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-I'm James Donaldson.
I'm worried about my beloved Seattle,
where one bad decision after another
have hurt our quality of life,
our communities, our businesses,
and our future.
Seattle isn't dying,
but it's sick.
1% of Seattle residents
are homeless,
and we have an enormous drug crisis.
City policies
have only made things worse.
I promise healing.
I promise a return to greatness.
I've learned a few things,
and I'm not afraid
to use my own personal,
deeply painful experiences
and apply my life lessons
to helping people
who are unable or unwilling
to help themselves.
I came to Seattle 40 years ago,
starting a 20-year pro-basketball career
with the Sonics.
Midway through,
I became a small-business owner
of several physical-therapy clinics,
healing bodies and helping people
to return to normal lives.
After a health crisis,
I became a passionate advocate
for mental health
and suicide prevention.
I've been there.
I know the level of support it takes
to not give up.
When they are ill, people can't make
the best decisions on their own.
I promise you that we will
improve public safety.
I promise you that we will
protect and expand public parks.
I promise you that we will
protect business districts and jobs.
I promise to build new bridges,
accessible to all modes
of transportation.
I promise to make Seattle more livable
and accommodating to seniors
and people with disabilities.
I promise to listen to our residents
when they come to City Hall.
And I promise to be out there
in the community and learn
and listen to you every day.
My life has involved teamwork,
practice, dedication,
and winning.
I've been in Seattle for 40 years,
and I've seen her promise.
I stand before you,
and I promise you
that when we do this together,
we will heal this city.
I ask for your vote --
James Donaldson.
-Hi. I'm Gene Burrus,
and I'm running
to be your Council member
for the 7th district of Seattle.
I'm an attorney who has lived
downtown for about a decade now.
I never thought that I would
get involved in city politics,
but city politics got involved in me.
For years, living downtown
and being told by city leadership
that crime and drugs
are just a fact of life
that we must accept.
And last summer,
when with unvarnished contempt
for voters and residents,
the City Council imposed
an undemocratic
and fiscally irresponsible
waterfront lid on my neighbors.
If elected,
I will support law enforcement
as they restore safety to our streets.
I will responsibly address
the homeless crisis
by getting help and shelter
to those who need it and seek it.
And for those who refuse,
our streets, parks, and open spaces
will no longer be an option.
Finally, I will bring common sense
to the city budget,
which means prioritizing funding
for essential projects
like the Magnolia Bridge
while canceling
irresponsible boondoggles
like the First Avenue streetcar.
I'm Gene Burrus,
and I will bring the change
that Seattle needs to the City Council.
I would be honored to have your vote.
-The Seattle City Council
no longer cares
for the families in our city.
Our well-being, safety, and concerns
have been relegated
to politics and waste.
The lack of attention
to our neighbors, friends,
and family members can no longer
continue to be the norm.
I'm a 30-year member
of the Magnolia community,
a family-business owner,
and mother to four wonderful boys.
While managing my family business,
I began over seven years ago
as an advocate for change,
demanding attention to rampant drug usage
outside our business
at Fishermen's Terminal.
After calling the authorities
and being told
there was nothing they could do,
I took action
by getting it on the evening news.
Things changed and then returned
to more of the same.
Things can no longer stay the same.
Homelessness --
the success of our homeless population
should be a priority.
I will work for solutions
that are effective and compassionate,
enabling people towards their goals
and connecting them
with the services needed.
We need to ensure housing and access
to proper services and treatment.
An open and transparent government --
no more back-room deals
and a lack of transparency.
The City Council
is meant to work for you.
I will work towards legislation
that creates
a culture of transparency,
ensuring that all city contracts
and requests for proposals
are published online for you to see.
Maintaining
family neighborhoods --
we need adequate
green space and parking.
We cannot forget Seattle families,
despite the speed of our city's growth.
I am committed to helping
improve factors
that contribute to traffic issues
resulting in loss of time at work
and with your loved ones.
We need to supply mixed-income housing
in all neighborhoods,
ensuring we do not
further segregate them.
We spent $230 million
on a trolley that doesn't fit.
Meanwhile, our law enforcement
are under-equipped and ill-utilized.
My first 30 days
will be to have an independent audit
of our City Council
and address our homeless crisis.
I am a U-dub graduate
and lifelong
Magnolia community member
that is committed to civic action
and community engagement.
My mother taught Spanish
at the local Catholic schools,
and I currently reside with my husband
and four young boys in Magnolia.
-Hello.
I'm Isabelle J. Kerner.
If you want to know
why I'm running for City Council,
I could give you a list
of different reasons
or explain how one event
led to the other,
but in the end,
it all comes down to passion.
If you haven't already noticed,
Seattle has a camping crisis.
The solution I am proposing
is quite simple.
It is called
the cargo container solution.
With 23 plots
of vacant city-owned land,
575 cargo containers,
and $40 million,
we could house
and provide on-site services
for up to 10,000 individuals
within 18 months.
