1 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:07,253 With growing concerns over shootings and sex 2 00:00:07,253 --> 00:00:10,730 trafficking in North Seattle, voters say their council 3 00:00:10,730 --> 00:00:12,359 district, D5, needs help. 4 00:00:12,359 --> 00:00:14,329 I'm running because I think blue cities should 5 00:00:14,329 --> 00:00:15,439 show that they can govern. 6 00:00:15,439 --> 00:00:18,100 Our district hasn't had consistent leadership. 7 00:00:18,100 --> 00:00:21,768 D5 has had an interim council member since Kathy Moore 8 00:00:21,768 --> 00:00:23,399 stepped down last year. 9 00:00:23,399 --> 00:00:26,466 Now, Nilu Jenks and Julie Kang are running to serve the 10 00:00:26,466 --> 00:00:28,000 final year of Moore's term. 11 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:28,832 Hi, I'm Nilu. 12 00:00:28,832 --> 00:00:30,079 Thank you for voting. 13 00:00:30,079 --> 00:00:32,789 Jenks, a voting rights advocate with FairVote 14 00:00:32,789 --> 00:00:36,340 Washington, won the primary and says public safety should 15 00:00:36,340 --> 00:00:39,875 involve police, plus 911 alternative response, and gun 16 00:00:39,875 --> 00:00:41,679 violence prevention teams. 17 00:00:41,679 --> 00:00:44,161 Not just law and order, but what is working across the 18 00:00:44,161 --> 00:00:46,978 nation and what can we deliver to actually make us all safer. 19 00:00:46,978 --> 00:00:50,060 I can trust you to vote also for Julie. 20 00:00:50,060 --> 00:00:53,823 Kang, an educator and longtime civic leader, has a different 21 00:00:53,823 --> 00:00:56,972 approach to public safety, including an emphasis on 22 00:00:56,972 --> 00:01:01,125 stay-out-of-areas-of-prostitution, or SOAP laws, and surveillance 23 00:01:01,125 --> 00:01:01,679 cameras. 24 00:01:01,679 --> 00:01:04,843 It's not enough to have these policies in books. 25 00:01:04,843 --> 00:01:06,739 We have to enforce the rules. 26 00:01:06,739 --> 00:01:10,120 The D5 candidates differ on other major policies, too. 27 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:12,683 We should be looking at more progressive revenue, so we 28 00:01:12,683 --> 00:01:14,019 can't keep saying, pay more. 29 00:01:14,019 --> 00:01:17,903 It's Julie Kang and Nilu Jenks in the race for District 30 00:01:17,903 --> 00:01:19,760 5, next on City Inside Out. 31 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:29,760 ♪ 32 00:01:38,358 --> 00:01:40,659 Hello, I'm Brian Callanan. 33 00:01:40,659 --> 00:01:43,200 Welcome to Season 24 of City Inside Out 34 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,260 on the Seattle Channel. 35 00:01:45,260 --> 00:01:48,367 Seattle's District 5 council seat has been in a state 36 00:01:48,367 --> 00:01:51,543 of flux since last summer, when Cathy Moore stepped 37 00:01:51,543 --> 00:01:53,938 down less than two years into the job. 38 00:01:53,938 --> 00:01:56,674 Former D5 council member Debora Juarez has 39 00:01:56,674 --> 00:01:59,780 filled in since then, but won't run this November. 40 00:01:59,780 --> 00:02:03,203 That race is between voting rights advocate Nilu Jenks 41 00:02:03,203 --> 00:02:06,197 and educator Julie Kang to complete the one year 42 00:02:06,197 --> 00:02:07,578 left in Moore's term. 43 00:02:07,578 --> 00:02:10,586 Their mission as they compete for this short-term role is 44 00:02:10,586 --> 00:02:13,907 to convince some frustrated voters in Seattle's northernmost 45 00:02:13,907 --> 00:02:16,479 district that they have some long-term answers. 46 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,591 District 5 neighbors protested against sex trafficking 47 00:02:21,591 --> 00:02:24,919 and gun violence on Aurora Avenue North back in June. 48 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:27,436 And the two candidates who want to lead D5 say 49 00:02:27,436 --> 00:02:28,657 they got the message. 