City Up in the 43rd
posted by on June 20 at 14:30 PM
I spent the better part of yesterday’s golden after-work hours in a dusty room at the gorgeous University Heights Community Center (formerly an elementary school) listening to candidates for the Port Commission and City Council (sorry, school board candidates) talk about why they deserve the endorsement of the 43rd District Democrats. Here are some highlights from the most competitive race, the one for the open seat being vacated by Peter Steinbrueck.
• Most focused platform: Scott Feldman, who appears to be running on two issues, and two issues only. He supports a surface-transit solution for the viaduct, and he wants to keep the Sonics in Seattle. “We can keep the Sonics here with a public-private partnership to generate revenue for Seattle.” Hmm, subsidize the Sonics with public money-wonder why no one’s thought of that?
• Most quotable candidate: Oddball ex-professor Al Runte (who previously ran for mayor). On developers: “The most wealthy aren’t paying their fair share, and I’m going to go down to see those people in their offices downtown with billions of dollars in their pockets, and I’m going to make them pay their fair share. I’m a Hubert Humphrey Democrat. I believe in taking from the rich and giving to the poor. I really believe that.” On the viaduct: “Who here has seen the Golden Gate Bridge? Why didn’t we, the people of Seattle, go to the best designers in the world and say, build us the most beautiful [elevated] solution imaginable? The Seattle City Council has authorized another $8 million for a study by a bunch of corporate folks who will probably just come back with eight more plans.”
• Weirdest rhetorical tic: Bruce Harrell, who consistently referred to himself in the third person. “Six years ago, six women came to my office in tears. They said they weren’t being treated fairly, weren’t getting paid as much as men. They came to Bruce Harrell to help them. And I got them a $65 million settlement for all women across America in that situation. That’s what Bruce Harrell does. He gets things done.”
• Best ideas, most disappointingly phrased: Venus Velazquez, who voiced support for making Third Avenue bus-only through downtown 24 hours a day and making it easier for single-family homeowners to build cottage housing on their property. Unfortunately, Velazquez couched both ideas in terms appealing to anti-density, anti-transit sensibilities. “Not mass transit, bus rapid transit,” Velazquez said, then repeated “bus rapid transit” three times. “We can get people out of their cars slowly.” On cottage housing, Velazquez noted that it would serve “families and the elderly” and preserve single-family neighborhoods by “not building up”—code for “don’t worry, no apartments.” Both are good ideas—-buses run more smoothly when they have dedicated lanes, and cottage housing is a good way to add density to single-family neighborhoods—but I wish Velazquez was a little more unabashedly pro-density and pro-rapid transit; cottages and buses are interim solutions, not the solutions, to our housing and transit problems.
• Notable no-show: John Manning.
• Notable change: Three of four candidates present voiced at least tentative support for surface/transit (with Harrell’s support the shakiest; he wants to look at new tunnel-boring technologies), a marked change from the last council elections, when virtually every candidate supported digging a tunnel.
Two further things that occurred to me while sitting through this, my millionth council candidate forum:
• “I grew up in Seattle” is not a legitimate reason to run for public office. You need to have ideas and an agenda beyond your “love for this beautiful city.” There are plenty of issues out there. Really. Go learn about some of them before you run.
• People should only be allowed to run for office in the city a certain number of times—say, five—before they have to start paying increasingly prohibitive fees. I’m not paying taxes so that you can work our your mental-health issues in public. If the people say no five times, let’s assume the people have spoken, shall we?
Last time I checked, buses ARE transit.
My dreams of a functional mass transit system for Seattle are just that dreams. Our bussing system is okay if you work downtown M-F during regular business hours. Anything beyond that and frankly it sucks.
The problem is the realistic cost of any large transit option for Seattle and the fact voters can not seem to see it as an investment in Seattle vs. just a frivolous expense. Until we can swallow that reality we will only hear lots of great dreams with no actual action being taken.
I think Ms. Velazquez could have better phrased this, "Not rapid transit, bus rapid transit."
Hmm... Apparently, Velazquez has put her finger to the wind and her toe in the water and come away figuring it's the lesser Seattle NIMBY's who need to be feared. I think this is a great opportunity for the likes of Friends of Seattle to sharpen their teeth and make the unmistakable impression that it's the pro-density activists who need to be feared just as much.
P.S. I'm not against bus rapid transit in all cases, but let's face it, the very reason it gets suggested politically in contexts like this is to ensure that it makes so little impact that it ends up being anything but rapid.
I know it's part of your job but you are a saint for sitting through such things.
That’s what Bruce Harrell does. He gets things done. is awesome. I vote for that.
I feel like a saint for reading this entire post.
Growing up in Seattle means you arent qualified to run Seattle. You have no real world experience with community planning.
"People should only be allowed to run for office in the city a certain number of times—say, five—before they have to start paying increasingly prohibitive fees."
Wouldn't that have cost us the countless hours of enjoyment brought to us by Charlie Chong?
Sorry, I spoke before I Googled. Charlie would have been fine.
6. I fixed your post, Bellevue:
Growing up in Seattle means you arent qualified to run Seattle. You have no real world experience.
Fuck bus only third avenue. How about making it a pedestrian/street car route. Nice wide sidewalks with a two way street car running down the middle. There would be space for street vendors and lots of trees and benches. With the right planning one could head from the stadiums to the Center either by foot or by street car. Oh and of course a nice wide bike lane.
Add a route up Jackson and Denny along with a couple more north/south routes and maybe we can start being a serious city.
