Comments

1
The correct answer is so simple. Duh!
2
Thinking that more policing by a hierarchical government is the solution to those problems that are actually a byproduct of a society's economics and culture is akin to thinking that the military are a diplomatic solution for social change.

Always question the politician who promises you peace through force.
3
I'd like to walk downtown without being assaulted. Small thing I know but it would be nice. I actually miss Nickels at this point.
4
So psyched for an hour from now when supporters from both campaigns keep logging in on different browsers etc and try to skew this oh-so-important poll.
5
@3 if you're getting assaulted whenever you walk downtown, you're seriously doing it wrong. Me and my small delicate girlfriend have survived years of downtown and pioneer square living and working without more than a stupid fake story about needing ferry money.

Officially calling you out for bullshit concern trolling.
6
@3

When were you assaulted?
7
@3, Are you walking around in suits made of money or are you a high school theater student with a flair for melodrama?

@4, I'm closing the poll in an hour or so, that way we won't have to deal with the headache of de-botting the results.
8
I hate McGinn, but Murray lost me with my discovery of his 2009 vote for cutting corporate taxes as he limited the accessibility of unemployment during one of the biggest recessions in history. Fuck you Murray.
9
Do you have the latest on fundraising, Cienna? I'm afraid that Murray's financial support from the downtown business community will neutralize McGinn's populism.

10
I walk through downtown all the time and have done so safely, even often passing the corner of 3rd and Pine.
11
The Slog poll has McGinn with over 75% right now, but I predict that by tomorrow, Murray will lead it.
12
Wow your endorsing McGinn based on the things he's said or supported this week? Are you really going to ignore the past 3 1/2 years of McGinns term?

Remember when he did an about face after saying he wouldnt block the tunnel and tried to block it? Even let a bunch of his staff take a leave to run the campaign to block the tunnel?

Remember when he called Gov Gregoire out as a liar, how she couldn't be trusted, which burned so many bridges with Olympia that he had to pay lobbyists to represent Seattle?

Remember when he hired a guy who lied on his resume about having a doctors degree? In addition to bank fraud changes (mayor knew about the fraud, didnt care).

Creating a new 89k a year position for David Hiller while telling all the other dept to cut their budgets?

Chastising Komo News, Kiro, Seattle Times, etc, with a condescending memo on how to talk to the mayor? All because someone went to the mayors home to ask about the controversial hiring of David Hiller. And what could be more controversial than a guy who publically said he wanted to hang drivers who hit cyclists from their finger nails.

Road diets in which lanes are taken away and given to bikes.

17,000$ green bike boxes!!? Wow!

Stimulus money for green jobs in which all the money was pissed away on meetings, creating zero jobs.

Rain gardens in Ballard which created cesspools for insects that we had to remove for health reasons.

Along with most of the city council, lets fully endorse Occupy Seattle, which almost bled the SPD dry in OT costs, spiked petty crime all around the SCCC encampment, school begged for the city to do something and got nowhere. Ultimately had to ask then State AG McKenna to remove them and the people left over went on a may day riot.

When it came to the federal lawsuit over SPD abuse, came to the negotiating table in bad faith, cited costs of 50 million to implement the changes. Was dragged kicking and screaming by the city attorney, waiting to the last week to officially settle.

Delayed releasing the coal train study, because it didnt fit the argument he was pushing.

Tried to raise car tabs 60$ in which a third goes to road maintenance, rest went to bike lanes and the study of street light rail. It failed and he blamed the city council for not making it 80-100$.

Remember when he jacked up the parking rates? Also extend the parking hours and days, only to have it backlash in the International District by business who saw a drop in sales. Ultimately the mayor had to lower rates, which has now angered other neighborhoods who want them lowered as well.

Lets build an ultra high speed internet service using our backbone of dark fiber, by choosing a company that has no experience in building networks. Where google refused to post pricing on their service in Kansas City until the build was almost completed, this company posted pricing months before work has even started. Cherry picking neighborhoods that are so close to downtown that they already quality for 100mb service from Clink or Comcast, ignoring neighborhoods that are lucky to get 6mb service.

13
@12

Thanks, you've convinced me. I'm voting for McGinn.
14
@ 2 Sometimes you need peace through force did you not take any Poli sci in college?
15
@14

You're confusing order with peace.

