May 21, 2025 • 59 mins
Jamie Fackler, running for Seattle City Council in District 2, shares his stance on housing affordability, public safety, transportation, and more while emphasizing his opposition to corporate influence in local politics.
As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at officialhacksandwonks.com.
Follow us on Bluesky at @HacksAndWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at @finchfrii and find more about Jamie Fackler at https://www.jamieforseattle.com/.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:13):
Welcome to Hacks & Wonks.
I’m your host, Crystal Fincher.
On this show we talk with policy wonksand political hacks to gather insight
into local politics and policy inWashington state through the lens of those
doing the work, with behind-the-scenesperspectives on what’s happening, why it’s
happening, and what you can do about it.
Seattle City Councilmembers makedecisions that shape nearly every
(00:37):
part of daily life in the city - fromhousing, policing, to transportation
and parks, public utilities, andhow our tax dollars are spent.
They pass laws, approve the citybudget, and oversee city departments.
They also play a key role insetting long-term plans for growth
and development, negotiatinglabor contracts, and holding
agencies accountable to the public.
(00:58):
In other words, if you care about thecost of housing, how your neighborhood is
changing, how public safety is handled, orhow easy it is to get around Seattle - you
should care who sits on the City Council.
District 2 includes the neighborhoodsof Beacon Hill, Brighton, Chinatown
International District or the CID,Columbia City, Dunlap, Genesee, Hillman
City, Lakewood/Seward Park, LittleSaigon, Mount Baker, New Holly, North
(01:22):
Beacon Hill, Othello, Rainier Beach,Rainier View, Rainier Vista, South
Beacon Hill, and Yesler Terrace.
This race will help determine notjust the future of the district, but
the direction of the city as a whole.
So we're talking to candidates tosee where they stand, what they've
done, and who they are - not justas policymakers, but as people.
(01:42):
Today, we're pleased to welcomeDistrict 2 candidate Jamie Fackler.
Welcome!
Yeah, thanks, Crystal.
It's a real honor to be on your podcast,and yeah, I feel like I've arrived here.
So thanks.
Well, thank you.
Well, we are going to get startedwith a lightning round, as we
do in our candidate interviews.
These are very quick yes-or-noquestions, or just a few words.
(02:07):
We're going to zoom through these.
If you don't have a quick yes or no,we'll just call it a waffle, which
is fine - and you'll have the chanceto expand upon anything you want
to expand upon when we get to ourgeneral, open-ended answer questions.
So we will get started in ourlightning round - starting with,
do you own or rent your residence?
(02:30):
Own.
Are you a landlord?
Yes.
Have you ever been a member of a union?
Yes.
Have you ever walked on a picket line?
Yes.
Have you ever crossed a picket line?
No.
Is your campaign staff unionized?
No.
If your campaign staff wants tounionize, will you voluntarily
recognize their effort?
Absolutely.
(02:50):
What political party do you identify with?
Democrat.
Have you used the Seattle PublicLibrary system in the past month?
I've used the King County Library system.
Have you been to a Seattle City Councilmeeting in person in the past year?
Yes.
Have you or someone in your householdever relied on public assistance?
Yes.
(03:11):
Have you ever been stopped orquestioned by police in Seattle?
Yes.
Have you ever worked in retail or ajob where you had to rely on tips?
Yes.
Have you ever owned a business?
Yes.
Have you ever manageda team of 10 or more?
Yes.
100 or more?
No.
Have you ever reported someone'smisconduct in your workplace?
(03:34):
Yes, I have.
Have you ever fired someone?
Yes, I have.
What's your favorite park in District 2?
I'd
probably say Seward Parkis my favorite park.
What's your favoriterestaurant in the district?
Well, that is a tough question.
We're going to waffle on thatbecause there's so many good ones.
(03:56):
Okay.
What was the last live performanceyou saw in the district?
In the district?
Let's see here.
I went to Joketellers Union atthe Clock-Out a couple weeks ago.
What's your favorite song?
(04:16):
It's one by the Clash, I think.
And I can't remember the name - sorry.
What's your favorite album?
Oh boy.
Yeah, I think my favorite oldalbum is Pink Floyd Animals.
What's the last song you listened to?
(04:37):
That's a good question.
Let's see.
I think it was somethingby Sturgill Simpson.
What's the most recent book you read?
It
was
(04:58):
a book on housing.
It was a book on affordable housing- the title escapes me right now.
What was the last sportsevent you attended in Seattle?
Good
question.
It
was a basketball game at YeslerTerrace that my son played in.
(05:22):
What's your favorite cafe orcoffee house in the district?
Well, Redwing - down the streetfrom me - is pretty good.
Have you ever contested a traffic ticket?
Yes, I have.
Have you ever served on a jury?
No, I haven't.
Have you ever been arrested?
Yes.
Have you taken transit in the past month?
(05:45):
Yes, I have.
In the past week?
Not in the past week.
Have you ridden a bike in the past month?
Ridden a motorcycle in the last month.
Have you ridden a bike in the past month?
I have not ridden mybicycle in the past month.
(06:06):
Do you agree with the City Council'sdecision to rezone parts of SODO
to allow residential housing?
No, I don't.
Do you agree with the Council'sdecision to delay adoption of
the Comprehensive Plan past 2024?
No, I do not.
Do you agree with the Council's decisionto put Proposition 1B on the ballot,
(06:29):
alongside 1A in the social housing vote?
No.
Do you agree with the Council'sdecision to divert JumpStart
revenue from its original purposeto address the budget deficit?
That's a... That's a toughone, but I think in principle,
(06:50):
to the extent...
Yes or no?
Or waffle?
I'd say, well, you know, itsaved a lot of city jobs.
Okay, so that's a waffle.
We'll call it a waffle.
It's a waffle, yeah.
Do you agree with the Council'sdecision to allow SPD to implement
expanded surveillance technologies?
No, I don't.
(07:10):
Do you agree with the Council'sdecision to allow SPD to use tear
gas and blast balls for crowdcontrol in certain circumstances?
I'd say no.
Do you agree with the Council'sdecision to reinstate SOAP and SODA laws
restricting people from certain areas?
No.
(07:30):
Do you agree with the Council'sdecision to make street racing and
attending a street race a crime?
Is that like making extraillegal - street racing?
Boy, um... You know, I'm...
Okay, we'll call it a waffle.
We'll call that a waffle.
(07:51):
I'd like to know moreabout that specifically.
Do you agree with the Council'sdecision to use the SCORE jail to
detain people arrested in Seattle?
No, I do not.
Was it worth lowering or modifyingstandards to recruit new officers?
I'd say no.
Was the money spent on recruitingand hiring new officers worth it?
(08:21):
I think that remains tobe seen, but uh - yeah.
Does SPD have a problemwith how it treats women?
Absolutely.
With how it treats Black and Brown people?
Absolutely.
Would you have voted to ratify the SeattlePolice Officers Guild, or SPOG contract?
(08:42):
As it was, I would not have, becauseI don't believe it had substantial
accountability measures attached to it.
Will you vote for a SPOG contractthat lacks meaningful accountability
provisions like civilianoversight with subpoena power?
No.
Should the scope of the CAREdepartment be included in or
limited by the SPOG contract?
(09:02):
I think it should be separatedfrom the SPOG contract.
I think that - yeah, I thinkwe should have some - yes.
So it should be separate.
So, no - it should not belimited by the SPOG contract.
Correct, yeah.
Do you think facial recognitionshould be banned in city use?
(09:24):
In this current... current climateand this current state of the country,
I'd say - yes, it should be banned.
Did Seattle ever "defund the police"?
No.
Should we have a design review board?
That is a tough question.
(09:46):
Okay, so are we waffling?
We're... We're waffling - toan extent, I think that...
Remember, we have open-ended questionslater, so we'll just zoom through this.
Let's waffle on that one.
Let's waffle on that one.
Should public comment time be allowedto be limited without prior notice?
No.
(10:06):
Do you support theFerdinand Festival Street?
Ferdinand Festival Street - yes, I do.
Do you agree with the city policyof closing Lake Washington Boulevard
to cars, and only allowing bikes andpedestrian access for 10 weekends
during the spring and summer?
Yes.
Do you support expanded weekendclosures of Lake Washington Boulevard?
(10:28):
Beyond the 10?
Mmm hmm.
Potentially - yeah.
Is that a waffle, or is that a yes?
Sounds like waffle.
It's a little bit of a waffle.
Okay.
Do you plan to increase funding forinvestigations of labor violations like
(10:51):
wage theft and illegal union busting?
Yes.
Do large corporations in Seattlepay their fair share of taxes?
No, they do not.
Do small businesses paytheir fair share of taxes?
Yes, they do.
Do you support the rent stabilizationbill that just passed in the
recent legislative session?
(11:11):
Yes.
What's your go-to karaoke song?
I
think the best one I everdid was White Wedding.
How interesting.
That was the best one.
My best performance was White Wedding.
I'm more of a supporter at karaoke.
(11:33):
What show, what TV showdo you like to binge?
We've really been liking Andor.
What's the first concertyou ever attended?
Without my parents?
With my parents, we saw Johnny Cash andLoretta Lynn at the Whatcom County Fair.
(11:56):
And then the most memorable wasthe Beastie Boys and Fishbone at
Western Washington University.
I feel like 1986, I think.
What's your favoriteSeattle sports moment?
Oh.
Boy.
(12:16):
Um... I'd have to say I think it was, youknow, the Seahawks winning the Super Bowl.
And really, it was the parade afterthat - that was like my favorite moment.
What's your comfort food?
(12:38):
Oh, it's going to be Ezell's fried chickenand mashed potatoes and gravy, I think.
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
I'm more of the night owl.
What's a hobby peoplewouldn't expect that you have?
Oh, um
(12:58):
- birds.
I enjoy bird watching - specifically,like birds of prey, falcons
and hawks, and all that.
What's your favoriteneighborhood in District 2?
Oh, good question.
Boy, I think the CID isprobably one of my favorites.
(13:22):
Who's a Seattle-based artistor musician that you love?
Well, I think like, you know, therewas like, Jimi Hendrix, right?
That was the first one, right?
That was the first, the first love - yeah.
What about people who are alive now?
Oh, that.
(13:55):
That's a tough one.
We're going to waffle - I mean, there'sso much good local music, but, um, yeah.
All right, we'll stick with waffle.
I struggle with picking the favorites, so-
What's a book you wish more people read?
(14:18):
We can waffle.
Yeah, let's, let's - I'm justtrying to think about what was
some of the most influential stuff?
