ELECTION 2019: Herbold leading Tavel for Seattle City Council District 1

M November 5, 2019 (8:29 pm)

Lot more votes to be counted. Good luck Phil.

CAM November 5, 2019 (8:45 pm)

Traditionally the later votes swing more progressive/liberal. That isn’t very many counted though at this point.
- WW Resident November 6, 2019 (4:33 am)
  
  There’s actually a difference between a liberal and a so called “progressive”. An example is the former professor, Brent Weinstein, from Evergreen State College is a liberal (a very intelligent one at that) and was ran out of that school and called a racist by the so called “progressives” of said, so called school.
Jort November 5, 2019 (9:12 pm)

As you know, conservatives always do better in later ballot returns here in Seattle. As more ballots are counted, progressives always end up losing more and more votes and … oh … wait … that’s never happened in Seattle during the mail-in era. Hey, on the bright side, Phil can go back to hosting trivia night at the pizza place and “The Hydrant” can continue to stay “opening soon” for another four years (and blame Lisa Herbold (???!!??) for it).
- Sixbuck November 5, 2019 (9:41 pm)
  
  Referring to Phil Tavel as “conservative”…Too funny!!
- Joe November 5, 2019 (9:41 pm)
  
  Stay classy Jort
- CAM November 5, 2019 (9:58 pm)
  
  Free speech is great but walking past that display at the Hydrant has made it very difficult for me to continue wanting to shop at Next to Nature for the past months. You’d have to think the owners would consider not wanting to alienate 50% or more of their consumer base (based on primary results). The whole thing has left a bad taste in my mouth and I’ve almost started heading elsewhere for my weekly pet food run. Hopefully it comes down soon.
  - KJE November 5, 2019 (10:40 pm)
    
    There’s always Pet Element in Morgan Junction! Your cats will love it!
  - SRG November 6, 2019 (6:42 am)
    
    Agreed. I’m not sure I can go back to Easy Street after it was listed as a Tavel supporter on one of his mailers. The fact that Tavel has 48% right now makes me want to rethink living in West Seattle.
    - Change Please November 6, 2019 (1:31 pm)
      
      Are you serious???? Try having a small business and see if you would vote for Lisa.
  - Wsres November 6, 2019 (7:05 am)
    
    Pet elements is so much better!

Joe Z November 5, 2019 (8:36 pm)

How much bus service are we going to lose from 976 passing?

CAM November 5, 2019 (8:41 pm)

There is nothing out there saying that 976 is going to pass. And it’s currently not.
- Sixbuck November 5, 2019 (9:42 pm)
  
  Which results are you checking?? It’s passing by over 100,000 votes.
KM November 5, 2019 (8:47 pm)

Not sure if I’ve seen a robust analysis. I guess first step is seeing if the initiative is upheld by the state Supreme Court, but I imagine that municipalities should start planning if they haven’t already.
CAM November 5, 2019 (8:52 pm)

Ugh. I was only looking at the PDF linked above. See my above comment though regarding the late vote. King County progressives voting late will swing that back to a no result.
- Sixbuck November 5, 2019 (9:46 pm)
  
  Don’t worry! I’m sure King County has a few boxes of “misplaced” ballots hidden somewhere in reserve.
  - Nolan November 6, 2019 (8:31 am)
    
    Do you routinely throw out flippant accusations of voter fraud? Your comment is in incredibly poor taste and you should be ashamed to question the integrity of our voting system without backing evidence.
    - Sixbuck November 6, 2019 (1:52 pm)
      
      OK….Gregoire vs. Rossi 2004
      Still ashamed of that one.
    - Sixbuck November 6, 2019 (6:00 pm)
      
      My evidence is Gregoire vs. Rossi in 2004. But you probably don’t remember that.
- Quora November 6, 2019 (6:36 am)
  
  Uh, you are completely wrong. Look at the results; it’s going to pass.
  - CAM November 6, 2019 (8:42 am)
    
    King county has over 2 million residents and in the most recent off-year general election over 550,000 votes were counted. There’s still a lot of votes out there. And again, the voters more likely to vote no are likely to come in later. Nothing is determined at this point.
- East Coast Cynic November 6, 2019 (9:08 am)
  
  Past Eyman initiatives that have come before the WA Supreme Court have been shot down, so lets see if a flat $30 car tab survives.
Peter November 6, 2019 (10:01 am)

We are going to lose a lot of bus service. All major bus routes in West Seattle have extra runs funded by the Seattle TBD. I don’t know the exact number, but between the C, 120, 55,56, and 21, I believe it’s several dozen commute time buses each morning and evening, and there will be less frequent daytime and evening service for most routes as service hours are shifted. Of course, all those who voted for career criminal Tim Eyeman’s initiative will be overjoyed at the increased traffic as people are forced against their will to revert to driving because their bus is too full to get on or just doesn’t come. Thanks everyone!
- Sixbuck November 6, 2019 (1:56 pm)
  
  Buses are already too crowded and don’t show up on time/at all. The 21 route has already been gutted. Many already pay a special tax to save bus services which were then gutted.

Darius November 5, 2019 (8:53 pm)

I wonder what office Tavel will lose next

wsres November 5, 2019 (8:53 pm)

I hope she takes in that almost HALF of her constituents thinks she is doing the wrong thing and she changes what she is doing for west seattle and our city.

Jort November 5, 2019 (9:29 pm)

Maybe she’ll listen to the more than HALF of her constituents who think she is doing the right thing and she doesn’t change what she’s doing for West Seattle and our city.
KM November 5, 2019 (9:34 pm)

That’s not the case. It’s roughly half of people who have voted thus far, not half her constituents.
cjboffoli November 5, 2019 (9:48 pm)

Well, considering that the average voter turnout here hovers around 40%, the math would be closer to 20% disapprove, 20% support, and the remaining 60% don’t care to weigh in either way.
- West Seattle since 1979 November 6, 2019 (12:15 pm)
  
  It’s too bad more people don’t vote when it’s so easy to just mail it in. I don’t know how much easier they could make it, and still there’s a low turnout.
Peter November 5, 2019 (11:27 pm)

That’s do? More than half think Yavel would be worse.

GOP in WS November 5, 2019 (8:54 pm)

Not West Seattle, but Sawant is losing in District 3.

WSB November 5, 2019 (9:25 pm)

I’ve added updates on all the other districts and will further refine with the full numbers/percentages in the next hour or so.

42nd Mom November 5, 2019 (9:01 pm)

My ballot was just turned in today so it hasn’t been counted yet. Add one more for Tavel!

Reality November 5, 2019 (9:02 pm)

Since the late voters trend left, does this basically mean we get to keep our Lisa Herbold?

Cbj November 5, 2019 (9:06 pm)

God help us if Lisa winsill really question the sanity of west Seattle voters

Irwin Fletcher November 5, 2019 (9:24 pm)

Frustrating to see Herbold win. No way we will see any stories about how the union bought the election even though I got showered with texts, mailers, and calls from her PACs, and got very few from Tavel, and the union dumped record money into this election.The Times made it sound like Tavel had all the Amazon money he could want. If that’s true, I question his campaign strategy. His visibility was poor, and he took too soft of an approach towards Nick Licata’s protege.Hopefully, some new blood in the other districts will bring some new ideas, and Herbold might just consider the fact that not all business is evil.

