♪♪
-Hello.
My name is Joey Massa,
and I am running
for Seattle City Council
as an independent progressive.
Throughout my campaign,
I'm often asked
what progressive means to me.
American progressivism
is rooted in the belief
that government should function
as a living body
adapting to the needs of its people.
And I know that my neighbors
join me in my commitment
to addressing
our city's most critical issues,
which are summed up in my platform
focused on public health
and safety, transportation,
and crafting a truly progressive plan
for our city.
My work in public safety
will begin
by establishing a baseline
of shelter and facilities
for our unhoused neighbors.
In addition to providing access
to basic human necessities,
such as restrooms and security,
we will finally gauge the true scope
of our homelessness crisis.
Improving our city's transportation
will start by working
with regional partners
to expand our vital network
of varied and functional
transit systems.
I want to grow
transit options that work
and are demonstrably cost-effective,
such as adding
Ballard and Lake Washington routes
to our water taxi system.
Finally, American progressivism
is what ties my platform together,
and to that end, I will work
to protect your rights to privacy
regarding facial recognition
and other mass-data gathering,
ensure our residents' rights
to fair wages and benefits,
and while establishing
a forward-looking plan
to shore up our city's infrastructure,
my commitment to reducing
Seattle's environmental impact
will be paramount
in every decision made.
We have no room to regress.
Thank you so much for your time.
Again, I'm Joey Massa,
running for City Council
in Seattle's 6th district.
-Hello. My name is Sergio Garcia.
I'm a police officer in Seattle,
and I live in Phinney Ridge
in a rental home with my wife, Maria,
and Boston Terrier, Batman.
I'm a first-generation American,
son of a carpenter and a housemaid
who both migrated to this country
seeking a better life
for their family.
After watching my parents
struggle holding on to multiple jobs
and knowing there were
millions of others like them,
I knew I wanted to help
and give back to my community.
At the age of 21, I became
a police officer in South Florida,
and after over a decade
of dedicated public service
and endless miles
of traveling the world,
I had stumbled upon a huge problem.
I visited and fell in love
with a city by the name of Seattle.
I knew right away that I'd move here
and would raise a family
in this enchanting utopia
who welcome all,
regardless of their gender,
race, religious beliefs,
physical limitations,
nationality, sexual orientation,
or identification.
So I did.
I moved here and began working
in the neighborhoods
of Ballard and Fremont.
I immediately made it my mission
to get out
and walk the foot beat
in order to get to know
everyone in the neighborhood.
I was able to build relationships
and gain the trust
from all those living, working,
and enjoying life in our district
to those less fortunate
sleeping on our streets
dealing with issues
such as mental illness,
displacement, and drug addiction.
It didn't take long
for me to become frustrated
with the lack of affordability,
traffic congestion,
our fragile state of public safety,
the homelessness crisis,
and seeing all the suffering
due to the various injustices
this growing city is experiencing.
I knew I wanted to do more.
I knew that with my boots-on-the-ground
experience and perspective,
I'd be able to provide
a more practical, accountable,
and humane approach
to addressing said issues.
You all trust me
during your most vulnerable moments
in the intimacy of your homes
with my ability
to find reasonable and practical
solutions to your problems.
I'm optimistic that come election day,
you will also trust in me
to do the same for Seattle,
and doing so while giving a voice back
to the people in our district.
Remember, everyday problems
get solved by everyday people.
-I'm Heidi Wills.
I'm running for District 6 residents
and small businesses
who want safe neighborhoods,
for seniors who built Seattle
and are being priced out
of their homes,
and for children
who deserve clean parks
and open community centers.
My family's lived in the district
for 16 years.
As a small-business owner
and a nonprofit director,
I have the right experience
to take on our biggest challenges.
I have a proven track record
of results.
I was on the City Council
20 years ago
when I expanded energy-rate assistance
so more low-income people could qualify.
I led investments in renewable energy.
I worked to expand transit
and provide more affordable housing
and human services.
Our city needs to be smarter
about addressing
the root causes of homelessness.
Seattle can't solve this crisis in a silo.
We need a collaborative
regional approach to provide services,
especially mental-health
and treatment-on-demand.
