Update: Mayor McGinn’s Westwood walking tour, library Q&A

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(Mayor at 34th/Barton P-Patch site, last stop before walking to SW Library)
1:36 PM: Just wrapped up the mini-walking tour of Westwood, and Mayor McGinn is speaking at Southwest Library (35th/Henderson) – though it was billed as an event till 2 pm, he says he’s got till 2:30 pm, so if you’re interested, you have time to get here. The walking tour coordinated by soon-to-retire Delridge District Coordinator Ron Angeles went through Roxhill Park, including the bog (photo added, with neighborhood volunteer Mary Quackenbush explaining its history):

Then on to Barton, where SDOT‘s Jim Curtin and Christine Alar briefed the mayor on pedestrian improvements and the future RapidRide stop across from Westwood Village (photo added):

Then it was on to the 34th/Barton P-Patch site (where the tree controversy even came up, as you’ll hear in this clip):

(Our coverage of the P-Patch design meetings is here and here.)

1:48 PM: In his opening remarks, the mayor has a lot to say about the forthcoming Families and Education Levy – not just what it does, but stressing that the money doesn’t go to Seattle Public Schools, but to the city, which contracts with various providers (the district among them), since there has been concern that the SPS financial-mismanagement scandal might affect the levy’s chances of passing: “I’m saying all that because with all this news about the school district, I’d be concerned too … This money comes to the city … and we’re very transparent and open about it.”

2:05 PM: More tough issues have come up – a woman saying she’s the daughter of a police officer killed in the line of duty says she was offended by “John T. Williams Day” being declared in memory of the woodcarver shot by an officer; then the tunnel comes up, with the first questioner/commenter supporting McGinn’s position, and critiquing media as “biased.” We are recording video of the entire Q/A presentation, by the way, and will post it as part of the story after we’re back at HQ.

2:28 PM: The issue of White Center (etc.) annexation has come up, too, in response to a question from Delridge District Council chair Mat McBride. McGinn’s answer: “I’m torn”; he went on to say he is still leaning toward the sentiment that it’s just too expensive for the city. [The event ended a few minutes later and we’re putting together more information/photos/video to add to this story.]

VIDEO: First, unedited half-hour of the Q/A, which eventually amassed an audience of 40-plus:

The rest of it (37 minutes long), picking up exactly where the preceding clip left off:

ADDED 7:02 PM: A couple more interesting notes from the walking tour that preceded the library Q&A: While the group walked the paths in Roxhill Park, West Seattle Crime Prevention Council president Richard Miller talked with the mayor about safety concerns there, including last year’s murder (the suspect in that, by the way, has another court hearing coming up later this month). Here’s our photo of Miller with deputy mayor Darryl Smith (and in the background, longtime Westwood activist Pablo Lambinicio):

On the north edge of the park, along Barton, while discussing some of the improvements including the parking restrictions that eliminated the “used-car lot,” SDOT’s Jim Curtin told the mayor that the city’s Bicycle Master Plan eventually calls for bike lanes on both sides of Barton; the mayor, having just heard about safety concerns on that stretch of the road, suggested those lanes’ presence alone will have a traffic-calming effect.

clark5080 March 6, 2011 (1:49 pm)

wonder if he rode up in one of those Limos that is parked there

WSB March 6, 2011 (2:36 pm)

No limo, Clark5080! I didn’t see exactly was. But it was a car, not a bike (he was heard to note it’s a little far from Greenwood).

Born To Be Mild March 6, 2011 (2:32 pm)

she was offended by “John T. Williams Day” ??? Okay, I guess I understand taking sides when an citizen is shot by an officer. But wouldn’t be better to let this one slide? I’m not particularly pleased with either of these people. What’s the result? Life changing for both of ’em. No Winning here.

Argh March 6, 2011 (3:50 pm)

Offended by John T. Williams day….argh… One would have to live under a rock and not look at a shred of evidence regarding this shooting. I’m not going to break it down completely in a comment, but this would be a good place to start:
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/02/the-shooting-death-of-john-t-williams/

Born To Be Mild March 6, 2011 (6:02 pm)

Thanks for the link. I especially enjoyed the last sentence. “But ultimately, our true ‘win’ comes from an investigation from the Department of Justice into why this happened, and also from making sure that it never happens again to anybody, Native or non.”
Been thinking about Rodney King this weekend too.

miws March 6, 2011 (6:18 pm)

Well, he could have biked to the nearest Metro Route 5 stop, made use of the bike rack on the bus. The Route 5 changes to the 54, then depending which side of Roxhill Park the tour started, either hop of at 35th & Barton, and bike down Barton to the Park, or ride to the stop at Safeway on Roxbury, and walk or bike from there! ;)

Mike

debra t. March 6, 2011 (7:12 pm)

Does he ever dress like he IS the mayor?

kate March 6, 2011 (7:42 pm)

I like the way he dresses. I think it’s charming.

