State of the City 2009
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels
February 17, 2009

Coming together, building our community in difficult times

Ladies and Gentleman, members of the City Council, honored guests, friends and neighbors, it is my great honor today to report to you on the state of our city. Let me begin by talking about where we are gathered here today, starting with this great building.

I’ve known Bill Burton, executive branch director of the Rainier Vista Boys and Girls Club, for more than 20 years.  And I’ve known about his dream to build an incredible club here at Rainier Vista for about that long.  I’m proud that the city was able to help, and I think we can all agree: Isn’t this a remarkable place for kids? Just looking at the beautiful faces of the kids who play and learn here reminds us of the dividends we receive when we invest in our community.  Across the street, you can see Rainier Vista, a vibrant public housing development that offers housing for people of diverse incomes. This is what makes a city strong: Families of all backgrounds living close to parks, playgrounds, shops and community gardens.

In July, light rail cars will cruise along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, taking people from the Valley to downtown Seattle and points south. Today, we can see tracks in the ground, trains being tested and feel excitement in the air. My wife Sharon is with us today, and after this speech she was scheduled to head to the airport. Next year, we could simply step outside and catch light rail.  A train will come every 7 minutes and we’ll arrive at the airport in 19 minutes. Light rail has the power to transform communities.  We’re seeing that here in the Rainier Valley, and it will happen across our region.

Our city has a promising future.  But we come together today in difficult times.  For months, we have seen the gathering clouds of an economic downturn.  We are now in the storm.  Everyday we read about job losses from hometown companies like Starbucks, Boeing, and Microsoft. A year ago, Washington Mutual was the nation’s largest savings and loan. Today it is history, a painful chapter in what is turning out to be the sharpest economic downturn in a generation. We know the conversations taking place around kitchen tables across our city. We feel the anxiety. We will see the impact this has on our neighbors.

I am deeply concerned with preserving services for the least, the lost and the last. The state and county face massive deficits that jeopardize basic human services. The holes in our safety nets are growing wider, and more people are passing through. I am reminded of the words of Hubert Humphrey, a former mayor of Minneapolis: It was once said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped. We must pass that test.

This is the time for government to do more with less and to forge new partnerships. But the solution to our challenges comes not from government alone. All of us have common interests and common aims.  And to weather this storm, we must all play a part in lessening the hardships that an increasing number of our neighbors will feel.  Throughout this country, there is a renewed sense of community, sparked by the remarkable change in Washington, DC. Despite their worries, people – especially young people – want to help.   They want to be asked. They want to know what they can do for their city, their country, their planet. It is up to us to capture this spirit. Neighbor by neighbor, business by business, we must lend each other a helping hand. That is how we will emerge stronger.  We are reminded of a President who assured us, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

Today, I want to talk with you about bringing our community together and building new partnerships.  The guiding light that will lead us to better times is the same one that led previous generations.  It is the common pride of living in a great place.  It is the strength of our commitment to one another. And it is the knowledge that new ideas are born from difficult challenges. Together, we shall prevail.

Wise investments
Consider some of the things that give us cause for optimism: Our crime rate is the lowest in 40 years. Violent crime is down again this year, and the number of property crimes in 2008 was less than it was in 1967. Let me recognize the efforts of our Seattle Police Department and in particular Chief Gil Kerlikowske.  

Transit ridership is at record levels.  Recycling participation is at an all-time high. Our libraries are the busiest they have ever been. We’re attracting more artists, musicians and movie-makers – We gave permits last year to 365 film productions – including 15 feature films –to shoot in Seattle, the most in a decade. 

No doubt, our city budget will face more challenges in the coming months.  But working together with the City Council, we will make wise decisions.  This is not the first time we’ve faced tough times. When I became Mayor in 2002, we saw the worst slow down since the 1970s. And we found the cupboard was bare. It was an exercise in the fundamentals: get city finances under control. Cut overhead first, direct services last. We streamlined and saved. And we made good decisions from tough choices.