HappyCamper November 6, 2019 (9:07 am)

Unions? Really?Unions do spend money on elections but are pretty much always outspent BIG TIME by business and the wealthy. Remember unions are democratic institutions that represent a group of people, not a company. Common talking point that unions use big money to “buy” elections. Typically multiple unions are outspent by a few people (the Koch bro’s. for example) or a couple of companies (a few executives) acting for the company.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/tv-texts-and-canvassers-how-pacs-are-spending-millions-to-sway-the-seattle-city-council-elections/%3famp=1
Sarah November 6, 2019 (10:32 am)

Great comment, Irwin, you summed up my thoughts exactly. My house was showered by Lisa mailers decrying Phil’s “big money” all ironically paid for by her own big money PAC. She is just bought by those PAC donors and that’s not better than being “bought” by local business. When will Seattle learn that “business friendly” does not equal conservative. Bring strategic about your economy is a good thing, but it’s lost amid political grandstanding here
David November 6, 2019 (12:08 pm)

What “union”? Or is yours just an anti-union post?

Les Pantalons November 5, 2019 (9:26 pm)

This glorious result ensures that Phil Tavel is a three time loser, otherwise known as a “perennial candidate”. Perhaps he can form a caucus with Mike the Mover, Goodspaceguy. Oh, and Dino Rossi.

Mj November 5, 2019 (9:53 pm)

If 976 passes the legislature can blame themselves, unjust vehicle valuations pisses people off big time. This was the issue 20 years ago and the legislature did not learn from history. If only the legislature had fixed this issue

Alki Homeowner November 5, 2019 (9:53 pm)

Early congratulations to Lisa, great campaigning, especially by informing the public of your opponents shady business practices and outstanding fees due to our state due to traffic violations. Utter disregard for law and order, that’s what Tavel is about. That info swung many people away from Tavel and it was fair that you pointed it out. I personally will not frequent any business that did have a Tavel sign in their window. Many of my friends and family are doing the same. Businesses should stay out of politics unless they want to deal with the repercussions. Thanks West Seattle and South Park for doing the right thing!

Irwin Fletcher November 5, 2019 (10:21 pm)

That was her PAC pushing all of that info, so it sounds like the unions bought your vote. They pushed the DeVry fraud story because Tavel worked for DeVry, even though he wasn’t involved in any of that stuff. The argument was guilty by association. Yet Herbold was Licata’s protege. Licata played a big role in pushing the Sonics out of town, by rallying the public against funding for a new arena. He also dated a girl who sued the city for $30M while he was still in office. Fortunately, she lost.
- David November 7, 2019 (11:43 am)
  
  Which unions? Could you be more specific with your smears?
Nolan November 6, 2019 (1:19 am)

Seconded on not frequenting businesses with Tavel signage. Elections have consequences, and even if we keep a Chamber of Commerce puppet out of office, those businesses tried to put him there in the first place.

I’ve got a boycott list running and I plan to keep to it indefinitely. Those business owners made their decision and now they get to own the consequences of alienating swaths of their community.
- Jenny November 6, 2019 (7:50 am)
  
  Same–if they’re truly passionate about serving the local community, why were they so eager to flip off more than half of their customers?I’ve been missing Maono, Easy Street, Flying Apron, West Seattle Bowl, Lika Love, and Circa, but they made that bed and now they have to lie in it.
- Andros November 6, 2019 (8:15 am)
  
  I’d like that list and would add a couple names to it. He totally did this the wrong way.
- Sarah November 6, 2019 (10:35 am)
  
  Tavel ran on a platform much more friendly to local business. Why would you hold that against them? Stupid to punish your own local economy and then wonder why small business suffers.
  - Nolan November 6, 2019 (10:48 am)
    
    Tavel also thinks the homeless are lazy (despite evidence to the contrary), says light rail will bring crime (despite evidence to the contrary), and opposes additional funding because he thinks the city is spending inefficiently yet cannot name a single line item he would cut.
    
    This about isn’t a mere difference of opinion, or about being “business friendly”. This is about businesses choosing to die on the hill of electing someone whose positions are so detached from reality that he would harm our city through sheer negligence.
- Darryll November 6, 2019 (6:37 pm)
  
  Wow. Small businesses are run by human beings. Last I checked, they get to have opinions and even share them. I’ll be shopping based on selection, price, and customer service, regardless of which nearly identical council candidate was preferred.
M November 6, 2019 (5:47 am)

You may not want to frequent small businesses that support Tavel but the with Lisa in the office the uncontrolled mental health crisis will allow the junkies to shoplift and steal from them without recourse.
SRG November 6, 2019 (6:53 am)

And he continued to lie and say he is currently a public defender when he is not a public defender. I found that offensive. How could so many supposedly smart people and business owners get conned by a liar?
- Pete November 6, 2019 (8:48 am)
  
  SRG care to back up this false allegation with some facts? Or facts still don’t matter?
  - SRG November 6, 2019 (11:13 am)
    
    Hi Pete,Facts matter and are very important. Tavel was clearly misleading about his occupation.Here are the objective facts, supplied by Mr. Tavel himself. First, look him up on the Washington State Bar. He is not a public defender and is not associated with a public defender office.https://www.mywsba.org/PersonifyEbusiness/LegalDirectory/LegalProfile.aspx?Usr_ID=000000036362Second, follow the link and read Tavel’s own words. He says he identifies as a public defender because he used to be one. I find this offensive and misleading. No real former public defender would claim to be a current public defender. https://thecisforcrank.com/2019/10/15/the-2019-city-council-candidates-phil-tavel/#more-7446Here is the excerpt from the C is for Crank:“ECB: You often refer to yourself as a public defender, but you don’t work for any public defense organization. From what I understand, you’re an occasional conflict attorney [a private attorney who takes on cases when public defenders have a conflict of interest]. Why do you call yourself a public defender?PT: So when I started out, I volunteered with [the Associated Counsel for the Accused]. I then got offered a job as an attorney with ACA. So for a little over two years, I worked primarily at the southwest district court and became the lead attorney there. I then left and I became a conflict attorney. So then for most of the next 13 years, that was what I did. For the last couple of years, I’ve been primarily doing private things. But I’ve still got a handful of public cases. And I also do a lot of pro bono work and a lot of accidental pro bono work where I tried to charge for my work, but I just don’t get paid.But I identify as a public defender because for 13, 14 years, that was 95% of the legal work I did. I have a friend, a pastor in Burien, and every time he gets someone who’s curious about a case, I’ll sit and talk to them and I’ll review their file. And that’s work. I don’t get paid for it. So that’s why I say that. I mean, sometimes I’ll say, I’m a trial lawyer and for much of the last 15 years I’ve been a public defender. And also it’s just, I love that [work]. I worked in the video game industry and I’ve got to admit, I had more fun as a public defender, being able to be that one voice for someone. You know, when you go into court it’s like you’re on an island, there’s nobody telling you what to do. You’re just protecting the rights of that one person. So I liked that job.”

