West Seattle, Washington
12 Friday
With three days left to vote by mail for Tuesday’s primary, tonight and Sunday morning we are wrapping up our close-up looks at candidates in races including the three Seattle City Council contests you’ll find on the primary ballot. Previous stories are in the WSB Politics archive.
By Jack Mayne
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Behold, a political candidate who says he is not a politician and maintains he will serve only one term in office “because I can get a lot of work done in four years.”
Martin Kaplan, a 60-year-old Queen Anne resident, says his experience makes him ready to start working as a City Councilmember on the day he is sworn in and can work harder for voters because he will not have to spend all that time during his term trying to line up financial and political support for a reelection bid.
“I won’t be involved in (preserving) the future of my political life,” says Kaplan, who contends that he is running “against two politicians,” Nick Licata and Jessie Israel. Licata is finishing his third term on the Council, and is running for a fourth, which he once promised would be as much time as he would serve. Israel is running for the office for the first time, but her political involvements over the years show she is no political novice.
With three days left to vote by mail for Tuesday’s primary, tonight and Sunday morning we are wrapping up our close-up looks at candidates in races including the three Seattle City Council contests you’ll find on the primary ballot. Previous stories are in the WSB Politics archive.
By Kathy Mulady
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Brian Carver sees the future of Seattle in its young people. As one of five candidates for Seattle City Council Position 4, he says he would tap that creativity and energy to find long-term solutions to some of the city’s most persistent problems, including more affordable housing and jobs.
“I have always thought that working with youth is so rewarding and so necessary,” he said. “I am most interested in programs that empower youth so the direction of their life is in their hands and they are equipped to drive it forward.”
Carver, a 30-year-old North Seattle resident, has master’s degrees in business and engineering. He is the Worldwide Lean Manager at Amazon.com, in charge of making sure the company is operating as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. It’s a skill he wants to bring to City Hall.
King County Council District 8 – which includes West Seattle and White Center – is now atop the list for percentage of ballots returned, as of the latest nightly update: Just under 16%, half a point ahead of District 6 on the Eastside. So, 84% of us will vote this weekend (never mind those predictions of low turnout, we can prove them wrong). Toward that end, we have more than a half-dozen additional candidate stories to publish here in the next few hours, in case you still need more info to make up your mind. Earlier coverage is archived here.
Thanks to Bill Schrier, the 34th District Democrats‘ webmaster, for photos from tonight’s big annual fundraiser at West Seattle Nursery, the Garden Party – just two nights after the group made headlines by hosting a largely nonconfrontational health-insurance-reform forum featuring a congressmember and an overflow crowd. Tonight’s crowd — all fun, as you can see by the photo above (most exuberant, in the blue shirt, is Chris Porter, who chaired the party-planning effort). Media personality New York Vinnie (who lives in Gatewood) served as auctioneer:
If you’re wondering about the bright colors – there was a Brazilian theme tonight – including music from Grupo Amoroso. Plus candidates and elected officials in attendance – center and right, here’s State Sen. Joe McDermott and State Rep. Eileen Cody, with State Rep. Sharon Nelson‘s legislative assistant Joe Fitzgibbon at left:
In addition to the group’s expenses, the money it raises from events and dues goes toward everything from charity donations to campaign contributors for the candidates it endorses.
By 8 pm Tuesday, your ballot needs to be either in the mail (make sure it’ll get postmarked August 18th or earlier) or in a drop box (here’s the list – there’s one in North Delridge and one in White Center). If you’re having trouble, haven’t received your ballot, etc., you can get help in person tomorrow, 10 am-5 pm at King County Elections HQ in Renton. Read on for the official announcement, which also includes details on Accessible Voting Centers:Read More
With days to go till the official Election Day on Tuesday, but 87 percent of Seattle ballots not returned yet, it’s clear many voters are still making up their minds, so we’re continuing our series of stories looking at City Council candidates, with a few questions beyond the ones you’ve heard them answer at forums. You’ll see the ones we’ve already published in our Politics archive; right now, from the race for Position 8, which Richard McIver is leaving, we look at Jordan Royer:
By Kathy Mulady
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Jordan Royer says he wants to give families and small-business owners a voice on the Seattle City Council.
“There aren’t many people on the city council who have kids in public schools. The people who are paying the bills don’t have a seat at the table,” he said.
Royer, a 43-year-old North Seattle resident, is vice president at the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association. He has two daughters in public schools in Seattle.
