Exec and Mayoral Candidates Do Battle and Still No Sign of Susan
Democrats from five local legislative districts co-hosted a candidate forum last night in the sweltering Belltown Labor Temple. It was a top-heavy affair with the candidates for City Attorney, Mayor and King County Executive all taking a turn at the mic. 
The same few dozen people tend to show up at these forums—mostly campaign staffers and Democrat die-hards. Less than an hour before the start the room was a lot of young volunteers in "Dow Now" t-shirts or khakis and button downs (Phillips' crew) taping up signs. City council hopefuls weren't on the ticket but arrived looking to rub elbows with potential endorsers. James Donaldson sat out the pre-show, going over extensive notes with new campaign manager Cindi Laws at the Cherry Street coffee shop a few blocks away.
Eventually everyone seeking the top spots arrived to greet the smallish crowd, save one. Made conspicuous by her absence once again (see Nina's story today) was former news anchor Susan Hutchison, who seeks Ron Sims' former seat. "We reached out to Susan Hutchison several times and did not hear back from her," the moderator said.
But the Mayor's race was really the thing everyone came to see, as evidenced by the mass exodus to the back for rehashing, spinning and endorsement wrangling as the Exec candidates headed for the stage. This was the first time Nickels and Drago have faced off in person since she declared.
A few observations about that race from last night:
Mike McGinn is really opposed to the whole tunnel viaduct replacement. But it seems an odd thing to center your campaign on. I suppose we aren't past the point of no return, but with the city, county, port and state signing off, it seems pretty unstoppable.
Elizabeth Campbell also opposes the tunnel. But more interesting is her unabashedly pro-car take on transit. She says bikes and buses are getting in the way on the roads. "Actually, I think in this city there's a war on cars and I don't support it," she said.
James Donaldson answered most questions by punting to his athletic background. (Hilariously, he was seated next to the much more petite Jan Drago, who is barely taller than his midriff.) He talked about the general importance of incentives. It's a theme he's used in the past and in this case it was about getting people out of their cars. But he never says exactly what those incentives would be.
Jan Drago and Joe Mallahan went after Greg Nickels for disbanding the gang unit in 2002 (it's actually operating now). I suspect their campaigns as it concerns Nickels will sound very similar—gang violence and snow storms. Now they just need to figure out how to go after each other. Also spotted: Peter Steinbrueck walking out of the hall with Drago post-forum.
Norman Sigler wants to bolster competitive fairs in science, math and the arts. I'm not sure what the city's role in that could be, but when they got rid of placing at the science fair at my elementary school and replaced it with "participation" ribbons for all, no one was all that interested in it anymore. Sometimes a little vicious, childhood capitalism works.
Greg Nickels, rather than going after his opponents, said he's learned from his past mistakes and reminded everyone that he called for the city to meet Kyoto standards in emissions. Vanity Fair included him in their first "Green Issue" for it.
7 comment(s)
Wells says:
The Deep-bore is NOT a done deal, nor should it be with its faults. It doesn't serve Ballard-bound traffic, about 40,000 additional vehicles (2500 per hour) onto the new Alaskan Way with 15-20 stoplights! No f'n way!
SDOT is talking 4 lanes for Alaskan Way, but 6 lanes is more likely. Picture 2500+ cars an hour plying the Waterfront district. Even with 6 lanes, this is too much traffic.
The most recently devised "4-lane" Cut-n-Cover tunnel option has the capacity to handle the traffic as long as speed is limited to 40mph -- a good idea with any tunnel, fast enough and 3x faster than surface streets.
The 4-lane Cut-n-cover can be built with the AWV in place up until the Lower Belltown segment, the last year of construction. Traffic then is
diverted via Broad and 'north' Alaskan Way and enters the completed tunnel portal at Pike. Removal of the AWV and rebuiding Alaskan Way happens then. Rebuilding the seawall is by that time, completed.
The 4-lane Cut-n-Cover tunnel is built from the south in 2-block segments. Traffic is diverted around the trench and returned to normal above completed segments. Excavation debris is removed via the tunnel as construction progresses north.
The Waterfront District would survive this least amount of construction disruption, which is much less than the "6-lane" Cut-n-Cover tunnel voters rejected in 2007, mostly for its disruption to the Waterfront District and boo-hoo waaah, SR-99 motorists.
Greg Nickels has good PR, but a terrible record on environmental issues. Jan Drago is no better. SDOT Chief Grace Crunican is monstrously incompetent.