Joel November 5, 2019 (9:54 pm)

Lisa says…..2020 figure out how to fix the homeless situation…100 million a year and counting and she’s just now trying to figure it out?

Mike November 6, 2019 (7:00 am)

She is a stable genius! This is horrific news if the stable genius wins. It is sad seeing the low voter turnout once again. Get ready for more taxes, incompetence, and no accountability or results.

GatewoodGuy November 5, 2019 (10:06 pm)

I voted No on 976, but after seeing how our local elected officials and SDOT handled the 99N bus lane issue, not at all surprised it passed. Stuff like this seems to be the only way to get their attention. Hey, maybe we can save some maintenance money by scraping it off!

KM November 5, 2019 (10:40 pm)

I also voted no, and I understand the voter backlash. A crazy valuation table is not an honest way to tax drivers, and it creates distrust. I think drivers should pay their fair share (and we’re not close when speaking in terms of total societal cost of driving), but coming up with a wild way of calculating car values was a huge mistake. We should be taxing at a much, much higher rate on KBB (or equivalent) values, in addition to more taxes. I was hoping voters would realize having these funds is much more important to the efficiency and health of our region than sticking it to…whomever. An ideal solution would be a replacement revenue source and a reasonable valuation table.
Jon November 6, 2019 (2:15 pm)

And to think she is soaking the tax payer to 170k a year. Incompetence rules the day again in Seattle!

DW November 5, 2019 (10:09 pm)

Clearly a lot of stupid, stupid voters in WS

Jort November 5, 2019 (10:18 pm)

“Everyone who doesn’t vote the way I want them to is STUPID!” Love you too, neighbor.
Concerned Citizen November 5, 2019 (10:28 pm)

It’s a shame. Herbold is an ineffective ideologue who has been objectively terrible for the city of Seattle and cost tax payers millions by backing failed, sometimes illegal policies (the showbox debacle, illegal capital gains taxes, head tax, etc). Tavel wasn’t a very good candidate and still might beat her or will lose a very tight race. It’s sad that these two were the best we could put forth for West Seattle. A better candidate likely would have crushed her.Also, Herbold going negative was pathetic and a sad display.
- Peter November 5, 2019 (11:32 pm)
  
  You pretty much nailed it. Herbold sucks. Tavel’s not a better alternative. So here we are.
- ALKIbum November 6, 2019 (8:31 am)
  
  One trick pony is really her!
Tsurly November 5, 2019 (10:29 pm)

If you do not like it, you are always free to leave.
- B.W. November 7, 2019 (11:08 am)
  
  That’s pretty ignorant of you. How does it fly when people say “If you don’t like this country, you can leave”..? I didn’t see many liberals leave when Trump got elected. Instead, people stay and began to “resist.” So the same goes with West Seattle. I’m not going anywhere because some politician I didn’t back got elected.

Soth November 5, 2019 (10:32 pm)

There are no stupid voters, only stupid non-voters.

Meagan November 6, 2019 (10:19 am)

Only 23% showed up in King County. It’s disgusting.
- WSB November 6, 2019 (10:24 am)
  
  What was counted last night is NOT the final voter turnout number. Far from it. It’s just what the county had in house and had prepped for that 8 pm count. 312,000+ ballots counted in that Election Night tally and per KC Elections 250,000+ to be counted (with many more likely coming in via postal mail). This is an unfortunate IMO side effect of voting this way.
  
  https://twitter.com/kcelections/status/1192090216867041280

Scubafrog November 5, 2019 (10:33 pm)

Fantastic day for progressives throughout the nation. Lisa stays, however Eyman wins (the Tavel crowd get to take a small win).

Bradley November 6, 2019 (12:16 am)

The new Kentucky governor certainly isn’t a progressive, the GOP won huge in Mississippi, Sawant is history, fellow communist Scott lost 42% to 58%, voters are rejecting racist I-1000, Gossett lost his King County seat, and voters defunded lawless Sound Transit. Fantastic day for common sense.
- Nolan November 6, 2019 (1:30 am)
  
  Hopefully Seattle voters can save you from yourself. If you supported I-976, either you don’t understand what’s at stake or you would eagerly inflict pain on people who rely on transit, even at the cost of increasing traffic and rapidly worsening roadways, to save yourself a pittance (whatever a pittance looks like at your income bracket). Neither of those positions deserve anything but scorn.
  - Bradley November 6, 2019 (1:48 am)
    
    High and middle-income transit users should pay their fair share of the costs of operating Sound Transit with fare increases. Soaking middle-class and struggling-class vehicle owners is outrageous. Putting the burden of such a huge funding percentage on the backs of drivers is increasingly unsustainable if more drivers get rid of their cars in the future, anyway. Might as well start taxing riders and the businesses that profit directly from transit sooner than later. BTW, I don’t consider $880 for two family cars to be a “pittance” while we’re struggling to make ends meet in EXPENSIVE Seattle.
    - Jon Wright November 6, 2019 (8:12 am)
      
      Given that high- and middle-income people statistically have more expensive cars and more expensive homes, they are already paying more. Insisting people pay their “fair share” without any specifics of what that means is just lazy. Means testing would be good for a lot of services, but I cannot imagine how it would be possible to implement the notion of charging wealthier/higher income folks more as they board transit.
    - Steve November 6, 2019 (9:10 am)
      
      How is taxing $0.50-$1 per day “soaking” anyone? The people you mention aren’t likely to be driving the Teslas and other ultra luxury automobiles that would cost $1000 in MVET. They are driving economy automobiles and older automobiles which cost less than a dollar per day to register. That’s cheap for the powerful responsibility of driving.
  - J November 6, 2019 (5:16 am)
    
    I ride transit 5/days a week and voted yes for all of my friends who were pushed further and further out of the city when the CD was gentrified. They need reliable cars to get to work because they cant rely on transit (e.g., have to carry tools to jobsite, night shifts, and a single mom with two jobs and a daycare to get to). I’ve seen expired tab tickets spiral into daycare fines and lost jobs after friends who couldnt afford to pay them were pulled over trying to get to work (at the time, they’d even suspend your license though this practice recently changed) I don’t think many people understand or remember what it is like to struggle to be better, maintain a stable job, and barely keep your head above water. $160 tabs on a somewhat reliable but affordable 12 year old vehicle can really be hard for people who need at to drive into the city from the more affordable areas they’ve been pushed out to. The TBD costs were painful for the people I know who dont make as much.
  - Quora November 6, 2019 (6:48 am)
    
    I totally understand what is at stake with 976 and I’m still glad it passed. I’m a devout Metro rider as well; doesn’t mean the tax paying middle class is the government’s piggy bank for transportation funds. Create a fair and transparent valuation system for assessing car tab fees and maybe I’ll think differently. Oh, and all of those illegally parked RVs that enjoy the benefit of 1) never having to pay parking citations (if they are even cited) and/or 2) don’t pay their fair share in parking tabs like the rest of us? Yeah – I’ll take my $30 tabs thank you very much. The system is only fair if EVERYONE plays by the rules.
    - Jon Wright November 6, 2019 (8:19 am)
      