When conditions improved, we were careful about our budget. We hired more police, lowered electricity rates, and paved a record number of streets. But we controlled government growth, and we put money in a Rainy Day fund. Today, it’s more than 30 million dollars.

We also put a strong focus on creating jobs--making sure businesses in Seattle could grow. It wasn’t easy, but now we are seeing the results of those hard fought battles.

In Northgate, new investment continues where there was once acrimony and stalemate.  We’ve built a new library and community center, opened up the headwaters of a creek once covered by asphalt and purchased land to build a new park.  Northgate is fulfilling its destiny as a great urban center.

Seven years ago, many of us were criticized for our vision of South Lake Union. Today, South Lake Union is considered a silver lining among dark clouds. Nearly 9,000 new jobs have been created, and more than 4 million square feet of space has either been built or is under construction. People across the city now come to work at the University of Washington’s life sciences campus, Group Health’s headquarters, N B B J and the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute.

Later this spring, Amazon.com will move forward with the latest phase of its headquarters complex. In July, the Gates Foundation broke ground for a $500 million campus that will make Seattle a center of global health and philanthropy.

All this didn’t just happen by accident.  The city helped incubate Seattle’s life science industry: We made zoning changes.  We improved the streets.  And we built the Seattle Streetcar, which in its first year gave more than a half-million passengers an easy connection between South Lake Union and downtown. Today, more than 2,700 people call South Lake Union home, making it one of the city’s fastest growing and most dynamic neighborhoods.

The path forward:  Creating jobs and opportunities for all
How we recover from this economic downturn is a now a matter of national debate, but Seattle is leading the way. We have invested in transportation and made energy efficiency a priority, long before the federal government embraced such strategies. Seattle – always a city of innovation and imagination – stands ready to show how we can create new opportunities.

Over the next two years, Seattle will continue fixing our roads and bridges, improving our utilities and parks—creating jobs for 5,000 people.  But we can do more.  Last week, I announced “Seattle Jobs Forward,” a package of local steps to boost our economy and get people employed quickly.  Working with the council, we will accelerate road, sidewalk projects and environmental work. We’ll even get people good-paying jobs to help restore our urban forests.  The reasoning is simple: we need immediate action to put people to work right away.

The biggest economic bang will come from something I’ve long advocated and fought for: fixing the Mercer Mess and the aging Spokane Street Viaduct, work that will begin this summer.

Years ago, it seemed as if there were entire rooms in City Hall devoted to studies on how to fix Mercer Street. Today, we have a project that is going forward, creating a “Road to Global Health”—a two-way connection from Elliot Avenue to I-5 connecting the Hutch, the UW, Gates Foundation and Amgen. Equally important, Spokane Street represents our “Road to Global Trade.” Our plan to fix the Mercer Mess and the Spokane Street Viaduct will create more than a thousand direct jobs in the next two years.  Both these projects are linked to the breakthrough we achieved on the Alaskan Way Viaduct with Governor Gregoire.

Last month the Governor, King County Executive Ron Sims and I announced an agreement that removes a dangerous elevated freeway from Seattle’s waterfront.  A tunnel (two lanes in each direction) combined with improved surface streets and more transit will keep people and goods moving.  Finally, we will reconnect our city with a great public waterfront along Elliott Bay.  This agreement demonstrates that with patience and compromise, we can solve the biggest transportation challenges facing our community.

Another breakthrough took place last November, when voters passed the light rail plan, “Mass Transit Now.”  One year ago, after the defeat of a Roads and Transit measure, there was little appetite to go back to voters.  The skeptics said 2008 wasn’t the year for mass transit.  But as chairman of the Sound Transit board, I worked with our regional leaders, and organized a grassroots campaign. And voters approved a light rail extension by a margin none of us dared to dream. We won, because voters understand that light rail provides more than an alternative to the freeway. It infuses energy into neighborhoods and creates places where people want to live. Now, by extending light rail to north to Lynnwood, south to Federal Way and across the lake to the east side, we’ll create 69,000 jobs over the next 15 years.