Royer said his main emphasis will be on bringing common sense to government.
That short clip pans around to look at the overflow crowd inside The Hall at Fauntleroy last night, where West Seattle’s biggest political organization, the 34th District Democrats, opened their monthly meeting with the hottest national topic of the moment, health-care reform, featuring U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, who not only is Seattle’s longtime House of Representatives rep, but also a physician. (Here’s our first report, published last night as the meeting unfolded.) Before it began, sign-holders had lined the street outside the hall as well, with more conversation than confrontation:
McDermott’s appearance was arranged and introduced by Dr. Lisa Plymate of the 34th DDs, who is active with the reform-advocacy group Doctors For America (she’s at the center of this photo with McDermott and, at left, the 34th DDs’ newly elected secretary Michael Taylor-Judd):
(Photo by Dina Johnson)
The group set out its rules for last night from the start (and on its website even before the meeting) – this wasn’t a town hall, so if you weren’t a member, you were welcome to watch but not to speak. As the meeting began, chair Tim Nuse also asked those with signs to lower them once the meeting began. And the only real interruption came toward the end of this clip, after McDermott’s harshest words for the insurance and pharmaceutical industries that he claims are keeping health-care reform from passing:
The man who you hear yelling “THAT’S A LIE!” at the very end of the clip was escorted from the room. (Note: From comments after this story was published, here’s another account of what happened after the shouting.) But that was one brief moment; the meeting was raucous at times with applause and shouts of assent, but otherwise peaceful. As you heard in the clip, McDermott advocates so-called “single-payer” health coverage (explained here), as – suggested by volume and frequency of applause – do many who were in the room last night. Read on for more video and more details of the entire meeting – which also included an endorsement vote on a measure that isn’t even officially on the ballot yet:Read More
First – the city has decided to extend the deadline for those neighborhood-plan surveys we’ve been talking about here. Now they’ll take surveys through Friday, August 21st. Take the survey here – where you’ll also see the latest neighborhood-vs.-neighborhood chart (Ballard-Crown Hill is singularly ahead but if you add the 5 West Seattle areas together, we’re way out in front with 732 – think we can hit 1,000?). Second – five nights left to get your primary-election ballot into the mail or into a drop box. The county posted its nightly update on how many ballots have come back – it’s up to 11 percent countywide but almost 13 percent in the County Council district including West Seattle (now almost tied for “most votes counted” – just a hair behind the metropolitan Eastside). Still lots of time to prove the “low turnout” projection wrong.
We are at The Hall of Fauntleroy along with a HUGE crowd. The buzz started as soon as the 34th District Democrats announced that U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott would join their scheduled forum on health-care reform, during the regular monthly meeting. Outside the hall and inside, we’ve seen sign-holding demonstrators touting various positions in the debate – from “single payer” to “government stay out.” So far, it’s been peaceful although spirited – including a loud ovation for Rep. McDermott as he walked in (some boos, but they were all but drowned out). We will post updates as this happens. Not only is this “standing room only,” it’s “sitting on the floor” room only. Dr. Lisa Plymate is introducing the Congressmember now. Follow our Twitter feed for in-a-flash photos and updates too.
7:25 PM UPDATE: Rep. McDermott is speaking. He says, “This is a war … a war over whether the American people can have health security and economic security.” He says the opponents are the insurance and pharmaceutical industries, and he says their profits are the reason why. Many people here in the hall are murmuring “Yes!” as he speaks, something like a rollicking evangelical church service. He says he believes a bill with a “good public option” will emerge from the House of Representatives (he supports what’s known as “single payer”). Now he’s taking questions.
7:43 PM UPDATE: Still lively but not too much tension. Rep. McDermott has blamed insurance and pharmaceutical companies for “the opposition you’re seeing around the country,” and one man in the back yelled THAT’S A LIE! He also said that the House may not abide by the “deals made in the White House” with those industries. One woman asked, “What can we do to get single-payer back on the table?” and McDermott said, “I wish I had a good answer for that.”
7:56 PM: Rep. McDermott is done speaking. Now a rep from Washington Public Campaigns is speaking about publicly financed campaigns. Some of the crowd is dispersing now that McDermott’s portion of the health-care discussion is over (we can hear much discussion happening out in the hall and spilling out onto the sidewalk outside the hall). McDermott says he’ll have an “open meeting” in the area in September. The public-campaign advocate is tying health-care reform to campaign-financing reform, saying publicly financed candidates can “stand up” to the pharmaceutical and insurance industries.
