They want to represent you on the City Council. So what did they think of mayor’s ‘State of the City’?

Mayor Murray presented his “State of the City” address on Tuesday afternoon. If you missed it, here are three links:

Mayor’s news release
Full text of the speech
Seattle Times (WSB partner)

The only scripted mention of West Seattle was this: “Sound Transit 3 is our path forward to build new light rail connections within the city, including to Ballard and West Seattle. These vital connections would link our growing light rail system to Puget Sound’s largest job centers.”

Of course, the speech overall was about the entire city, so most if not all of what was mentioned will potentially affect us all. Since West Seattle/South Park will have its first District 1 City Councilmember by the time the mayor gives his NEXT “State of the City” speech, we asked each of the eight current D-1 candidates for a one-paragraph review of the mayor’s speech. We didn’t make the request until early evening, a few hours after the speech, and gave them until this morning to respond. All 8 did. Read their mini-reviews ahead, in the order in which we received them (P.S. after the final one, we have two quick updates on the council race in general):

CHAS REDMOND

I like the Mayor’s presentation. I like and agree with the growth approach, particularly growing without displacing. I like and agree with the transportation integration and sustainability aproach. I like the emphasis on and agree with the improvements to infrastructure and particularly the focus on light rail to West Seattle and Ballard. I like and agree with the utility reduction approach and the gender equity approach. I like and agree with the housing affordability approach, especially the commitment of funds for a kick-start. I like and agree with the early learning and the youth employment. And, I like and agree with the business help and growth and the approach for the city to reach out and visit businesses and those normally not participating. I like and support the community policing and SPD reform and I am impressed and agree with the performance metrics tool page and the budget analysis tool page. Overall, I’d say Mayor Murray was moving the Executive branch in a direction I completely support and would help with as a Councilmember. The Mayor also knows how to thank and was very gracious in his words to Tom Rasmussen, Nick Licata and others. He’s very optimistic, and so am I, and I think he’s right on in most areas he covered.

LISA HERBOLD

Mayor Murray’s State of the City address spoke well of his goals to address income and opportunity inequality, fair distribution of public resources, affordability, job growth, mobility, and police accountability. The challenge with a speech like this, I think, is to be inclusive of the many the issues a diverse populace cares about while also proposing the means to move forward. 1) The Mayor acknowledged that infrastructure investments aren’t keeping pace with the needs caused by growth in our neighborhoods. Will he propose impact fees to insure development helps to pay for those sorely-needed investments? 2) Applying principals of equity and race and social justice to our 2035 Comprehensive Plan is a great objective. I would argue that those principals are included in some of our CompPlan policies already, but we haven’t had a commitment to self-correct when we don’t meet them. For instance the CompPlan policies that strive for preservation of existing housing and 25% affordable housing development as part of our overall new housing growth goals. We are succeeding at neither. What will be different under the 2035 Comp Plan? 3) Similarly, the Mayor’s commitment specifically to enhanced citizen oversight as part of police accountability; of the Community Police Commission’s recommendations for citizen oversight, what will he propose to the Council? 4) The area of housing affordability was an area that I most wished that the Mayor would have charted some clear direction. He referenced already existing housing development funds he’ll use implementing the HALA committee recommendations, but not all of the HALA’s work is devoted to building housing. A crucial portion of their work relates to the need for new laws to help renters and those to also require developers to pay their fair share. It would have been helpful for the Mayor to signal his explicit expectation that HALA recommendations also address these issues of social justice and equity.

PHILLIP TAVEL

As I watched the mayor give his state of the city speech today I was struck as much by what wasn’t said as what was. The mayor mentioned several neighborhoods, including West Seattle, but South Park was left out. The Mayor lauded transit improvements and increased service across the city, but unfortunately West Seattle is still underserved by our transit system. The mayor didn’t mention the biggest mega-project in Seattle, or address the public’s concerns about the tunnel’s cost, management and problems. The maritime and manufacturing industries were stressed as big parts of our planned economic growth, but the tech industry wasn’t. I agree that Seattle is a vibrant and innovative city, but I know that more can be done to harness our potential without leaving people behind.