50 00:02:28,657 --> 00:02:32,038 I think the most important thing for me is to unify District 5. 51 00:02:32,038 --> 00:02:34,377 I am tired of waiting for consistent 52 00:02:34,377 --> 00:02:35,860 leadership to show up. 53 00:02:35,860 --> 00:02:39,157 Nilu Jenks and Julie Kang were both finalists for the 54 00:02:39,157 --> 00:02:43,038 interim D5 job last year after Cathy Moore's sudden departure. 55 00:02:43,038 --> 00:02:44,020 Hi, Debora Juarez. 56 00:02:44,020 --> 00:02:47,586 The council appointed past D5 council member Debora Juarez 57 00:02:47,586 --> 00:02:51,151 to the position, but she's not running for the opportunity to 58 00:02:51,151 --> 00:02:53,038 fill Moore's term through 2027. 59 00:02:53,038 --> 00:02:54,020 Thanks for stopping. 60 00:02:54,020 --> 00:02:58,353 Jenks, who also ran three years ago in D5, won the August 61 00:02:58,353 --> 00:03:02,360 primary with 54% of the vote and is endorsed by The Stranger. 62 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:03,979 One, two, three, D5! 63 00:03:03,979 --> 00:03:06,735 She's the Political and Partnerships Director 64 00:03:06,735 --> 00:03:09,217 at FairVote Washington and says adding 911 65 00:03:09,217 --> 00:03:11,943 alternative care teams in North Seattle and gun 66 00:03:11,943 --> 00:03:14,598 violence interruption programs will enhance 67 00:03:14,598 --> 00:03:17,740 safety and help police respond to crime more quickly. 68 00:03:17,740 --> 00:03:20,900 We can do that and improve our response times. 69 00:03:20,900 --> 00:03:23,199 And this is what I mean about being serious about safety. 70 00:03:23,199 --> 00:03:25,937 What works and what can we bring to the city, 71 00:03:25,937 --> 00:03:27,157 including District 5? 72 00:03:27,157 --> 00:03:29,080 Kang came in second in the primary, 73 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:31,906 with 33% of the vote, and is endorsed by 74 00:03:31,906 --> 00:03:33,000 the Seattle Times. 75 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:34,699 We're going to thank the voters. 76 00:03:34,699 --> 00:03:36,758 The National Board-certified teacher 77 00:03:36,758 --> 00:03:39,060 differs from her opponent on public safety 78 00:03:39,060 --> 00:03:41,699 with her support of legal approaches like SOAP, 79 00:03:41,699 --> 00:03:43,639 stay out of areas of prostitution, 80 00:03:43,639 --> 00:03:45,479 and added surveillance cameras. 81 00:03:45,479 --> 00:03:50,300 We haven't used our tools such as SOAP and enforcement 82 00:03:50,300 --> 00:03:53,758 to restore public safety and trust in the government. 83 00:03:53,758 --> 00:03:56,608 Kang's priorities also include housing affordability 84 00:03:56,608 --> 00:03:57,877 and helping immigrants. 85 00:03:57,877 --> 00:04:00,699 She co-founded a community bank in 2001. 86 00:04:00,699 --> 00:04:04,210 So I have history, track record of delivering 87 00:04:04,210 --> 00:04:07,717 solutions in District 5 for the last 30 years. 88 00:04:07,717 --> 00:04:11,500 Jenks wants 1,000 new units of affordable housing for D5 89 00:04:11,500 --> 00:04:14,460 and says her expertise on ranked choice voting 90 00:04:14,460 --> 00:04:16,639 could provide a big boost for the council. 91 00:04:16,639 --> 00:04:18,759 This is the year we're going to be implementing it 92 00:04:18,759 --> 00:04:21,560 for the city next year, and I really want the city to benefit, 93 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,720 to have really strong, robust, policy-centered conversations. 94 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:27,939 Different voices with different approaches. 95 00:04:27,939 --> 00:04:31,680 It's Jenks versus Kang in the race for District 5. 96 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:33,699 Thanks again for joining us on City Inside Out 97 00:04:33,699 --> 00:04:34,959 here on the Seattle Channel. 