I think like, as a kid, it was really,I was really, um - I read a lot like
Herman Hesse, in kind of my, um, early...
All right, we're waffling.
We gotta get through this.
Sorry, sorry.
What's your favorite rainy day activity?
(14:43):
I think just curling up on the couch withthe family, watching - watching shows.
Yeah.
What's your favorite SoundTransit station name?
Well,
I
think my favorite one was University- the former University one.
(15:04):
All right.
Have you voted in every generalelection in the past four years?
Yes, I have.
Every primary electionin the past four years?
Yes.
Have you made any politicalendorsements that you regret?
Um,
no, I don't think so.
(15:25):
Have you made any politicaldonations that you regret?
I feel like I probably gave BobFerguson too much money this year.
In 2021, did you vote for Bruce Harrellor Lorena González for Seattle Mayor?
Lorena González.
In 2021, did you vote for Ann Davison orNicole Thomas Kennedy for City Attorney?
(15:47):
Nicole Thomas Kennedy.
Same year - Sara Nelson orNikkita Oliver for City Council?
Nikkita Oliver.
In 2022, did you vote for Leesa Manion orJim Ferrell for King County Prosecutor?
Leesa Manion.
In 2023, did you vote forTammy Morales or Tanya Woo?
Tammy Morales.
(16:09):
In 2024, did you vote for Alexis MercedesRinck or Tanya Woo for City Council?
Alexis Mercedes Rinck.
Did you vote for Nick Brown or PeteSerrano for State Attorney General?
Nick Brown.
Did you vote for Bob Fergusonor Dave Reichert for Governor?
Bob Ferguson.
Did you vote for Donald Trumpor Kamala Harris for President?
(16:31):
Kamala Harris.
Did you vote to approve the AutomatedFingerprint Identification System, or AFIS
levy, on this year's April 22nd ballot?
Well, now you got me, Crystal.
I did not vote in that special election.
The one that we just had?
The one that we just had.
Okay.
This year on Seattle's social housinginitiative in February, did you
(16:53):
vote for Option 1A, 1B, or neither?
1A.
Will you be voting for ClaudiaBalducci, John Wilson, or Girmay
Zahilay for County Executive?
Well, I think
I'll be voting for Girmay.
Will you be voting to reauthorizethe Democracy Voucher Program
in the August election?
Absolutely.
Will you be voting to pass the Families,Education, Preschool, and Promise
(17:16):
Levy renewal in the November election?
Yes.
Okay, well, that concludes our lightninground - a lengthier round than we're
normally used to - but we'll keepit moving, we'll keep it moving.
Now we're going to shift into the heart ofthe convo with our open-ended questions.
So to start, why are yourunning for City Council?
(17:39):
Yeah, thanks.
So really, you know, when I lookaround the community, I see that
neighbors are getting pricedout - they're getting priced out of
communities that they helped build.
I see families that are holding onby a thread - rents keep climbing
higher and wages are staying the same.
And we see more folkssleeping on our streets.
And then we've got luxury unitsin this community that are empty.
(18:01):
I see a city government that stillworks just fine for the wealthy and
the well-connected, while the restof us are told to wait our turn.
To me, this is a crisis of - it'snot a crisis of resources, but
it's a crisis of priorities.
I'm a Seattleite - a guy whocame up through the trades, I'm a
union leader, a dad to a teenager,and a community organizer.
(18:24):
And I've seen firsthand what happenswhen we fight for each other.
And I really think that nowis one of those times, and
that's why I'm stepping up.
In recent campaigns, there's beena lot of talk about the importance
of representation in District 2.
What does representing the peopleof District 2 mean to you, and why
(18:44):
do you think you're the right personto represent those people right now?
Yeah, that's a good question.
You know, for me, it's about really kindof like, in union work and in organizing,
it's about, you know, there's a lot ofissue organizing that goes on, and that's
stuff that's widely felt and deeply felt.
(19:07):
You know, we have a lot of sharedinterests throughout this community
- we do have a diverse community,very - the most diverse in the, in
the state, and one of the most diverselegislative districts in the country.
And so really, that's aboutunderstanding what is the, what are
the broadest and deepest felt issues,and really advocating for those.
(19:28):
And I bring some experienceto that from union organizing
and in that issue organizing.
And I'll bring that approach ofinclusiveness and collaboration to that.
Now, Seattle's facing a $244 millionbudget shortfall, and recent fixes have
(19:51):
been one-time measures like divertingJumpStart funds - without addressing
the structural problem that existsand that's driving that deficit.
What specific long-term solutions wouldyou support: new revenue, permanent
cuts, or both - and what specifically?
Yeah, so, you know, we've stood upsome Progressive Revenue Task Force and
(20:15):
taken some steps in that direction - Ithink it's worth looking at that.
It's worth looking andexpanding JumpStart taxes.
You know, Prop 1A is
a excess compensation tax.
You know, at the heart of it, I think, youknow, Seattle has what's what is really,
(20:40):
you know - it's just driving displacementand really making it hard for folks in
this community is income inequality.
And I think that should be a focusof our taxes in this city - that
progressive, you know, revenueshould be, should be addressing that.
You know, so we'd look to, I'd lookto, you know - there's, there's also
(21:01):
the possibility, you know - somefolks have floated the idea out
there of a flat tax and then possiblysome exemptions - you know, I think
that's worth, worth looking at.
But there has been a lot of workdone on progressive revenue and
be looking to expand on thatand implement some of those.
Ahead of past major events like theMajor League Baseball All Star Game,
(21:22):
the city increased police presence andencampment sweeps, saying that was needed
to create a more welcoming environment.
But in places like the CID, thatapproach backfired - people stayed
away, businesses suffered, and thepromised benefits did not materialize.
Experts say truly welcoming citiesprioritize basics like bathrooms, seating,
(21:43):
transit, and activating public spaces.
With the World Cup coming, doyou support the same approach?
And if not, what should the citydo differently to ensure District
2 actually benefits from theWorld Cup coming to Seattle?
Yeah, that was really disappointing to me- that we didn't see more support in the
(22:07):
CID around that.
There was a lot of activationthat happened in Pioneer Square.
There was activation that happenedjust at the north of the parking lots,
you know - I think there - that, thatthat was really a missed opportunity.
Because that's such a wonderful, wonderfulneighborhood with amazing, amazing
food and restaurants, and just a longhistory of culture in the community.
(22:33):
So I would, you know, Iwould seek to have additional
activation in those neighborhoods.
You know, lack of public restroomfacilities isn't just a problem
during major events like this - Ithink generally, you know, we haven't
prioritized restrooms adjacent to publictransit and I think that's a real, real
(22:54):
kind of failing in this city and state.
You know, it became more apparentto me once I turned 50 and had
to go to the bathroom all the
time.
But, you know, I think that - yeah, Ithink, again, I think really focusing
on activating adjacent neighborhoodsthat have been underserved should be
(23:15):
something that we look at and focus on.
Gotcha.
More generally, what can be done tohelp small businesses in Seattle?
Boy, that's a good question.
I think,
you know, we can look at stuff - Iwas talking to folks, some folks
(23:35):
in restaurants, you know - there'sa lot, there's a lot of taxes and
regulation around liquor sales andI think that looking to simplify
some of that stuff for businesseswould be something that we could do.
And that's going to be talking to thestate about some of those priorities and
(24:00):
cleaning up some of those liquor laws - sothat it just makes the sale, the taxation,
just less complicated for those folks.
You know, again, you know, Ithink housing is such a key thing.
You know, if there's stuff that wecan do to provide more affordable
- we really can, and we need toprovide more affordable housing.
(24:22):
But that, I think, can have a directimpact on small businesses, you know,
holding on to maintaining employees,getting folks employed and living
in community - you know, stablehousing is such a key piece to that.
Also, the childcare piece, too - that's onthis Youth and Families levy, and I think
(24:45):
even expanding on childcare options is
something that can help working folksand alleviate some of the stress on the
small businesses employees' flexibility.
There's
also transit issues, I think - youknow, something - supporting or
(25:08):
providing additional bus services ortransportation later on in the evening
for folks working in restaurants andbars so they're not so car dependent.
You know, generally stuff thatwe can do to make it easier for
folks to get to and from work,you know, would be another thing.
What are the top safetyconcerns in District 2 and how
(25:30):
do you plan to address them?
Oh, well, you know, for us, Ithink, you know, what's going on
at 12th and Jackson - I see is areal, real big issue and concern.
Our son goes to school rightaround the corner there.
You know, so what does thatpublic safety look like?
I think, first off, it'shousing for those folks.
I mean, I think, folks, you know, with,with, with folks that are addicted,
(25:54):
you know, we need, we need to get theirhousing stabilized first and foremost
- and then we can work on some of theharder issues that's related to that.
I don't think that criminalizingdrug addiction, criminalizing
the addicts is really a healthyway to solve that problem.
(26:19):
I think that we need to providemental health services and
treatment services to those folks.
And we need to expand the CARE teamagain to help serve some of that stuff.
You know, I think also expandingthe CARE team so that they can
respond to non-crises that don'trequire a gun, I think, is critical.
(26:44):
I know that, you know, I have seen,you know, we had, I saw a burglary in
progress in my neighborhood when welived in Judkins Park and it took - and
this was, yeah, this was over 10years ago - and it took, you know,
for a burglary in progress, it took 45minutes for police to show up, right?
And I think that that's the sort ofstuff that folks want to see, right?
If there's a, if there's a breakingentering, if there's a forced entry
(27:06):
burglary, folks want the policeto respond immediately, right?
You know, domesticviolence situations, right?
You know, we need the police torespond immediately for that.
And I think that - I think generallythat's an expectation that folks have.
If there's a real emergencythat the police are going to
show right up immediately.
(27:27):
And, you know, I think that'ssomething that we haven't seen.
Or there's certainly a lot of anecdotes,anecdotal evidence that folks have
that that isn't what's happening.
You know, there's also shootings.
There's been some shootings nearColumbia City - outside Columbia
City in some housing developmentsthere - and gang activity.
(27:49):
And I know that's areal concern for folks.
And to me, I think that we need tolook to, and I think the, you know,
the childcare levy is one piecethat can help with some of that.
You know, I think that we need tobe looking at the upstream solution
as to why kids are getting involvedin drugs and gangs - and that's
(28:12):
really about folks not feelingsupported in community or in school.
There's a lot of behavioral problems inschool that's associated with learning
differences - kids with ADHD are
more predisposed to, untreated ADHDare more predisposed to self-medicate
and become addicted to drugs.
(28:34):
And then we also have a prison population,by estimates, that is 30% dyslexic.