      Some might argue it isn’t fair that you have a home and other people have no better option than living in a dilapidated RV.And you’re seriously glad 976 passed because there are people too broke to pay parking tickets?
    - Quora November 6, 2019 (11:35 am)
      
      Wow, that’s some argument you have there. Yes, I’m happy 976 passed because a 30 dollar blanket fee for car tabs is a whole hell of a lot more fair than what is currently in place. What’s fair about me paying my car tabs legally and those living in RVs not having to pay anything at all? Is that fair to you?
    - Pete November 6, 2019 (8:52 am)
      
      Quota please let us know if your transit route is cut back or eliminated with the passage of I 976. Such shortsighted visioning on behalf of our electorate. Remember you get what you voted for.
    - HappyCamper November 6, 2019 (10:25 am)
      
      The tax paying middle class is who uses it! So they can get to work make money to pay the taxes for using it. Lol
    - Jon Wright November 6, 2019 (8:55 pm)
      
      Quora, I am grateful that I have the means to pay my way and that I don’t have a zero-sum mindset where a poor person’s inability to pay the tabs on the ramshackle RV they are stuck living in somehow means I am getting a raw deal.
  - Nolan November 6, 2019 (8:41 am)
    
    $880, aka $36/mo per car, is much less than the price of a bus pass and I can guarantee it’s much less than your monthly insurance + gas costs, and less than your discretionary spending. $160 is $13.34/mo which translates to one extra hour of work per month. These are not the exculpatory arguments you think they are.
    
    Just admit that you were selfish and didn’t care about the impacts on roadways and transit across the entire state as long as you were promised a pittance in return.
    - J November 6, 2019 (11:24 am)
      
      You keep referring to the cost as a pittance because it is to YOU. I’d guess by your responses, Nolan, that you don’t struggle and probably never have. You can’t even comprehend that an extra $13/month is difficult for many people to save. You can’t even imagine being that broke. Your comments make you seem completely in a bubble and out of touch with what it’s like to truly live check to check.
    - Nolan November 6, 2019 (11:51 am)
      
      Good try, but dead wrong. It’s precisely that I grew up worrying about living paycheck-to-paycheck that I appreciate how much a car’s total cost of ownership is.
      
      You need to understand that cars are the second priciest thing in the average person’s budget after housing (excluding kids, which I don’t have experience with): if you chose to buy a new car, you’re paying new-car prices for tabs because you chose to buy a new car. Guess whose tabs were $80 extra for a decade-old car, which I bought because I couldn’t afford a new one (and whose purchase + repairs cost 1/3 the price of a base model car).
      
      Guess who pays $50 a month for liability insurance (which is ridiculously cheap!). Guess who pays ~$50 a month for gas for incidental trips. $30 a month for parking on errands where I can’t take the bus. Does their own oil changes because otherwise they cost $60 a pop (unless you go to one of the chains that occasionally ruins engines, which I don’t want to risk). Got a bus pass because $100/mo was still less than the cost to drive to work, park at work, and induce extra wear and tear (~$300 estimated total between parking after reimbursement, gas, and amortized maintenance).
      
      I am acutely aware of what a car costs, which is why I am not sympathetic to the argument that the ST3 valuations are a dealbreaker unless you’ve been financially reckless and that chicken is coming home to roost.
    - J November 6, 2019 (1:19 pm)
      
      Cars are expensive but also a necessity for many people. It’s as necessary as the cost of housing to many who can’t use public transit to get to their jobs. There are a lot of socioeconomic factors to be considered. The people I know earning less are the ones commuting by car. It’s because their jobs are less flexible with arrival times, they live very far away because they can’t afford housing nearby, they have medical appointments to get to/from between work, and daycares with $2/minute late fees. It’s not an option for everyone to just sell their car and get a bus pass. So, they may be pouring a large amount of their net income into their cars but it’s not so much a discretionary choice as it is the only reliable way for them to get to work.
    - Nolan November 6, 2019 (2:27 pm)
      
      And yet, I’m seeing people complain about $400+ car tabs. Maybe they don’t realize they’re telling others that their cars are valued at ~$30k. In what case can a car be valued at $30k and still be a responsible purchase for someone living paycheck to paycheck?
      
      And yes, I’m aware of the “unfair” car valuation. They’re not so far off that my $7k-valued car would end up anywhere close to that.

KayK November 5, 2019 (10:47 pm)

Sanity prevails – go Lisa!!

on board November 5, 2019 (11:16 pm)

Only in a place like Seattle are candidates like Orion and Tavel portrayed as “right wing” and “conservative”. We have two progressive candidates and have some very limited differences in their actual policies. There’s like 2 degrees of difference and we all act as though this is a stark difference. The problem with Seattle voters is we are in such a bubble that these micro-differences are overblown because we don’t actually have any experience with political diversity. Either Tavel or Herbold will do a fine job repping the peninsula. Take a hard look at who blows oxygen on the hype fire from each side. We’re lucky to have two great candidates!

Peter November 5, 2019 (11:29 pm)

In what way was Tavel progressive?
Sixbuck November 6, 2019 (12:09 am)

I agree with most of your post. I call it “political inbreeding”. Sadly, Seattle is an area where differing political opinions are shouted down. This leaves us with the current mess we now have. This has been 30+ years in the making. Where I strongly disagree is when you say we have two great candidates. I would classify them both as lousy candidates.
- Jort November 6, 2019 (11:41 am)
  
  Differing political opinions aren’t “shouted down,” and conservatives aren’t put-upon victims of an intolerant citizenry. We live in a liberal city, with liberal values, and conservative “opinions” are routinely and overwhelmingly voted down, over and over again. The reason conservatives don’t win in Seattle is because Seattle is not conservative. If you think election results are “shouting down,” then I don’t know what to tell you.
  - Sixbuck November 6, 2019 (9:23 pm)
    
    Read these posts! If abandoning certain businesses because they disagree politically with you is “tolerant” then I guess I need a new dictionary.
Chris K November 7, 2019 (12:51 pm)

I agree with On Board. I have lived in four different metropolitan areas across the U.S. in my lifetime, and Seattle is the first place I have lived where the candidates appear to be mostly identical in their beliefs. I don’t recall any conservatives even running for a local office in the six years I have been here, so it’s not surprising if conservative-leaning folks don’t even bother to vote. Luckily, I vote pretty far to the left, so I always have good choices.

David Partikian November 5, 2019 (11:27 pm)

Glad other people were as offended as I was by the Tavel signs on the Junction. Herbold has my eternal gratitude for her “no” vote on the arena. The smears and lies told about Herbold make me ashamed to live in West Seattle. When I see a Tavel sign, I think, “There resides a closet Republican Trump Sycophant.”