GEORGE CAPESTANY

I agree with Mayor Murray that Seattle is a great city and one of the fastest growing urban cities in the country. I understand this brings both opportunities and challenges. I however believe that it takes a whole united community to address many of the challenges the Mayor noted. I think that many of our community partners (non-profits; churches; organizations; schools) are better suited to deliver services underneath a community goal. I strongly believe the City of Seattle’s responsibility instead of growing government is to focus on the core issues upon with we were originally founded and that is to provide life; safety and infrastructure services for the people and businesses that live in our city. We have a lot of aging infrastructure that needs to be the focus of our attention. Accommodation of the growth the Mayor spoke of particularly here, in District 1 needs to be targeted and specific. It is plainly evident that something that works on Capitol Hill doesn’t necessarily work here, in West Seattle.

BRIANNA THOMAS

I appreciated several parts of the speech, especially the plan to do more for our public schools. However, I didn’t hear enough about affordability. West Seattle has long been a great middle-class community with affordable rents and housing prices. That’s starting to change and we need more aggressive timelines for action. HALA is moving in the right direction, but it still took four months to write a problem statement and we won’t have recommendations for another four months. That’s too long, we have the fastest rising rents of any city in the country. It’s getting too hard for many people who work here, to live here.

AMANDA KAY HELMICK

I am glad to hear the Mayor is supportive of a Sound Transit 3 plan that includes West Seattle. West Seattle and South Park may not be an island, but the lack of innovative transportation solutions have made us feel like one. With the rapid increase of new housing, the West Seattle Transportation Coalition has been working with the city on a proposed West Seattle Transportation Corridor. This is a perfect place to start the implementation of the Move Seattle initiative. As a parent, I have always thought of West Seattle as an affordable and safe place to move when starting a family – I will do everything I can as a Councilmember to maintain that. I support the Mayor’s renewed emphasis on more equitable development. Innovative ideas like incentives to developers who add affordable family housing units, re-writing the failing Multi-Family Tax Exemption, and supporting more housing on city owned property is the direction Seattle needs to head. The need for more peace officers building community, and fewer officers following the protocols of a war zone are also critical. With the Seattle Police Department undergoing contract negotiations, the Mayor should look to make concrete changes in how officers are hired, disciplined, and held accountable for their actions. As your representative for District 1, I look forward to working with the Mayor on addressing Seattle’s needs.

SHANNON BRADDOCK

I liked the Mayor’s recognition of our areas of great progress –priority hire, minimum wage rollout and universal pre-k for examples. I was also pleased to hear him acknowledge some our shortcomings – racial and income inequalities, lack of affordability for many in our communities and a need to find better ways to engage with everyone who lives here. I am raising my three kids in this community and they are attending our public schools. I want them to experience a community and a city that is economically vibrant, culturally diverse and supports working families. I will continue fighting for more access and connections to transit, public safety resources and education, affordable housing, technology access, and finding the balance to accommodate our growth and unique neighborhoods. District 1 is a community that makes change through our partnerships with non-profits and community groups. I believe that although we have many common issues throughout Seattle, we need strong neighborhood representation accessible to all people, and representation with the experience to work across boundaries and get things done for District 1. The districts system for council elections was not supported to further isolate and separate neighborhoods, but to strengthen the collective ideas and energy of our city and neighborhoods. I look forward to working with our community, other city councilmembers, and our mayor to fulfill the potential of West Seattle and South Park.

DAVE MONTOURE

I appreciate that Mayor Murray addressed the need for a better coordinated approach to economic development in the City. I did not hear any specifics on how the Mayor plans to coordinate that effort but I would encourage the Mayor to include a seat at the table for our small and independent businesses that are the backbone of our local economy. I am thrilled that the Mayor acknowledged the critical need for light rail between West Seattle and Ballard. I look forward to hearing from the Mayor’s Housing Affordability Advisory Committee when their recommendations are presented in May.

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Thanks to the candidates for responding! Two related notes:

CLARK NOT RUNNING: City Councilmember Sally Clark announced this morning that she is not going to run after all. That makes her the third current councilmember to announce that decision, after Tom Rasmussen and Nick Licata. Clark had declared for one of the two at-large seats, so she would have been on ballots in this area.

NEXT CHANCE TO SEE/HEAR THE CANDIDATES: Thanks again to everyone who attended and participated in our “First Look” candidates’ forum, featuring the 4 who were in the race as of the time (February 5th – Capestany, Helmick, Redmond, and Tavel). The next one, presented by VIEWS (Visualizing Increased Engagement in West Seattle), is now official – Saturday morning, March 14th, at the Senior Center of West Seattle. It will start with an optional breakfast to raise $ to cover costs (VIEWS is an all-volunteer group) at 9 am, followed by an introductory/mingle half-hour at 10, and the forum itself at 10:30. No webpage so far but here’s the Facebook event page.