98 00:04:34,959 --> 00:04:37,259 I'm Brian Callanan, and with me, I have two 99 00:04:37,259 --> 00:04:40,439 candidates for Seattle City Council's District 5 seat. 100 00:04:40,439 --> 00:04:41,617 First up, Nilu Jenks. 101 00:04:41,617 --> 00:04:42,620 Welcome. Thank you. 102 00:04:42,620 --> 00:04:43,259 Good morning. 103 00:04:43,259 --> 00:04:44,903 Also good to be with us, Julie Kang. 104 00:04:44,903 --> 00:04:45,980 Thanks for being here. 105 00:04:45,980 --> 00:04:47,379 Thank you for having us. 106 00:04:47,379 --> 00:04:48,884 We did a coin flip before the show. 107 00:04:48,884 --> 00:04:50,819 We're going to be hearing from Julie first. 108 00:04:50,819 --> 00:04:52,550 An opening statement, if you would. 109 00:04:52,550 --> 00:04:53,473 Keep it to a minute. 110 00:04:53,473 --> 00:04:54,338 Thanks very much. 111 00:04:54,338 --> 00:04:57,829 I'm running for Seattle City Council District 5 position 112 00:04:57,829 --> 00:05:00,939 because Seattle needs a change in direction. 113 00:05:00,939 --> 00:05:05,454 I'm an educator, first-gen immigrant, union member, and 114 00:05:05,454 --> 00:05:07,899 a 30-year District 5 resident. 115 00:05:07,899 --> 00:05:13,016 After moving 23 times while growing up, I came to UW for 116 00:05:13,016 --> 00:05:13,814 my Ph.D. 117 00:05:13,814 --> 00:05:16,259 program and loved Seattle. 118 00:05:16,259 --> 00:05:19,600 And I've seen how magical and special it is. 119 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:24,324 But I've also seen how far we've drifted from being a city that 120 00:05:24,324 --> 00:05:29,139 is affordable, safe, and have opportunities to thrive again. 121 00:05:29,139 --> 00:05:33,930 And I've knocked on over 10,000 doors during this campaign, and 122 00:05:33,930 --> 00:05:38,629 I heard from neighbors about their concerns of public safety, 123 00:05:38,629 --> 00:05:43,420 cost of living, homelessness, and opportunities to stay here. 124 00:05:43,420 --> 00:05:47,367 So I'm stepping up because I have had 30 years of 125 00:05:47,367 --> 00:05:52,127 experience in professional teaching teachers at UW and 126 00:05:52,127 --> 00:05:56,480 Seattle U, and I have always come to solve problems. 127 00:05:56,480 --> 00:06:00,225 And I want to do that for the city because city needs to 128 00:06:00,225 --> 00:06:03,973 deliver and have a leadership who shows up, listens, 129 00:06:03,973 --> 00:06:07,720 and continue to deliver results that the city needs. 130 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:08,860 Thank you very much for that. 131 00:06:08,860 --> 00:06:10,540 Nilu, if you would, an opening statement. 132 00:06:10,540 --> 00:06:11,560 Keep it to a minute, please. 133 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:12,298 Thank you. 134 00:06:12,298 --> 00:06:15,747 Well, I'm a Lake City resident, a working mom of two 135 00:06:15,747 --> 00:06:20,262 teenagers and proud daughter of Iranian American immigrants and 136 00:06:20,262 --> 00:06:22,480 a longtime community advocate. 137 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:26,637 I first ran for the seat in 2023 because the comprehensive 138 00:06:26,637 --> 00:06:30,100 plan was up and I wasn't exactly delighted about 139 00:06:30,100 --> 00:06:32,180 how the conversations went. 140 00:06:32,180 --> 00:06:33,759 This is about land use, etc. 141 00:06:33,759 --> 00:06:36,300 Exactly. And how we're going to grow our city. 142 00:06:36,300 --> 00:06:39,185 And so I went actually to work on electoral reform, 143 00:06:39,185 --> 00:06:40,560 ranked-choice voting. 144 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:42,422 And I hope that'll help us next year, this year 145 00:06:42,422 --> 00:06:43,500 we're going to implement. 