Slog
News & ArtsFriday, March 8, 2013
City Who Should a Socialist Challenge on the City Council?
Posted by Dominic Holden on Fri, Mar 8, 2013 at 12:28 PM
Kshama Sawant is the Socialist Alternative candidate who earned a surprisingly strong 29 percent—that is, strong for someone running as an out'-n-proud Socialist—when she ran last year against Democratic House Speaker Frank Chopp (D-43). And this year? The economics instructor at Seattle Central Community College will make an "important announcement" next Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the "Seattle City Council," she says, which makes it pretty clear that Sawant will run against one of the four council members defending their seats this year.
Who do you think Sawant should run against: Sally Bagshaw, Richard Conlin, Nick Licata, or Mike O'Brien?
3
Bagshaw is the closest to the center of the bunch, so she'd be a good target. My guess is it'll be Conlin though.
5
If she's doing it to provide the strongest political counterpoint, she should line up against whoever she's proudest to disagree with. If she's doing it to get a million admiring Slog posts of her every utterance, she should file against Conlin. If she actually aims to win, though, she should go after the weakest, O'Brien.
Who do I want her to run against? Licata. He'd like it, it would give him some exercise.
Who do I want her to run against? Licata. He'd like it, it would give him some exercise.
7
politics is by nature Machiavellian, if this person thinks they have something worthy to bring to the city that's lacking, then they should contest the weakest candidate. and in that quartet that's likely Mike O' Brien.
8
A Socialist is not going to win, so I'd prefer she run against O'Brien. I'd like Conlin & Bagshaw to have a viable candidates.
10
I would vote for her in a heartbeat. I like her policy positions more than her label, but some people like SROTU will only focus on labels, you can't help them.
14
As a former resident of Seattle, this is exactly why you should get f'n council districts already. No socialist is going to win a city wide race.
17
Clearly Conlin. Take down the part on your website about the government taking over corporations.
19
These council members are all very corporate and aligned with big money. If people read and listen to her policies, government running corporations is not what they are stating. Merely that the employees already doing the work, own and run the companies. At this point, these corporations in our state are not paying much if anything in federal income tax, limited B&O taxes and/or sales tax. Taking them into public ownership is a good response to the insistence that these big companies will take away our jobs if they are forced to pay their fair share of the tax burden. Read this interesting analysis about Boeing: http://www.socialistalternative.org/publ…
Trollers need not respond!
Trollers need not respond!
20
If any non-Dem or Repug could get real, serious coverage, it would be Sawant. Conlin is a mess. He needs to go, but Bagshaw is no prize either.
21
These current council members are very corporate and side with big money anyway. And what do they actually do for the average working person while collecting the $120k salary? If people read Kshama Sawant's policies, she is not talking about government taking over the companies, but that employees already running them have a share in ownership, profit sharing and decision making. This is a good response to the constant push back by corporations who do not think they should have to pay any tax. Just in this state we have several large corporations paying very little, if any, federal income tax, or B&O and sales tax. But then opponents claim we are not business friendly and will take the jobs elsewhere. This is a thoughtful analysis on what happened ten years or so ago with Boeing making such a claim and the fallout: http://www.socialistalternative.org/publ…
Trollers need not reply.
Trollers need not reply.
23
Sorry for the double post! Too many choices - who is the worst? It's a pretty close call. But either Conline or Bagshaw.
25
If you ain't going to run, Dom, the someone should. It'd suck for Conlin to get two progressive challengers and the others none. Then again, Bagshaw needs to be voted off too.
27
BAGSHAW. That's the fight worth picking. Despite long-standing animus against Conlin from the Stranger, he's clearly to the left of the HIGHLY anonymous Bagshaw. I like Kshama A LOT but I would never never never vote for her in a race against people who actually understand city government (Licata, Conlin). PICK THE RIGHT RACE THIS TIME!!!
30
@14: No Socialist is going to win a City Council seat, with or without districts.
I think she should run against Sam Bellomio.
I think she should run against Sam Bellomio.
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