JoB February 18, 2015 (11:27 am)

this is useful

lox February 18, 2015 (11:42 am)

I’ll admit, this is the first I’ve really taken a look at the candidates, but Lisa Herbold looks to me like the only one who put some critical thinking into the equation. It’s not just about what he said, which is to please the most amount of people in the least amount of words, it’s about what he didn’t say. From first glance, it seems like she is a candidate who won’t settle and will strive to make improvements. Hope so! Thanks WSB for the write ups. They helped me.

Peter February 18, 2015 (1:27 pm)

What’s lacking right now is any substantial differentiation between the candidates. They need to start coming out with the specific policies and legislation they will pursue.

Jay February 18, 2015 (1:38 pm)

I’ll miss Sally Clark.

Fiwa Jcbbb February 18, 2015 (2:03 pm)

Hey! West 5 Dave is running! I did not know that! Super nice guy who’s done great things with Junction Assoc. and Street Fair. Of course I can’t vote for anyone who ever supported “Surface/Transit”, I hope all candidates spill the beans on that.

Alki Mom February 18, 2015 (2:09 pm)

I’ve met Shannon Braddock. I think she will emerge in this crowded race as a pragmatic voice for progressive values and someone who relates well to the district.

Diane February 18, 2015 (2:21 pm)

thank you wsblog for this; unexpected and very useful; while listening to the Mayor’s speech yesterday, I was screaming at the tv; have it recorded if I can stand to go back and watch; what stood out for me, 2nd year in a row, the Mayor said nothing about the gender pay gap; and nothing about our fastest growing population, seniors; most seniors still need/want to work, and face numerous challenges, like ageism in hiring; during the campaign, I talked to the Mayor about the need to help seniors get jobs; for years I’ve talked to several CC members about the need for more/better senior services; to help seniors get jobs; mentoring, internships, tuition assistance to upgrade skills, etc; there was nothing in this speech about any help for seniors; zip
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he barely touched on the affordable housing crisis; yes, our city has a major housing CRISIS, and his appointed HALA committee with secret meetings (no one who was not invited are allowed to even listen in); huge FAIL; wth are they even doing? they spent 4 months to come up with a 2 sentence statement? we are in a crisis, with renters being displaced daily from affordable housing; new apt projects are charging rents that are at least double what most people can afford; and yet, the Mayor praised this ridiculous committee that he’s still giving another few months to come up with what? another statement? any concrete solutions?
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many/most senior citizens are living on fixed incomes; and many are renters, who cannot afford escalating rents
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so far, the only District 1 candidate who is really addressing the affordable housing crisis with concrete solutions, is Lisa Herbold
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the Mayor said nothing about the needs of our senior citizens; alas, neither did any of the candidates in these statements about his speech
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and btw, I was reminded at JUNO last night, that the Mayor has been invited numerous times to visit West Seattle to meet with community; his office has never even responded to a single email sent to him by our JUNO president; a big part of his campaign platform was engaging neighborhoods; he’s been in office for 14 months, and not a single visit to a WS community meeting???

Diane February 18, 2015 (3:28 pm)

“Seattle mayor’s legal counsel announces bid for City Council; Less than two hours after Seattle City Councilmember Sally Clark dropped her re-election bid Wednesday, Mayor Ed Murray’s legal counsel, M. Lorena González, declared for the seat that Clark had been seeking.”, via Lorena González fb page

WSB February 18, 2015 (3:47 pm)

She is a West Seattleite, according to her news release, which we received some hours back.

Mark February 18, 2015 (4:00 pm)

Helpful. Thank you WSB. Even better? Have them orate a future, “state of the city” address and their accomplishments in bringing the vision to reality. Campaigns, as we know are nothing more than prospective leadership exercises that are high on social persuasion and low on action. The “orate a future state” with specific actions/strategies/alliances gets the voters closer to the experience we can expect.

WSB February 18, 2015 (4:08 pm)

Thanks, this is a start, and it’s more than we or anyone else has done/asked in recent-past campaign coverage (as we said before organizing the 2/5 forum, we hate the fact that campaigns can so easily be boiled down to little more than sign-waving and postcard-sending). We’ll be trying a variety of things as the months go by so that no one – no one who comes here regularly, anyway – will be able to say “well, I really didn’t know much about the candidates” – TR

West Seattle Hipster February 18, 2015 (4:26 pm)

Thanks for posting this WSB, this is very informative. This type of information really helps educate voters.