We need short-term
housing solutions like modular homes
and long-term solutions
like permanent supportive housing.
We need to focus on basic services,
the humble acts of local government
that directly impact
our quality of life.
Public safety is a priority.
Our police department is small
compared with cities our size.
We need to address vacancies
stretching the department too thin,
a lack of diversion programs,
and prosecution of repeat offenders.
We need more transit service
and safe pedestrian/bicycle
infrastructure.
Seattle must take bold action
on climate protection
to reduce our carbon footprint.
We need more affordable housing
of all shapes and sizes
for people of all incomes
so teachers, nurses,
and firefighters,
who contribute so much to our city,
can afford to live close
to where they work.
My name is Heidi Wills,
and I ask for your vote.
Thank you.
♪♪
-Hi. My name is Terry Rice,
and I'm running for Seattle City Council
in District 6.
I'm running as the true progressive
in this race.
We need to take bold steps
and think long-term in order
to solve our city's toughest problems.
I'm talking about doing the hard work
of tackling the root causes
of our most intractable problems,
problems like reducing
the number of people
experiencing homelessness,
creating more
low- and mid-income housing,
strengthening and investing in
mass transit,
and addressing climate change
in a meaningful way at the local level.
It is not possible to solve
the homelessness crisis
without addressing housing affordability,
but that doesn't mean
that there isn't a lot
we can do
to bring people inside right now.
First, we can invest
in work programs
that we know already work,
like upstream diversion.
This means that
if a family or an individual
is about to become homeless
because of a broken car or a sick child,
we step in and give them a rent
or transportation voucher.
This $600 or $900 is often enough
to keep a family in a home that they have,
which is the right thing to do,
and it's the fiscally responsible
thing to do.
The city needs to build
more low-income housing.
This is a long-term plan,
and without doing
the hard political work
of building more low-income housing,
we will not exit
the homelessness crisis.
Some of this publicly financed
low-income housing needs
to be built specifically
for people who have
severe and chronic mental illness
and/or severe and chronic
drug addiction.
If we want people who are facing
these hardships off of the street,
then we must give them a place to go.
Arresting them won't work.
This is also
the morally right thing to do
and the fiscally responsible choice.
We need to expedite and expand light-rail,
connect our bike lanes,
make metro the easy choice for people.
Gridlock will be reduced
by improving access
to and investing in mass transit.
The biggest threat facing our city
and every other city
is climate change.
We need bold action,
and we need it right now.
If elected to the City Council,
I will push for the wholesale adoption
of Portland's
174-point Climate Action Plan.
If we ramp up our investments
in reducing emissions today,
we can get to zero emissions by 2050.
If you want a pragmatic progressive
on the City Council,
vote for me, Terry Rice.
Thank you.
-My name is John Lisbin,
and I'm running for
Seattle City Council District 6
to empower our neighborhoods,
engage all voices,
and bring accountability
back to Council.
On the campaign trail,
I've heard repeatedly
that residents do not feel
as though their current
City Council hears their concerns.
If elected, I'll bring
thoughtful, pragmatic solutions
to tackle the growth-related
issues facing Seattle today.
Our city is expanding rapidly,
yet the City Council
is not managing this growth
in a balanced way.
That's why I co-founded
Seattle Fair Growth,
whose mission is to maintain
Seattle's livability
during this time of rapid growth.
I'm the only candidate in the race
who has worked to appeal the MHA
and called for the City Council
to include the unique needs
of each neighborhood
development plans.
Housing developers must pay to offset
the costs of infrastructure,
parks, and roads.
Seattle residents deserve a voice
in shaping the changes
to their communities,
and policies must ensure
Seattle is livable for all.
The city's response
to homelessness hasn't worked.
People shouldn't be living in the streets,
especially when Seattle's economy
is booming as never before.
As an entrepreneur
and former small-business owner,
I understand that investments now
will save money later.
We need proven solutions
for homelessness
like the Housing First model
and disrupting the cycle of homelessness
before it starts
through rental vouchers,
transitional housing,
job training,
and domestic-violence support programs.
Every day, we see the evidence
that what the Council is doing
isn't working.