WW Resident November 6, 2019 (4:14 am)

So David, you hyperbole much? I think another poster was spot on about political inbreeding where a moderate is considered right wing. Should we just throw in racist too as this also seems to be the lazy go to these days
- David November 6, 2019 (8:39 am)
  
  Perhaps a bit of hyperbole, but not so much.Tavel supporters acted like Herbold clueless on the homeless, as if the problem could be solved the same way Trump is pretending to resolve the border crisis (by hypothetically sending the homeless to some Auschwitz outside Tukwila). The homeless problem will not go away without financial solutions. So it is rather hypocritical to castigate a candidate for doing nothing on the homeless and then for backing a head tax. Tavel has no better solutions for the homeless than Herbold. And his “candidate of change” facade was a sham, mostly because the only case his supporters could make for change was by attacking Herbold; as another poster made clear, there is not a huge difference between the two, except that Herbold has a record of solid votes that affect this neighborhood greatly(No for arena). As I talked to to various WS people the last few months, I found that they weren’t so much for Tavel, but hated Herbold, which is rather Trumpian in thought. I heard lies like “She actually lives in Northbend” and saw posts concentrating on her alleged affairs. Again both Trumpian methods. And I’m very sorry to see that thought process infect local politics.Yes, really there is not such a huge difference between the solutions proposed by both candidates. However, one had supporters who constantly smeared and who show no compassion for the homeless. When you add that Tavel was clearly backed by Amazon, who to be fair, is not paying its fair share for piggy backing on Seattle services, the choice was clear at least to me. And it does make me very suspicious of business owners with Tavel signs.
Rick November 6, 2019 (6:52 am)

Had to make it about President Trump? In the military we’d call that being “ate up”. The man could discover a cure for cancer and the only “news” you would hear would be screaming to see his tax returns. Which you are not privvy to. Pretty sad. Focus.
- David November 6, 2019 (8:54 am)
  
  Ate up by supporters who acted like some dumb woman doesn’t care about the homeless. Ate up by negative campaigning. Ate up by West Seattle voters who who say, “Do something about the homeless, but make sure it doesn’t cost anything.” Ate up by the Republican demonization that anyone who works in government wastes “our” money, which was a prime argument made by Tavel. Rest assured Trump will not find some cure for cancer.I stand by the analogy, especially after driving by the million plus dollar homes in neighborhoods with Bezos-Paid-For Tavel signs on every other lawn. Tavel is the candidate for the chronically dissatisfied who actually don’t have much to be dissatisfied about. Unfortunately the national stage of our political arena does have an example of a populist who falsely emphasizes dissatisfaction, espouses change to a better era, offers no real solid solutions that don’t make things worse, and smears his political opponents.Perhaps the analogy is a bit much. Tavel isn’t a crook, and all his supporters aren’t all fueled by hate. I wish him luck as a public defender, or physics teacher.
  - B.W. November 7, 2019 (11:20 am)
    
    David, your opinions and generalizations of moderate people being linked to Trump is what’s wrong with progressive liberals. If people don’t agree with you, immediately they must be some hard core conservative duche or Nazi or racist or bigot or all of the above. Stop demonizing people that don’t think like you 100%
CLH November 6, 2019 (9:09 am)

I’m just trying to imagine what it would be like to be so easily offended!

anonyme November 6, 2019 (5:26 am)

The passing of I-976 is only a guarantee that yet another huge levy will be foisted on Seattle property owners. I agree with Sixbuck; both candidates are lousy. When you have a political monopoly as we do in Seattle, the only option is that candidates try to out-left each other. The system only works with balance, and that we do not have. I also find it ironic (but predictable) that both council candidates reviled and ridiculed Brendan Kolding for his centralized homeless services plan using FEMA tents, yet are now considering the option as if it were their plan all along. The hypocrisy is puke-worthy.

Jort November 6, 2019 (9:39 am)

Additionally, I-976 means you can kiss your tunnel dreams goodbye. Coming up with an additional $1 billion+ for a tunnel vanity project would have been hard enough already. Now it will be nearly impossible. Get ready for elevated rail!
- East Coast Cynic November 6, 2019 (3:19 pm)
  
  I’m concerned that if I-976 passes legal muster, the bigger problem for West Seattle Link is that stations will be cut out and or its construction will be pushed out to the middle of the century!

Seriously? November 6, 2019 (6:35 am)

The thing I find deeply disappointing is the voter turnout – or to be more precise – the LACK of voter turnout. People around the globe risk their lives to vote. They travel miles, wait in long lines – sometimes vote during active warfare in their homeland. Washington residents can’t be bothered to fill in bubbles and put an envelope in the mail. That’s sad and disrespectful to our democracy. For those who didn’t vote (yet had the freedom, privilege and opportunity to do so) – shut up! You don’t get to say how angry you are with the Washington State or any of its cities and municipalities, laws, referendums, initiatives etc. and how they need to change – you had a chance to make a difference, to add your voice, you chose not to, and have ZERO right to complain after the fact. Thank you, to everyone who did vote!

Chris November 6, 2019 (6:39 am)

I voted for Herbold but I feel like it doesn’t really make a difference. I’ve never met her but I did meet Tavel at a couple of different neighborhood functions. He seems like a great guy. The negative campaign stuff was a real turn off but it seemed to be coming from supporters on both sides.I’m confused by the small business support for Tavel. Is it an issue of taxes for small businesses? Because if Tavel received some of that Amazon money, then he is a candidate that is working in opposition to small business. I mean after all, Amazon is responsible for the death of many small businesses – more so than any city Council member. Why go to the neighborhood pet store when you can get your 25 pound bag of dog food delivered to your doorstep for free?

Jort November 6, 2019 (9:37 am)

Good point, Chris. I also found it deeply paradoxical that every small business with a window was signing up to support the candidate who was bankrolled by a major corporation whose entire business model is destroying small businesses and building a monopoly. The fact that small business owners somehow have been fooled into thinking that their interests align with Jeff Bezos’s makes me seriously question their business acumen. If they haven’t figured it out yet, they will before too long: Amazon is not your business buddy. They don’t play games and they will crush you, and they’ll make “oh-so-scary” Kashma Sawant seem like child’s play.
- FedUpVoter November 6, 2019 (1:28 pm)
  
  This cancel culture mentality that anyone who votes for someone I deem bad/evil/fascist/different must be destroyed so I can live in a world without differences is getting out of hand. Grow up. Your arguments are like a child taking their ball and going home because they didn’t get their way. It’s why we have participation medals and tell every kid their special. Facts are people lose, most kids are average, and your candidate may not appeal to everyone despite you believing in them 100%. Stop being a baby and participate in the real world.

John Q Lincoln November 6, 2019 (6:54 am)

Sigh! At least Sawant lost.