But we have folks and at SeattlePublic Schools, would have to sue
Seattle Public Schools to honorIndividualized Education Plans.
And so to me, that just tells methat, you know, really, what we're
seeing on the streets is symptomaticof larger societal problems.
(28:55):
And if you really want to stop thisand solve this, we need to address
those problems upstream and reallycreate fully supportive communities
in our public spaces - you know, in publicschools - and really support kids where
they're at and support families too.
And I think those - working onthat stuff is going to provide
(29:16):
the long-term solutions to thecrime and the drug addiction that
we're seeing in this community.
Well, I think that, you know, ifwe aren't investing in the future,
we're really squandering our money.
The council has signaled that they wantto weaken the existing surveillance
ordinance, which aims to ensure thatthe public has the opportunity to
weigh the costs and benefits of newsurveillance technology before the city
(29:38):
obtains it, particularly because of thedisproportionate harms that marginalized
communities have experienced from it,and because of the current concerns
about the data being collected aboutpeople's habits, movements, political
and religious activities, sexualorientations being weaponized by federal
efforts under the current administration.
(30:00):
Do you support any weakening of thecurrent ordinance, and when do you
think surveillance is appropriate?
Yeah, I think I do support the weakeningof the ordinance for those reasons.
I'd say those would be my big concerns- is around civil liberties and how
that can be misused and manipulated
(30:21):
by the federal government.
So clarification - you say you dosupport the weakening of the ordinance.
The ordinance is upholding,has established a number
of those civil liberties.
So do you want those protections-
Oh, yeah, no, I'm sorry, no.
No, I don't.
Okay, gotcha.
Yes, yeah.
No, I don't support weakening it.
I think that it's critical to maintainfolks' civil liberties, certainly in
(30:44):
this current national political climate.
Makes sense.
When do you thinksurveillance is appropriate?
You know, I'd say surveillance- we're court ordered, you know,
for - authorized by a judge for,you know, criminal investigations.
(31:05):
I think that's an appropriateuse of surveillance.
Is the current council approach ofshifting funding from prevention to
punishment and enforcement working toaddress the safety concerns in District 2?
If not, what would you do differently?
I don't, I don't think that, Idon't think that that's going
to provide long-term solutions.
(31:29):
I think that we really need to address - Ithink that, you know, criminal activity
on the streets, drug addiction is asymptom of larger societal problems.
And, you know, we need toaddress that first and foremost.
And,
and again, I think expanding the CAREteam so that the folks - the police that
(31:51):
we do have on the force can respond tocritical criminal activities, you know,
stuff where we need a badge and a gun.
I think that's what weshould be moving towards.
Despite a record high number of encampmentsweeps involving police, homelessness
is up 25% over the last two years - withmany in District 2 lacking access to
(32:15):
shelter, services, and affordable housing.
There's also a shortage of sheltercapacity - and there are nearly
twice as many people needingbeds as there are shelter beds.
What isn't working and what will you doto reduce homelessness in District 2?
Yeah, so in the last twoyears, it's estimated that we
spent $60 million on sweeps.
(32:36):
In the last four years, I thinkwe spent $120 million on sweeps.
And it's gotten worse, and we've lostshelter beds - so that's not working.
You know, that's squanderingour money, really that's
sweeping things under the rug.
You know, what it's addressingis visible homelessness, and
it's not solving the problem.
(32:57):
I would take that money - youknow, obviously, there's some stuff
that needs to be cleaned up - but
not
$30 million a year worth of it.
Imagine if that money was spent - if wespent $120 million on homeless shelters
or on permanently affordable housing,what kind of situation we'd be in?
(33:19):
Or, if we invested $30 millionin mental health and treatment
and addiction services, whatkind of situation we'd be in?
If the city would have invested $60million in mental health and treatment
services, what would that look like?
That's the stuff that'sgoing to solve the problem.
And to me, that's really kind ofindicative - that's partly why I'm
(33:41):
running - is that we're wastingour money on treating the symptoms
and not addressing the root causes,and it's wasting our money, right?
And people are suffering as a result.
What's your opinion of the currentdraft of the Comprehensive Plan?
And what potential changeswould you prioritize?
Well, cue the sad trombones, right?
(34:01):
I think - what a tremendousmissed opportunity here.
You know, this is, this isa 20-year planning document.
I look to like the wonderful, beautiful,beloved cities of the world, like
Paris, you know, and you have mid-risearound parks and transportation.
And I think, you know, Seattle hasthese real gems of parks, and we
(34:24):
aren't seeing, we aren't seeing that.
We aren't seeing the mid-rise around that.
We see places like Fort Lawton, right- that could be an amazing mid-rise
development in a beautiful park setting,but it's currently, for the most part,
surrounded by single-family residents.
That's
(34:46):
the sort of place - around parks,transportation, and schools - where
we need to see mid-rise and largerbuildings, right, where people want to be.
And, you know, it's - in District2, we've got, you know, Othello
and Columbia City stations mid-riseright on MLK, where we really have
(35:10):
unsafe conditions for pedestrianswith the trains and the vehicles and
real issues.
And so I think what we'reseeing there is representative
of really poor urban planning.
And I see that this currentComprehensive Plan is more of the
same there, and I'm disappointed, so
(35:32):
- And so which specific changes would you prioritize?
I would like to see more increasesin the mid-rise around parks,
transportation, and schools.
Gotcha.
The City Council has signaled awillingness to weaken some renter
protections, including some justcause eviction rules, rent increase
notice periods, and others.
(35:54):
Do you support any rollbacksto tenant protections?
And what renter protections willyou defend or expand in District 2?
Yeah, I don't support the rollback of, you
know, tenant protections.
I think - well, for me, living inthe Central District during the
(36:15):
last, the last recession, we sawa lot of folks lose their homes.
And it feels like, you know, with thiscurrent federal administration, who
knows what's going to be coming and howour economy is going to be impacted.
It's the cheapest - the cheapesttime to address homelessness is
before people become homeless.
(36:36):
You know, if folks are unable to stayin their homes, if - if our nonprofit
or low-income housing providersare having issues with tenants, I
think there's other stuff that wecan look at to support these folks.
But
I think it's short-sightedto loosen tenant protections.
(37:01):
How will you ensure that the SocialHousing Developer succeeds and
complements existing affordable housingprograms and policies in Seattle?
Yeah.
So I think, you know, there'scertainly some red tape that's
slowing the implementation.
So we'd advocate for that andadvocate that they get fully funded
from previous previous legislation.
(37:22):
I'd like to see, you know, I'dlike to see it expanded upon.
I think that, you know, the Social HousingDeveloper is effectively a land trust.
You know, to me, that's a real, I thinka real key part of the solution to to
housing affordability - is creatinghousing that's held in trust for
community that's permanently affordable.
(37:44):
You know, models like Habitat for Humanityand HomeSight and other stuff where,
you know, where there's some ownershipoptions - the stuff that we can look at.
And I think there's also - taking alook at performance bonds to build
affordable housing is somethingthat should be examined seriously.
(38:07):
Housing, arguably, is the greatest need.
Affordable housing is thegreatest need in this community.
And as, again, I think we'refacing what looks to be an
economic downturn, investing in ourcommunity to build that affordable
housing will pay huge dividends.
Life expectancy in parts of District2, like Beacon Hill and Rainier
(38:29):
Valley, are up to 10 years shorterthan the life expectancy in other
wealthier Seattle neighborhoods- largely due to air pollution.
What would you do to address these healthdisparities and environmental injustices?
(38:50):
I think that we can...
it's a good question, Crystal.
Reduce - boy, reducing pollution onInterstate 5 is probably a key thing.
I think - yeah,
getting, encouraging more folksto use public transit is going
(39:11):
to be a key part of that too.
Getting, getting folks out oftheir cars - again, incentivizing
public transit options - is goingto be a real key piece to that.
But, you know, I-5 runs the length and,you know, prevailing winds blow all that,
(39:31):
all that exhaust and diesel fumes andeverything else into Beacon Hill and D2.
So, advocating for increased emissionstandards on the state level as part
of our legislative priorities, I think,would be another key piece to that.
So given the need to mitigate theimpacts of air pollution among major
(39:54):
transportation corridors, how do youbalance that with recent and planned
development alongside those corridors?
Well, that's, yeah, again, this is, youknow - developing along transportation
corridors, I don't - really, weshould all collectively, you know, I
(40:15):
think City Council should all engagein playing SimCity in some urban
planning and see what that looks like.
I think a lot of our planningreally creates these situations
where we're having to deal with
problems later on.
(40:35):
You know, siting this housing alongMLK, you know, again, you know,
Othello, and that Columbia City createsreal safety issues for pedestrians.
So,
you know, I think there's
(40:59):
- yeah, anything that we can do to encouragefolks to use more public transit is
going to be probably our biggest keyfor reducing pollution and increasing
lifespans of folks in our community.
What are your priorities fortraffic safety in the district?
Yeah, so again, MLK, you know,we've got a real unsafe situation
(41:20):
around the light rail stations.
You know, we can look at lightrail stations on the Eastside
at-grade and there's protectivebarriers for cars and pedestrians.
Even at-grade light rail crossingsin SODO have guards that prevent
cars from crossing the trackswhile the trains are going.
(41:41):
You know, why is thatnot in Rainier Valley?
Why do we not have that at Othello,Rainier Beach, and Columbia City?
That's something that we need tofix and protect the pedestrians
- they are interacting with trainsand also the cars as well.
(42:02):
Metro or Sound Transit carries abudget to deal with maintenance
from vehicle strikes in the RainierValley, so it's a known problem.
And again, we're treating thesymptoms and not treating the
root cause of the problem.
What specifically can be done inyour first year while in office,
if you're elected, to make it saferto walk and bike in the district?
(42:28):
You know, there's been somestuff that, you know - we've
seen SDOT act quickly on stuff.
They just act real quickly,acted real quickly in Westlake
Center in creating a bike lane.
So they've demonstrated, SDOT'sdemonstrated that they can act
swiftly to address safety issues.
And I think that if we really wantto get that Vision Zero - like the
(42:53):
date's coming pretty soon - and soI'd be pushing SDOT in advocating for
fast solutions for safety in places
where our most dangerous streets are.
So be looking at probably reducing lane
(43:18):
on MLK by some measure - atthe train stations, perhaps.
I know that Seattle Greenways has beendoing audits and I was out there with
them - Rainier Valley Greenways - doinga, an audit of the Columbia City station.
And so, you know, I, I'd be looking to,to the transportation folks as far as
(43:38):
like - what the, what solutions can weimplement right now that will reduce
speeds, and, at those stations, and alsomake it faster for crossings and, and
effectively safer for, for pedestrians.