Let there be no mistake. After four decades, the debate over mass transit is over. Within a decade and a half: We will finally have a transportation system worthy of this great region.

Next month, we will break ground to extend light rail to the University. This segment will create about 2,900 direct jobs and connect three neighborhoods: the UW, Capitol Hill and downtown. Trains will run every 7 minutes initially and eventually every 3 ½ minutes. Imagine catching a train on Capitol Hill near Seattle Central Community College and arriving in either downtown or the UW in just 3 minutes. That will happen in just a few short years as will a new streetcar line that will connect Capitol Hill, First Hill and the ID.

There are other rays of light in our city.  A year ago, we were successful in passing legislation to preserve zones for industrial businesses such as McKinstry, a national leader in making buildings more energy efficient. Today, McKinstry is hanging the “Help Wanted” shingle, and last month, we presented them with a building permit so they can expand their operations and hire an additional 500 people in family-wage jobs. We’re proud to help this and other innovative companies grow. We were proud when candidate Barack Obama talked about his visit to McKinstry and how Seattle represented Green Jobs.

We’re making Seattle the green building capital of America. Last year, Councilmember Harrell joined me as we launched City Light’s 5-year conservation plan.  This year, we will roll out programs to help landlords and homeowners determine how they use energy, and where they can find savings.

 Some of this will involve cutting-edge technology. But we’re not forgetting the human touch. “Got Green” is a group of young adults who received a city grant to take a crash course in energy efficiency. They visited wind farms and learned how to install solar panels. Now they are going door-to-door, offering to install efficient light bulbs and low-flow showerheads. They are here today, and let’s recognize their work, beating global warming one doorbell at a time.

Strong families, healthy communities
Difficult economic times present a real challenge for city government. Falling revenues put pressure on our budget, just as people need our assistance more than ever.

I’m very proud that working last year with the City Council and budget chair Jean Godden, we passed a compassionate budget.  We increased our fight against hunger in our community, boosting home meal delivery and buying food in bulk, the most efficient way to help our food banks. 

This coming year, we will spend about $40 million to help the homeless—more than all other cities in Washington State combined.  When I became Mayor, I vowed to take a new approach, to make a real attempt to break the cycle of homelessness. 

We call it “Housing First.”  Next week, we will open yet another building to house these hard to serve people, bringing us to more than 300 new, permanent Housing First units. Three hundred people who are no longer living on the streets or in our greenbelts.  Three hundred people who are in a better, safer place where they can get in-house medical and mental health treatment to stabilize their lives. 

This fall, I’m going to ask Seattle voters to join me again and reach out to those who need a home or are struggling to pay their rent or mortgage.  Four times, beginning in 1981, our residents have supported housing assistance. We must do so again. Consider what we accomplished with the last housing levy:  Every year, we’ve given emergency rental assistance to more than 500 households.  We’ve created and preserved more than 1,800 affordable rental units.  And we’ve helped more than 200 first-time homebuyers.  I know we face tough times, but I am confident that this fall, Seattle voters will once again step up to help our neighbors keep a roof over their heads.

Historically, our city has done well providing low-income housing.  But there are many residents who don’t qualify for public assistance but nonetheless struggle to find decent affordable housing.  They are Seattle’s workforce—our teachers, hotel workers and grocery clerks.  They work one or two jobs and still have trouble finding a place to live.

I’m concerned about keeping this city affordable for the people who live here right now, for your children and my children.  If you work in Seattle, you should be able to live in Seattle in decent affordable housing.  It should be that simple. 

Our “Homes Within Reach” program encourages builders to create units for workers making below the median income. And we’re telling developers: If you want permission to build taller buildings, you have to set aside units that are affordable to our workforce, or provide other benefits to the community. I want to thank Councilmembers Clark and McIver for helping us making sure Seattle remains affordable.

Call to action: Reaching out to our neighbors in need

These are some of the things city government is doing to help.  But government can’t do it alone.  In these unsettling times, the people of Seattle are doing extraordinary things. They are reaching out to help those falling behind.  They are helping neighbors and strangers because we know that better times will come only if we stand strong together.

