Friends of Seattle Endorses Israel, O'Brien, McGinn, and Green Bag Fee, and Raises Questions About Miller and Mallahan's Candidacies

Friends of Seattle has issued the following press release.

CONTACT: Sean Howell (206) XXX-XXXX

A brief summary of our thorough candidate analyses is offered below. Our complete 2009 Voters Guide (Primary Election Edition) is available at http://www.friendsofseattle.org/2009-voters-guide-primary-election.

ENDORSED CANDIDATES:

MICHAEL MCGINN

* Michael McGinn is a courageous voice of change---the candidate we need to get the politics we deserve instead of the politics we have.

* Mr. McGinn's vision is a Seattle that lives up to its environmental ideals, invests in the needs of neighborhoods across the city, and strikes a fairer balance between biking, walking, transit, and driving.
* That is why Mr. McGinn opposes the $4.2 billion tunnel to replace the Viaduct, a plan which he correctly describes as a missed opportunity to invest in alternative transportation. Further, Mr. McGinn wants the city to partner with Metro to improve local bus service, and as we saw in last winter's snowstorm, the way the City manages its streets greatly impacts the County's ability to provide bus service.
* His civic experience was important to us, because while we are excited about the possibility of change at City Hall, we wanted someone who understands the issues, has experience working with Seattle's diverse community groups, and has a track record of success in community involvement.

JESSIE ISRAEL

* Ms. Israel is a dynamic candidate of change whom we are excited to endorse. Other than the incumbents, she was the most knowledgeable and well-prepared candidate we interviewed.
* We were impressed by Ms. Israel's ideas-all of them specific, concrete, and innovative-for securing funding toward transit oriented development, sidewalks and affordable, walkable communities.

MIKE O'BRIEN

* Mr. O'Brien will be a visionary leader on City Council---someone who is politically courageous and well-equipped to deal with the practicalities of budgeting and policymaking. His interview with us was outstanding.
* He convincingly argues that the mobility structure needed for the 2020s and 2030s and beyond does not include a multibillion tunnel that will divert resources from other more important transportation, housing, and educational investments.

CRITERIA AND PROCESS:

We are very proud of our process, which view as the most transparent and information-rich process of any endorsing organization. And we believe our analysis of the candidates is second to none, offering voters a clear assessment of the candidates' strengths and weaknesses.

This election cycle, the challenges facing the city are great, and there is a need for change. We have therefore been very stingy with our endorsements, granting them only when there is a clear choice whom we can support without reservations. Our evaluation criteria were as follows:

    * We sought candidates with enough past successes to indicate they would be capable elected representatives.
    * We sought candidates who supported:
          o more mass transit
          o better infrastructure for biking and walking
          o vibrant parks and more open space
          o robust affordable housing policies
          o zoning for more density downtown, in urban villages, and in areas served by transit
          o opposition to the $4.2 billion tunnel to replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and support for a surface/transit solution, and
          o other policies necessary for supporting urban life in harmony with the natural environment.
    * Above all, we looked for candidates who showed the courage necessary to meet the daunting challenges that Seattle is facing.

OTHER CANDIDATES:

MAYOR OF SEATTLE

JAMES DONALDSON

* Mr. Donaldson is almost singularly focused on the business climate in Seattle, and this perspective has elevated the dialogue during the primary-election campaign.
* Most troubling for us, however, was his lack of familiarity with his own policy proposals.

JAN DRAGO

* We are not convinced that she has different enough skills or policy positions from a successful incumbent to justify dislodging him.
* Also, we are looking for more leadership and political courage than what Councilmember Drago appears ready to provide.

JOE MALLAHAN

* Mr. Mallahan's inexperience and his shallow understanding of city issues and politics make him the wrong person to address Seattle's pressing needs. He has some proposals (e.g., that Metro become an independent agency again) that show little knowledge about public policy and institutions, and his proposals are often too small-bore (e.g., improving Puget Sound's health by sweeping the streets more) to meet Seattle's big challenges.
* Even where Mr. Mallahan thinks big, he is wrong. He supports the $4.2 billion plan to replace the Viaduct with a tunnel. He supports cutting the commuter tax ("head tax"), which will cost Seattle's communities $5 million per year in needed sidewalks, bike infrastructure, and street maintenance.