So there's, you know, there's someprogramming stuff, and there may be
some other, you know, other potential- shifting of lanes, at least in those urban
(44:03):
areas, so that we can slow some of thespeeds down in those areas specifically.
How can the City Council better workwith the multiple relevant agencies
- like SDOT, Sound Transit, King CountyMetro - to improve accountability
for reducing injuries and deathsfrom traffic violence on the streets?
(44:28):
Well, there's, you know,
engineering is the most expensive, right?
You know, there needs to be somere-engineering, again, of the
light rail stations - you know,and that's a longer-term thing.
There's education - so there'ssignage and other stuff that we can
put out there to slow folks down.
(44:53):
You know, so I think it's, you know, SDOTand, and Sound Transit really need to get
together to solve those issues on MLK.
And,
you know, I'm not completely satisfiedwith what's happening on Rainier with
(45:14):
the bus lanes and the current situationthere, and I think that there should be
some, some rejiggering of that as well.
You know, we've got businesseson Rainier where parking's
been removed, but we have a center turnlane that is used as like a high-speed
(45:34):
passing lane by some scofflaws, right?
And creating kind of areal dangerous situation.
So I'd be looking to kind of, youknow, work with Metro to shift some
of those rapid transit lines, at leastin kind of the bright area on Rainier.
(45:58):
Reintroduce some parking at thosebusinesses and eliminate that center
trend lane that doesn't seem to getutilized by folks, other than folks
passing at a high rate of speed.
How important are road closuresand pedestrian activations
to reducing traffic violence?
(46:20):
Yeah, I think, yeah,
that can be helpful.
You know, some side neighborhoods andother stuff - I think that you look at
like North Capitol Hill, and they've gotlike partial road closures around areas.
You know, they're closing down PikePlace Market for a brief period
(46:42):
of time here in the summer, whilethere's some utility work happening.
You know, also closing some, youknow, reducing some streets' access to
MLK might be helpful- reduce some of that.
(47:04):
Do you support weakening Seattle EthicsCode for city councilmembers on conflict
of interest and recusals due to conflict?
No, I don't.
What changes would you support to theethics code to improve transparency?
You know, it's interesting.
I don't think folks are disclosing whatthey're holding in stocks, specifically
(47:26):
- you know, like our councilmembersholding tens of thousands, hundreds of
thousands of dollars in Amazon stocks,or Microsoft stocks, or Google stocks.
I think that's worth knowing,like, where folks' money is
specifically, like in specificfunds, as they're voting on things.
I think that I would advocatefor more transparency and-
(47:50):
How do you plan to mitigatefederal attacks on civil rights,
particularly those targetingtrans people and immigrants?
Oh gosh.
Yeah, this is really just a terrifyingthing that we're in the midst of right now
- that we would have to think about this.
I think that surveillance is a key thing.
(48:10):
I think that - like to me, just somerecent news, you know, there was, you
know, some trans folks that were beingharassed by police at Denny Blaine Park,
you know, because wealthy landowners areupset that they live next to a nude beach
that's been a nude beach for decades.
You know, so I think that, you know, we'reseeing the police there and enforcing, you
(48:33):
know, what is a wealthy homeowner's agendain that neighborhood that's targeting, you
know, historically marginalized communityin a public space that has historically
been theirs, you know, is somethingthat I would say is inappropriate.
You know, an inappropriate solutionto that - what's going on, right?
(48:56):
You know, and so,
you know, I would say that,you know, surveillance also
plays a role in this, too.
And I've got real concernsabout our surveillance and how
that's going to be misused.
It...
As you know, we ask candidates tosubmit questions for other candidates.
(49:18):
Getting a chance to ask a specificquestion directly of another
candidate - we offer that - and othercandidates submitted questions for you.
First question we have is (49:27):
What's your opinion about potential changes to
the City's ethics rules for electedofficials, as reported in media?
And what potential conflicts do youhave that voters should be aware of?
Oh, yeah, I don't support arollback of city ethics, right?
You know, my wife and I own a rentalproperty - a home that we purchased
(49:51):
over 20 years ago when I was workingas a carpenter and she was working
as an administrative assistant.
And then her father passed and wepurchased another home - wanted to
get some more room for our familyand closer to some other friends.
And
we rent that out and we, youknow, we take a loss on it.
(50:14):
You know, we rent it below market rateand just, you know, trying to keep
the mortgage and the taxes paid on it.
And
so that's, you know, that'sa potential conflict for us.
Okay.
You say you're taking aloss on that property?
(50:35):
Yeah, we've taken a loss on it.
I think that, you know, we saw propertytaxes go up like 40% during the pandemic.
You know,
and year on year, we really triedto avoid raising the rent on it.
And, you know,
(50:57):
just with the property taxes goingup that much, we had to raise
the rent, but it was, you know,we held off as long as we could.
And so there were a couple of yearswhere we took some losses on it.
We had the rising property taxes.
The next question that was submitted: Do you believe that small landlords (51:13):
undefined
should be subject to differentstandards than large landlords?
And if so, why?
That's an interesting question.
I suppose it's important to holdeveryone to the same standard.
(51:34):
You know, I think that, you know,small landlords, you know, there can
be good actors and bad actors in smalllandlords and large landlords, right?
And corporations and individuals.
You know, I think that we - yeah.
But I think it's fair that everyoneis held to the same standard.
Okay.
Now we're going back to ourregular Hacks & Wonks questions.
(51:56):
We are done with thecandidate-submitted questions.
So I think you said youhave a background in labor.
Do you agree with the Seattle PoliceOfficers Guild being expelled from the
Martin Luther King County Labor Council?
Well, I wasn't, I wasn't involved inMLK Labor at that point, or really,
(52:22):
you know, that, that involved with,with my union at that point, either.
I think it's important that, thatlabor stands together, but it's also,
it's also important that we hold somefundamental and fundamental things, right?
And that's about inclusivity andsupporting people and pushing
(52:43):
back against, you know, historicharms and, and other things.
You know, and the, the PoliceOfficers Guild has a, and the,
and the police and the role thatthey play as - is, is different
than a lot of other labor... And,
(53:03):
you know, I think inpart, I think that, the
Police Officers Guild, I think,needs to hold themselves and
their members to a standard.
And,
you know, I think they really hold theline for each other, kind of to the
detriment of their overall good, right?
(53:27):
And I think if there's bad actors,they should be - that stuff should
be addressed and the police shouldbe, you know, in that regard, and the
union should be self-policing to thatextent and working with members to, to
improve the, you know, their outcomes.
And, you know, I think that, youknow, that's, that's been a - I don't
(53:47):
think that SPOG's really demonstratedthat, certainly in that time period.
So there's, you know, there's a lot of,there's a lot of harm that's been done
in community by police, historically,that, I think, in the role that they've
played, that, you know, there's, youknow - I think Saka talked about that
(54:08):
it was like a truth and reconciliation,but there really was no truth and
reconciliation around this stuff.
And around, you know, how thepolice were behaving in community.
So would you say that MLKLabor was right to expel SPOG?
I think at the time, I think itprobably was fair to do that.
But, I mean, that said, it's, it's,you know, we also, you know...
(54:34):
I'd say at the time, if I was facedwith that same decision, I probably
would have voted the same way, right?
If I was in there at that time.
You say "at the time" - wouldyou feel differently right now?
I think Seattle Police have madea lot of improvements, right?
But it certainly feels like there's
(54:55):
still room for improvement, right?
We don't have theaccountability measures, right?
You know, took a while,I think, you know...
we don't have currentaccountability measures.
But that's the city's contract with SPOG.
(55:15):
And I think that
the current union president of SPOGis out there and it's kind of some
inflammatory stuff, right - that's goingon, you know, with how he's behaving
in the, in kind of the public space.
And I would expect from an agency,you know, that's responsible and has
(55:39):
the ability to basically strip peopleof their civil rights completely,
right - and their fundamentalrights - that there would be some,
there'd be some more compassion andkind of professionalism around that.
Would be my expectation.
And so you say - if the vote wereheld today, you would want to
(56:01):
keep them in the Labor Council?
Oh gosh, I'd want to understandwhat their commitment is - SPOG
- to some shared values around
changing, you know, andaddressing historic harms.
You know, and what thatcommitment would look like, right?
And for me, that would be - thatwould be what I'd want to see, right?
(56:25):
Is how committed are you to changingthe approach and honoring people's
civil rights and civil liberties?
Gotcha.
And that would be - do you align withthe shared values of MLK Labor, right?
You know, which is like a pledge thatwe have to take to be, you know, part of
when you're sworn in as a member, right?
(56:48):
You know, are you going to uphold that?
So as we are closing thisinterview now - final question.
A lot of voters are trying to figureout the difference between all the
candidates, as they try and figureout who they're going to vote for.
How do you describe to voterswhat the difference is between
you and the other candidates?
(57:09):
And why do you tell them thatthey should vote for you?
Yeah, so - thanks.
So when Corporate PACs spent $13 pervote trying to buy District 2 City
Council seat in 2023, I voted againstthem and helped Tammy win re-election.
When Amazon spent $1.5 million on the CityCouncil in 2019, I showed up and voted
(57:31):
against the Chamber of Commerce candidate.
When Amazon and the Chamber spent $800,000against the Social Housing Prop 1A payroll
tax, I helped organizations like MLK Laborand the 37th Democrats get that passed.
When House our Neighbors brought 135 tothe voters to create the social housing
developer, I showed up and voted for that.
(57:52):
No other candidate inthis race has done that.
So for me, you know, I'm going to fightfor working families of southeast Seattle.
I'm going to bring union organizing andshop steward mentality to the City Council
and the fight to protect folks - whetherthat's around discrimination or federal,
(58:14):
you know, improprieties coming from thefederal government - and stand with folks
to make this a more affordable city.
And for me, that's really what it's about.
It's about making this place affordable.
Gotcha.
Well, thank you so much for spendingthe time with us today - for sharing
such a wide variety of your opinions,positions, and your vision for the city.
(58:38):
And just really appreciate you beingaccountable to the voters of Seattle.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks,which is produced by Shannon Cheng.
You can follow Hacks & Wonkson Bluesky @HacksAndWonks.
You can find me on Bluesky at@finchfrii - that's F-I-N-C-H-F-R-I-I.
(58:58):
You can catch Hacks & Wonks on everypodcast service and app - just type
"Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar.
Be sure to subscribe to get the fullversions of our Friday week-in-review
shows and our Tuesday topical showdelivered to your podcast feed.