Andy November 6, 2019 (7:33 am)

The candidate you prefer is not an angel, and the candidate you oppose is not the devil. None of them, in any office (and certainly not Tavel or Herbold) are evil people whose goal is the permanent subjugation of some cherished demographic. They’re people who are mostly well-intentioned (but still politicians, so the worm is always there) but with slightly different priorities based largely on what they think will get them elected. This is simply political, ideological, intellectual diversity. And in a mature community it should be celebrated, not shunned.The businesses that support them do not deserve your efforts to run them out of town. Those businesses have existed within our community, providing us with the goods and services that we and our families value, without turning a single one of us away based on our voting preference. They welcome us all, and are those small, family-owned, local businesses that I so often see praised, heralded, and longed-for in the comments here. To see different businesses on the same busy street supporting different candidates is a sign of health in any town, and to be angered by it speaks very poorly of us as members of that town.Congratulations to the winning candidates and measures, and for the rest, perhaps next time will turn out better for you.Enjoy your Wednesday! I’ll see you out there on the sidewalks and streets, and in any business who will take me (which is all of them, because they’re cool like that).

LTWSR November 6, 2019 (8:08 am)

Andy wins Best Comment for this thread…
John November 6, 2019 (8:20 am)

Best comment on this post, by far.
ImNotSparticus November 6, 2019 (8:28 am)

Andy, this is the best take on all of this, and I appreciate your sanity. Things lately have made people so contentious and they feel like they must belong firmly to one “side” or another, and defend that side to the death, even when they’re not really that different.
Nolan November 6, 2019 (8:51 am)

Tavel’s sole qualification is being a good ol’ boy for the Chamber of Commerce, which not only makes for bad politics but is in particularly poor taste with Amazon trying to buy out city council. His political positions are almost nonexistent, and the few he committed to are either copies of Herbold’s positions or abhorrent (homeless people are just lazy, etc).

It’s perfectly reasonable to refuse to support businesses that looked the other way and tried to push him to victory anyways. Maybe, next time, they’ll think harder about the qualifications of the candidate they shove into everyone’s faces with signage, stumping, and the occasional public treatise.
Seriously? November 6, 2019 (8:56 am)

@Andy – thank you, we need more responses like this! Very well said! I hope to see you out there and share your forward-thinking, unifying values. *fist bump*
ACE November 6, 2019 (9:25 am)

Thank you Andy! Tired of all the polarized comments. Nobody is all good or all bad. I am grateful to live in a place where I can safely and easily cast my vote and I am thankful to all the businesses, small and large, that help me run my household and professional life.
wscommuter November 6, 2019 (9:31 am)

Well said. In reading through these posts, it is discouraging to see so many comments that condemn the “other”. Each one of you who does that – you make Donald Trump proud. Yes, I’m talking especially to the folks above on the far-left who apparently call themselves “progressives” yet feel free to indulge in the same vile character assassination that we see on the right and that Trump depends upon to sell his snake oil. You might want to look in the mirror …
- Nolan November 6, 2019 (10:38 am)
  
  Not all politics are mere difference of opinion: people are not entitled to their own facts. This, and the parent comment, is naivete at its worst: the falsehood that all political outcomes are opinions, therefore you should look down on the people who fight to make our community empirically better off because of “intellectual diversity”.
  
  Elections have consequences. Politics isn’t sports. You would do well to try and understand the difference.
  - wscommuter November 6, 2019 (3:15 pm)
    
    Not at all. We all have our opinions and certainly, facts are facts. The problem are those – Trump as one example and many far left commentators in this string as another – who are so certain of their “truth” (which too often turns out to be subjective opinion) that they feel entitled to belittle those who disagree with them. I support vigorous debate; I don’t support demonizing opponents because they don’t see the world the way I do. I suspect – and I could be wrong – that your definition of “community empirically better off” rests on your own set of definitions, which others may disagree with. Your silly (and it is silly) idea that you’ll boycott businesses who supported a candidate you didn’t agree with doesn’t advance dialogue or civility. It only widens the divide (and perhaps that is your goal). Elections do have consequences; our transportation infrastructure is about to find that out in the harshest way. But I can’t condemn those who voted for Trump three years ago … or who voted yesterday for I-976 or who think Lisa Herbold is a better choice than Phil Tavel. You’re kidding yourself if you think you hold some moral higher ground such that you’re entitled to do the opposite.
    - Nolan November 6, 2019 (3:36 pm)
      
      There isn’t much to respect about supporting a candidate who opposes safe injection sites (that demonstrably save lives and reduce infections without increasing drug use or crime), or compares the city’s approach homelessness to being “a horrible enabling parent” and insists that homeless people are merely lazy while simultaneously admitting that the city needs more funding. A pillar of his campaign is that the council’s spending is somehow “unaccountable”, even though you can get categories for the entire budget through Seattle’s own website and additional details from council meeting notes. If you have criticisms of the budget, you have all the information in front of you to propose a solution.
      
      There is no coherent message from Tavel, except for when it means inflicting violence on the most vulnerable members of our community. Those facts are where the “moral high ground”, as you put it, comes from. Someone who supports paternalism over harm reduction does not deserve respect.
- Andy November 6, 2019 (10:42 am)
  
  There is a lot of “othering” and “vile character assassination” happening in your comment, wscommuter. It does a significant disservice to the comment you claim to be agreeing with, and shows that you may not have entirely understood its meaning. Which is ok.
  
  What we lack more than anything is generosity towards the things that we find distasteful. It’s not easy, but generosity is the best weapon we have. Everything else is just fighting.
Joe Z November 6, 2019 (9:43 am)

Well said!

WS Steve November 6, 2019 (8:18 am)

It’s comforting that we can at least agree on the question “Do you want to die waiting for an ambulance?”

Down with Idiots November 6, 2019 (8:28 am)

Avoiding small businesses because of their political position is not solving anything. In fact, you are part of the problem. People have different opinions and that is OK. That is what is so amazing about this country. Choices, having a voice and living the american dream. I never want to see a small business fail. Put your personal feelings aside and support local businesses or we will all become one gian Amazon and have zero voice.

CAM November 6, 2019 (11:06 am)

A business is not a person no matter what the supreme court has said. I’m happy to respect other people’s opinions but I’m certainly not going to fund their ability to go out and put them into action. A business that chooses to spend the money I give them to advocate for and vocally support positions that I view to be harmful to my community isn’t entitled to my money.

Peter November 6, 2019 (8:35 am)

The bad news: four more years of Herbold on the city council. The good news: zero years of Tavel on the city council.

Sue H November 6, 2019 (9:11 am)

Most of the people I know, myself included, didn’t mail the ballots until Monday or Tuesday, so we can’t yet guess at the end results or the voter turnout.As for 976, I voted against it because I understood the ramifications to transit (of which I am a frequent user) and because of Eyman (reason enough on its own). But I will admit there was part of me that hoped it would pass – you know, the part that just paid $450 to register my two year old car.

Sixbuck November 6, 2019 (2:20 pm)

Not too bad. I paid $200 to register a 23 year old vehicle.

Suz November 6, 2019 (9:30 am)

Thanks Andy – well said & I agree. I appreciate that different businesses & neighbors can support each other with differing views. I understand in some cases our choice can be fundamental to our core beliefs such as to not support hateful ideologies. That is not an issue when choosing whether to support Tavel or Herbold – they are both worthy candidates. Threatening to punish businesses who showed their preference is petty & wrong. I would love for the candidates to get together post-election & share what they learned from local business but sadly, the election took an ugly turn & that opportunity is probably lost. Not even sure why good people continue to be willing to step up & represent us lately.

