Announcer: Seattle City Council.
The Seattle City Council
is the legislative branch
of government.
Members set the city's direction
by enacting ordinances
and passing resolutions.
The council authorizes
expenditures,
adopts regulations,
levies taxes,
controls the finances
and property of the city,
and performs many related
legislative tasks.
Of the nine
city council positions,
two -- Position 8
and Position 9 --
are at large, representing
the entire city
for a term of four years.
Positions 1 through 7
each represent
different areas of the city.
Only the two
at-large council positions
are up for election this year.
The top two vote-getters
in each position will advance
to the general election
in November.
The remaining seven
council positions
will be on the ballot in 2023.
All voters in Seattle can vote
in the at-large
city council races.
20 years ago, I ran for city council.
At that time, I proposed an initiative
titled Vision 2000.
Other proposals I made you will find at
GeorgeFreeman.com.
Two have been enacted.
Police officers' vehicles have cameras,
although at times
they still turn those cameras off.
I also proposed a bridge crossing
at 1st Avenue.
After 20 years, that bridge
has finally been completed.
I represent visionary ventures.
I build restaurants and nightclubs.
Seattle is the Emerald City, and it is said
that change comes from the bottom
for the Emerald City.
And given the problems that we face,
those problems grow, and our decisions
work their way up to the state, nation,
and our planet.
I intend to speak to those issues
and the problems that we face
through the initiatives that I have proposed.
I believe that we need
to add to the Seattle Center
a new image.
I believe that we need to look
at our health care problems
and that we do something similar
to the Bookmobile --
mobile bus health centers.
I think that we need to move our homeless people
into areas that are parks,
which have security and health care and showers.
We need to have transportation back for those.
The people that live in Seattle --
Once a building is in the market
of being sold, I think the city
should back that up with mortgage loans
at a low cost and let those people live there.
I also think that we need more police officers.
I do not believe that we should
defund our police department.
And especially women.
Women are half of this society,
and we need half of the police department
to be women.
Hello. My name is
Jordan Elizabeth Fisher.
And I'm running for Seattle
City Council Position 8.
Our community has a lot of concerns
regarding police accountability,
budget restraints,
homeless crisis, addiction, health care,
the eviction moratorium expiring
right before winter,
and, finally, affordable housing.
My experience as a mortgage lender
and advocate for the homeless community
gave me a comprehensive understanding
of how money circulates,
federal and state finance laws,
core practices of the real estate industry
that inhibit affordable housing,
and how nonprofits operate.
First and foremost, we need to centralize
our resources to aid,
audit ineffective nonprofits,
and get them organized working together.
With affordable housing, we can
incentivize a more co-op style
ownership of living in which a pool
of renters have a fractional ownership
of, let's say, a condo building.
These owners would be able to set
fair rental prices
versus an investor,
by an equitable voting system,
and could assign their own requirements
to occupy the space,
such as removing the need for a credit check.
Additionally, renters would now have
an affordable way to build
equity and wealth.
My platform is centered around the concept
of putting the government on the blockchain.
This is one of the most innovative
technologies ever created.
We can program our money
with accounting features
that would audit
the effectiveness of our taxes,
the city budget, political contributions,
and even nonprofits.
Blockchain allows for the streamlining
of government resources like unemployment,
rental assistance, grants and aid,
resulting in funds
being more readily accessible.
I want to give the people a voice
on how their dollars are being spent.
Cryptocurrency is fun,
but blockchain is where the revolution is.
I'm asking for your vote,
and I think that I can be a very effective,
powerful, and innovative voice
of leadership for our community.
Visit my website for more details.
Hi, Seattle. I'm Bobby Lindsey,
a candidate for Seattle City Council
Position 8.
I've been given two minutes
to introduce myself, so here it is.
I'm from Louisville, Kentucky,
and I moved to Seattle
a little over three years ago
with no friends, no family supporting me.
My only option was to live in my car.
I worked two jobs, showered at the gym,
and actually used a cooler on the back seat,
on my floor's back seat, as a refrigerator.
What I thought would be temporary
lasted 22 months.
No breaks or temporary housing in between.
During that time, I cleared up all my debts,
raised my credit score,
and then I was able to secure housing.
I love to tell that story
because it shows nothing is impossible
with a little determination
and a lot of hard work.
Sometimes we encounter
difficult situations in life
that push us to become
the person we know we're supposed to be.
My situation prepared me for this position.
While homeless, I lived what most fear,
what many discuss, and most try
not to think about.
I have a different perspective
on our city's issues from actual,
on-the-ground, lived experience.
I'm the person we need, Seattle,
and I humbly ask for your support.
Thank you for your time and have a good day.
Hi, Seattle. My name is Brian Fahey.
And I've been a trade worker my entire working life.
I started in the HVAC trade when I was 13,
helping my neighbor start his business
and assisting with the install work
throughout my summer vacations.
I did this until I moved to Seattle in 2003.
Since moving here, I've continued my career
in the HVAC trade to the point
of managing multiple Class A high-rise operations
in downtown.