*The meeting continues – we will only update if anything major happens – otherwise, watch for our full writeup later.
Two updates this afternoon in the ongoing controversy over whether the homeless encampment that calls itself “Nickelsville” will be allowed to stay on Port of Seattle land at Terminal 107 Park in West Seattle: First, a spokesperson for the encampment sent this short announcement:
The port has withdrawn request to show just cause for eviction of Nickelsville residents. Hearing tomorrow before King County Superior Court Judge Kallas is cancelled. Nickelsville looks forward to meeting with the port this week. Date and time pending.
Second, the port has issued its own, longer statement, posted on its website and republished here in full:
On July 23rd, the Nickelsville encampment moved onto the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 107 public park without permission. Port staff members believe that legally, the Port of Seattle has neither the authority to provide housing nor the ability to donate property for the encampment.
“We understand the difficult situation that many of the Nickelsville members are in, and share the concern of many in our community about the serious problem of homelessness,” said Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani. “But the port must consider not just our legal authority and our responsibility to create jobs and economic growth for the region, but the needs and wants of other residents in the region who live adjacent to and use port parks and facilities every day.”
Yoshitani has asked Washington State Auditor Brian Sonntag, Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna and Washington State Speaker of the House Frank Chopp to clarify the port’s legal authority to donate the property for housing. Yoshitani hopes the request for legal clarification can be expedited.
In a separate action, the port has withdrawn the motion for unlawful detainer filed before King County Superior Court. The motion was scheduled to be heard on August 13th. However, the port reserves the right to proceed with the Notice of Trespass given to the encampment on July 24th, and Yoshitani has instructed staff members to continue working toward the previously stated August 21st deadline for the encampment to leave port property.
“By withdrawing this motion and seeking additional legal clarity, the port continues to try to work through this issue collaboratively,” Yoshitani noted. “I also encourage Nickelsville members and community advocates to maximize efforts to identify a more appropriate site for the encampment.”
Tomorrow marks three weeks since the encampment moved from another West Seattle location, 2nd SW/Highland Park Way, state land where it had been set up for a month, following almost nine months at various locations elsewhere in the city.
COURT CASE: South Park murder suspect Isaiah Kalebu is expected in King County Superior Court at 8:30 this morning to answer charges including aggravated murder (which could bring the death penalty) in the July xx attack on two women who were asleep in their home when he allegedly broke in.
CLOSED SCHOOLS’ FUTURE: Also happening downtown this morning (9 am), the city Hearing Examiner is scheduled to hear an appeal of the June city decision determining that closed school campuses around the city – including Fairmount Park, Genesee Hill and EC Hughes in West Seattle – could be repurposed for various new uses without convening a School Use Advisory Committee.
PORTERHOUSE OPENING: The new restaurant/pub in the Admiral District (2329 California SW, just north of Admiral Theater) opens mid-afternoon. Lots of new food and beverage details in the West Seattle-headquartered Washington Beer Blog‘s review from the “soft opening” party Monday.
REP. MCDERMOTT TALKS HEALTH-CARE REFORM: Tonight, the long-hot topic gets its highest-profile West Seattle discussion yet, as the 34th District Democrats bring in Seattle’s Congressmember Jim McDermott in addition to other expert panelists. The agenda’s here, but also note the disclaimer on the group’s home page – this is NOT a “town hall meeting” and while everyone’s welcome to attend and listen, “only members may speak and participate,” per the group’s bylaws. The meeting starts at 7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy.
We promised nightly reminders; here’s a quick one. Next Tuesday’s primary is the first major election since King County went all-mail – so you need to mail or drop off your ballot by 8 pm that night (August 18th). Election authorities project a fairly low participation rate, but there’s no reason it HAS TO turn out that way – there are major issues/races to be decided, from Seattle Referendum 1 (deciding whether to approve the disposable-shopping-bag fee the City Council approved last year) to narrowing down big fields to two “finalists” in races including Seattle Mayor and King County Executive. You don’t actually have to mail your ballot – you can also put it in one of the 24/7 drop boxes around the county, including the Delridge Neighborhood Service Center (5405 Delridge Way; map) and the King County Library‘s White Center branch (11220 16th SW; map). The first results will be out shortly after 8 pm Election Night.