146 00:06:43,500 --> 00:06:45,444 I'm the political and partnerships director of 147 00:06:45,444 --> 00:06:47,338 FairVote Washington, where I work in Olympia, 148 00:06:47,338 --> 00:06:49,459 in Seattle and across the state. 149 00:06:49,459 --> 00:06:52,040 But really what I've been doing is working on democracy. 150 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:54,533 And I'm at the point where I feel that if blue cities don't 151 00:06:54,533 --> 00:06:57,576 start delivering and showing that they can govern and meet 152 00:06:57,576 --> 00:07:00,728 our basic needs-affordability, housing, shelter, 153 00:07:00,728 --> 00:07:03,172 public safety-and in my neighborhood in the last 154 00:07:03,172 --> 00:07:05,338 year I've lost my grocery store, my pharmacy, and if it 155 00:07:05,338 --> 00:07:07,629 was the first grocery store that closed in the city, 156 00:07:07,629 --> 00:07:09,800 great. But it's also the third pharmacy that's closed 157 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:11,399 in our neighborhood and I think it's time that 158 00:07:11,399 --> 00:07:13,653 the city shows that it can meet our needs and so 159 00:07:13,653 --> 00:07:16,093 that's why I'm running to implement ranked choice 160 00:07:16,093 --> 00:07:18,480 voting and make sure that goes well but also to show 161 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:20,930 that our cities can govern and address the needs that 162 00:07:20,930 --> 00:07:23,278 we're seeing across city and that we've heard at the 163 00:07:23,278 --> 00:07:23,920 doors. Got it. 164 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:24,829 Thank you very much. 165 00:07:24,829 --> 00:07:27,495 Public safety as you both know, has emerged as a top 166 00:07:27,495 --> 00:07:31,079 issue in District 5 following a series of shootings on Aurora 167 00:07:31,079 --> 00:07:33,872 Avenue North earlier this year that led to protests from 168 00:07:33,872 --> 00:07:35,300 neighbors around that area. 169 00:07:35,300 --> 00:07:38,278 Eventually, the city put up a number of concrete 170 00:07:38,278 --> 00:07:41,259 barriers on 96th, 98th, 100th, and 102nd Street 171 00:07:41,259 --> 00:07:43,605 to try to block access for people involved 172 00:07:43,605 --> 00:07:44,879 in criminal activity. 173 00:07:44,879 --> 00:07:47,444 Is the current public safety approach from the City of 174 00:07:47,444 --> 00:07:50,026 Seattle working on Aurora Avenue North, 175 00:07:50,026 --> 00:07:51,899 is there something you would do differently? 176 00:07:51,899 --> 00:07:54,420 Yeah, I would say that having to close streets and talking 177 00:07:54,420 --> 00:07:57,526 about closing parks is actually a sign of failure and very 178 00:07:57,526 --> 00:08:01,220 clear indication that what we're doing is not working. 179 00:08:01,220 --> 00:08:03,338 There's a lot more that we could be doing. 180 00:08:03,338 --> 00:08:06,994 For example, we have $50 million allocated in the state 181 00:08:06,994 --> 00:08:10,487 legislature for improvements on Aurora and transportation, 182 00:08:10,487 --> 00:08:12,521 environmental design, which Shoreline has 183 00:08:12,521 --> 00:08:14,860 said is what helped them a lot, yet we haven't had 184 00:08:14,860 --> 00:08:17,660 a briefing in the Transportation Committee on Aurora. 185 00:08:17,660 --> 00:08:20,687 And that's something that, you know, the D5 council members 186 00:08:20,687 --> 00:08:23,403 should be advocating for and make sure happened, because 187 00:08:23,403 --> 00:08:25,759 right now the legislature is talking about removing 188 00:08:25,759 --> 00:08:28,579 that money and saying there are other shovel-ready 189 00:08:28,579 --> 00:08:30,220 cities and projects for that. 190 00:08:30,220 --> 00:08:33,344 That's one thing that I want to make sure happens and that 191 00:08:33,344 --> 00:08:34,740 we don't lose that money. 192 00:08:34,740 --> 00:08:36,923 But also making sure that we're investing in community 193 00:08:36,923 --> 00:08:37,918 violence interruption. 