If you like us, leave areview wherever you listen.
You can also get a full transcriptof this episode and links to the
resources referenced in the showat officialhacksandwonks.com.
(59:21):
Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next
time.
Welcome to Hacks & Wonks.
I’m your host, Crystal Fincher.
On this show we talk with policy wonksand political hacks to gather insight
into local politics and policy inWashington state through the lens of those
doing the work, with behind-the-scenesperspectives on what’s happening, why it’s
happening, and what you can do about it.
Seattle City Councilmembers makedecisions that shape nearly every
(00:37):
part of daily life in the city - fromhousing, policing, to transportation
and parks, public utilities, andhow our tax dollars are spent.
They pass laws, approve the citybudget, and oversee city departments.
They also play a key role insetting long-term plans for growth
and development, negotiatinglabor contracts, and holding
agencies accountable to the public.
(00:58):
In other words, if you care about thecost of housing, how your neighborhood is
changing, how public safety is handled, orhow easy it is to get around Seattle - you
should care who sits on the City Council.
District 2 includes the neighborhoodsof Beacon Hill, Brighton, Chinatown
International District or the CID,Columbia City, Dunlap, Genesee, Hillman
City, Lakewood/Seward Park, LittleSaigon, Mount Baker, New Holly, North
(01:22):
Beacon Hill, Othello, Rainier Beach,Rainier View, Rainier Vista, South
Beacon Hill, and Yesler Terrace.
This race will help determine notjust the future of the district, but
the direction of the city as a whole.
So we're talking to candidates tosee where they stand, what they've
done, and who they are - not justas policymakers, but as people.
(01:42):
Today, we're pleased to welcomeDistrict 2 candidate Jamie Fackler.
Welcome!
Yeah, thanks, Crystal.
It's a real honor to be on your podcast,and yeah, I feel like I've arrived here.
So thanks.
Well, thank you.
Well, we are going to get startedwith a lightning round, as we
do in our candidate interviews.
These are very quick yes-or-noquestions, or just a few words.
(02:07):
We're going to zoom through these.
If you don't have a quick yes or no,we'll just call it a waffle, which
is fine - and you'll have the chanceto expand upon anything you want
to expand upon when we get to ourgeneral, open-ended answer questions.
So we will get started in ourlightning round - starting with,
do you own or rent your residence?
(02:30):
Own.
Are you a landlord?
Yes.
Have you ever been a member of a union?
Yes.
Have you ever walked on a picket line?
Yes.
Have you ever crossed a picket line?
No.
Is your campaign staff unionized?
No.
If your campaign staff wants tounionize, will you voluntarily
recognize their effort?
Absolutely.
(02:50):
What political party do you identify with?
Democrat.
Have you used the Seattle PublicLibrary system in the past month?
I've used the King County Library system.
Have you been to a Seattle City Councilmeeting in person in the past year?
Yes.
Have you or someone in your householdever relied on public assistance?
Yes.
(03:11):
Have you ever been stopped orquestioned by police in Seattle?
Yes.
Have you ever worked in retail or ajob where you had to rely on tips?
Yes.
Have you ever owned a business?
Yes.
Have you ever manageda team of 10 or more?
Yes.
100 or more?
No.
Have you ever reported someone'smisconduct in your workplace?
(03:34):
Yes, I have.
Have you ever fired someone?
Yes, I have.
What's your favorite park in District 2?
I'd
probably say Seward Parkis my favorite park.
What's your favoriterestaurant in the district?
Well, that is a tough question.
We're going to waffle on thatbecause there's so many good ones.
(03:56):
Okay.
What was the last live performanceyou saw in the district?
In the district?
Let's see here.
I went to Joketellers Union atthe Clock-Out a couple weeks ago.
What's your favorite song?
(04:16):
It's one by the Clash, I think.
And I can't remember the name - sorry.
What's your favorite album?
Oh boy.
Yeah, I think my favorite oldalbum is Pink Floyd Animals.
What's the last song you listened to?
(04:37):
That's a good question.
Let's see.
I think it was somethingby Sturgill Simpson.
What's the most recent book you read?
It
was
(04:58):
a book on housing.
It was a book on affordable housing- the title escapes me right now.
What was the last sportsevent you attended in Seattle?
Good
question.
It
was a basketball game at YeslerTerrace that my son played in.
(05:22):
What's your favorite cafe orcoffee house in the district?
Well, Redwing - down the streetfrom me - is pretty good.
Have you ever contested a traffic ticket?
Yes, I have.
Have you ever served on a jury?
No, I haven't.
Have you ever been arrested?
Yes.
Have you taken transit in the past month?
(05:45):
Yes, I have.
In the past week?
Not in the past week.
Have you ridden a bike in the past month?
Ridden a motorcycle in the last month.
Have you ridden a bike in the past month?
I have not ridden mybicycle in the past month.
(06:06):
Do you agree with the City Council'sdecision to rezone parts of SODO
to allow residential housing?
No, I don't.
Do you agree with the Council'sdecision to delay adoption of
the Comprehensive Plan past 2024?
No, I do not.
Do you agree with the Council's decisionto put Proposition 1B on the ballot,
(06:29):
alongside 1A in the social housing vote?
No.
Do you agree with the Council'sdecision to divert JumpStart
revenue from its original purposeto address the budget deficit?
That's a... That's a toughone, but I think in principle,
(06:50):
to the extent...
Yes or no?
Or waffle?
I'd say, well, you know, itsaved a lot of city jobs.
Okay, so that's a waffle.
We'll call it a waffle.
It's a waffle, yeah.
Do you agree with the Council'sdecision to allow SPD to implement
expanded surveillance technologies?
No, I don't.
(07:10):
Do you agree with the Council'sdecision to allow SPD to use tear
gas and blast balls for crowdcontrol in certain circumstances?
I'd say no.
Do you agree with the Council'sdecision to reinstate SOAP and SODA laws
restricting people from certain areas?
No.
(07:30):
Do you agree with the Council'sdecision to make street racing and
attending a street race a crime?
Is that like making extraillegal - street racing?
Boy, um... You know, I'm...
Okay, we'll call it a waffle.
We'll call that a waffle.
(07:51):
I'd like to know moreabout that specifically.
Do you agree with the Council'sdecision to use the SCORE jail to
detain people arrested in Seattle?
No, I do not.
Was it worth lowering or modifyingstandards to recruit new officers?
I'd say no.
Was the money spent on recruitingand hiring new officers worth it?
(08:21):
I think that remains tobe seen, but uh - yeah.
Does SPD have a problemwith how it treats women?
Absolutely.
With how it treats Black and Brown people?
Absolutely.
Would you have voted to ratify the SeattlePolice Officers Guild, or SPOG contract?
(08:42):
As it was, I would not have, becauseI don't believe it had substantial
accountability measures attached to it.
Will you vote for a SPOG contractthat lacks meaningful accountability
provisions like civilianoversight with subpoena power?
No.
Should the scope of the CAREdepartment be included in or
limited by the SPOG contract?
(09:02):
I think it should be separatedfrom the SPOG contract.
I think that - yeah, I thinkwe should have some - yes.
So it should be separate.
So, no - it should not belimited by the SPOG contract.
Correct, yeah.
Do you think facial recognitionshould be banned in city use?
(09:24):
In this current... current climateand this current state of the country,
I'd say - yes, it should be banned.
Did Seattle ever "defund the police"?
No.
Should we have a design review board?
That is a tough question.
(09:46):
Okay, so are we waffling?
We're... We're waffling - toan extent, I think that...
Remember, we have open-ended questionslater, so we'll just zoom through this.
Let's waffle on that one.
Let's waffle on that one.
Should public comment time be allowedto be limited without prior notice?
No.
(10:06):
Do you support theFerdinand Festival Street?
Ferdinand Festival Street - yes, I do.
Do you agree with the city policyof closing Lake Washington Boulevard
to cars, and only allowing bikes andpedestrian access for 10 weekends
during the spring and summer?
Yes.
Do you support expanded weekendclosures of Lake Washington Boulevard?
(10:28):
Beyond the 10?
Mmm hmm.
Potentially - yeah.
Is that a waffle, or is that a yes?
Sounds like waffle.
It's a little bit of a waffle.
Okay.
Do you plan to increase funding forinvestigations of labor violations like
(10:51):
wage theft and illegal union busting?
Yes.
Do large corporations in Seattlepay their fair share of taxes?
No, they do not.
Do small businesses paytheir fair share of taxes?
Yes, they do.
Do you support the rent stabilizationbill that just passed in the
recent legislative session?
(11:11):
Yes.
What's your go-to karaoke song?
I
think the best one I everdid was White Wedding.
How interesting.
That was the best one.
My best performance was White Wedding.
I'm more of a supporter at karaoke.
(11:33):
What show, what TV showdo you like to binge?
We've really been liking Andor.
What's the first concertyou ever attended?
Without my parents?
With my parents, we saw Johnny Cash andLoretta Lynn at the Whatcom County Fair.
(11:56):
And then the most memorable wasthe Beastie Boys and Fishbone at
Western Washington University.
I feel like 1986, I think.
What's your favoriteSeattle sports moment?
Oh.
Boy.
(12:16):
Um... I'd have to say I think it was, youknow, the Seahawks winning the Super Bowl.
And really, it was the parade afterthat - that was like my favorite moment.
What's your comfort food?
(12:38):
Oh, it's going to be Ezell's fried chickenand mashed potatoes and gravy, I think.
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
I'm more of the night owl.
What's a hobby peoplewouldn't expect that you have?
Oh, um
(12:58):
- birds.
I enjoy bird watching - specifically,like birds of prey, falcons
and hawks, and all that.
What's your favoriteneighborhood in District 2?
Oh, good question.
Boy, I think the CID isprobably one of my favorites.
(13:22):
Who's a Seattle-based artistor musician that you love?
Well, I think like, you know, therewas like, Jimi Hendrix, right?
That was the first one, right?
That was the first, the first love - yeah.
What about people who are alive now?
Oh, that.
(13:55):
That's a tough one.
We're going to waffle - I mean, there'sso much good local music, but, um, yeah.
All right, we'll stick with waffle.
I struggle with picking the favorites, so-
What's a book you wish more people read?
(14:18):
We can waffle.
Yeah, let's, let's - I'm justtrying to think about what was
some of the most influential stuff?
I think like, as a kid, it was really,I was really, um - I read a lot like
Herman Hesse, in kind of my, um, early...
All right, we're waffling.
We gotta get through this.
Sorry, sorry.
What's your favorite rainy day activity?