When the navigation team
sweeps unsanctioned camps,
every individual will take a drug test
and complete a questionnaire
containing information
on their personal background
and work history.
This will allow Seattle
to create a database
to determine which of the 23 sites
best fits the needs
of each individual.
For example, we will not put
the severely drug-addicted
near the non-drug-addicted,
nor will we put
the severely mentally ill
with women and children
fleeing domestic violence.
The containers will be modified
into dorm-like units.
By partnering
with businesses of all sizes
and using the Washington state
apprenticeship program,
we will train workers
for jobs in industries
struggling to meet the demand
for skilled workers.
Individuals enrolled in the program
can earn money
by helping build containers
for other sites,
cleaning up the mess
camping has created,
or through other odd jobs.
Individuals will be able
to access funds
once they have secured employment
and have saved enough
to afford the up-front costs
needed to secure affordable housing.
If elected, I can have this program
running within the first three months
of 2020.
Residents of District 7,
I ask for your vote.
By setting the example
with this solution in Seattle,
we have the potential to change
the way the entire country
handles this problem.
Once again,
I am Isabelle J. Kerner.
My campaign is "Kerner for Council,"
and I approve this message.
Thank you.
-Hello, Seattle voters.
I'm Don Harper.
I've lived in Seattle
for almost 50 years
and on Queen Anne for over 30
and have served on
the Queen Anne Community Council
for 21 years.
I've been the chair
of the parks committee
for 18 years.
I'm running for City Council
because our City Council
no longer listens to us.
I'm a retired electrician
who owned his own business
for 30 years and is happily retired.
This is not a step
on the career ladder for me.
We have a great deal of work
to accomplish
to resolve serious problems
that plague our neighborhoods
and businesses.
We have to set
mutually agreed-upon priorities.
We have to restore our public spaces
to the public
and move homeless people into homes.
The mentally ill
need permanent supportive housing.
Helsinki did this.
Salt Lake City did this.
And it's working.
We need to assist those working folks
that are one paycheck away
from being homeless
so that they stay in their homes.
And we must not let drug addicts camp
in our neighborhoods
and public spaces.
We can do this
if we reset our city's priorities
and engage
in collaborative decision-making.
I've been doing this work
on the Queen Anne Community Council
for 21 years,
and I'm ready to serve Seattle
to work together
to tackle our tough issues.
I am for more jobs that pay family wages
like the new deepwater port
at Terminal 5.
I love the techies,
but not everybody writes code.
I'm for more parks,
not fewer parks.
I'm for keeping
our public golf courses
as they are today.
We must not use
precious, open, green spaces
for anything else except recreation
as our city becomes
increasingly dense.
I will fight to replace
the Magnolia Bridge one-for-one.
I pledge to have an open-door policy
as a City Council member.
Let's work together
and honestly face the issues
confronting Seattle
like the city we all love.
I would appreciate your vote.
-My name is Michael George,
and I'm running for
Seattle City Council District 7.
I live downtown with my wife
and two young children.
I'm worried about the direction
Seattle is heading.
We can't continue electing
the same kind of candidates
and expecting different results.
I've knocked on thousands of doors,
and I know
from speaking with many of you
that we all want
the same thing -- change.
I'll bring practical,
real-world experience to Council.
On the job, I have worked on complex,
affordable housing, transportation,
and sustainability projects.
I co-founded
Parents for a Better Downtown Seattle,
a nonprofit dedicated to making
downtown better for families.
I also volunteer on countless projects
to make Seattle work
for people of all ages,
from young families
struggling to afford daycare
to seniors on fixed incomes.
We must change
our approach to homelessness
and make sure our regional partners
do their fair share.
We must build
more low-income housing,
commit to approving cost-effective
homeless-prevention programs,
treat the subset of homeless people
with mental health
and substance addiction,
and bring those who prey on the homeless
and the rest of us to justice.
We need more middle-income housing.
I've managed some of the most complex
affordable-housing projects
in the region.
I have real-world expertise
that will allow me
to cut through the rhetoric,
find inefficiencies,
and use our limited resources
to house more people for less.
I'll lead the drive
for affordable daycare,
a new District 7 high school,
a downtown elementary school,
and high-quality community centers
in Magnolia, Queen Anne,
and Belltown.
I'll focus on cleaning up our parks
and making our streets safe.
Through working on major light-rail
and bus rapid-transit projects,
I know how to leverage
Sound Transit investments
to best serve District 7
and how to secure funding
for major projects
like the Magnolia Bridge replacement.
I'll work tirelessly,
hold regular office hours
in each neighborhood,
and make the changes we need.
I ask for your support
and your vote.
-My name's Jason Williams,
and I'm running
for Seattle City Council District 7.
I grew up in a working-class family
in Federal Way,
the son of a teacher and a butcher.
Because of strong public schools,
hard work, and my parents' sacrifices,
I graduated from
Seattle Pacific University
and, later, Yale University
with an MBA.