194 00:08:37,918 --> 00:08:39,480 We don't really have that on the north end. 195 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:40,960 We have a lot on the south end. 196 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:44,240 And I would say the north end gets neglected a lot. 197 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:46,923 And, you know, I would include Lake City, where 198 00:08:46,923 --> 00:08:48,298 I live, and also Aurora. 199 00:08:48,298 --> 00:08:52,134 There's a lot of things that we can be investing in that 200 00:08:52,134 --> 00:08:55,091 isn't simply hiring police, although I do think we 201 00:08:55,091 --> 00:08:56,360 need undercover operations. 202 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:58,576 We saw very successful operations in June and 203 00:08:58,576 --> 00:08:59,860 expansion of detectives. 204 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:04,629 So, you know, I want a robust response, especially 205 00:09:04,629 --> 00:09:07,720 as we're, you know, working on hiring police 206 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,793 And we have over 100 trained police that are lacking a field 207 00:09:10,793 --> 00:09:13,360 training officer to get them on the streets. 208 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:16,831 So looking at that bottleneck, what else can we do to address 209 00:09:16,831 --> 00:09:20,166 the fact that we have the slowest response times on 210 00:09:20,166 --> 00:09:22,200 the North End for 911 calls? 211 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:23,399 Julie Kang, same question to you. 212 00:09:23,399 --> 00:09:25,721 What are your thoughts about how the city is approaching 213 00:09:25,721 --> 00:09:26,658 the problem right now? 214 00:09:26,658 --> 00:09:28,340 What would you try to do differently? 215 00:09:28,340 --> 00:09:30,908 Well, so I lived on Aurora for 10 years when 216 00:09:30,908 --> 00:09:32,379 I first came to Seattle. 217 00:09:32,379 --> 00:09:35,394 So I've seen the challenges then, and I 218 00:09:35,394 --> 00:09:37,278 am continuing to see it. 219 00:09:37,278 --> 00:09:40,368 So yes, our neighbors, we arranged and had 220 00:09:40,368 --> 00:09:41,778 a protest in March. 221 00:09:41,778 --> 00:09:45,440 And it's been over three months, and barricades are still there. 222 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:47,500 It was a temporary Band-Aid. 223 00:09:47,500 --> 00:09:50,613 And it's funny that we talk about barricades, because Virgil 224 00:09:50,613 --> 00:09:54,466 Flaim, after double homicide, the neighbors put up barricades. 225 00:09:54,466 --> 00:09:58,677 Sandel Park, after having open drug use, we put up barricades. 226 00:09:58,677 --> 00:10:01,951 And all of a sudden, we became the national headline. 227 00:10:01,951 --> 00:10:04,259 And so we haven't seen the execution. 228 00:10:04,259 --> 00:10:05,971 We have the tools. 229 00:10:05,971 --> 00:10:09,167 We have the tools of enforcing the 230 00:10:09,167 --> 00:10:12,019 laws, and it hasn't happened. 231 00:10:12,019 --> 00:10:15,706 So I'm all about enforcing the laws and using the 232 00:10:15,706 --> 00:10:17,460 tools we already have. 233 00:10:17,460 --> 00:10:22,038 And I also want us to restore the number of officers needed. 234 00:10:22,038 --> 00:10:25,000 I actually made a public statement that I'm going to 235 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,961 set up my district office on Aurora and Lake City Way 236 00:10:27,961 --> 00:10:29,817 because those are the hotspots. 237 00:10:29,820 --> 00:10:32,634 And we need to be present with the resources 238 00:10:32,634 --> 00:10:34,120 because that's right. 239 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:37,700 As Nilu said, we haven't had the resources in North Seattle. 