(14:43):
I think just curling up on the couch withthe family, watching - watching shows.
Yeah.
What's your favorite SoundTransit station name?
Well,
I
think my favorite one was University- the former University one.
(15:04):
All right.
Have you voted in every generalelection in the past four years?
Yes, I have.
Every primary electionin the past four years?
Yes.
Have you made any politicalendorsements that you regret?
Um,
no, I don't think so.
(15:25):
Have you made any politicaldonations that you regret?
I feel like I probably gave BobFerguson too much money this year.
In 2021, did you vote for Bruce Harrellor Lorena González for Seattle Mayor?
Lorena González.
In 2021, did you vote for Ann Davison orNicole Thomas Kennedy for City Attorney?
(15:47):
Nicole Thomas Kennedy.
Same year - Sara Nelson orNikkita Oliver for City Council?
Nikkita Oliver.
In 2022, did you vote for Leesa Manion orJim Ferrell for King County Prosecutor?
Leesa Manion.
In 2023, did you vote forTammy Morales or Tanya Woo?
Tammy Morales.
(16:09):
In 2024, did you vote for Alexis MercedesRinck or Tanya Woo for City Council?
Alexis Mercedes Rinck.
Did you vote for Nick Brown or PeteSerrano for State Attorney General?
Nick Brown.
Did you vote for Bob Fergusonor Dave Reichert for Governor?
Bob Ferguson.
Did you vote for Donald Trumpor Kamala Harris for President?
(16:31):
Kamala Harris.
Did you vote to approve the AutomatedFingerprint Identification System, or AFIS
levy, on this year's April 22nd ballot?
Well, now you got me, Crystal.
I did not vote in that special election.
The one that we just had?
The one that we just had.
Okay.
This year on Seattle's social housinginitiative in February, did you
(16:53):
vote for Option 1A, 1B, or neither?
1A.
Will you be voting for ClaudiaBalducci, John Wilson, or Girmay
Zahilay for County Executive?
Well, I think
I'll be voting for Girmay.
Will you be voting to reauthorizethe Democracy Voucher Program
in the August election?
Absolutely.
Will you be voting to pass the Families,Education, Preschool, and Promise
(17:16):
Levy renewal in the November election?
Yes.
Okay, well, that concludes our lightninground - a lengthier round than we're
normally used to - but we'll keepit moving, we'll keep it moving.
Now we're going to shift into the heart ofthe convo with our open-ended questions.
So to start, why are yourunning for City Council?
(17:39):
Yeah, thanks.
So really, you know, when I lookaround the community, I see that
neighbors are getting pricedout - they're getting priced out of
communities that they helped build.
I see families that are holding onby a thread - rents keep climbing
higher and wages are staying the same.
And we see more folkssleeping on our streets.
And then we've got luxury unitsin this community that are empty.
(18:01):
I see a city government that stillworks just fine for the wealthy and
the well-connected, while the restof us are told to wait our turn.
To me, this is a crisis of - it'snot a crisis of resources, but
it's a crisis of priorities.
I'm a Seattleite - a guy whocame up through the trades, I'm a
union leader, a dad to a teenager,and a community organizer.
(18:24):
And I've seen firsthand what happenswhen we fight for each other.
And I really think that nowis one of those times, and
that's why I'm stepping up.
In recent campaigns, there's beena lot of talk about the importance
of representation in District 2.
What does representing the peopleof District 2 mean to you, and why
(18:44):
do you think you're the right personto represent those people right now?
Yeah, that's a good question.
You know, for me, it's about really kindof like, in union work and in organizing,
it's about, you know, there's a lot ofissue organizing that goes on, and that's
stuff that's widely felt and deeply felt.
(19:07):
You know, we have a lot of sharedinterests throughout this community
- we do have a diverse community,very - the most diverse in the, in
the state, and one of the most diverselegislative districts in the country.
And so really, that's aboutunderstanding what is the, what are
the broadest and deepest felt issues,and really advocating for those.
(19:28):
And I bring some experienceto that from union organizing
and in that issue organizing.
And I'll bring that approach ofinclusiveness and collaboration to that.
Now, Seattle's facing a $244 millionbudget shortfall, and recent fixes have
(19:51):
been one-time measures like divertingJumpStart funds - without addressing
the structural problem that existsand that's driving that deficit.
What specific long-term solutions wouldyou support: new revenue, permanent
cuts, or both - and what specifically?
Yeah, so, you know, we've stood upsome Progressive Revenue Task Force and
(20:15):
taken some steps in that direction - Ithink it's worth looking at that.
It's worth looking andexpanding JumpStart taxes.
You know, Prop 1A is
a excess compensation tax.
You know, at the heart of it, I think, youknow, Seattle has what's what is really,
(20:40):
you know - it's just driving displacementand really making it hard for folks in
this community is income inequality.
And I think that should be a focusof our taxes in this city - that
progressive, you know, revenueshould be, should be addressing that.
You know, so we'd look to, I'd lookto, you know - there's, there's also
(21:01):
the possibility, you know - somefolks have floated the idea out
there of a flat tax and then possiblysome exemptions - you know, I think
that's worth, worth looking at.
But there has been a lot of workdone on progressive revenue and
be looking to expand on thatand implement some of those.
Ahead of past major events like theMajor League Baseball All Star Game,
(21:22):
the city increased police presence andencampment sweeps, saying that was needed
to create a more welcoming environment.
But in places like the CID, thatapproach backfired - people stayed
away, businesses suffered, and thepromised benefits did not materialize.
Experts say truly welcoming citiesprioritize basics like bathrooms, seating,
(21:43):
transit, and activating public spaces.
With the World Cup coming, doyou support the same approach?
And if not, what should the citydo differently to ensure District
2 actually benefits from theWorld Cup coming to Seattle?
Yeah, that was really disappointing to me- that we didn't see more support in the
(22:07):
CID around that.
There was a lot of activationthat happened in Pioneer Square.
There was activation that happenedjust at the north of the parking lots,
you know - I think there - that, thatthat was really a missed opportunity.
Because that's such a wonderful, wonderfulneighborhood with amazing, amazing
food and restaurants, and just a longhistory of culture in the community.
(22:33):
So I would, you know, Iwould seek to have additional
activation in those neighborhoods.
You know, lack of public restroomfacilities isn't just a problem
during major events like this - Ithink generally, you know, we haven't
prioritized restrooms adjacent to publictransit and I think that's a real, real
(22:54):
kind of failing in this city and state.
You know, it became more apparentto me once I turned 50 and had
to go to the bathroom all the
time.
But, you know, I think that - yeah, Ithink, again, I think really focusing
on activating adjacent neighborhoodsthat have been underserved should be
(23:15):
something that we look at and focus on.
Gotcha.
More generally, what can be done tohelp small businesses in Seattle?
Boy, that's a good question.
I think,
you know, we can look at stuff - Iwas talking to folks, some folks
(23:35):
in restaurants, you know - there'sa lot, there's a lot of taxes and
regulation around liquor sales andI think that looking to simplify
some of that stuff for businesseswould be something that we could do.
And that's going to be talking to thestate about some of those priorities and
(24:00):
cleaning up some of those liquor laws - sothat it just makes the sale, the taxation,
just less complicated for those folks.
You know, again, you know, Ithink housing is such a key thing.
You know, if there's stuff that wecan do to provide more affordable
- we really can, and we need toprovide more affordable housing.
(24:22):
But that, I think, can have a directimpact on small businesses, you know,
holding on to maintaining employees,getting folks employed and living
in community - you know, stablehousing is such a key piece to that.
Also, the childcare piece, too - that's onthis Youth and Families levy, and I think
(24:45):
even expanding on childcare options is
something that can help working folksand alleviate some of the stress on the
small businesses employees' flexibility.
There's
also transit issues, I think - youknow, something - supporting or
(25:08):
providing additional bus services ortransportation later on in the evening
for folks working in restaurants andbars so they're not so car dependent.
You know, generally stuff thatwe can do to make it easier for
folks to get to and from work,you know, would be another thing.
What are the top safetyconcerns in District 2 and how
(25:30):
do you plan to address them?
Oh, well, you know, for us, Ithink, you know, what's going on
at 12th and Jackson - I see is areal, real big issue and concern.
Our son goes to school rightaround the corner there.
You know, so what does thatpublic safety look like?
I think, first off, it'shousing for those folks.
I mean, I think, folks, you know, with,with, with folks that are addicted,
(25:54):
you know, we need, we need to get theirhousing stabilized first and foremost
- and then we can work on some of theharder issues that's related to that.
I don't think that criminalizingdrug addiction, criminalizing
the addicts is really a healthyway to solve that problem.
(26:19):
I think that we need to providemental health services and
treatment services to those folks.
And we need to expand the CARE teamagain to help serve some of that stuff.
You know, I think also expandingthe CARE team so that they can
respond to non-crises that don'trequire a gun, I think, is critical.
(26:44):
I know that, you know, I have seen,you know, we had, I saw a burglary in
progress in my neighborhood when welived in Judkins Park and it took - and
this was, yeah, this was over 10years ago - and it took, you know,
for a burglary in progress, it took 45minutes for police to show up, right?
And I think that that's the sort ofstuff that folks want to see, right?
If there's a, if there's a breakingentering, if there's a forced entry
(27:06):
burglary, folks want the policeto respond immediately, right?
You know, domesticviolence situations, right?
You know, we need the police torespond immediately for that.
And I think that - I think generallythat's an expectation that folks have.
If there's a real emergencythat the police are going to
show right up immediately.
(27:27):
And, you know, I think that'ssomething that we haven't seen.
Or there's certainly a lot of anecdotes,anecdotal evidence that folks have
that that isn't what's happening.
You know, there's also shootings.
There's been some shootings nearColumbia City - outside Columbia
City in some housing developmentsthere - and gang activity.
(27:49):
And I know that's areal concern for folks.
And to me, I think that we need tolook to, and I think the, you know,
the childcare levy is one piecethat can help with some of that.
You know, I think that we need tobe looking at the upstream solution
as to why kids are getting involvedin drugs and gangs - and that's
(28:12):
really about folks not feelingsupported in community or in school.
There's a lot of behavioral problems inschool that's associated with learning
differences - kids with ADHD are
more predisposed to, untreated ADHDare more predisposed to self-medicate
and become addicted to drugs.
(28:34):
And then we also have a prison population,by estimates, that is 30% dyslexic.
But we have folks and at SeattlePublic Schools, would have to sue
Seattle Public Schools to honorIndividualized Education Plans.
And so to me, that just tells methat, you know, really, what we're
seeing on the streets is symptomaticof larger societal problems.