I've worked with
world-class organizations,
including Microsoft
and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
My wife and I chose
to return to Seattle
and now raise our young daughter
in this place we love.
Many are worried about our city.
Neighbors lament soaring housing costs,
express concerns
about walking home at night,
and wonder what
their tax dollars are buying.
These are deeply felt concerns,
and we must address them.
I also hear a desire
to focus on the future.
In this future,
neighbors describe a city
celebrated for economic equity,
natural beauty, and vibrant culture.
As your Council member,
I will work tirelessly
to make this future a reality.
I will work to maintain job growth
by investing in infrastructure,
including the Magnolia Bridge,
increasing transit, and enabling
small-business success.
Every child deserves
a fair start in life.
That's why I will prioritize
universal access
to affordable,
high-quality early learning.
I will also make critical improvements
to workforce development.
I will preserve and enhance
our open spaces
that give Seattle its natural beauty.
Finally, I will elevate
arts and culture
and the diverse communities
that make our city vibrant.
This vision is only possible
if we restore trust
to local government.
This will require better provision
of core city services,
as well as progress
on the pressing challenges of the day.
Know that as your representative,
I will listen, respect your values,
and conduct my work
with honesty and transparency.
Together, we have an opportunity
to create a more vibrant, just,
and equitable Seattle.
Vote Jason Williams.
Thank you.
-My name is Jim Pugel,
and I'll be your next Council member
from District 7.
I grew up in a Rainier Valley home
and graduated from
the University of Washington,
served 35 years as a police officer
and a chief of police,
reducing non-violent incarceration
and speaking out against racial bias
and for practical solutions
to solve the opioid
and homelessness crisis.
I brought real hands-on experience
to public safety and human services
and a true understanding
of unique priorities
that are facing Council District 7.
I've worked
on complex neighborhood problems.
I've worked on the Law Enforcement
Assisted Diversion initiative
to get people off the streets
and into mental health,
addiction treatment,
and housing.
That program led to real results,
a 61% drop in recidivism
and more people housed and working.
We need a City Council
that gets and focuses
on data-driven solutions
and listens to the voters.
As a chief of police,
I managed a $250 million budget,
helped implement
the settlement agreement,
and pushed for needed reforms
in ways that were transparent and open.
If I can do that
at the Seattle Police Department,
I can do it with you at City Hall.
Transparency, accountability,
and honest communication
is what you deserve.
I'm running because experience, service,
and collaboration matters.
Most likely, I'll be
the oldest person on the City Council.
I'm doing this because
I love the city where I was born
and went to school and raised my family.
I want my children and grandchildren
to have that same life
where they can live and play
and work in this city,
buy an affordable house,
and send their kids
to highest-quality public education.
We need a Seattle
that works for everyone.
I promise to work every day
to be that voice
for unity and problem-solving.
The bottom line is that
we all know the issues --
homelessness and affordability.
But we need a City Council member
who has mature experience,
and I'm the only candidate
with that mature experience
that brings proven leadership
to the Council.
-Hello. My name is Andrew Lewis,
and I am running for Seattle City Council
because it's time for a more responsive
and accountable city government.
This accountability starts with results
on affordable housing
and homelessness.
As your Council member,
I'll fight to build
5,000 units of affordable housing
in three years
by working with state, county,
and nonprofit partners
through the Home and Hope plan.
This plan to create public, tax-exempt,
multi-family housing
along with other initiatives
will allow us
to rapidly increase affordable housing
and reduce homelessness.
I'll also advocate
for increased mental-health
and substance-abuse treatment
to address the significant barriers
to helping our neighbors
transition out of homelessness.
On public safety, I'm proud of my work
as a prosecutor obtaining justice
for victims in the public.
We need more police officers
walking our neighborhoods
and more prosecutors
reviewing cases.
We also need to increase successful
criminal-diversion programs
like Choose 180,
where only 8 out of 245 participants
have re-offended.
Moreover, we need to make sure
the city is being accountable
with the resources it already has.
I propose an annual
performance auditing plan
similar to King County's,
which has saved $127 million
in the last three years.
This plan will free up
significant resources
for essential services that benefit
Seattle residents and businesses.
On public transportation,
I will partner with Sound Transit
to expand light-rail
through Interbay,
including a rail tunnel
underneath the ship canal
to ensure reliable service
and prevent displacing
our maritime community.
I will also work with state, port,
and federal stakeholders
to secure a one-for-one replacement
to the Magnolia Bridge.
My experience
as a city and county prosecutor,
a Seattle human-rights commissioner,
and a rental-housing stakeholder
committee member
will ensure I hit the ground running
at City Hall.
I'm a fifth-generation Washingtonian
and a proud graduate
of Seattle public schools
and the University of Washington.
I've been endorsed by
the Martin Luther King
County Labor Council,
the 36th district Democrats,
the 37th district Democrats,
and state representative
Gail Tarleton.
I ask for your vote,
and it'd be an honor to serve you.