240 00:10:37,700 --> 00:10:39,360 We talked about North Precinct. 241 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:43,774 It never happened the movement we have it right now, but to 242 00:10:43,774 --> 00:10:45,798 get to one side of D5 243 00:10:47,019 --> 00:10:50,153 Takes too long So we need to make sure that we 244 00:10:50,153 --> 00:10:53,658 use the tools we have and we restore the number of officers 245 00:10:53,658 --> 00:10:56,995 So we can respond in a timely manner for a violent 246 00:10:56,995 --> 00:10:57,745 911 calls. 247 00:10:57,745 --> 00:10:58,495 Thank you. 248 00:10:58,495 --> 00:11:00,879 And I would please yeah You know 249 00:11:00,879 --> 00:11:04,014 I said I ran three years ago and everybody on council said they 250 00:11:04,014 --> 00:11:06,778 wanted to restore the officers and get to the 1200 goal 251 00:11:06,778 --> 00:11:08,524 which I have said that I support. 252 00:11:08,524 --> 00:11:10,465 I flagged at the time that that would 253 00:11:10,465 --> 00:11:12,600 be a very hard goal, and I just referenced 254 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:14,870 the over 100 officers that we can't get on the 255 00:11:14,870 --> 00:11:16,826 street. So what else are we doing? 256 00:11:16,826 --> 00:11:20,080 Instead, we got a contract that really 257 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:22,211 hamstrung the care team. 258 00:11:22,211 --> 00:11:25,225 We have a 160-minute response time on priority 259 00:11:25,225 --> 00:11:27,740 three calls and I just don't understand why we can't 260 00:11:27,740 --> 00:11:31,735 have an alternative response that can respond to minors, 261 00:11:31,735 --> 00:11:33,399 to private property, to 262 00:11:34,538 --> 00:11:38,460 you know if there's evidence of you know crime so 263 00:11:38,460 --> 00:11:42,152 that we actually get the response time that we need. 264 00:11:42,152 --> 00:11:45,240 What do you do when there are you're struggling to 265 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:47,288 make these hires and getting people actually 266 00:11:47,288 --> 00:11:49,230 trained on the street You should invest in 267 00:11:49,230 --> 00:11:51,100 other things, and that's not what we're doing. 268 00:11:51,100 --> 00:11:53,743 And I would really love us to stop having a 269 00:11:53,743 --> 00:11:57,110 performance of safety and actually be more serious 270 00:11:57,110 --> 00:11:59,158 and smart about public safety. 271 00:11:59,158 --> 00:12:02,115 It's just getting very political, and frankly, I think 272 00:12:02,115 --> 00:12:03,658 it's harming our community. 273 00:12:03,658 --> 00:12:05,408 And maybe I can take a quick sidebar and ask 274 00:12:05,408 --> 00:12:07,792 you about that, Julie, with regard to the CARE Team 275 00:12:07,792 --> 00:12:11,340 Community Assisted Response and Engagement, the 911 alternative. 276 00:12:11,340 --> 00:12:13,441 Nilu's brought us some thoughts about that in the 277 00:12:13,441 --> 00:12:14,620 class they've had with SPD. 278 00:12:14,620 --> 00:12:16,485 some thoughts about the care team and 911 279 00:12:16,485 --> 00:12:17,639 alternative responses. 280 00:12:17,639 --> 00:12:20,363 Well, right now, we have to get everyone at the table 281 00:12:20,363 --> 00:12:21,820 and come up with solutions. 282 00:12:21,820 --> 00:12:25,162 I think we're measuring success by number of programs, the 283 00:12:25,162 --> 00:12:28,394 things we've done, number of meetings, and that's not 284 00:12:28,394 --> 00:12:29,990 measurement of success. 285 00:12:29,990 --> 00:12:31,206 We need to deliver. 286 00:12:31,206 --> 00:12:32,879 And what that means is less 287 00:12:32,879 --> 00:12:35,634 shootings on Aurora and in District 5, as 288 00:12:35,634 --> 00:12:37,663 well as in the city of Seattle. 289 00:12:37,663 --> 00:12:39,427 Less trafficking, right? 