WSB March 6, 2011 (7:53 pm)

If you pull a Google image search, it’s pretty much all suits and ties:
http://is.gd/JHoovH
.
Just so happens the last two times we have caught up with him, visiting WC last weekend and Westwood today, he’s been in mega-casual mode…

JimmyG March 6, 2011 (9:31 pm)

If anyone thinks the Mayor bikes any distance on a regular basis you’re a sucker.

I’m waiting for someone in the media to expose his disingenuous posturing about being a bike rider. Check into his assigned SPD driver (yes the Mayor has a driver) and he is regularly dropped off near to the event he’s going to so he can show up on his bike.

Besides, we all know what the hard core commuter/bikers in this city look like, and it ain’t the physique of Hizzoner.

joy March 6, 2011 (9:40 pm)

On the other side of that there wasn’t a Tim Brenton day either. I think the question is valid although I recognize the need for healing surrounding it and trying to make it better. Neither side thinks what happened was right. Another point of view here: Nothing but political pandering http://www.komonews.com/opinion/kenschram/117083233.html

I thought McGinn handled those questions better this time around – less ‘SPD is out of control’ talk and more societal bias. However, I disagree with the argument he was making about the police. I feel that we will never heal the wounds of our country’s history regarding police and how the topic triggers minorities. And when something runs that deep in a psyche and is reinforced through families – ‘don’t trust the police’ we have a much bigger issue. I feel he is looking at the right things on the broad spectrum yet leaving a large piece of the pie out. Societal issues go both ways. He is making the easy assumption that because there is a higher proportion of minorities arrested that there is institutional racism. What if its just a higher proportion because they just happen to be committing crimes? Because they are minorities there is an assumption that police just see them and round them up for no reason? So going forward if an officer sees a crime he should second guess stopping it because the person is a minority? As it stands we are walking down a road of turning a blind eye on crime due to race. The problem is as varied as our country and at their core consist of societal and familial breakdowns along with perhaps our laws that police are being asked to enforce.

I would rather see the Mayor talk about creating mentorship programs for lost youth and programs centered on rebuilding families and opportunities for kids than send the subtle message that SPD has a problem with race. The police need to be part of the equation when he does this but so far I don’t see him really trying to understand their work. There are just a lot of assumptions being made along with ‘studies’.

WSB – your link the 2nd video says Mayor McGill.

Argh March 6, 2011 (11:27 pm)

@Joy…People regardless of race break the law uniformly. Sooo..why is it that people of color are incarcerated at higher rates for longer periods of time? Why is it that a conviction for crack is much more severe than a conviction for cocaine? Would it have anything to do with race? Of course a color blind person would say no. However, someone from another country or another planet might view our society as continually punishing people of color at a higher rate and think that there might be something wrong with the system. I’d suggest reading Michelle Alexander’s book, “The New Jim Crow” to gain a more well rounded perspective of race and our society. For instance, did you know that more African American males are in the corrections system today than were enslaved in 1850?
Also Joy, the witnesses at the shooting of John T Williams reported that he was not threatening. I can’t help but wonder if John T Williams was wealthy and white if you’d have the same response…

Jeff March 7, 2011 (7:12 am)

“@Joy…People regardless of race break the law uniformly.”

citation please.

Argh March 7, 2011 (9:57 am)

There is a colorblind explanation for all this: crime rates. But crime rates do not explain the sudden and dramatic mass incarceration of African Americans during the past 30 years. Crime rates have fluctuated over the past few decades — and currently are at historical lows — but imprisonment rates have soared. Quintupled. And the vast majority of that increase is due to the War on Drugs, a war waged almost exclusively in poor communities of color, even though studies consistently show that people of all colors use and sell illegal drugs at remarkably similar rates. In fact, some studies indicate that white youth are significantly more likely to engage in illegal drug dealing than black youth.

Alexander, M. (2010, February 8). The new jim crow. Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelle-alexander/the-new-jim-crow_b_454469.html

John Chase March 8, 2011 (4:14 am)

In addition to Michelle Alexander’s book, I suggest Alexandra Natapoff’s 2009 book, “Snitching: Criminal Informants and the Erosion of American Justice”

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