The time for action is now,
and I'm prepared to roll up my sleeves
and get to work.
My name is Jon Lisbin,
and I would be honored
to earn your vote
for Seattle City Council
District 6.
-Hi. I'm Kara,
the citizens' candidate.
I'm not a professional politician.
I'm a tax-paying homeowner
in North Seattle.
I'm asking for your vote.
I have lots of relevant experience,
some that no other candidate has,
as a sort of citizen on the ground
for decades in the grassroots.
I've been active for 40 years,
since Three Mile Island,
through the Great Peace March,
the first Iraq war,
pesticide spraying,
the first international Earth Summit,
and the LA riots,
all when living in California.
But 26 years ago,
I became a Seattleite,
worked on Hanford issues
and fundraising for campaigns
like Jerry Brown's "We the People"
and WashPIRG.
I was recruited to run for state leg
in 2000 as a Green
and later was elected
the chair of the state Green Party.
After a few years as a Green,
I became a total independent.
I am not beholden
to any group or interest.
I want to serve the people.
My husband and I
owned a small business,
Not a Number Cards & Gifts,
and in '05,
I was elected to
the Wallingford Chamber of Commerce.
As a five-year president and director,
I got the city to listen more.
I formed collaborations
with community groups,
brought in the farmers' market,
and co-wrote an editorial
for The Seattle Times
urging a healthcare plan for businesses
related to
what would become Obamacare.
I bring disparate,
disjointed sides together,
and that's especially urgent now.
Nationally and locally,
we're growing apart.
I believe in our founders' desire
to seek a more middle ground
and work together,
but this is probably time
for overcompensation
to right the ship.
We have too many urgent issues,
not enough action,
and that's why I jumped in.
I can't stand reinventing the wheel,
and money must be spent more wisely.
All people must be considered,
not just developers.
Our City Council has done some good,
but more must be done.
I ask questions
and am not afraid to dissent.
Let's hold the city accountable
and end the Seattle process
of talking.
We need more action.
Vote for me --
Kara Ceriello, District 6.
-My name is Dan Strauss,
and I was born and raised in Ballard.
I'm running because I love this community,
and I know that together,
we can guide Seattle's growth
to build a sustainable,
affordable, and equitable city
that works for everyone,
whether you've been here
for one year or 40.
I've dedicated my life
to public service.
I served with AmeriCorps
in low-income communities
all across the nation,
working on projects from disaster relief
to after-school programs.
I have nearly a decade
of legislative experience,
and I know how to make change happen.
My everyday job
is to bring different levels
of government,
community organizations,
and people together to solve problems.
I've already coordinated
work groups with the state,
county, city, port,
Sound Transit, and community
to successfully fund
transportation projects,
develop green building codes,
and improve our parks.
As your next Council member,
I'll use my experience
to serve you.
I worked on gun-responsibility policy,
passing the Extreme Risk Protection Order,
and on City Council,
I'll continue to implement
gun-violence prevention
by investing in
community-based programs
that intervene
in the cycle of violence.
I'll tackle
the homelessness crisis head-on
by advocating
for Housing First policies
that bring people experiencing homelessness
into four walls with a door that locks
and is connected to the services
and care they need.
I'll build
a connected transit network
with dedicated lanes
so that buses aren't stuck in traffic.
And I'll work to complete our bicycle master plan
with protected bike lanes.
I was hit by a driver
while riding my bike,
and I know the importance of safe
and separated infrastructure.
I'm committed to opening
a district office
so that you don't have to go downtown
to have your voice heard.
I'll prioritize constituent services
so that if you get stuck
in the bureaucratic gridlock,
my office will be there
to help you through it,
to get you solutions
because I've got your back.
I have deep roots in our community,
and I'm endorsed by community leaders,
labor unions,
local Democratic organizations,
and current and former
elected officials.
I ask for your support
and for your vote.
Thank you.
-Hi. My name is Ed Pottharst,
and I'm running
for Seattle City Council District 6.
I speak a little differently
because of a lifelong hearing loss.
I hope that you'll lean in a bit
to hear what I have to say.
I have worked for the city of Seattle
for over 30 years.