My household is voting for Dave Montoure.

i'mcoveredinbees February 18, 2015 (5:44 pm)

Lisa Herbold,

You have my vote! THANK YOU for being concrete.

JonathanFrench206 February 18, 2015 (6:17 pm)

Dave Montoure!

Eric1 February 18, 2015 (6:23 pm)

Unfortunately I agree with the WSB that most voters are uninformed and don’t do their homework and are swayed by name recognition, signs and postcards. Heck if I changed my last name to McDermott and ran for city council, I’d have a fair chance of winning.
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I really appreciate the WSB going out and making the local candidates take a stand (as much as any politician will) on various issues. The local candidates know that they better answer when the WSB come knocking since it seems like 90% of West Seattle reads the blog. This kind of West Seattle specific attention would not happen in a city-wide election. Please keep the candidates on their toes and help us sort them out.

WSB February 18, 2015 (8:06 pm)

Thanks, Eric1 … we didn’t mean to impugn the voters – we’re acknowledging we failed to spotlight local races enough as part of ongoing news coverage in the past few years, and are intent on not making that mistake again – TR

NBR February 18, 2015 (6:29 pm)

I used to enjoy the mac ‘n cheese at West 5 but given the politics of the owner I’ll spend my money elsewhere until he explains why he is against a $15 minimum wage. Dave Montoure a candidate to represent small business owners has some explaining to do.

Jpa I. February 18, 2015 (8:23 pm)

NBR if you think he needs to answer some questions why don’t you meet with him? I asked and got some direct responses. info@daveforcitycouncil.com

jtj February 18, 2015 (8:51 pm)

NBR, you should know most if not all restaurants feel the same way so perhaps you should stock up on Stouffers

captainDave February 18, 2015 (11:03 pm)

Much of Murray’s speech reminds me of the prelude to the demise of Detroit. Why can’t progressives learn from actual history? Building massive social programs while continuing to deter small businesses with excessive regulations is a dangerous thing to do. Most of the above candidates seem entirely onboard with more reckless spending and more barriers to private employment. Looks like a disaster in the making…

George Capestany seems to be the only one who said anything sensible here.

Publius February 18, 2015 (11:23 pm)

Thanks to WSB for putting the candidates in a position where they had to think on their feet and come up with substantive answers in a short amount of time.

In that context, I think Lisa Herbold knocked this exercise out of the park. Her response showed me that she has a strong command of the issues from working in Councilmember Licata’s office and is running because she has a specific vision for her role as an elected representative. Her ability to judge the good and the bad in Mayor Murray’s speech with a nuanced eye makes me think she will be able to work collaboratively with the mayor and council, while still making sure West Seattle gets its fair share!

I was disappointed with some of the other candidates whose responses seemed vague and generic, although it sounded like Kay Helmick has some ideas to bring to the table as well.

Melissaba February 19, 2015 (6:37 am)

This is very informative. Thanks WSB for posting. I agree with NBR that Dave needs to explain his stance on the $15 minimum wage. I am amazed at how much rents have sky rocketed since becoming a homeowner. Now $900 is cheap for a studio apartment in West Seattle. I would have had trouble affording that making $20 an hour. Even a harder time on a fixed income like Senior Citizens.

I also agree with Publilus that Herbold is bringing the nuanced response that West Seattle most desperately needs.

NBR February 19, 2015 (6:51 am)

@jtj – many restaurants raised concerns about how it was to be implemented, but Dave Montoure threw $1,000 toward a campaign that deliberately lied to voters. If he’s the kind of candidate who is going to lie to voters, we need a public statement to clarify his position, not back door conversations telling individual voters what they want to hear.

