poms down.



https://twitter.com/Ansel/status/5305327…
6
Sawant is a creepy pig.
7
Fuck Alison Holcomb. I wouldn't vote for her in a million years after she hung so many of us out to dry during I-502. She'll fit right in with the entire bunch of lying thieves down at City Hall.
8
@7: What did she do during the 502 fight?
9
Excellent news. She has talents and skills that are better applied doing important advocacy work like this, rather than undermining progressive politics in City Hall. Glad she made the right choice here and I wish her well.
10
I don't understand why she's apologizing that she's not going to run. It's not as though her likely primary opponent was a rightwinger and Holcomb would have saved us by running.
11
I'm glad we won't be having this fight. I wish Alison well and I'm confident she will make meaningful contributions to our society.
12
I'm very happy for her. And it can't have hurt her decision-making when she saw that poll showing Sawant has approval ratings off the fucking charts right now, second only to the mayor.
13
So... that leaves Sawant in District 3 and Spear moved out from District 3 to the Eastlake stub of District 4. Such an odd coincidence for a young'en to move into the territory of old Godden, which just so happens to encompass UW.

Of course, 16% in the election might be a bit discouraging to a Spear council race, especially if The Stranger doesn't endorse her over Godden.
14
Chef Joe: Council District 4 also includes some pretty bourgeois enclaves [Laurelhurst, Windemere, and Sand Point], but I would suspect Jess Spear could appeal to younger voters and younger parents along the major arterials and apartment complexes in the proletarian sectors if she focuses her heat on issues that are actually within the scope of the Council; and not broad-brush policy planks that would merely result in symbolic statements and Council Resolutions.
15
@14, does Spear have any knowledge of local neighborhood issues anywhere in Seattle? Those are things don't show up in her little red party handbook, without which I expect she would be lost. Her sloganeering didn't make a dent in Frank Chopp, and I doubt if it would be any more effective in the 4th council district.
16
Jess Spear appears to be following the Sawant "template"; run and lose against Frank Chopp, while upping her name recognition and party visibility, then challenge for a City Council seat. I like her odds in Council District 4, if that's how it goes. When Sawant ran for City Council, she zeroed in on policy issues that a councilmember could actually affect, I assume Spear would do the same.
17
@15: District 4 has more renters than homeowners, and is, overall, as ideologically left-of-center as Council District 3 (save the hoods I mentioned above).

Running against Chopp was kinda of preposterous in a Political Consultant kinda way, yeah... and even The Stranger couldn't endorse the campaign. But it may be more about the constituency rather than the post in this case. I suggest that as Council Member her lack of policy granularity is forgivable for the service classes and more progressive tenants in the District. Renters are quite fond of the idea of rent control even if it seems as though she might be tilting at windmills. A majority of this District think the SPD needs to be reigned in and reorganized because it is fundamentally broken. I suspect more than half of District 4 would support her even if she fails to adequately break bread with or massage the fears of Neighborhood Association NIMBY's Real Estate agents, developers and the Chamber. Why? Because she might bring to bear a type politics that made $15 even possible. The raise in the minimum wage is the lone measure taken up by the Council that actually helps the prols in this town. Not a single CM before Sawant and 15Now would have lifted a finger otherwise.

So we gonna vote for her ass. Holla!!!!
18
Out of the loop on this. Why was Holcomb going to challenge Sawant instead of running against someone further to the right of her? Was it purely a strategic move - e.g., "I'm progressive, but not crazy like her" - or was there something else?
19
@18



It was because her husband owns one or two of those trendy hipster/Amazon bars and restaurants that were supposedly going to have to shut down because of the minimum wage hike. Therefore, Sawant was divisive and so forth.
20
She even commented on Slog to defend herself, which shows what a political novice she is. You'd expect someone who ran a high profile campaign on legalizing pot to have better sense. Anyway, she came up with some sleazy lawyer's gibberish when asked whether she supported raising the minimum wage, something like, "I have expressed no opposition to raising it to $15," which was quickly deciphered.
21
the math goes like this:

1. Godden, oldster, long term incumbent, out of step with district in supporting at large, can be beaten. by who?

2. the one who comes in second.

3. in every district we will see like 5-6 candidates. we are already seeing more "viable" canddates, of a different nature. look in 4, it's some guy from TCC, some young guy about housing and yet another guy. when you have say 6 candidates including one godden and 5 others including spear, spear's 16% is fucking awesome base of prior votes, to base her city council campaign on. she may need only ten more points to come in second! and being female in a world where still, more males run, will help, voters can't keep straight all these young good looking males who line up similarly on the policies. spear being socialist is distinctive. and many folks in politics got there the second time after losing first. besides the 16%, there are many who voted for chopp who would vote for spear in ANOTHER RACE AGAINST GODDEN WITH A BUNCH OF MALES THEY DON'T HARDLY KNOW. surely another five points there. so yes, spear is very well positioned, also having the 300 volunteers, a whole cycle practicing speaking and talking, etc. certainly she is the front runner among the challengers in district 4. and duh every district has some rich enclaves, that's just not significant. besides fucking $15 is a city issue and it rocks! what specific thing has johnson maddux pedersen ever taken a leading role in that became law ? spear was like one of the top two or three activists (sawant, locker, spear) on the $15 fight. kudos. she will even get donations from outside district 4 -- like from me.
22
@21, you've accomplished what I didn't think was possible: making a post more unreadable than textspeak.
23
Did the SECB endorse Sawant only for kicks? And don't even put Holcomb in the same league as Comrade Sawant: that bourgie bitch ain't got shit on a true Red ( and as both a Certified and Registered Commie/Socialist/Anarchist, I am Morally qualified to state that!;D --- http://www.broadleft.org ).
24
If Seattle were in Europe, then it would probably have TWICE as many council seats ( and you would see more diversity as a result) . So much for KKKing County being a stronghold for Leftists: it actually REDUCED its number of council districts although its populace continues to rise, census after motherfucking census! Pfft! --- http://www.census.gov & http://www.proportional-representation.o… & http://www.winwinnetwork.org .
25
The self-called A.C.L.U. is a fucking joke: they aren't Leftists, so it isn't surprising Holcomb didn't run: her sorry ass would've lost because she has skeletons in her bourgeois kloset.

Please wait...

and remember to be decent to everyone
all of the time.

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