I was going to go that route, but it isnt even a debate when it comes to urban planning; Seattle doesn't have any and if you grew up here you wouldnt buck the trend.
I think the mainstream corporate media are safe for another generation if this level of political reporting is their competition.
Same goes for the present generation of community planners.
Runte is a Hubert Humphrey Democrat who wants to take from the rich and give to the poor and who can't beat Richard Nixon.
We George McGovern Democrats think that "Hubert Humphrey" Democrats are sell-outs.
"I grew up in Seattle" mean "I don't constantly get my panties in a bunch about whether or not we're 'world-class'" and "I don't have penis envy when I look at NYC." Frankly, those are both traits I'm looking for in a candidate.
Also, the term "public-private partnership" (or "P3", if you prefer) generally implies a combination of public ownership and control with private management. NOT a subsidy for private owners. I'll give you a pass, though, given the trauma caused by the closing of your favorite establishments. Waaah!
"I grew up in Seattle" mean "I don't constantly get my panties in a bunch about whether or not we're 'world-class'" and "I don't have penis envy when I look at NYC." Frankly, those are both traits I'm looking for in a candidate.
Also, the term "public-private partnership" (or "P3", if you prefer) generally implies a combination of public ownership and control with private management. NOT a subsidy for private owners. I'll give you a pass, though, given the trauma caused by the closing of your favorite establishments. Waaah!
Doesn't 3rd Ave go back to normal when the bus tunnel re-opens? By the way, when the hell does the tunnel re-open?
I like Venus, even if I don't necessarily agree with her about BRT as the only solution.
But ... at least she would stand up for people. And not be just another Yes vote.
That said, we need to get out of this "My Transit Solution Only!" "No, Mine!" mentality - the time has come to ...
BUILD THEM ALL!
We literally need - not want, NEED - to DOUBLE LOCAL TRANSIT. ALL of it. Not just Monorail (Al Runte's MagLev demo sounded intriguing). Not just BRT (already exists South of the Bus Tunnel). Not just Light Rail. Not just standard (hybrid bio-diesel or electric) bus service.
EVERYTHING.
Time to wake up and smell the reality, folks. Global warming is NOW. As is Peak Oil (actually, that's 2015, but close enough)
oh - and another thing - I noticed that Jean Godden's race just got a lot more interesting ... a number of people changed their minds about her seat at that forum. Who was that young woman running against her? All I can say is I was very surprised by the mood there.
joykiller:
I didn't grow up in Seattle, so I can't help but notice that an inordinate number of people who did like to talk about skyscrapers as phallic symbols. I guess if it weren't for Freud, Peter Steinbrueck's political career would never have gotten off the ground (sure there's a (stupid) pun somewhere there).
Actually, if we want to do some NYC comparisons... If I were Greg Nickels looking at Michael Bloomberg, I would have a serious case of cajones envy.
Cressona @ 19:
Anyone can buy cojones when they are multi-billionaires like Bloomberg. Hell, Howard Marshall bought Anna Nicole Smith.
Bloomberg is an elitist piece of shit who does not deserve anybody's support or vote.
No, he's not. He supported the smoking ban, he rides the subway to work, he's made unpopular choices that benefit the greater good. He's not my favorite, but I wouldn't put him in the POS category. There are some more deserving candidates.
Runte is a Hubert Humphrey Democrat and Safeco Field will be renamed, in his honor, the Alfred Runte Shittydome in 25 years.
Any interesting notes on the Port races, Erica? Inquiring minds...
I assume the remark about candidates running over and over and working out mental health issues in public related to ....er....one of the candidates.
But blame the hosts of the event -- who don't have the backbone or the wits to just deny that perennial loser candidate dude a spot in the debate.
They ought to protect you, the audience, from his meaningless drivel.
Not torture you with it!
But the prudish goo-goos rule, and it sucks.
How does it cost you something for Stan to run for office?
I can't believe that you didn't mention Stan Lippman's (City Council Candidate) use of his two minutes to pitch for impeaching Dick Cheney.
Erica -
You're a saint!
@24 - there are rules for these sorts of things. The reality is anyone who's filed and isn't a declared Republican gets to speak.
But, hey, I suppose you'd rather we go back to your Bush Elite Party rule under His Royal Majesty, huh?
oh, I meant for non-partisan races - the bar is higher for partisan races ...
Alright, I was there last night.
Feldman—Promoting the Sonics at the 43rd? Real good move, slick.
Runte—He's a riot. His Robin Hood routine just isn't practical, though, and frankly, I'm looking for real solutions, not fairy tale machinations.
Harrell—This guy is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Not only does he contribute to Republicans, but Bob Dole appears to be his political mentor.
Velazquez—Clearly the best candidate we've seen in a long time. Erika, you rag on Venus for only talking about buses and cottage housing, but as I recall, the question was to talk about TWO strategies for dealing with growing density issues. I think Harrell blathered on about nothing for two minutes. As far as I'm concerned, Venus is the only candidate with any real ideas and the only one who's actually done this work in the trenches.
joykiller, so growing up in seattle means you are too self satisfied with mediocrity to actually make your life better?
Will in Seattle @ 18 - Lauren Briel is the woman running against Jean Godden.
www.runteforcouncil.com
Will in Seattle (comment 18) -- Lauren Briel is runnign against Jean Godden. check out her website www.votelaurenbriel.com
I just looked through the Issues page on her site.
I think Lauren is the candidate to watch.
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