Seattle has a rich tradition of people reaching out to neighbors in need. Now is the time to do even more.

Today, I am announcing a new partnership with the United Way.  Our goal is to engage 10,000 new volunteers in the city.  Imagine what we can accomplish by mobilizing 10,000 people to action.  This is a call to all those looking for ways to contribute--cooking meals for senior citizens, staffing cancer survivor hot-lines, picking up donated merchandise, or organizing diaper drives. 

You can find these and other opportunities by starting at our Web site, mayor.seattle.gov, which will link you directly to hundreds of ways to volunteer. 

Throughout the year, we will put a spotlight on what people can do for their community, and I look forward to exploring new volunteer opportunities myself. I also want to acknowledge and lend my support to the small acts of kindness that often go overlooked. 

Across the city, from all walks of life, families and neighbors are coming together to both give and receive help. Take the example of the Puget Ridge Neighborhood Council, which organizes clean-ups and the annual “Night Out” event. When two families fell on hard times and were at risk of losing their homes, neighbors rolled up their sleeves and went to work. Joan Schneider and others organized a neighborhood garage sale that brought people together and helped ease some of the strain.

Imagine Seattle as a place where kindness is uninhibited. All of us have much to give and there is no better time than now.  In the next year, 10,000 new volunteers will do great things, and follow the example set by Joan.  We are a better city for what she has done.  Joan Schneider is here today, let’s recognize Joan and her neighbors.

A community effort to prevent youth violence
I mentioned earlier we are a very safe city with record low crime rates.  But too many times last year, friends and families gathered at churches to say good-bye to a teenager whose life was cut short by gun violence. Too many of our kids are tempted by the allure of gangs, and too many fall victim to the streets. Fights that were once settled with fists now end with gunfire. Yesterday, gun violence claimed the life of another young man, Tyrone Love, a 26-year-old music promoter killed about a half-mile from his home.

A year ago, I called together parents, community leaders, principals, members of the faith community and others and asked for their help to tackle this problem head-on.  I asked for nothing short of a fundamental change in the way we deal with youth violence.

We launched the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative.  And we have gone right to work.

The key word here is “prevention.”  We can’t just wait to respond; we need to stop violence before it escalates.  That means seeking out young people who are most at risk:  Repeat offenders.  Youth who have been arrested and released.  Young people who have had problems with truancy or have been suspended from school for violent acts.  Victims of violence who may think about retaliating.

This is another example of how we must come together as a community.  Parents, churches, business leaders, teachers, neighbors—we all have a role to play.  Our young people should be thinking about grades and graduation, not guns and gangs. 

This spring, we’re going to put police officers in four middle schools.  They won’t be wearing regular police uniforms, and they’ll be just as concerned with providing guidance as providing security.  We’ll also have outreach workers in the neighborhoods, talking to kids and families, offering a way out from the cycle of violence and hopelessness.

Councilmember Burgess, I want to thank you and your colleagues for your support in protecting our children.  

Just this morning, we signed an agreement with the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle to help young people in the Central Area. Urban League President James Kelly is here, and I know both he and the outreach workers are ready to get started.  His youth service network is the first of three we will put in operation this year. For James, this is just the latest example of his commitment to changing lives, and I want to thank him for his energy, his ideas, and his passion for protecting our children’s future.

We’re being innovative, but we’re learning from other cities, too. We’re studying proven crime-reduction strategies from cities like Baltimore and Chicago, and a team of our outreach workers and police just came back from training in Washington, DC. 

Later this year, I invite all of you to join me as we convene a youth violence prevention summit—a call to action for our entire community. Seattle will not stand for this violence.  We have set a goal for the initiative’s first full year of operation:  To reduce youth violence by half.

Keep our neighborhoods safe
Public safety across our city is our paramount duty.  Two years ago, we began to implement a Neighborhood Policing Plan, to put more officers on the street—where they’re needed and when they’re needed. In every precinct, we have new officers—people like Sydney Braithwaite in the South Precinct.  He worked his way through college as a ramp agent, loading luggage at Sea-Tac airport.  He got a job at an investment firm, but always had dreams of following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a police officer.  When he graduated from the academy, his father flew out to pin on his badge. 