Through my work with Seattle City Light,
Neighborhoods,
and Parks and Recreation,
I know how to get city departments
to collaborate with residents,
businesses, and community groups
to get action taken
and progress accomplished.
I know how to help people
navigate their way through the maze
that city government
sometimes can be.
With my leadership,
we are going to move city departments
into action now
on the urgent issues
of affordable housing,
homelessness, transportation,
growth, and climate change.
Developing local community partnership
is the most immediate
and efficient means
of addressing affordable housing
and homelessness.
Providing sustained funding
to local community teams
and mental- and behavioral-outreach
workers and community members,
especially
in neighborhood business districts,
is what we need in partnership
with people who are homeless
to help them find housing,
education, and living-wage jobs.
Seattle is growing
and becoming more dense.
Additional public services
and amenities are required.
Development impact fees
are long-overdue in Seattle
and would help pay for them.
Climate change
is the defining issue of our time.
The urgency is now.
A road-use payment system with equity
as a priority
would lessen traffic's congestion,
improve air quality,
reduce carbon emissions,
and encourage people
to use transit,
ride-sharing, and bicycles.
Incentives for onsite
solar electrical generation
and energy storage
in commercial and residential buildings
would also reduce
greenhouse-gas emissions.
I welcome your thoughts and ideas
on how to address
the challenges and opportunities ahead
for District 6 and our city.
I would be honored to have your vote
and the opportunity to serve you
as your Seattle City Council member.
-Hello. I'm Jay Fathi.
I was raised in North Seattle
by a single mom
who worked hard
to find both affordable rent
and family-wage employment.
My dad was an immigrant from Iran
when America welcomed
those who sought
freedom and opportunity.
These are the values my wife, Joelle, and I
are instilling in our two sons.
As a doctor who has been
dedicated to community health
in Seattle for nearly three decades,
I'm the only candidate
who has provided care
to low-income, homeless,
and vulnerable populations
in our city
and expanded affordable healthcare
to serve thousands across our state.
That unique experience
is critical to tackling
the public-health crisis
on our streets.
There are no easy solutions,
but inaction while unsheltered people
and our quality of life suffer
is inexcusable.
Serving our community
as a family physician,
I've also learned to first listen
when solving problems.
I'll bring that same approach
to the Council.
Seattle is a wonderful city
with a progressive commitment
to equity and innovation,
but too often, our Council
doesn't seem to listen.
In particular,
the disconnect between City Hall
and the problems
of neighborhood crime must end.
Everyone deserves
to feel safe in our city.
I've also volunteered in our schools
and served as medical director
at the Ballard High School health clinic.
As a proud
Seattle public-school graduate
with my own two sons
in public schools,
I will advocate
for our students and educators.
I believe that
Seattle's growth is both energizing
and marginalizing,
forcing young families
and seniors
out of our neighborhoods.
I'll target growth
along new transit and urban centers,
build affordable-sized
family homes,
and help seniors
and fixed-income households.
It's time for new,
experienced voices on our Council
to address our complex challenges
with a focus on the needs
of our neighborhoods.
I am honored to have the endorsements
of SEIU Healthcare 1199 and 775,
UFCW 21,
and former mayor Tim Burgess.
But the support that means the most to me
is from my neighbors across the district.
I would be honored to earn your vote.
-Hi. My name is Jeremy Cook,
and I'm running for Seattle City Council
because we need people
on the Council
who will address the city's problems
with straightforward solutions.
The biggest issue we face right now
is the number of people
who are openly using heroin
and methamphetamines.
They freely discard
their needles and trash,
as well as defecate
on the streets, sidewalks,
and other public areas.
These people are also committing
thefts, muggings, and assaults
to pay for their drugs.
We need to tackle this problem head-on.
People who are caught
with small amounts of meth or heroin
should be offered treatment
the first time.
If they decline treatment,
they should be arrested
and forced into long-term
correctional programs
that are outcome-driven.
These programs have proven
to work in other areas,
reduce recidivism as well as addiction,
and in the long-run,
save taxpayers' money.
This would also discourage
others from coming here
to freely use drugs
and victimize people.
Many of these people
are not from Seattle.