Because of this, I am very familiar
with the benefits of preventive actions
rather than reactive.
I am running for Seattle City Council
because I feel we need pragmatic leaders
who use tried and true, fact-based approaches
to sensitive and emotional issues
to ensure the best possible outcomes.
I believe that campaign finance is one of the
largest issues we face
in a representative democracy.
I feel that all constituency-based races
should have to use our Democracy Voucher program.
Our leaders need to be beholden
to the people, not the corporate donors.
I also believe that we as a city should do more
for ourselves when it comes to education funding.
In my opinion, education funding should be permanent
and tied to progressive B&O taxes
to reduce the burden on the surrounding areas
and eliminate the need for levies.
Your children deserve better than the unstable
system that we give them.
In terms of some of the social issues
hitting our city right now, again, I believe
the pragmatic and evidence-based approach is the best.
We need a police force that respects our city
and its views.
We also need a police force that our city respects.
Accountability is what is missing
to allow good police to flourish.
We should also do more to encourage
Seattle residents to become police
in the city that they call home.
Hello. My name is Jesse James.
And I'm running for Seattle City Council
Position 8.
I have noticed as of late
many people's discouragement
with the Democratic Party,
and yet I don't think the Republican Party
is quite the voice we're looking for, either.
Fortunately, I don't consider myself
a part of either of these
over-bloated, inefficient associations.
I'm not a fringe activist,
nor am I a career politician.
I'm a voice for the people, pure and simple.
The main issue I would like to address
is that of our beloved Democracy Voucher program
and how the current regulations give incumbents
and career politicians an advantage
over the grassroots candidates
the program is supposed to help support.
The current requirement citywide candidates
like myself need to meet before they can receive
a single voucher is 400 $10 donations
from Seattle voters.
The problem is, of course, anyone with
an established base can fill this requirement
much quicker than the unknown
grassroots candidates it's supposed to support.
It's because of this
that not a single city council member or mayor
has been unseated since the start of this program.
And for this reason, I am not participating
in the Democracy Voucher program
out of protest, as I believe
citizens should have the freedom to give
their vouchers to any candidate on the ballot.
Other issues I am an advocate for
are the legalization and taxation of card rooms
and an end to the sweetened beverage tax,
clearing encampments near our schools,
and the city's general support in rebuilding
our small-business community.
In closing, if you are looking for change
and value a practical, reasonable,
hardworking, and efficient
individual looking out for you,
I may just be your candidate.
Thank you and good day.
My name is Kenneth Wilson,
and I'm running for Seattle City Council 8.
I'm a licensed, bridge structural engineer
with 30 years' experience
working on transportation
and infrastructure projects
and own a small business since 2005.
I completed my master's degree in civil engineering
at UW, and I'm a proud resident of Seattle
for over 28 years.
Having lived in West Seattle and now in
the Wallingford/Green Lake neighborhood
with my wife and two daughters,
I have a strong appreciation
for the city's many distinct neighborhoods.
This past year has taught me important lessons
and is the reason I am running.
It reminded me of the value of family.
It showed me once again the ingenuity
of American science and manufacturing
with Ford and GE quickly switching
to medical devices,
while our scientists were first to produce
mass testing and viable vaccines.
Unfortunately, it also demonstrated to me
that our incumbent representatives
do not hold our interests and needs first,
instead often focusing on political projects.
We need a better council.
Our council failed us
with homeless, our infrastructure,
including cutting the West Seattle access,
and our safety.
I will not defund our police
and instead promise to support and work
with them to better serve Seattle.
Our city is an old, mature city,
and the infrastructure needs to be updated
and upgraded.
This includes power, utility systems,
sewer mains, water,
and our city's bridges and roads.
West Seattle access must be restored
and open now, not in 2022.
We've analyzed it, we understand it better,
and there are usage opportunities.
We need homeless solutions
that are not just temporary shelter,
but real actions that correct addictions
and mental problems,
such as 18-to-24-month transition housing
with social services.
As your council member,
it's my intention to build on our strengths,
restore rational decisions,
and to assure progress follow-up.
I have the ability, energy, and expertise
to restore Seattle to the city we want.
I would appreciate your vote.
My name is Paul Felipe Glumaz.
I was born in Mexico
and have lived in Seattle for 41 years.
I am running for Seattle City Council Position 8
in order to stop the transformation
of the city that I love
into an impoverished, crime-ridden,
and drug-infested slum.
I'm doing this because no other candidate
has come forward to say what must be said
or to exhibit the personal courage
and commitment to do what is needed to be done.
The primary cause of this transformation
of Seattle is a combination
of wrong policies and gross mismanagement
by the current city council.
This includes the defunding of law enforcement
and enabling nonprofits
to promote a growing
billion dollar a year
homeless industrial complex,
replete with safe injection sites
and free drugs.
My first priority is to restore to Seattle
a fully-funded public safety system.
This includes creating the conditions
where the homeless are forced off the streets
into emergency transitional shelters.
From there, the individual problems
of the homeless person can be defined
and that person can be forwarded
to substance abuse treatment,
psychological care, or work counseling.
