-Hello.
I'm Stephen Brown, the president of Eltana Bagels,
a proud West Seattle resident, and a candidate
for the Seattle City Council in District 1.
Thank you for taking the time to watch my video.
All cities, great and small, go through intense periods
of struggle, just like Seattle is now.
Some of those cities bounce back and thrive,
and others sink into deeper decay and decline.
To my eye, the common thread of cities
that rise again is governance
that mixes imagination with pragmatism.
This mix -- This mix of creativity and common sense
has been the hallmark of my life and work,
and it's what I would bring to Seattle City Council
that separates me from my opponents.
We all know Seattle's profound challenges.
Our streets don't feel safe or welcoming.
There are too many residents unable to find a place to live,
struggling to overcome an addiction
or grappling to hold on to themselves
dealing with a mental illness.
We must help them, and really help them.
It's not honoring someone's struggle
to turn the other way as they use lethal drugs on our streets.
That approach is enabling their addiction
and lessening their humanity.
Small businesses,
and West Seattle small businesses in particular,
are struggling to emerge from the gut-punch combo
of pandemic and bridge closure.
I understand small business at my core.
I know all about the logistics,
financing, hiring, marketing, and administration.
But I also have insights into the psyche
of small business operators.
We are fiercely independent,
but we also yearn to feel like we belong.
I plan on being a key player
in the revitalization of downtown Seattle.
All my career, I've been inventing
and building community.
Seattle's downtown needs to be a community.
I have ideas large, medium, and small
for how our downtown can be a great place
to live, work, and play.
Again, we need great ideas and pragmatic skills.
I would bring that combination to District 1
and to City Hall.
And I'd be honored to have your vote.