290 00:12:39,427 --> 00:12:40,450 Let's break in. 291 00:12:40,450 --> 00:12:42,489 Those are measurable outcomes 292 00:12:42,489 --> 00:12:43,980 that we need to ask for. 293 00:12:43,980 --> 00:12:47,038 Your position on closed-circuit TV cameras, surveillance 294 00:12:47,038 --> 00:12:49,210 cameras, the use of stay-out-of-areas of 295 00:12:49,210 --> 00:12:51,840 prostitution laws, which are intended to curb sex 296 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:53,961 trafficking, that's changed over the course of this 297 00:12:53,961 --> 00:12:56,091 campaign. You told the urbanists back in February 298 00:12:56,091 --> 00:12:57,673 you didn't support these measures. 299 00:12:57,673 --> 00:12:59,340 You told me a few weeks that you really do. 300 00:12:59,340 --> 00:13:00,740 You had a change of heart about this. 301 00:13:00,740 --> 00:13:01,980 I wanted to talk about that and 302 00:13:01,980 --> 00:13:03,879 why you think these measures are effective. 303 00:13:03,879 --> 00:13:05,177 Yes, thanks for asking. 304 00:13:05,177 --> 00:13:06,706 So as a naturalized U.S. 305 00:13:06,706 --> 00:13:09,076 citizen who served on the King County 306 00:13:09,076 --> 00:13:12,177 Immigrant and Refugee Co-Chair, I think about the 307 00:13:12,177 --> 00:13:14,918 civil liberties and protecting our neighbors. 308 00:13:14,918 --> 00:13:18,485 That said, since then, I have actually talked to a lot of 309 00:13:18,485 --> 00:13:23,115 experts and done my own review, And I have learned that actually 310 00:13:23,115 --> 00:13:27,571 with certain measures to make sure that we secure those 311 00:13:27,571 --> 00:13:32,220 footage, who has access to them, and who we contract with. 312 00:13:32,220 --> 00:13:35,600 We are in a city in hub of innovation. 313 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:38,615 You know, when I was at UW and we had a vendor that 314 00:13:38,615 --> 00:13:41,940 didn't work for us, we actually created our system. 315 00:13:41,940 --> 00:13:45,759 So why aren't we doing something that works for our city? 316 00:13:45,759 --> 00:13:49,235 And with those precautions, I know that, you know, 317 00:13:49,235 --> 00:13:52,629 I can't say we 100% can guarantee civil liberties 318 00:13:52,629 --> 00:13:54,620 and protection of everyone. 319 00:13:54,620 --> 00:13:56,720 But neighbors are asking them. 320 00:13:56,720 --> 00:14:00,820 And in fact, I walk 50 blocks of Aurora and 80% of the neighbors 321 00:14:00,820 --> 00:14:04,840 and our small business owners, they already have the tools. 322 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:08,475 So let's use the tools that we can with assurance that it's 323 00:14:08,475 --> 00:14:10,519 going to protect our neighbors. 324 00:14:10,519 --> 00:14:12,600 Do they work, I guess, is the big question, too. 325 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:15,384 Are they effective in preventing crime, stopping 326 00:14:15,384 --> 00:14:16,778 crime, or solving crime? 327 00:14:16,778 --> 00:14:18,440 Well, they do provide evidence. 328 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:22,158 And as I spoke with King County prosecuting attorney and 329 00:14:22,158 --> 00:14:25,956 some of the experts, unless you have evidence of footage, 330 00:14:25,956 --> 00:14:27,778 you can't even start a case. 331 00:14:27,778 --> 00:14:32,221 Right. And so we actually have neighbors who are sending 332 00:14:32,221 --> 00:14:36,099 me things that actually gets to the news next day. 333 00:14:36,100 --> 00:14:38,772 Right. You know, and we don't have those tools. 334 00:14:38,772 --> 00:14:40,278 We can't even start a case. 335 00:14:40,278 --> 00:14:43,384 So we are so desperate that we're willing to use 336 00:14:43,384 --> 00:14:44,979 all of the tools we have. 337 00:14:44,980 --> 00:14:45,778 Okay. All right. 