Dawn February 19, 2015 (7:16 am)

Thank you for the introduction to the candidates, WSB! I look forward to more coverage as the election progresses. : )

Joe Szilagyi February 19, 2015 (8:42 am)

Comparing Seattle to Detroit is nonsensical, guys. That would be an apt comparison if all of the following pulled all jobs and operations of our area in the next 10-40 years: Internet companies, forestry, port operations, general technology companies, medical systems companies, and biotech.
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If they all pulled out, sure. Detroit 2.0. Detroit’s failing was they had nearly 100% of their industry eggs in one basket, and that basket imploded and moved away.

alkiobserver February 19, 2015 (8:50 am)

The mayor disappoints me. Caves and folds to the Savant crowd left and right. Not every job is worthy or should require a “living wage”. Starter jobs for kids like serving ice cream, bagging groceries or flipping burgers are going to go away. Lisa Herbold is not getting my vote. She touched on the classic issues that Licata fixated on while ignoring the means to actually pay for them. She seems like a fine person, but just zero business sense. Dave Montoure is getting the vote from my household as he, not only has a clue about business but a good conscience.

AceMotel February 19, 2015 (9:52 am)

Lisa Herbold has my vote, in this field. It would be OK if she only continued Nicanta’s legacy, but she will bring her own to the office. Much that is fine and good in this city is a result of Nick’s service. I cannot vote for Dave Montour until he proves that he is more than a small business owner with a conscience :-) and that he knows how to represent the many and diverse constituencies in West Seattle.

KM February 19, 2015 (10:53 am)

Love to hear more incumbents are not running–excited for some fresh faces!

pjmanley February 19, 2015 (11:00 am)

“Front of the house” restaurant employees make most of their money on tips, and typically earn well over $15 per hour already. They also share tips with busboys and hostesses. “Back of the house” kitchen and prep cooks probably earn less than $15, and could use a bump to $15 if the business can afford it. What Dave M deals with daily is his food cost percentage. If it goes over 40%, he’s out of business. Liquor sales probably keep him in business already, and they’ll all have to be raised substantially to keep pace if everyone gets $15 per hour, plus tips. Can and will WS patrons pay today’s Canlis prices to eat at West 5 tomorrow? I suspect Dave M doesn’t think so, and is making his case as to why. And why is he some evil capitalist keeping his boot on the neck of the poor and downtrodden because he holds a realistic, but unpopular opinion in some parts? I may not vote for Dave M, but his concerns are entirely real and reasonable as a small business & restaurant owner in WS.

captainDave February 19, 2015 (11:36 am)

Sorry Joe: Biotech is gone (Amgen was the last one). Port operations are now dead from unions–Seattle was replaced by Vancouver and Prince Rupert. Weyerhaeuser hasn’t moved in yet (and won’t if the economy collapses). The City has created enormous “social justice” inspired barriers to new business so technology and entrepreneurial growth is nowhere near the level it was 20 years ago. UW doesn’t count because the government cant live off itself. That leaves Amazon as Seattle’s sole major employer–nothing more than a big retailer with slim margins and an indefensible market share. Seattle is exactly where Detroit was 50 years ago–except Amazon is a hell of a lot more portable than the auto industry. The mayor and City Council members/candidates need to recognize this fact and get back to allowing investors to create a broad economic base or else we will all be screwed like the inhabitants of Detroit. Keep in mind that Detroit was once considered the most prosperous city in the world before socialism destroyed it.

wscommuter February 19, 2015 (12:40 pm)

Thanks WSB for doing this. Not knowing much about any of these candidates, this is very helpful. Will look forward to more such information about all as we move towards the primary.

Peter February 19, 2015 (1:45 pm)

Joe, don’t even bother responding to Captain Dave. The Seattle as Detroit trope is a standard line of anti-Seattle east siders. I can all but guarantee you Captain Dave does not live in Seattle. So please do not feed the trolls.

wetone February 19, 2015 (3:59 pm)

captainDave, well said and sooooo true.

miws February 19, 2015 (4:22 pm)

Looks like Amgen’s leaving was all on themselves:

http://tinyurl.com/l2oko3c

And that’s after the City of Seattle paid $19 Million, in the early 2,000’s for a flyover bridge from Elliott Av, over the railroad tracks, for Amgen’s predecessor Immunex, which Amgen bought out.

Buyouts of competitors seems to be one of Amgen’s favorite pastimes:

http://tinyurl.com/mwmaqw6

Because monopolies bad. Competition healthy.

Mike

Jeff Jones February 19, 2015 (8:04 pm)

NBR, you should be ashamed of yourself if you have any shame. Because someone doesnt agree with your ideas, you call them a liar, disgracefull! First, get the facts straight, then show a little class. Dave is one of the most honest, generous, beloved members our West.Seattle community. Disagree if you will but show some grace. i look forward to your apology, lifetime west seattleite

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