We also need to find ways
to more intelligently
use taxpayers' money
and work within
the city's $6 billion budget.
Just because it's an expensive idea
doesn't mean it's a good one.
We don't need
a $400 million police precinct
or a $285 million streetcar
that only runs for two miles.
I would also like to repeal
some of the city's most regressive taxes,
including the bag tax,
sugar tax, and ammo tax.
We need to get Seattle moving again
by reprogramming
the city's streetlights
for speed and efficiency
rather than purposely slowing them
down to appease bicyclists,
who account for a very small
percentage of commuters.
We should also consider
more yellow left-turn caution lights
and look at other ways
to reduce people's commute times.
For more information,
please visit my website,
cookforcouncil.com.
Thanks for watching,
and I would appreciate your vote
in the upcoming election.
-Hi. My name's Melissa Hall.
I live in Fremont with my wife and daughter,
and I'm a candidate for District 6
on the Seattle City Council.
I've always wanted to make cities
better environments for people.
During undergraduate,
I studied geography,
and after that, I went on to law school,
where I focused on land-use
and state and local government law.
I've worked to stop the sewers
under Birmingham, Alabama, from leaking.
I've been part of Florida's
emergency management team.
And I've traveled to small towns of Virginia
to enforce floodplain
development standards.
Most of my career has been
in state and local government
because that's where government
has the most direct impact
on people's lives.
I'm running because I believe in Seattle,
the place where my wife and I moved
because here, it felt safe enough
for us to have a child together.
But we can't be that sanctuary for others
if people can't afford to live here.
We need to build more housing
and more affordable housing
to be sure everyone has a stable,
safe place to call home.
We're going to need to do
more housing with less land
and make our neighborhoods
and urban centers more dense.
When we build dense enough,
a big city becomes a group of small towns
that all happen to be next to each other.
To get there, we have to ramp up density,
transportation, and services together.
Cities are also places where people move,
so our transit and roadways
need to account for the needs
of all of the users.
We need efficient information services,
so I support
municipal broadband Internet.
We're also people who want to find a way
to care for all of our neighbors.
I support policies and programs
that respect the autonomy
and agency of our neighbors
who are experiencing homelessness
and prioritize harm reduction.
We also need eviction reform
and more support
for pre-eviction diversion programs
so that people with housing have
a better chance of keeping it.
Most importantly,
it's my belief that cities that
care for their residents best
are cities that plan with,
not for, their citizens.
As a commissioner,
I will not pass any legislation
that affects marginalized communities
without the direct feedback
of those communities.
Thank you.
-Out on the campaign trail,
people share their frustrations,
and I assure them
that I represent the change
we need to see on the Council.
Political ideologies
that prolong the misery
of the unsheltered are cruel.
Ignoring the consequences
that communities
are facing is unacceptable.
How is it that our city budget
has gone from $4 billion
to $6 billion
while basic services
go unprovided?
We're 600 cops short
of a full force.
Our infrastructure crumbles
because we don't budget
for maintenance.
A rail fetish busts the bank
while we lack sidewalks
and adequate bus service.
I'm a small-D Democrat,
conservative progressive,
and designer and planner
with plenty of problem-solving experience.
I've been involved
in neighborhood, city-wide,
and school-district issues for decades.
I have a passion for public policy
and a deep understanding
of the issues.
I know that owning the house you live in
and the land you do business on
is the answer, not the enemy.
City Hall's plan for growth
that displaces everyone
that's already here is ridiculous.
Their determination to set the table
for global investors
so that we're what's for dinner
is corrupt.
The city lavishes upon themselves
the kind of benefits
the rest of us would like to enjoy.
We could open the city of Seattle's
self-insured healthcare pool
up to anyone living or working
in Seattle who wants to buy in.
This would benefit residents,
workers, and small businesses
tremendously
while costing the city nothing.
And there are so many more ways
we can move into
being a city for the future,
a city that has the back
of its residences and small business,
not special interests.
My name is Kate Martin.
I seek your support
so that I may represent District 6
on the Council.
Your democracy vouchers,
volunteer efforts,
and vote will assure my victory.
Please visit
putkateonthecouncil.org
for more information.