We lose... November 6, 2019 (10:45 am)

Herbold is soulless and Tavel is brainless. 976 is myopic and counterproductive but unravels taxation which is regressive, corrupt and greedy. People continue to lose while we are trained to take sides rather than demand more. The city is expensive and over populated the path we continue to walk is entirely unsustainable, but we quibble over Orwellian ideas like boycotting pizzerias over political signs. We make Amazon the boogeyman and ignore the fact that we have become the antagonists in this story.

Nolan November 6, 2019 (10:52 am)

Free speech is the literal opposite of Orwellian.
mookie blaylock November 6, 2019 (11:10 am)

@welose-My head hurts after reading your comment
Jort November 6, 2019 (11:26 am)

Yes. Let’s “unravel” a taxation method so that a Lamborghini costs the same to register as a 15-year-old Honda. So progressive.

ProbablyYourNeighbor November 6, 2019 (12:56 pm)

Some interesting comments and discussion here, which is good to see. Also some umm interesting comments. And the biggest, most heartfelt thanks to WSB and the people that make this coverage possible, it makes West Seattle a better place.

While Andy’s comment is laudable and I agree with parts of it, it also rings a bit hollow to me. While business support for Tavel has been clear from start to finish, I haven’t seen particular cohesive statements from businesses about what they’d get from their chosen candidate. Do they want to be able to lower their compensation of employees? Pay less in taxes? Do they want more aggressive policing, probably targeting some of the most vulnerable people in the city? It seems like anything they could possibly want from Tavel’s election is demonstrably and unambiguously harmful to the community as a whole. So how are we supposed to support, or feel good about supporting, businesses that want a Seattle that’s better for them at the expense of everyone else?

Tim November 6, 2019 (2:13 pm)

@probablyyourneighbor. That’s quite a stretch. As a local small business owner, let me respond to your questions .Do they want to be able to lower their compensation of employees? No, we are fine with the minimum wage. In fact, many of us pay more.Pay less in taxes? No, but we wouldn’t mind if there was a way to pay them easier than the current way.Do they want more aggressive policing, probably targeting some of the most vulnerable people in the city?No, we just want those arrested for the property crimes they commit against our businesses to be held accountable. We would also like to see more done with the money set aside for homelessness than the current leadership has done.We live here too. We are your neighbors. We donate to the schools, we put on/sponsor local events, we employ the people of our community, we provide knowledge and expertise you could never get online. Why do you assume that if we don’t vote for your candidate that we have some evil agenda? Its frankly disgusting how people can demonize another without any facts or desire to know them. I personally prefer Tavel because he has said he will change some of the policies that I feel hurt my ability to stay in business. He may not; like most politicians, I have a wait and see policy. But since Herbold has been in office, I see the city I love become worse and worse. Crime is up, homeless encampments dot the downtown area, and our city leadership seems to not want to change that. That may or may not be her fault, but the fact remains things have only gotten worse, so I think we need to make a change. You may disagree, and I am sure you do.Speaking for myself, I made the decision to start a small business and I left a job where I made more money, had paid time off (or just time off), and I only worked about 40 hours a week. If you really think anyone goes into small business to get rich, you are mistaken. We do it because we want to do something we can be proud of, to be a part of the community we live in, and give back to that community that supports us and our dream. We don’t do it so we can ruin our neighborhood for our own personal gain. We do it because we love where we live and want to make it better. And just because you don’t think the candidate I backed can do that doesn’t mean I hate my neighborhood and am only concerned about myself. We donate a lot of time and money to West Seattle, because we care about the people who live here.I hope that answers your questions. But if not, feel free to stop by West Seattle Runner and ask for Tim. I will be happy to discuss it with you more.
- ProbablyYourNeighbor November 6, 2019 (3:53 pm)
  
  Tim-
  
  Thanks for taking the time to type that up. My intent was not to wholly characterize local small businesses as evil or greedy or to lump them in with large corporations, but more to visit the concept that it is both possible and easy for a person acting in their own best interest to unintentionally do harm to others. I know as well as anyone that small businesses face long odds, require extraordinary efforts from the people running them (whether they be owners or employees), and that Seattle government creates boundaries and burdens to finding success. And that success, I think, is usually defined by just being able to keep the lights on…not getting rich or anything of that nature. Businesses in West Seattle, small and otherwise, tend to be great neighbors and from what I know about West Seattle Runner, y’all are no exception to that standard.
  
  There are certainly areas or concepts we agree on- more efficient and effective government is great, and who in Seattle would not love to never see another homeless person because they’ve all found housing and are receiving whatever services they need? The conflict and difference of opinion here (and if there are other reasons you supported Tavel, please share them as you have a different perspective than I do) is that what you feel is in your best interest for your business (holding thieves accountable, which in less ambiguous terms I’m reading as putting them in jail for as long as possible) does more harm than good to the community. The research and science on this stuff is pretty clear in that the people you want held accountable are stealing as a means of survival…not because their 9-5 job in accounting wasn’t cutting it. What you want inches us further towards a police state, more marginalized people, and more people put through the system who statistically have pretty much zero chance at moving beyond the cycle of survival behaviors. So yeah, not voting for that.
  
  I know that that is an impossibly difficult situation for small businesses to deal with, but I think we should be looking harder at addressing the causes, ie why so many people can’t afford to have a place to live or food to eat, rather than try to bandaid the situation by throwing more people into a severely biased and mostly broken criminal justice system at an extraordinary cost to taxpayers.

Donn November 6, 2019 (1:06 pm)

Money aside, can anyone list the things that Lisa has done specifically for West Seattle? Any increased police presence in the neighborhoods? Roxbury is still not getting funded. All I hear from the City is homeless this and homeless that. Nothing on a vision of Seattle in the future. It’s less and less safe in our neighborhoods. There’s been someone living in a motorhome at Roxhill Park for at least a year sharing their motorhome with chickens inside and nothing gets done with that.

Nolan November 6, 2019 (1:58 pm)

You could start with her campaign page, which articulates exactly what you’re asking about.
- Donn November 6, 2019 (4:11 pm)
  
  Yep read the page. You should too. Not hardly anything for West Seattle that is tangible.
David November 6, 2019 (2:06 pm)

She saved West Seattle and the industrial waterfront from the arena construction/land grab. For that alone she is a keeper.
East Coast Cynic November 6, 2019 (3:28 pm)

She supports construction of West Seattle Link in the absence of the tunnel option, since our citizens voted for link. Tavel was wishy washy about Link in that he wants to “go back to the people” if we get the elevated option.

