20 Replies to "YOUR NEXT MAYOR: Candidate forum at West Seattle Summer Fest GreenLife on July 15. What would YOU ask?"

• Kayla Avenell July 6, 2017 (12:56 pm)

   As drug use is overwhelmingly evident in Seattle and King County, my question is this:

  How do the mayoral candidates plan to address this problem as a tier of homelessness, criminal activity and substance abuse issues?  

• Mark July 6, 2017 (1:58 pm)

  My inquiry – over the years Seattle’s beaucracy has grown significantly.  What would you do to scrub the system of programs that are not effective?  What one program would use propose to eliminate?

• Mark Schletty July 6, 2017 (2:19 pm)

  My questions:

  Do any of you support reverting our arterial streets to the previously established multilane roadways,  and moving the bike lanes to nonarterial streets?

  Would any of you support a moratorium on new development, other than one-for-one replacement, for West Seattle until better access/egress to the area is in place? What would you support to stop, or at least slow, the out of control overdevelopment of West Seattle? 

  Would any of you support a reversion to requiring parking to be provided at all new development? Or a requirement that landlords include a “no car ownership” in the leases of no parking  housing developments? 

  Would any of you support the ending of on-street parking space removal so that mobility restricted people who must use a car have a place to park when arriving at their destination?

  Will any of you fire Scott  Kubly? 

  Would any of you support immediate construction of westbound onramps from  both 4th and 6th to the west seattle bridge?

  Would any of you support rescinding HALA? 

  • fiz July 7, 2017 (10:10 am)

    Based on this excellent list of questions, I would vote for you!

• B. July 6, 2017 (3:00 pm)

  Our skyrocketing housing costs have made Seattle real estate an attractive parking lot for overseas wealth, particularly from China. If elected mayor, what steps would you take to curb overseas investment in our housing market and free up more inventory for the people struggling to live here?

• B. July 6, 2017 (3:08 pm)

  As our population booms, infrastructure projects to keep up with the growing density are sorely needed. From roads to schools to transit, the expense for all of these has largely fallen on those already struggling to get by in the form of a never-ending string of regressive taxes. As mayor, what would you do to shift the cost burden of these needs onto the individuals and companies who are profiting most from the wealth explosion that has created them?

• Denis July 6, 2017 (3:34 pm)

  Since the  HALA EIS briefly mentions Seattle sewer mains that are less than 12 inches are likely at or near capacity and would need replacement , when  in fact about 90  percent of the city’s sewer mains are less than 12 inches, including 32 blocks in the junction urban village (majority are 8″), who will be forced to pay to replace the miles of city sewers to accommodate development .  How much will it cost?  Won’t this actually cost residents hundreds of millions of dollars citywide.

• ScubaFrog July 6, 2017 (9:01 pm)

  My question:  As Mayor, will any of you tolerate Chief O’Toole’s decision to continue working as our Chief, even though she’s taken a full time position in Ireland as well?  

• WSguy July 6, 2017 (10:43 pm)

   What is your views on raising property tax on those that own a home to help those who are home-less? 

   Do any of the candidates want to repeal the sound transit vehicle tabs Levy that went into effect this year? 

   Do any of the candidates want to lower the property taxes for Seattle residents?

• they July 7, 2017 (8:20 am)

  Show of hands please… Who will step down if its shown that what you said when asking for my vote is not what you supported after you were elected. I’d give some examples but that would take up most the day.

• flimflam July 7, 2017 (9:08 am)

  I would ask, what is happening with the truckload of taxes, in cash, paid to the recreational marijuana stores? why isn’t this money used toward lessening the burden on property owners who seem to be on the hook for any and every coast overrun, levy, now the new budget also pushing even more burden on property tax for schools?

• CAM July 7, 2017 (10:22 am)

  1. In previous forums some candidates have discussed a need to evaluate the budget and reprioritize how money is being spent. As mayor, what would be your top 3 priorities for the use of tax dollars?

  2. (If I can have 2) The criminal justice system is increasingly coping with individuals with serious mental illness despite the knowledge that jails and prisons are inappropriate places for them. As mayor, how would you work to encourage, promote, or develop systems to divert the mentally ill from arrests and jails while also meeting their needs adequately elsewhere?

• MM July 7, 2017 (10:16 pm)

  I agree with the questioner who asked about unrestricted investment and rent increases in Seattle real estate.  I personally know 3 people who have lost their places of residence in just the past week due to rent increases of up to 30%.  It is ugly, friends!

  Ditto the tax situation here, ie property taxes.  How do the candidates feel about the move to impose an income tax on Seattle residents making over a certain amount per year?  I am a retired person and cannot afford to keep paying more on my home to make up for a lack of realistic and fair taxation in this state!

• Kristopher July 10, 2017 (11:26 am)

  What is your opinion on genetically modified food and do you support mandatory labeling of GMO’s? Many countries now ban the growing or import of GM-crops.

• GS July 11, 2017 (7:53 am)

  What is your assessment of how the homeless crisis has been handled, and what will your plan of action (if any) be, in dealing with this issue? Do you believe that agencies designed to assist those in need should work independently or collaboratively?

• Brian July 11, 2017 (3:47 pm)

  As a city that supposedly cares about race and social justice (affirmed as a ‘core value’ last year by Council), some departments spend 95% or more of their dollars purchasing goods and services from white male-owned businesses. Is this wrong? What will you do as the city’s chief administrator to achieve racial and gender parity in city spending and leverage the city’s purchasing power to promote women and minority-owned businesses?

• David Toledo July 11, 2017 (8:02 pm)

   The NW has some of the highest rates of child pornography and under-age sex trafficking in the nation. Is the current administration doing enough to stop this evil? If not, what would you do differently?

• Linda Williamson July 12, 2017 (11:18 pm)

  Transportation! The daily gridlock facing Seattle residents attempting to get to work or school is rapidly becoming untenable (with Seattle now ranking near the top of the list for worst traffic in the country). Light Rail is a help – but will not be available to some of our most populous neighborhoods (West Seattle!) for at least another two decades. As busses share the same traffic corridors as the cars, they end up just as trapped in the traffic snarl. What city-level actions do you propose to help alleviate the impossible traffic congestion? 

  • WSB July 12, 2017 (11:53 pm)

    Just for the record – still not exactly around the corner, and who knows how it will unfold, but the official Sound Transit 3 date for West Seattle light rail is 13 years away (2030), not two decades. Thanks to everybody for asking questions. We have 16 candidates RSVP’d last I heard and we’re going to do our best to keep them on point so we can hear many answers and ideas.

• K July 13, 2017 (1:53 pm)

  Here’s my question:

  According to an in-depth analysis by the JuNO Land Use Committee, the HALA plan and EIS show serious flaws and shortcomings (e.g. the EIS says that the morning peak hour commute time from West Seattle to I-5 in a car is currently 9 minutes (!), and will remain unchanged in the next 20 years; the much-touted affordability issue in HALA will only result in 22-36 additional affordable units in the Junction after HALA is fully implemented; no real solution is offered to mitigate overcrowded schools and commuter buses in West Seattle; virtually no coordination or thought is given in HALA to the building of light rail to West Seattle). As mayor, how would you propose addressing the problems with the HALA Plan? 

    

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