(Monday photo courtesy CoolMom.org)
In that crowd of more than 40 people visiting federal offices in downtown Seattle Monday morning were Tara Reynolds, Terri Glaberson, Jen Bradbury and Cynthia Tamlyn from the West Seattle chapter of CoolMom. The visit – which also included people from Washington Environmental Council, Fuse Washington, Climate Solutions and People for Puget Sound, among other groups – was meant to urge Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell to take “action on a climate/energy bill that President Obama can take with him to Copenhagen in December,” as Glaberson explains. The bill, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (HR 2454), passed the U.S. House in a close vote earlier this year — after a CoolMom visit to the office of Seattle’s Rep. Jim McDermott – and now is facing a U.S. Senate vote (legislative details here). More on Monday’s visit on the CoolMom website; they also have a photo gallery here. If you want to tell the senators what you think about the bill, Sen. Murray’s contact info is here; Sen. Cantwell’s, here.
We’ll be reminding you daily from here on out to get your ballot in the mail – we need the reminder too, as diehard oldschool in-person voters who are being dragged kicking and shrieking into the all-mail-voting age. Our favorite VOTE! reminders today come from Hella Bus, a site for the youngest voters, who they’re imploring to prove certain stats wrong. Meanwhile, the county King County Elections Department is publishing nightly 8 pm updates on how many ballots it’s received back — tonight’s update says they’ve received just under 8% so far: See the count here. (It’s broken out in various ways including cities and county-council districts; among the latter, the one including West Seattle – District 8 – has the second-highest percentage of ballots mailed back so far, 9.2%, second only to the 9.4% of District 6 (metro Eastside). If you would prefer to drop off your ballot rather than mail it, there are two nearby drop boxes, both available 24/7 till the voting cutoff time, 8 pm August 18th — the Delridge Neighborhood Service Center (5405 Delridge Way; map) and the King County Library‘s White Center branch (11220 16th SW; map) – here’s the full list of dropboxes countywide. Once you’ve dropped off or sent your ballot, keep checking here to make sure it’s been received. And if you’re still deciding how to vote – we’ve profiled many of the candidates and have a few more stories to run, plus a last look at the mayoral hopefuls; see what we’ve published so far, and watch for upcoming stories, by checking the WSB Politics coverage category (on the CATEGORIES list toward the bottom of the sidebar, where you’ll also find RSS links for each category, if you prefer to get your news via RSS). You should have received a voters’ pamphlet by mail as well as your ballot(s); if you want to find the guides online, here’s the city guide; the county/port guide links are here.
The spokesperson for the homeless encampment that calls itself “Nickelsville” — ensconced at Terminal 107 Park in West Seattle (July 24 photo at left by Christopher Boffoli) for two weeks now, after a month and a half at another WS site — sent out a media update last night with several new developments. Key among them: What they say is a new tactic, authorities serving what they describe as “eviction papers” to individual campers, ordering them to appear in King County Superior Court. Read on for the full update:Read More
It’s the hottest topic in coast-to-coast politics at the moment – will our health-care system change? Are the proposed changes for the better or for the worse? Our area’s biggest political organization, the 34th District Democrats, will take on health-care reform at next Wednesday’s meeting (7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy), headlined by Seattle’s U.S. House Rep. Jim McDermott (who is a physician as well as a politician). The forum also will include Lisa Plymate, M.D., who’s active not only with the 34th DDs but also with Doctors for America. See who else is on the roster (and what else is on the agenda) by going to the 34th DDs’ website at 34dems.org — where you’ll also find information about their big annual fundraiser one week from tonight, the Garden Party.
Planning to vote early, now that ballots are arriving for the biggest election King County’s ever conducted entirely by mail (which is how they’ll all be done from now on)? If you’d like to see and hear the candidates in key races, the county-produced Video Voters’ Guide has King County Executive candidates here ; and Seattle city races (plus bag-fee Referendum 1) here.
Ballots have started arriving for the August 18 primary. WSB continues offering close-up looks at — asking the same 3 West Seattle-specific questions — candidates in races including the three Seattle City Council contests you’ll find on the primary ballot. Previous stories are in the WSB Politics archive.
By Kathy Mulady
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
City Council Position 4 candidate Thomas Tobin lives on Capitol Hill, where he was born, grew up and plans to stay. He said he rarely has a chance to visit West Seattle, but when he does, Alki Beach is his favorite place.
“My grandma used to love to go to Spud’s,” he said.
This is Tobin’s second time running for city council. In 1997 he was in the race with Richard Conlin, who is now city council president.
Tobin is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and a small business owner providing Internet service. “Being from here, I have watched the city deteriorate,” he said.