(28:55):
And if you really want to stop thisand solve this, we need to address
those problems upstream and reallycreate fully supportive communities
in our public spaces - you know, in publicschools - and really support kids where
they're at and support families too.
And I think those - working onthat stuff is going to provide
(29:16):
the long-term solutions to thecrime and the drug addiction that
we're seeing in this community.
Well, I think that, you know, ifwe aren't investing in the future,
we're really squandering our money.
The council has signaled that they wantto weaken the existing surveillance
ordinance, which aims to ensure thatthe public has the opportunity to
weigh the costs and benefits of newsurveillance technology before the city
(29:38):
obtains it, particularly because of thedisproportionate harms that marginalized
communities have experienced from it,and because of the current concerns
about the data being collected aboutpeople's habits, movements, political
and religious activities, sexualorientations being weaponized by federal
efforts under the current administration.
(30:00):
Do you support any weakening of thecurrent ordinance, and when do you
think surveillance is appropriate?
Yeah, I think I do support the weakeningof the ordinance for those reasons.
I'd say those would be my big concerns- is around civil liberties and how
that can be misused and manipulated
(30:21):
by the federal government.
So clarification - you say you dosupport the weakening of the ordinance.
The ordinance is upholding,has established a number
of those civil liberties.
So do you want those protections-
Oh, yeah, no, I'm sorry, no.
No, I don't.
Okay, gotcha.
Yes, yeah.
No, I don't support weakening it.
I think that it's critical to maintainfolks' civil liberties, certainly in
(30:44):
this current national political climate.
Makes sense.
When do you thinksurveillance is appropriate?
You know, I'd say surveillance- we're court ordered, you know,
for - authorized by a judge for,you know, criminal investigations.
(31:05):
I think that's an appropriateuse of surveillance.
Is the current council approach ofshifting funding from prevention to
punishment and enforcement working toaddress the safety concerns in District 2?
If not, what would you do differently?
I don't, I don't think that, Idon't think that that's going
to provide long-term solutions.
(31:29):
I think that we really need to address - Ithink that, you know, criminal activity
on the streets, drug addiction is asymptom of larger societal problems.
And, you know, we need toaddress that first and foremost.
And,
and again, I think expanding the CAREteam so that the folks - the police that
(31:51):
we do have on the force can respond tocritical criminal activities, you know,
stuff where we need a badge and a gun.
I think that's what weshould be moving towards.
Despite a record high number of encampmentsweeps involving police, homelessness
is up 25% over the last two years - withmany in District 2 lacking access to
(32:15):
shelter, services, and affordable housing.
There's also a shortage of sheltercapacity - and there are nearly
twice as many people needingbeds as there are shelter beds.
What isn't working and what will you doto reduce homelessness in District 2?
Yeah, so in the last twoyears, it's estimated that we
spent $60 million on sweeps.
(32:36):
In the last four years, I thinkwe spent $120 million on sweeps.
And it's gotten worse, and we've lostshelter beds - so that's not working.
You know, that's squanderingour money, really that's
sweeping things under the rug.
You know, what it's addressingis visible homelessness, and
it's not solving the problem.
(32:57):
I would take that money - youknow, obviously, there's some stuff
that needs to be cleaned up - but
not
$30 million a year worth of it.
Imagine if that money was spent - if wespent $120 million on homeless shelters
or on permanently affordable housing,what kind of situation we'd be in?
(33:19):
Or, if we invested $30 millionin mental health and treatment
and addiction services, whatkind of situation we'd be in?
If the city would have invested $60million in mental health and treatment
services, what would that look like?
That's the stuff that'sgoing to solve the problem.
And to me, that's really kind ofindicative - that's partly why I'm
(33:41):
running - is that we're wastingour money on treating the symptoms
and not addressing the root causes,and it's wasting our money, right?
And people are suffering as a result.
What's your opinion of the currentdraft of the Comprehensive Plan?
And what potential changeswould you prioritize?
Well, cue the sad trombones, right?
(34:01):
I think - what a tremendousmissed opportunity here.
You know, this is, this isa 20-year planning document.
I look to like the wonderful, beautiful,beloved cities of the world, like
Paris, you know, and you have mid-risearound parks and transportation.
And I think, you know, Seattle hasthese real gems of parks, and we
(34:24):
aren't seeing, we aren't seeing that.
We aren't seeing the mid-rise around that.
We see places like Fort Lawton, right- that could be an amazing mid-rise
development in a beautiful park setting,but it's currently, for the most part,
surrounded by single-family residents.
That's
(34:46):
the sort of place - around parks,transportation, and schools - where
we need to see mid-rise and largerbuildings, right, where people want to be.
And, you know, it's - in District2, we've got, you know, Othello
and Columbia City stations mid-riseright on MLK, where we really have
(35:10):
unsafe conditions for pedestrianswith the trains and the vehicles and
real issues.
And so I think what we'reseeing there is representative
of really poor urban planning.
And I see that this currentComprehensive Plan is more of the
same there, and I'm disappointed, so
(35:32):
- And so which specific changes would you prioritize?
I would like to see more increasesin the mid-rise around parks,
transportation, and schools.
Gotcha.
The City Council has signaled awillingness to weaken some renter
protections, including some justcause eviction rules, rent increase
notice periods, and others.
(35:54):
Do you support any rollbacksto tenant protections?
And what renter protections willyou defend or expand in District 2?
Yeah, I don't support the rollback of, you
know, tenant protections.
I think - well, for me, living inthe Central District during the
(36:15):
last, the last recession, we sawa lot of folks lose their homes.
And it feels like, you know, with thiscurrent federal administration, who
knows what's going to be coming and howour economy is going to be impacted.
It's the cheapest - the cheapesttime to address homelessness is
before people become homeless.
(36:36):
You know, if folks are unable to stayin their homes, if - if our nonprofit
or low-income housing providersare having issues with tenants, I
think there's other stuff that wecan look at to support these folks.
But
I think it's short-sightedto loosen tenant protections.
(37:01):
How will you ensure that the SocialHousing Developer succeeds and
complements existing affordable housingprograms and policies in Seattle?
Yeah.
So I think, you know, there'scertainly some red tape that's
slowing the implementation.
So we'd advocate for that andadvocate that they get fully funded
from previous previous legislation.
(37:22):
I'd like to see, you know, I'dlike to see it expanded upon.
I think that, you know, the Social HousingDeveloper is effectively a land trust.
You know, to me, that's a real, I thinka real key part of the solution to to
housing affordability - is creatinghousing that's held in trust for
community that's permanently affordable.
(37:44):
You know, models like Habitat for Humanityand HomeSight and other stuff where,
you know, where there's some ownershipoptions - the stuff that we can look at.
And I think there's also - taking alook at performance bonds to build
affordable housing is somethingthat should be examined seriously.
(38:07):
Housing, arguably, is the greatest need.
Affordable housing is thegreatest need in this community.
And as, again, I think we'refacing what looks to be an
economic downturn, investing in ourcommunity to build that affordable
housing will pay huge dividends.
Life expectancy in parts of District2, like Beacon Hill and Rainier
(38:29):
Valley, are up to 10 years shorterthan the life expectancy in other
wealthier Seattle neighborhoods- largely due to air pollution.
What would you do to address these healthdisparities and environmental injustices?
(38:50):
I think that we can...
it's a good question, Crystal.
Reduce - boy, reducing pollution onInterstate 5 is probably a key thing.
I think - yeah,
getting, encouraging more folksto use public transit is going
(39:11):
to be a key part of that too.
Getting, getting folks out oftheir cars - again, incentivizing
public transit options - is goingto be a real key piece to that.
But, you know, I-5 runs the length and,you know, prevailing winds blow all that,
(39:31):
all that exhaust and diesel fumes andeverything else into Beacon Hill and D2.
So, advocating for increased emissionstandards on the state level as part
of our legislative priorities, I think,would be another key piece to that.
So given the need to mitigate theimpacts of air pollution among major
(39:54):
transportation corridors, how do youbalance that with recent and planned
development alongside those corridors?
Well, that's, yeah, again, this is, youknow - developing along transportation
corridors, I don't - really, weshould all collectively, you know, I
(40:15):
think City Council should all engagein playing SimCity in some urban
planning and see what that looks like.
I think a lot of our planningreally creates these situations
where we're having to deal with
problems later on.
(40:35):
You know, siting this housing alongMLK, you know, again, you know,
Othello, and that Columbia City createsreal safety issues for pedestrians.
So,
you know, I think there's
(40:59):
- yeah, anything that we can do to encouragefolks to use more public transit is
going to be probably our biggest keyfor reducing pollution and increasing
lifespans of folks in our community.
What are your priorities fortraffic safety in the district?
Yeah, so again, MLK, you know,we've got a real unsafe situation
(41:20):
around the light rail stations.
You know, we can look at lightrail stations on the Eastside
at-grade and there's protectivebarriers for cars and pedestrians.
Even at-grade light rail crossingsin SODO have guards that prevent
cars from crossing the trackswhile the trains are going.
(41:41):
You know, why is thatnot in Rainier Valley?
Why do we not have that at Othello,Rainier Beach, and Columbia City?
That's something that we need tofix and protect the pedestrians
- they are interacting with trainsand also the cars as well.
(42:02):
Metro or Sound Transit carries abudget to deal with maintenance
from vehicle strikes in the RainierValley, so it's a known problem.
And again, we're treating thesymptoms and not treating the
root cause of the problem.
What specifically can be done inyour first year while in office,
if you're elected, to make it saferto walk and bike in the district?
(42:28):
You know, there's been somestuff that, you know - we've
seen SDOT act quickly on stuff.
They just act real quickly,acted real quickly in Westlake
Center in creating a bike lane.
So they've demonstrated, SDOT'sdemonstrated that they can act
swiftly to address safety issues.
And I think that if we really wantto get that Vision Zero - like the
(42:53):
date's coming pretty soon - and soI'd be pushing SDOT in advocating for
fast solutions for safety in places
where our most dangerous streets are.
So be looking at probably reducing lane
(43:18):
on MLK by some measure - atthe train stations, perhaps.
I know that Seattle Greenways has beendoing audits and I was out there with
them - Rainier Valley Greenways - doinga, an audit of the Columbia City station.
And so, you know, I, I'd be looking to,to the transportation folks as far as
(43:38):
like - what the, what solutions can weimplement right now that will reduce
speeds, and, at those stations, and alsomake it faster for crossings and, and
effectively safer for, for pedestrians.
