Election 2009 closeup coverage: Council candidate David Bloom

King County mails ballots for the August 18 primary tomorrow. WSB is offering close-up looks — asking the same 3 West Seattle-specific questions — at candidates in races including the three Seattle City Council contests you’ll find on the primary ballot. Previous stories are in the WSB Politics archive.

By Kathy Mulady
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

If you like lone-wolf councilmember Nick Licata, you might love David Bloom, one of 5 candidates for Position 4, which Jan Drago is leaving to run for mayor.

The progressive community activist — who has advocated on behalf of affordable housing, the homeless and other social issues for 30 years — would add a second vote to stop the Mercer Street revision and instead direct money to neighborhood projects.

He’d let the city’s plans for a streetcar network and the deep-bored tunnel fall by the wayside. He’s also against plans for a new city jail.

Bloom said he’ll fight to save existing affordable housing, and push to build a lot more. He’ll continue his work to end homelessness. He was one of the founders of the Downtown Emergency Service Center in 1979.

He complains that Mayor Greg Nickels has neglected the city’s basic infrastructure, including neighborhood streets and arterials.

“The mayor is too fascinated with big projects,” said Bloom.

Bloom’s decades of community service and his roles on boards such as Real Change and the Seattle Displacement Coalition, could bring some real bite to the city council’s budget-time mantra of “putting people first.”

His endorsements are testament to his years in social service, a Who’s Who of prominent Seattle progressives. He has also drawn support from religious leaders, labor unions and state leaders.

When asked about his favorite place in West Seattle, Bloom, like most of the other candidates, pointed first to Lincoln Park and its big trees. But then he had another thought: the Fauntleroy ferry terminal: “I like the ferries, I like going to Vashon Island. I don’t ride the ferry every day, so it is like an adventure.”

Q: How do you perceive West Seattle’s transportation challenges, and what can be done to solve them?

BLOOM: I am a strong proponent of expanded bus service. Light rail, such as streetcars, competes with bus funding. Bus sroutes have more flexibility and capacity if they are combined with vanpools and carpools. You get a lot more value for your money.

The viaduct issue is very complicated. The deep-bored tunnel is not a good idea; it is too expensive and provides too little value. It doesn’t benefit West Seattle. I think we need to rebuild The Viaduct, and learn to live with it. It is such an important transportation corridor to and through downtown. West Seattle needs The Viaduct.

Q: A massive amount of development is planned in West Seattle. How do we keep our hometown feel, while bringing some jobs here so everyone doesn’t have to commute?

BLOOM: City Hall shows too little regard for neighborhoods. Part of the problem is the city’s willingness to build projects that are out of character with the neighborhoods. Look at the design issues around townhouses. Neighborhoods are looking less attractive with poor designs. We need more flexible options.

I want to provide affordability for working families and bring their voices to City Hall so they feel they are really represented. Working people can’t afford to live in Seattle. We need to redirect money from some of the big capital projects to the neighborhoods, and from downtown back to the neighborhoods.

Q: The jail issue touches many neighborhoods. What should we do?

BLOOM: I don’t support investing money in a new jail. I think we should look at whether the city needs a new jail. The drug and mental health courts, options for diversion programs, and increased treatment for non-violent offenders seem to be working to reduce the need. I think we need to look at all those factors before spending $200 million on a new jail.

If you build a new jail, it would become a self-fulfilling prophecy — we have it, so we will have to fill it up. The argument for a new jail isn’t there now.

Bloom’s website is at bloomforcouncil.org. Kathy Mulady’s candidate reports will continue here on WSB. Find our archived Politics coverage here, newest to oldest.

kickerofelves July 28, 2009 (6:33 am)

Stopping the tunnel now is short-sighted and frankly idiotic but not as idiotic as claiming more jail space is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This guy is the last thing West Seattle or Seattle in general needs.

‘Community activist’ apparently means more supporting more criminals on the streets due to lack of jail space and of even more continued delays on the viaduct.

No thanks.

Sage July 28, 2009 (7:20 am)

I agree that’s not well put about jail space being a self-fulfilling prophecy. But there is something there, I think. The idea is that is we have an abundance of jail space, we’re disinclined to seek alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders when everyone might be better served by these treatment alternatives. Drug courts and mental health courts are intended to get services to people — again, non-violent offenders only — who need treatment as much as they need jail time. A scarcity of jail bed resources can spur elected officials to invest in going down this road, when they’d be less likely to do do if so if they’ve already invested in the capital costs of a new jail.
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I don’t agree with everything Bloom says — particularly on the viaduct, which I think would be insane to rebuild — but I think his voice would be incredibly valuable on the council. We need someone speaking out for justice. We don’t need them to win every argument, but we need them to be part of every argument.