If West Seattle secedes, Paul Leonardo wants to be mayor

Ever think it’s time West Seattle becomes its own city again (which we were, a century-plus ago) – considering all it takes is a few well-placed bridge-entrance-blocking stalled cars for us to be cut off anyway? West Seattleite Paul Leonardo says not only is it time for us to secede, it’s time for him to be Mayor of West Seattle. He recently launched a “campaign” via a Facebook group – see it here – and it caught citywide-media attention today (here’s what Linda “The News Chick” Thomas wrote about Paul’s campaign). Paul is a community-minded guy already – at left, that’s him accepting a West Seattle Volunteer Recognition Award a year and a half ago for his youth-sports leadership. Via his FB group, Paul says you can hear him discuss his campaign tonight on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM, after 7:30 pm.

Godofthebasement May 24, 2011 (5:52 pm)

OMG what utter nonsense.

george May 24, 2011 (7:58 pm)

Agree. Looney idea.

Brain Dead in West Seattle May 24, 2011 (7:59 pm)

I will vote for you if Sarah Palin is your running mate as assistant mayor, and you debate Goofy and Donald Duck with Howdy Doody as the moderator. Of course, this debate will have to have an audience of third graders. The fourth graders will also be involved: they will give you a thumbs up, or thumbs down.

Suggestion: Bring your best clown costume. You might stand a chance of winning over the fourth graders. But as a simpleton myself, I doubt it.

tp May 24, 2011 (8:28 pm)

Where’s our tax base?

Rhonda Porter May 24, 2011 (9:38 pm)

What a bunch of Debbie Downers… I’m all for it! West Seattle is one the largest neighborhoods (population) in Seattle and in my opinion, probably one the most forgotten…even when we had a West Seattle-ite for our last mayor. Some of our neighborhoods pay the highest property tax rates in the city with the biggest pot-holes in town…why not be our own city?

Please don’t compare Paul (whom I’ve never met) to our current political clowns (err… I mean elected officials)… he seems like he truly does care about our great neighborhood. I admire his ambition…this is what America is about.

lil_gal May 24, 2011 (11:38 pm)

(yawn)

Wendell May 25, 2011 (7:03 am)

I am tired of lunatics.

Yardvark May 25, 2011 (8:44 am)

Sounds excellent! It takes a good bit of courage to actually speak up with your own voice. I’m glad to hear that voice plans to speak up for West Seattle. Go get ’em, Paul!
I just don’t see the harm in bringing back the position and having a Mayor Advocate.
How do we vote?

CommonSense May 25, 2011 (9:02 am)

I agree with TP. If Mr. Leonardo has a tax plan that would enable such succession I would like to hear it. Become one’s own city is complex and would require considerable additional infrastructure and services.

Wendell May 25, 2011 (9:38 am)

If you want to vote, you’ll probably find the polling station in the store that sells tin-foil hats.

EAO May 25, 2011 (11:39 am)

Go Paul! Let’s at least elect a Honorary Mayor of West Seattle. Lots of the West Seattle neighborhoods have community associations. Perhaps this “Mayor” could be a link to them all.

foy boy May 25, 2011 (12:03 pm)

EAO Thats a great idea. It would be small but great step.

newnative May 25, 2011 (1:26 pm)

There are some obvious logistical points to cover; hospital, police/emergency services. The city Parks system costly . However, with isolating our tax revenue, we could improve our transportation.

OP May 25, 2011 (1:59 pm)

Where’s our tax base? Answer: Eddie Vedder, one of WS’s richest. ;) Much to his chagrin, I imagine.

Brain Dead in West Seattle May 25, 2011 (2:18 pm)

Perhaps I was a bit harsh in my earlier comment.

However, I think West Seattle is a great Seattle neighborhood. While, many cities have problems, especially considering the down economy and infrastructure problems, I seriously doubt that seceding from Seattle would improve our wonderful part of Seattle. I believe some people forget how expensive it is to just MAINTAIN taken-for-granted city services. Fire protection, water, sewer, police, roads, sidewalks, electricity, etc.
Yeah, we have potholes. We also have wonderful, large, and plentiful parks. Most neighborhoods in West Seattle have sidewalks.

We have the high level, and low level West Seattle bridges and a water taxi. Decent and frequent bus service.

Is traffic sometimes tough? You bet. But at least we are physically close to major destinations, such as Downtown, the airport, Costco, South Center, hospitals, etc. Where in the Seattle area would you rather live to be in relative close proximity to all of those destinations? Plus, we have shopping that does not even require leaving West Seattle, unless you are a big Walmart fan.

But try driving through “beautiful, affluent” Bellevue at commute time, or the I-405 corridor, or I-5 corridor, or state highway 520, or state highway 167, or through Puyallup, or Woodinville, or Kirkland, or Edmonds, or Lynnwood, or Bothell, or Federal Way. Is the grass truly greener in those other places?

RJB May 25, 2011 (3:02 pm)

Hey….Eddie for Mayor.

Terry May 25, 2011 (4:41 pm)

He has a creepy smile but I will vote for Eddie if he turns Admiral hill into an autoban, and outlaws talk of Trader Joes and Coyotes.

4thGenWestSide May 25, 2011 (10:05 pm)

LIght day for news. Get a job, Paul.

Paul May 26, 2011 (12:00 am)

how much would a mayor of west seattle make?…on a side note your throwing a monkey wrench in my pro marijuana argument

Taterneck May 26, 2011 (1:11 pm)

The LAST thing we need in the City of Seattle and Washington State is more government. West Seattle is great as is, don’t mess with whats not broken. Or is Texas that we’re not supposed to mess with? Wait, it’s gotta be your bull…

How about we take the money from installing a new Government in West Seattle and install a car catapult on the West Seattle bridge instead. Think of all the stalled cars and clueless drivers who stop in open lanes to merge that we could eliminate! We’d all get to work in 10 minutes.

Hooray!

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