Also joining the force last year, was Daljit Gill.  She was a medical assistant and X-ray technician, but always wanted to go into law enforcement.  Officer Gill says it’s a very unusual career path for an Indian woman to choose, but her family has supported her, and she’s enjoying her shift in the West Precinct--which begins every morning at 3 a.m.

Today we have more officers on the street than at any point in our history.  Please join me in welcoming both Officers Gill and Brathwaite and all the new officers who have joined the hard-working Seattle Police force.

Also in your neighborhood this year, you may see some construction around your fire station.  In 2009, we will break ground on six new fire stations.  We will renovate and retrofit five others, the most aggressive investment in 40 years.  This is part of the plan I proposed in 2003 to replace, renovate or remodel all our fire stations.  We owe it to our firefighters to keep them in safe working conditions.  With support from voters and the Council, we will be better prepared for emergencies.

Transportation: Get Seattle Moving
From North Seattle to South, from Ballard to Columbia City, from South Park to Capitol Hill, we are getting things done.  When it comes to transportation, let me share some numbers with you.

Forty one:  That’s the number of lane miles we paved this past year.  We’ve also built more sidewalks than any recent administration.  I share the Council’s commitment to pedestrian safety, improving intersections with curb ramps, crosswalk markings and countdown signals.

Here’s another number: 258:   traffic lights we’ve synchronized downtown.

419,000: That’s the number of potholes we’ve filled since I became Mayor.   Our Pothole Rangers are meeting the challenge to repair potholes within 48 hours.

These numbers reflect real progress that’s making a difference in each neighborhood.  Last fall, we opened the new Cheshiahud Trail around Lake Union, and this year, we’ll begin construction on the last “missing link” of the Burke Gilman Trail. These are the paths that bring our city together. I want to thank Councilmember Rasmussen for his commitment to our parks and green spaces.

A city we’re proud to call home
In these difficult times, we can be proud of how much we have accomplished together.  There are many signs of hope.  Seattle is a special place filled with talented people.  On so many different fronts, we lead the nation. 

This year, our new “City of Music” campaign is promoting the creative musicians who give our city its soul.  You may have noticed that our city looks a little cleaner recently. That’s because we took Styrofoam packaging out of our restaurants, a simple action that will have far-reaching benefits for our environment. Council President Conlin, thanks for your commitment to making Seattle a leader in sustainability.

Four years ago this week, when the Bush Administration refused to participate in the Kyoto Protocol to reduce climate pollution, I saw an opportunity for local government to lead.  Today, 910 Mayors representing 81 million people have signed our agreement to meet or beat the Kyoto targets.  Time and time again, Seattle has shown the way with its people and its innovation.

I want to leave you today, with the story of Mako Nakagawa.  She called the city with a question about her electric bill and was connected with Maureen Murphy, one of our utility representatives.  During the call, the phone line went dead.  Maureen could have simply moved on to the next call.  Instead, she called 9-1-1.  Paramedics found Mako collapsed at her house after suffering a brain aneurysm.  Mako has made a complete recovery and is alive today, because in Seattle, we care for each other.  We go the extra mile.  Please join me in welcoming Mako and Maureen, who are both here today, as great examples of our Seattle spirit.

That spirit is even more visible in this financial storm. The State of the City is measured by more than just numbers on a balance sheet. It is measured by the creativity of our entrepreneurs to find the next big thing. It is measured by our shared values to leave a better place for our children. And it is measured by the depth of our compassion. The State of our City – when you look at the resilience of our people – is strong.

Let us seize this moment to come together, to build new partnerships, to protect our children, to respond to the call for neighbors helping neighbors, and to support each other.  We will emerge with greater empathy and a greater sense of community. We can make a difference in people’s lives, and together, we will. 

Thank you and may God bless our home, Seattle.