Lori McConnell November 6, 2019 (1:09 pm)

You can also add West Seattle Runner to your list to boycott. I am so sorry to lose your business, as I am sure that all small businesses in West Seattle will be as well. But, I 100% percent support your decision to vote for your candidate, you have your reasons and I bet they make good sense. And pretty much every small business in West Seattle has their reasons for their votes, and I suspect it is not because they are ignorant, heartless or uncaring. We want to be able to survive in the community and thrive so we can make a living and also support our community members through paying salaries and donating to local charities and schools. We need leadership that might get closer to supporting that vision. People will argue it won’t and that Tavel is akin to a right wing conservative. Who knows what will happen, but we are hopeful that things will get easier with a change. Maybe they won’t, who knows? The best thing to do is make an informed and careful decision that will bring one closer to their hopes for their community. Things are not good now. Maybe they wouldn’t improve, but we only hope vehemently that they will. I am sure Lisa is a lovely and smart person. We just don’t think she is getting it done. Others will argue that she totally is and she is rocking the city and it is working fine as it is. I actually have zero interest in changing any other person’s mind on how they vote. We love that this is a free country and my veteran husband who owns the shop with me, loves that he was able to defend the freedoms of our country. What makes this place so great, is that we can all have different ideas about how to make our communities a better place. We truly believe that the small businesses in ours get a great deal done in terms of supporting local schools and charities. Not to mention, it is a lot more exciting and enjoyable to live in a neighborhood with small business versus national chains. And, at the end of the day, all I want to put out in the world is that we are all SO VERY FORTUNATE to live where we do and do business in this community. We understand if you guys can’t support a business because they voted differently than you did. We would not do that, I have friends and family with vastly different views in life than I do. I love it! That is what being a part of the human race is about. The fact that we can leisurely sit back and discuss politics on this forum means we are all infinitely blessed. We would love your business and to be supported by anyone and everyone, no matter how they vote, what they eat, how they look, where they live and whether they are runners or not. Whatever the results, I will choose to keep putting my actions into bettering the world and sending out compassionate energy to people who are like me and different than me.

Lori McConnell November 6, 2019 (1:18 pm)

Yes, that makes sense, doesn’t it? The small business owners of West Seattle must want to harm the very community that they live and work in. I am sure they are all millionaire tyrants who want to treat their employees poorly and hurt the vulnerable of our community. I think you nailed it. They went into small business because of their extreme selfishness. You finally figured them out and cracked their evil code. Kudos!

Jort November 6, 2019 (2:38 pm)

With all due respect (seriously), nobody is saying that. What people are saying is: if you want to get down into the mud of politics, then you better not complain when things start getting dirty. If you want to tie your horse to the Phil Tavel wagon and that doesn’t pan out, perhaps keep in mind that your customers might not be lining up to congratulate you for it. I’m old enough to remember small businesses largely staying out of active political campaigning — because it doesn’t make sense to alienate either side of a race in which someone is guaranteed to lose and someone will win. It’s not good, well, business.

David November 6, 2019 (2:27 pm)

A lot has been made about small businesses and their Tavel signs.A couple of points:When a small business puts up a political sign the owners assume that their customers feel the same way. Hint: they often do not. From my experience talking to small business owners whose establishments I frequent daily, they were either 1: For Tavel (or anti-Herbold) but not making their opinion public–which is just fine with me– or 2: very pro-Herbold but not making their opinion public out of fear or just keeping politics out of their small business. It seems clear that the visually pro-Tavel business owners really didn’t think out a lot of their positions. True enough, most of his policy differs from Herbold’s only in nuance, except for the fact that he demonizes the homeless and holds her responsible for it, which–as I mentioned in other posts–is Trumpian in it’s scapegoating and poor logic. Hence, when businesses visually choose to back a candidate that demonizes the most vulnerable members in society, some of West Seattle voters are bound to remember, much the way many voters remember businesses against the minimum wage. Like I really need to eat at Jak’s or buy designer dog food.In the end, I found the dissatisfaction with and slandering of Herbold by business owners to be in complete poor taste. And I never heard any specific complaints about what Herbold did wrong (other than a head tax to, gasp, help solve homeless crisis). All the gripes concerned debunked rumors like “She actually lives in Northbend” or that she is incompetent (she most assuredly is not). Also, everyone forget the “no” arena vote, which is the most important “no” vote in the last decade and saved West Seattle and the waterfront from endless construction which favored real estate interests and a for-profit pro sports team; I have a hunch Tavel would have bent over backwards for the NBA.As an ex-New Yorker (in West Seattle about 20 years), I find the scapegoating of homelessness distasteful and indicative on a city that will end up going the NYC root, where demagogues like Guiliani rise to power based on fear and scapegoating of the other and less fortunate.

Les Pantalons November 6, 2019 (8:35 pm)

I can get behind pretty much everything in this comment except for your unconscionable slander of New Yorkers. As a former New Yorker, I invite him to take a dip in the Gowanus.

Wes C. Addle November 6, 2019 (3:45 pm)

I think Demonizing the homeless is very different than Demonizing the homelessness issue. Say what you will, we have a homelessness problem like, many other cities on the West Coast, and it needs to be fixed. I think the Head Tax would’ve been fine. Amazon isn’t going anywhere. I think Herbold’s worst vote was voting against the arena. I’d rather have had a private entity build a sports arena vs. having to pay for it like we’re doing now. Guess what? We don’t have an arena in SoDo and there’s still a construction mess. That was the perfect spot for the arena.

I will support all small businesses when I can. I really don’t care who they supported, that’s is shortsighted.

Alkimark November 6, 2019 (6:10 pm)

Amazon is moving to Bellevue. And Bellevue couldn’t be more pleased.
- KM November 7, 2019 (2:58 pm)
  
  It’s important to note that Amazon is not moving its HQ to Bellevue, it’s moving a single team there, into Expedia’s old space. There are already some employees in there. Meanwhile, Expedia has moved from Bellevue to Seattle. It’s not uncommon for big businesses in the region to be located in more than one city, for example, Microsoft, Boeing, and Google.

Beth November 6, 2019 (5:35 pm)

Heavy sigh. 😔

David November 6, 2019 (6:22 pm)

We have two stadiums in SoDo and a thriving Seaport. Add an arena and the seaport was toast. Best vote Seattle City Council ever made. The arena was a land grab for a developer when there was already a functioning arena in Seattle.All the women in on the city council took major misogynist heat for doing the right thing.

Seriously?... November 7, 2019 (1:49 pm)

The “no” vote on the street vacation was part of Sally Bagshaw’s quest to get the Key Arena renovation going for her district. It had nothing to do with courage from Lisa Herbold. She was either a patsy for Bagshaw’s agenda or was offered some sort of political capitol in exchange. As for the high integrity of the port- why did they merge with Tacoma, agree to build a cruise ship terminal and start an RFP for the soon to be completely empty area next to the future cruise terminal site? Will something between $2-500 million in development for this provide more, less or the same amount of congestion as a sports arena? Politics is dirty business and holding these people up as idealists and heroes will only get you disappointment.
- Ivan Weiss November 7, 2019 (2:35 pm)
  
  @ Seriously?.
  
  Of all the cockamamie explanations for that street vacation vote I have heard (and believe me, I have heard plenty), this one takes the cake. A “land grab” was exactly what this was — not just for the arena itself, but for this yuppie punk developer’s entire “entertainment district,” which would have gutted and gentrified an entire industrial district. That vote fended off, at least for now, the Californication of Seattle, and the five women who took it will always be heroes in my book.