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Friday, August 14, 2009

Politics / City Miller Continues to Lock Down Union Support

Posted by Bryan T. Bissell on Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 5:13 PM

City council position 8 candidate David Miller continued his near monopoly on union support today when he received three more labor endorsements. Today he got the backing of the Laborers local 242, Ironworkers local 86, and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers 751 (although on his website Miller refers to them as 571 - whoops!). That brings the total number of union members whose organizations to back him 73,000. Miller also has the backing of most of Seattle's Democratic districts.

His position 8 opponent Mike O'Brien has a similar level of support within the environmental community, including the backing of the Sierra Club, Washington Conservation Voters, the Cascade Bicycle Club, and Friends of Seattle.

Bobby Forch has the support of some Democratic districts, including the sole from the 36th, and Jordan Royer has relatively broad ideological support, leaving Robert Rosencrantz with stronger backing from business interests and moderates.

If votes break along those endorsement lines, it should set up a left vs. center showdown in the general election.

Comments (14) RSS

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It seems very unlikely that Miller will make it to the general election... I'm guess it will be O'Brien versus Royer in the general. And calling Royer's ideological support broad is a bit of a misnomer. Yes, he's got close ties to Nickels, but he's proven very conservative (at least he's accepted money as a lobbyist from very conservative interests).

Posted by Your Name Hear on August 16, 2009 at 6:22 PM

I think O'Brien has the dark green crowd, but I think Miller has the moderate greens which make up the vast majority of Seattle. We want density in our urban villages, but we want the green space, low-income housing and other public benefits along with it. We want smart transportation choices, but we're not willing to piss off the rest of the state and lose $2.4 billion dollars in funding and end up with a grid-locked street-level freeway. We want strong neighborhoods and businesses at the same time. Labor understands this, Earth Day founder Denis Hayes understands this, and the majority of the democratic districts understand this. O'Brien is an ideological polarizer, pushing the envelope like Earth First does so that the eventual decision is in the right direction. A great role in society, but not on City Council. Miller understands the need to balance various interests and come up with a solution we can all live with.

Posted by green guy on August 16, 2009 at 9:52 PM

Didn't Denis Hayes endorse O'Brien?

Posted by Your Name Hear on August 17, 2009 at 7:43 AM

Miller is latex green. Miller, not O'Brien, would be an ideological polarizer. He would set back land use and environmental progress in Seattle by 30 years. Hopefully, for all our sake, he does not make it out of the primary.

Posted by optimistic on August 17, 2009 at 9:11 AM

@4,

Horsepucky - his positions are the current mainstream view as expressed in a couple of dozen neighborhood plans and the Seattle Land Use Code.

Posted by Mr. X on August 17, 2009 at 10:29 AM

@ 5 - Mainstream for irrational NIMBYs.

Posted by optimistic on August 17, 2009 at 11:10 AM

You might try reading the Land Use Code, the Comprehensive Plan, and all of the neighborhood plans and then get back to us on that.

That's a pretty small bubble you've got there. You might try stepping out of it.

Posted by Mr. X on August 17, 2009 at 11:35 AM

@ 7 - Thank you, I have. And, I disagree with you. Hopefully, though, this debate won't be an issue after the votes are counted. And, Seattle can move on to a healthier future without fear of the wrath Miller would bring.

Posted by optimistic on August 17, 2009 at 11:48 AM

Gee, you must have missed all of those parts about preserving existing single family zoning and focusing most of the new growth into urban villages that are zoned for it.

"The wrath Miller would bring"? Grow up.

Posted by Mr. X on August 17, 2009 at 12:02 PM

...and when Miller wins the Primary, will you then acknowledge that his positions represent the Seattle mainstream far more than yours do?

Posted by Mr. X on August 17, 2009 at 12:06 PM

@ 9 & 10 - You are so much fun to mess with. :) You NIMBYs really need to get out more and gain a sense of humor.

Posted by optimistic on August 17, 2009 at 12:25 PM

Oh, and I predict O'Brien and Forch will make it to the general election.

Posted by optimistic on August 17, 2009 at 12:31 PM

....and you'll be 0 for 2 (my money is on Miller and Royer - the latter due to the fact that lots of the old folks who will decide the Primary remember his dad. I wouldn't be surprised if O'Brien made it through given the size of the field, and while I like Forch his campaign has been invisible).

Posted by Mr. X on August 17, 2009 at 12:41 PM

Hey, Mr. X: BWAHAHAHAHAHA

Posted by optimistic on August 19, 2009 at 8:07 AM