King County has mailed the ballots for the August 18 primary. WSB continues offering close-up looks at — asking the same 3 West Seattle-specific questions — candidates in races including the three Seattle City Council contests you’ll find on the primary ballot. Previous stories are in the WSB Politics archive.
By Kathy Mulady
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Mike O’Brien’s background is in finance and economics; his passion is the outdoors and protecting the earth.
The 41-year-old Fremont resident is running for Seattle City Council Position 8 with the hope that he can use his experience as the former chief financial officer of a Seattle law firm to help the city create more housing, better transportation, and develop policies that will make Seattle vibrant economically and environmentally.
“I’m a numbers guy, I’m not a political beast by nature,” he said.
That started to change about nine years ago when O’Brien got involved with the Sierra Club.
As ballots go out today, the King County Water Taxi has become more and more of a political football in the campaign for county executive, with at least three candidates saying they want to end funding for the King County Ferry District, which runs the West Seattle-Downtown and Seattle-Vashon routes, and a new proposal from County Executive Kurt Triplett last week to shelve funding for “demonstration routes.” The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce has just sent an open letter to county government, noting that anyone who wants to make sure the Water Taxi remains available to West Seattle might consider doing the same. Read on for the letter:Read More
NEWEST FORECAST: As usual, the National Weather Service issued a forecast update overnight – no reprieve, though, it still calls for a potential 100-plus-degree high today.
PROSECUTOR’S DECISION IN SOUTH PARK MURDER: At 10 this morning, King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg is scheduled to announce his decision on charges against Isaiah Kalebu, jailed in connection with the attack that killed 39-year-old Teresa Butz at her South Park home a week and a half ago. After Kalebu’s arrest last Friday night, a deputy prosecutor had said they would consider seeking the death penalty.
BALLOTS IN THE MAIL: Also from your county government – today’s the day ballots will be mailed for the August 18 primary, the first major election King County is conducting entirely by mail. Who’s running – along with links to their websites and other info – is listed here; the city Voters’ Guide, including video links and information on Proposition 1 (the bag fee) as well as the mayor/council races, is here.
WEST SEATTLE LITTLE LEAGUE 11-12 ALL-STARS GO FOR WIN #3: The state tournament continues for the WSLL 11-12 All-Stars; tonight at 7:30, they face Pasco in their third game of the tourney, which is happening at Art Mikelson Field in Port Orchard (just a Fauntleroy-to-Southworth ferry ride away, and think of those cool breezes on the water!).
YOUTH OUTDOOR SOCCER REGISTRATION: Today is Day 2 of signups for the West Seattle Family YMCA (WSB sponsor)’s Youth Outdoor Soccer teams, for ages 3-10. Register – and find out more – online.
King County mails ballots for the August 18 primary tomorrow. WSB is offering close-up looks — asking the same 3 West Seattle-specific questions — at candidates in races including the three Seattle City Council contests you’ll find on the primary ballot. Previous stories are in the WSB Politics archive.
By Kathy Mulady
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
If you like lone-wolf councilmember Nick Licata, you might love David Bloom, one of 5 candidates for Position 4, which Jan Drago is leaving to run for mayor.
The progressive community activist — who has advocated on behalf of affordable housing, the homeless and other social issues for 30 years — would add a second vote to stop the Mercer Street revision and instead direct money to neighborhood projects.
He’d let the city’s plans for a streetcar network and the deep-bored tunnel fall by the wayside. He’s also against plans for a new city jail.
King County mails ballots for the August 18 primary this week. WSB is offering close-up looks — asking the same few West Seattle-specific questions — at candidates in races including the three Seattle City Council contests you’ll find on the primary ballot. Previous stories are in the WSB Politics archive.
By Kathy Mulady
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
With a sweeping general knowledge of Seattle issues and a good grasp on some of the specifics, it is hard to believe that Dorsol Plants has only lived in the city two years — not to mention that he also is a combat veteran and has led a neighborhood association, all before his 25th birthday.
Plants lives in West Seattle’s Highland Park neighborhood, where he served as chair of the Highland Park Action Committee before resigning to focus on his council campaign. He grew up in West Virginia and served five years in the U.S. Army before landing in Seattle in 2007 and jumping right in as a community volunteer.
He quickly became involved in domestic-violence-protection programs and neighborhood issues. He was elected a Precinct Committee Officer for the 34th District Democrats, who gave a dual endorsement to Plants and Sally Bagshaw in the Position 4 race.
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