Try philosophy.
16
@12,

Actually fully half of that package was for bus speed and reliability improvements, but don't let facts get in the way of your rant.
17
@3, @7 Or are you completely disregarding (and with such paternalism...) the overwhelming majority of Seattleites who are concerned about crime and public safety in our neighborhoods?
18
@7 smart thinking. The shenanigans of overwhelming these polls makes a fun but non-scientific poll a silly pseudo-organizing exercise. Shutting it down early is a nice way of confining it to ACTUAL slog readers!
19
@17

Why do broad generalities that are hellbent on creating division and fear always seem to come ready-made with their own easy-bake "majorities" who inexplicably suffer from the same, undefined "concern" about those people being to close to you or yours?

Oh, Henny Penny, it is a terrible fate that awaits those who follow you.
20
I walked 4th & Main last night after 11:30. Not the best idea. One fine gentleman offered to sell me someone's wallet. Then another fine gent demanded an accounting of the funds in the wallets of my friend and myself. We fled as fast as we could. Even though I am sure he was only trying to be helpful.
21
@17. How lovely your blue skies must be. Try looking earthwise every once in a while and maybe talk to your friends & neighbors. Ask them if they think crime is an issue in the upcoming elections.
22
I can't speak for southeast Seattle, but the rest of it is pretty damn safe. Seattle is only a dangerous city inside your head.
23
@21

Perspective is elective, not compulsory.

Serve what beliefs you may.

What crimes have afflicted you and yours?

Do you live in the Central District or in South Seattle?

The police like the military serve a narrow purpose effectively; beyond that, though, they are not a magical cure-all for all that ails the society. In the end, their efforts simply relocate the problem from the neighborhoods whose complaints are heard by city hall to the neighborhoods who are ignored by them.

Thanks for so diligently looking for that speck in my eye, here's your beam.

Perhaps, my friend, it is you and yours who need to make new neighbors instead isolating yourselves with familiar faces and echoing refrains. Learn to see friends where you once imagined only enemies.

And, as a wise queen once said, "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."
24
Hmmm. I figure, who would I want in charge of this major metropolitan area should The Big One hit?
Ed Murray for me.
25
@24

Seismic queen?

Interesting choice.
26
Oh please... "Who would I want in charge of this major metropolitan area should The Big One hit?"

Got news for you, Mr. Fire Chief: either of our Casper Milquetoast candidates would do as they were told by the people who actually knew what was going on - meaning the real-life Fire Chiefs, Police Chiefs, etc. All a Mr. Mayor has to do is look reassuring for the TV. Both of them can pull that off.

27
They're both terrible. Neither of them is going to do what needs to be done with SPD (which is, actually, doubling the number of beat officers to something approaching an appropriate per-capita ratio, which will go a long way to breaking the siege mentality of the current force, and enable the aggressive purging of bad apples - starting with Rich O'Neil.)

Because it would cost money, so we'd rather hump along with a police force that can't secure the corner of 12th and Pine, much less 3rd and Pine.

Both these jokers suck.
29
@12 - You've given me no reason to vote for Murray in a regime change, you've shown me how much McGinn had learned and evolved while on the job, I'm pro-bike boxes and road diets, and you're outright lying about the ballot measure.

Plus, its you who's saying all this and ive seen enough of comments over the years to know that youre the opposite of the type of person I would want as a friend or even acquaintence. Murray has some really shitty people shilling for him.
31
I'm sticking w McGuinn, not that's he's made me happy all the time, but who has? But Murray scares me. Unfortunately I think he has a chance to win this

.
32
@30 - thank you for proving my point about shitty people shilling for Murray. You and Kinnison are birds of a feather.

I think Murray is a great guy and I like what he's done at the state level, but that doesn't mean I want him in charge of the mayorship of Seattle, especially when there's already a guy in place who, after an admittedly rough start, is doing okay. McGinn is Mayor because he lives Seattle. My guess is Murray wants to be Mayor so he can get some executive experience under his belt in order to move to higher office. I'm sorry, but I don't like the idea of someone using my city purely as a stepping stone.
33
I live in South east Seattle, I've lived here since I moved from Philly. I grew up in Camden and north Philly. This is the safest big city in the U S of A. Im in downtown right now... And I'll be here tonight, I've never been assaulted, mugged or threatened. Shit happens, but let's be serious this is a safe city. Want unsafe? Try Baltimore they're almost at 200 murders.
36
@17, Sure, people are concerned about crime. How great you are at spitting out platitudes! People also love the environment and generally agree that we should give peace a chance.

Do you actually have something of substance to contribute to this conversation, like maybe some evidence that crime rates are rising in downtown Seattle? My bet is that you don't.

Also, didn't you quite publicly quit Slog awhile back? Those were the good ol' days, I guess.

Please wait...

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