The future of the Seattle area
rests on building an advanced
21st-century science and technology
manufacturing hub for the world.
Unfortunately, Seattle's future
has been severely jeopardized
by the current city council.
If you want a future for Seattle,
vote Paul Felipe Glumaz, Position 8.
Sieg Heil, Seattle commie Nazi fascists.
Sieg Heil, Seattle council and mayor,
our fascist and clown,
our crazy Nazi Gestapo garbage rats
from "Animal Farm."
I am Alex Tsimerman.
Speak to you, Seattle immoral, degenerate,
supersmart freakin' idiot
with Nazi, socialist, Democrat,
and anti-Semite principle.
Clean dirty, stupid council chamber
from this clown, criminal, and killer.
This cannot go on forever.
Stand up, Seattle. Stand up, America.
We as a people need to elect intelligent,
civilized businessmen who can bring Seattle
back to normal life,
who will stop the crook
who suck blood and money from us
and make us life miserable,
who will have Q&A every month
with the people in each district,
who does not scared to talk to the people
frankly and honestly,
who is not a fascist sociopath or lunatic,
who is American and respect
and restore our Constitution,
love, and freedom of speech,
who is not scared to open Bertha Landes rooms
in City Hall one day per week
for a citizen conversation
and harness candidate forum for everybody.
We need to stop National Socialist
Democrat Mafia
with progressive Gestapo principle
which have brought Seattle
to No. 1 fascist city in America
in total collapse.
Only pure idiot don't understand.
It's a one-party system. It's always fascism.
We need to clean our government
from dirty garbage rats
who drink from fat cat toilet.
Stand up, Seattle. Stand up, America.
It's time for real changes!
Emerging from this pandemic,
we have an opportunity to come together,
to roll up our sleeves and build
a stronger, more equitable Seattle.
I'm Teresa Mosqueda, and I've dedicated my career
to building coalitions and getting results
by bringing together diverse perspectives
and passing progressive policies that challenge the status quo.
In my first term here at Seattle City Council,
with your help, we passed progressive policies to make
Seattle more equitable and just. I led the coalition
and passed the JumpStart progressive revenue proposal
to bring in over $214 million a year
for investments in housing and small businesses,
in equitable development
and Green New Deal priorities.
I passed wage and leave standards
for app-based drivers,
made sure that our hotel workers had health care
and workplace protections, and during COVID made sure
that our grocery workers had hazard pay.
I led on the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights
that is now a national model for other cities.
And we addressed the climate crisis
by passing energy efficiency standards for city buildings
and funding more housing within the city of Seattle.
In the wake of COVID, I hope to continue to do
this important work with your support.
I hope to return to council with your vote
and make sure that we can continue to invest in workers
and small businesses, address environmental crisis,
as well as make sure that we're addressing the health
and stability for all Seattleites.
I will fight for more affordable housing across our city,
for police accountability, and upstream investments,
making sure that we invest in homeless prevention strategies
and ensure that workers and small businesses have
the support they need for a more equitable
Seattle post-COVID.
I hope you'll join me
and support my campaign for re-election.
Please join individuals like Representative Jayapal,
Attorney General Bob Ferguson,
labor unions from across this county,
including SEIU, Teamsters, UFCW,
so many environmental justice groups,
like the Sierra Club and Washington Conservation Voters
and folks fighting for women's rights,
LGBT rights, and health care justice.
It's been an honor to serve you.
My name is Kate Martin.
I'm a planning and design consultant
and an affordable housing provider.
I know we agree that Seattle needs better government
and that is why I'm challenging the incumbent
and the status quo.
As pressing problems go unsolved
while bigger and bigger budgets are consumed,
my heart breaks. This is my town for 42 years.
I raised my family here,
have my business here,
and have worked shoulder to shoulder with fellow volunteers
from one end of this city to the other for decades.
It's clear that things are actually getting worse.
Homelessness, support for the mentally ill
and addicted, public safety, and affordable housing
are all crises.
We, the taxpayers, are doing our part,
voting for higher taxes with the promise it will help.
But those promises have been broken.
Why does the council keep failing?
Why do we, the voters, accept these failures?
I see a few answers.
First, democracy is under attack in our city.
Special interest power is too great, and elections
have become squabbles between the city's most powerful groups.
We must fully recognize the district-level democracy
we voted for in 2013.
District-level plans
and electing district council members to shepherd
those plans will make all of the difference.
Second, there's too little intellectual
and professional diversity on the council.
Today, it's an echo chamber
that can't even notice it's failing.
I'll bring debate, professional problem-solving skills,
and a focus on proven solutions.
Seattle's history is great,
and it wasn't that long ago that we were safer,
healthier, and better housed.
While we can't fix these problems overnight,
it's time we recompose the council
to get Seattle on track.
Please visit electkatemartin.com
and theseattlejournal.com to learn more.
I ask for your vote and truly cannot wait to serve you
as the next Position 8 Seattle City Council member.
Thank you for your consideration.