So there's, you know, there's someprogramming stuff, and there may be
some other, you know, other potential- shifting of lanes, at least in those urban
(44:03):
areas, so that we can slow some of thespeeds down in those areas specifically.
How can the City Council better workwith the multiple relevant agencies
- like SDOT, Sound Transit, King CountyMetro - to improve accountability
for reducing injuries and deathsfrom traffic violence on the streets?
(44:28):
Well, there's, you know,
engineering is the most expensive, right?
You know, there needs to be somere-engineering, again, of the
light rail stations - you know,and that's a longer-term thing.
There's education - so there'ssignage and other stuff that we can
put out there to slow folks down.
(44:53):
You know, so I think it's, you know, SDOTand, and Sound Transit really need to get
together to solve those issues on MLK.
And,
you know, I'm not completely satisfiedwith what's happening on Rainier with
(45:14):
the bus lanes and the current situationthere, and I think that there should be
some, some rejiggering of that as well.
You know, we've got businesseson Rainier where parking's
been removed, but we have a center turnlane that is used as like a high-speed
(45:34):
passing lane by some scofflaws, right?
And creating kind of areal dangerous situation.
So I'd be looking to kind of, youknow, work with Metro to shift some
of those rapid transit lines, at leastin kind of the bright area on Rainier.
(45:58):
Reintroduce some parking at thosebusinesses and eliminate that center
trend lane that doesn't seem to getutilized by folks, other than folks
passing at a high rate of speed.
How important are road closuresand pedestrian activations
to reducing traffic violence?
(46:20):
Yeah, I think, yeah,
that can be helpful.
You know, some side neighborhoods andother stuff - I think that you look at
like North Capitol Hill, and they've gotlike partial road closures around areas.
You know, they're closing down PikePlace Market for a brief period
(46:42):
of time here in the summer, whilethere's some utility work happening.
You know, also closing some, youknow, reducing some streets' access to
MLK might be helpful- reduce some of that.
(47:04):
Do you support weakening Seattle EthicsCode for city councilmembers on conflict
of interest and recusals due to conflict?
No, I don't.
What changes would you support to theethics code to improve transparency?
You know, it's interesting.
I don't think folks are disclosing whatthey're holding in stocks, specifically
(47:26):
- you know, like our councilmembersholding tens of thousands, hundreds of
thousands of dollars in Amazon stocks,or Microsoft stocks, or Google stocks.
I think that's worth knowing,like, where folks' money is
specifically, like in specificfunds, as they're voting on things.
I think that I would advocatefor more transparency and-
(47:50):
How do you plan to mitigatefederal attacks on civil rights,
particularly those targetingtrans people and immigrants?
Oh gosh.
Yeah, this is really just a terrifyingthing that we're in the midst of right now
- that we would have to think about this.
I think that surveillance is a key thing.
(48:10):
I think that - like to me, just somerecent news, you know, there was, you
know, some trans folks that were beingharassed by police at Denny Blaine Park,
you know, because wealthy landowners areupset that they live next to a nude beach
that's been a nude beach for decades.
You know, so I think that, you know, we'reseeing the police there and enforcing, you
(48:33):
know, what is a wealthy homeowner's agendain that neighborhood that's targeting, you
know, historically marginalized communityin a public space that has historically
been theirs, you know, is somethingthat I would say is inappropriate.
You know, an inappropriate solutionto that - what's going on, right?
(48:56):
You know, and so,
you know, I would say that,you know, surveillance also
plays a role in this, too.
And I've got real concernsabout our surveillance and how
that's going to be misused.
It...
As you know, we ask candidates tosubmit questions for other candidates.
(49:18):
Getting a chance to ask a specificquestion directly of another
candidate - we offer that - and othercandidates submitted questions for you.
First question we have is (49:27):
What's your opinion about potential changes to
the City's ethics rules for electedofficials, as reported in media?
And what potential conflicts do youhave that voters should be aware of?
Oh, yeah, I don't support arollback of city ethics, right?
You know, my wife and I own a rentalproperty - a home that we purchased
(49:51):
over 20 years ago when I was workingas a carpenter and she was working
as an administrative assistant.
And then her father passed and wepurchased another home - wanted to
get some more room for our familyand closer to some other friends.
And
we rent that out and we, youknow, we take a loss on it.
(50:14):
You know, we rent it below market rateand just, you know, trying to keep
the mortgage and the taxes paid on it.
And
so that's, you know, that'sa potential conflict for us.
Okay.
You say you're taking aloss on that property?
(50:35):
Yeah, we've taken a loss on it.
I think that, you know, we saw propertytaxes go up like 40% during the pandemic.
You know,
and year on year, we really triedto avoid raising the rent on it.
And, you know,
(50:57):
just with the property taxes goingup that much, we had to raise
the rent, but it was, you know,we held off as long as we could.
And so there were a couple of yearswhere we took some losses on it.
We had the rising property taxes.
The next question that was submitted: Do you believe that small landlords (51:13):
undefined
should be subject to differentstandards than large landlords?
And if so, why?
That's an interesting question.
I suppose it's important to holdeveryone to the same standard.
(51:34):
You know, I think that, you know,small landlords, you know, there can
be good actors and bad actors in smalllandlords and large landlords, right?
And corporations and individuals.
You know, I think that we - yeah.
But I think it's fair that everyoneis held to the same standard.
Okay.
Now we're going back to ourregular Hacks & Wonks questions.
(51:56):
We are done with thecandidate-submitted questions.
So I think you said youhave a background in labor.
Do you agree with the Seattle PoliceOfficers Guild being expelled from the
Martin Luther King County Labor Council?
Well, I wasn't, I wasn't involved inMLK Labor at that point, or really,
(52:22):
you know, that, that involved with,with my union at that point, either.
I think it's important that, thatlabor stands together, but it's also,
it's also important that we hold somefundamental and fundamental things, right?
And that's about inclusivity andsupporting people and pushing
(52:43):
back against, you know, historicharms and, and other things.
You know, and the, the PoliceOfficers Guild has a, and the,
and the police and the role thatthey play as - is, is different
than a lot of other labor... And,
(53:03):
you know, I think inpart, I think that, the
Police Officers Guild, I think,needs to hold themselves and
their members to a standard.
And,
you know, I think they really hold theline for each other, kind of to the
detriment of their overall good, right?
(53:27):
And I think if there's bad actors,they should be - that stuff should
be addressed and the police shouldbe, you know, in that regard, and the
union should be self-policing to thatextent and working with members to, to
improve the, you know, their outcomes.
And, you know, I think that, youknow, that's, that's been a - I don't
(53:47):
think that SPOG's really demonstratedthat, certainly in that time period.
So there's, you know, there's a lot of,there's a lot of harm that's been done
in community by police, historically,that, I think, in the role that they've
played, that, you know, there's, youknow - I think Saka talked about that
(54:08):
it was like a truth and reconciliation,but there really was no truth and
reconciliation around this stuff.
And around, you know, how thepolice were behaving in community.
So would you say that MLKLabor was right to expel SPOG?
I think at the time, I think itprobably was fair to do that.
But, I mean, that said, it's, it's,you know, we also, you know...
(54:34):
I'd say at the time, if I was facedwith that same decision, I probably
would have voted the same way, right?
If I was in there at that time.
You say "at the time" - wouldyou feel differently right now?
I think Seattle Police have madea lot of improvements, right?
But it certainly feels like there's
(54:55):
still room for improvement, right?
We don't have theaccountability measures, right?
You know, took a while,I think, you know...
we don't have currentaccountability measures.
But that's the city's contract with SPOG.
(55:15):
And I think that
the current union president of SPOGis out there and it's kind of some
inflammatory stuff, right - that's goingon, you know, with how he's behaving
in the, in kind of the public space.
And I would expect from an agency,you know, that's responsible and has
(55:39):
the ability to basically strip peopleof their civil rights completely,
right - and their fundamentalrights - that there would be some,
there'd be some more compassion andkind of professionalism around that.
Would be my expectation.
And so you say - if the vote wereheld today, you would want to
(56:01):
keep them in the Labor Council?
Oh gosh, I'd want to understandwhat their commitment is - SPOG
- to some shared values around
changing, you know, andaddressing historic harms.
You know, and what thatcommitment would look like, right?
And for me, that would be - thatwould be what I'd want to see, right?
(56:25):
Is how committed are you to changingthe approach and honoring people's
civil rights and civil liberties?
Gotcha.
And that would be - do you align withthe shared values of MLK Labor, right?
You know, which is like a pledge thatwe have to take to be, you know, part of
when you're sworn in as a member, right?
(56:48):
You know, are you going to uphold that?
So as we are closing thisinterview now - final question.
A lot of voters are trying to figureout the difference between all the
candidates, as they try and figureout who they're going to vote for.
How do you describe to voterswhat the difference is between
you and the other candidates?
(57:09):
And why do you tell them thatthey should vote for you?
Yeah, so - thanks.
So when Corporate PACs spent $13 pervote trying to buy District 2 City
Council seat in 2023, I voted againstthem and helped Tammy win re-election.
When Amazon spent $1.5 million on the CityCouncil in 2019, I showed up and voted
(57:31):
against the Chamber of Commerce candidate.
When Amazon and the Chamber spent $800,000against the Social Housing Prop 1A payroll
tax, I helped organizations like MLK Laborand the 37th Democrats get that passed.
When House our Neighbors brought 135 tothe voters to create the social housing
developer, I showed up and voted for that.
(57:52):
No other candidate inthis race has done that.
So for me, you know, I'm going to fightfor working families of southeast Seattle.
I'm going to bring union organizing andshop steward mentality to the City Council
and the fight to protect folks - whetherthat's around discrimination or federal,
(58:14):
you know, improprieties coming from thefederal government - and stand with folks
to make this a more affordable city.
And for me, that's really what it's about.
It's about making this place affordable.
Gotcha.
Well, thank you so much for spendingthe time with us today - for sharing
such a wide variety of your opinions,positions, and your vision for the city.
(58:38):
And just really appreciate you beingaccountable to the voters of Seattle.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks,which is produced by Shannon Cheng.
You can follow Hacks & Wonkson Bluesky @HacksAndWonks.
You can find me on Bluesky at@finchfrii - that's F-I-N-C-H-F-R-I-I.
(58:58):
You can catch Hacks & Wonks on everypodcast service and app - just type
"Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar.
Be sure to subscribe to get the fullversions of our Friday week-in-review
shows and our Tuesday topical showdelivered to your podcast feed.
If you like us, leave areview wherever you listen.
You can also get a full transcriptof this episode and links to the
resources referenced in the showat officialhacksandwonks.com.
(59:21):
Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next
time.
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