All mayoral challengers, including Elizabeth Campbell, are wise to the issue of the Deep-bore vs the "4-lane Cut-n-Cover" tunnel and the Waterfront District. Whoever supports the Deep-bore tunnel is PR clueless or corrupt.
Posted On: Wednesday, Jun. 3 2009 @ 3:10PM
Anonymous says:
The Deep-bore is NOT a done deal, nor should it be with its faults. It doesn't serve Ballard-bound traffic, about 40,000 additional vehicles (2500 per hour) onto the new Alaskan Way with 15-20 stoplights! No f'n way!
SDOT is talking 4 lanes for Alaskan Way, but 6 lanes is more likely. Picture 2500+ cars an hour plying the Waterfront district. Even with 6 lanes, this is too much traffic.
The most recently devised "4-lane" Cut-n-Cover tunnel option has the capacity to handle the traffic as long as speed is limited to 40mph -- a good idea with any tunnel, fast enough and 3x faster than surface streets.
The 4-lane Cut-n-cover can be built with the AWV in place up until the Lower Belltown segment, the last year of construction. Traffic then is
diverted via Broad and 'north' Alaskan Way and enters the completed tunnel portal at Pike. Removal of the AWV and rebuiding Alaskan Way happens then. Rebuilding the seawall is by that time, completed.
The 4-lane Cut-n-Cover tunnel is built from the south in 2-block segments. Traffic is diverted around the trench and returned to normal above completed segments. Excavation debris is removed via the tunnel as construction progresses north.
The Waterfront District would survive this least amount of construction disruption, which is much less than the "6-lane" Cut-n-Cover tunnel voters rejected in 2007, mostly for its disruption to the Waterfront District and boo-hoo waaah, SR-99 motorists.
Greg Nickels has good PR, but a terrible record on environmental issues. Jan Drago is no better. SDOT Chief Grace Crunican is monstrously incompetent.
All mayoral challengers, including Elizabeth Campbell, are wise to the issue of the Deep-bore vs the "4-lane Cut-n-Cover" tunnel and the Waterfront District. Whoever supports the Deep-bore tunnel is PR clueless or corrupt.
Posted On: Wednesday, Jun. 3 2009 @ 3:11PM
BikeChick says:
Nickels brought up Kyoto?
Really?
The same guy who was banging on reducing emissions while trotting around in big ole' Cadillacs, Lincoln Town cars and Expeditions?
Can you name what he's done to actually reduce emissions?
The photo ops are nifty, though.
Does the mayor still have a chaffeur drive over and pick him up and then take him to work?
Posted On: Wednesday, Jun. 3 2009 @ 3:22PM
Livia says:
Excellent point BikeChick, not only will the Nickels/Drago tunnel not reduce car emissions & greenhouse gas, it will eat up money that could otherwise go to transit.
I'm talking about the cost overruns the Seattle citizes are supposed to shoulder. Cost overruns on projects this big average 30%. That's over a Billion Seattle taxpayer dollars that won't be available for social services, transit, schools or neighborhood improvements.
Nobody for the tunnel plan can call themselves fiscally responsible.
Posted On: Wednesday, Jun. 3 2009 @ 7:14PM
Seattle Democrat says:
Of course Susan Huchinson didn't show up, she is a VERY far-right Republican and wants to keep that information under wraps as much as possible.
Posted On: Wednesday, Jun. 3 2009 @ 8:26PM
Truth Detector says:
Susan Huchinson can only be called "Far right" if you consider that in Seattle being "moderate" means you are a left wing liberal to the rest of the world. If she were running for Seattle Mayor that might be an issue, but since she is running for King County Executive, in a county of 1.8 million people, with only 1/3rd being the ultra far left wing Socialist Republic of Seattle, it isn't.
She is the perfect candidate for this county that has equal parts of Liberal Left(Seattle), Moderate (East and South county) and Conservative (rural areas). She alone has the ability to unite this fractured county. One so widely divided by the Sims Regime that everything outside the Seattle Core wants to split into another county.
She has integrity and the ability to work with people of all political beliefs and proven by her leadership of causes run by, or geared towards, those who are on the other end of the spectrum from her personal background.
That is the kind of leader we need, one that doesn't confuse their personal feelings with the good of those they represent.
Posted On: Wednesday, Jun. 3 2009 @ 9:22PM
J.R. says:
Susan Hutchison isn't the perfect candidate for any public office. She has no experience or skills, she won't appear at public forums for fear of being exposed as a lightweight, and she won't talk to the public about her political beliefs. She's just trying to get elected based on her celebrity.
Posted On: Thursday, Jun. 4 2009 @ 8:42AM