GREG NICKELS

* Although we find Greg Nickels has an inadequate environmental record and has given too little attention to the quality of growth in our neighborhoods, he has accomplished much as mayor.
* His candidacy would have excited us more if there weren't a better candidate in the race.

SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POS. 8

BOBBY FORCH

* Mr. Forch is affable and seems as if he would be a collegial member of the City Council.
* But this is an election when we need change in city government (Mr. Forch is a city employee) and innovation.

DAVID MILLER

* Mr. Miller's positions on the issues aren't always clear, because although he is known by some as a policy wonk, his questionnaire and campaign website say little about his policy positions.
* Still, we learned enough to be very concerned, particularly with regard to his transportation and land-use policies.

ROBERT ROSENCRANTZ

* He preached the necessity of setting budget priorities, but he did not tell us enough about what his own priorities are, other than to say he doesn't support two-way Mercer Street or the South Lake Union streetcar.
* Our policy views are not aligned; Mr. Rosencrantz opposes the green bag fee, advocates for a tunnel or a Viaduct retrofit, has an inflexible approach to land use, and more.

JORDAN ROYER

* Mr. Royer is supportive of transit-oriented development, smart growth, and alternative transportation, and he also rightly urges the city to do more about polluted stormwater seeping into our lakes, rivers, and Puget Sound.
* Mr. Royer's most significant civic experience appears to be as a City of Seattle employee, and We're looking for something different this year---a time when we need fresh perspectives and new leadership on the City Council.

SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POS. 6

MARTY KAPLAN

* We were glad to see that Mr. Kaplan supports the green bag fee, investments in all modes of mass transit, the Bicycle Master Plan, the Pedestrian Master Plan, the backyard-cottages ordinance, transit-oriented development, and improvements to the design of townhomes.
* But we part ways with Mr. Kaplan on a couple key issues---the tunnel and the commuter tax---and we didn't find enough in his candidacy to come back to him for an endorsement.

NICK LICATA

* Nick Licata is a solid incumbent, and we appreciate his 12 years of service to Seattle.
* But we are ready for a new leader at Position 6. It's time for a councilmember who has innovative and constructive ideas for diversifying our transportation network, lightening our environmental footprint, and building more walkable communities.

SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POS. 4

SALLY BAGSHAW

* FoS was impressed with Sally Bagshaw, former chief of the civil division of the King County Prosecutor's Office, a candidate who describes herself as someone who avoids the limelight by bringing others together.
* But at times we are not yet clear on how specifically Ms. Bagshaw's vision will be transferred into policy. We also have some lingering policy disagreements

DAVID BLOOM

* Mr. Bloom's eye always looks to social justice---a viewpoint that could benefit the Council during this period of growth and change---but we are not yet ready to overlook his thinking on the Viaduct (support for a retrofit or the Frank Chopp elevated plan) or his opposition to last year's ballot measures for light rail and the parks levy.

DORSOL PLANTS

* While Mr. Plants brings fresh ideas and enthusiasm to the race, we had trouble understanding some of Mr. Plants' stands on some issues.

* Further, Mr. Plants displayed a lack of knowledge in some key areas.

SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POS. 2

RICHARD CONLIN

* Richard Conlin, the incumbent, has a twelve-year list of accomplishments on City Council, and there's no denying that he has been a progressive and environmentally conscious leader.
* But we aren't yet confident that Councilmember Conlin, who would likely be Council President again if re-elected, will commit to a serious plan for funding transit, bicycle infrastructure, and pedestrian infrastructure.

DAVID GINSBERG

* Mr. Ginsberg is thoughtful and informed, and he seems ready to change the status quo.
* His aggressive expansion plans for rail-based transit and his stated prioritization (and willingness to fund) bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure are perspectives we can support.

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Friends of Seattle Endorses Israel, O'Brien, McGinn, and Green Bag Fee, and Raises Questions About Miller and Mallahan's Candidacies