338 00:14:45,778 --> 00:14:49,181 Nilu, some thoughts about SOAP, the Stay Out of Areas 339 00:14:49,181 --> 00:14:50,918 of Prostitution Law, CCTV. 340 00:14:50,918 --> 00:14:52,820 I think you might have some different positions and 341 00:14:52,820 --> 00:14:53,658 I want to draw that out. 342 00:14:53,658 --> 00:14:55,826 Yeah. I mean, I think Julie just mentioned that people 343 00:14:55,826 --> 00:14:56,840 are sending recordings. 344 00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:57,759 We have recordings. 345 00:14:57,759 --> 00:14:58,899 We have camera evidence. 346 00:14:58,899 --> 00:15:01,019 There's tons of cameras on Aurora. 347 00:15:01,019 --> 00:15:04,220 And I don't see how more cameras is actually the answer. 348 00:15:04,220 --> 00:15:08,298 And when that evidence is already present in community. 349 00:15:08,298 --> 00:15:10,370 And what we really need is undercover 350 00:15:10,370 --> 00:15:14,302 operations, detectives, investment in organizations 351 00:15:14,302 --> 00:15:18,340 like Aurora Commons, Greenlight Project, REST, 352 00:15:18,340 --> 00:15:21,061 to make sure that you're doing a dual response where 353 00:15:21,061 --> 00:15:24,418 people are getting services and also having detectives 354 00:15:24,418 --> 00:15:26,980 be the ones that are showing up in court 355 00:15:26,980 --> 00:15:29,240 and having the evidence collected, not just cameras, 356 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:31,778 because clearly that's proving to not be enough. 357 00:15:31,778 --> 00:15:34,158 For SOAP, it was something that we removed and 358 00:15:34,158 --> 00:15:36,375 then brought back, and we haven't actually had 359 00:15:36,375 --> 00:15:37,700 anybody do anything about it. 360 00:15:37,700 --> 00:15:40,879 And that was with a supportive mayor, a supportive council, 361 00:15:40,879 --> 00:15:43,440 a supportive city attorney in the last few years. 362 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:46,298 And so, again, bringing back something from the past feels 363 00:15:46,298 --> 00:15:48,864 like a performance of safety because things have 364 00:15:48,864 --> 00:15:49,960 only gotten worse. 365 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:52,480 I will say just that I have the endorsement of OneAmerica, 366 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:56,360 our largest immigrant rights group in this state. 367 00:15:56,360 --> 00:16:00,220 And the ACLU has also expressed concerns around these cameras. 368 00:16:00,220 --> 00:16:02,500 Civil liberties are extremely important to me. 369 00:16:02,500 --> 00:16:04,879 I work in democracy, like I said, in the voting space. 370 00:16:04,879 --> 00:16:07,080 I myself have birthright citizenship. 371 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:09,681 We see a vast expansion of ICE, including on 372 00:16:09,681 --> 00:16:12,859 Aurora, picking people at the Home Depot regularly. 373 00:16:12,860 --> 00:16:16,322 And we're living at a very unprecedented time under 374 00:16:16,322 --> 00:16:20,024 this federal administration, seeing a lot of overreach, 375 00:16:20,024 --> 00:16:22,360 and especially this expansion of ICE. 376 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:25,504 And so we're seeing, you know, in Alaska, they're 377 00:16:25,504 --> 00:16:28,960 talking about adding AI to their CCTV camera program. 378 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:31,192 So I just want, you know, everybody to think about 379 00:16:31,192 --> 00:16:33,849 when we have a limited budget and we have investments that 380 00:16:33,849 --> 00:16:36,432 we can make, there are things we can invest in that do not 381 00:16:36,432 --> 00:16:37,840 trade in our civil liberties. 382 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:40,283 And if we're going to expand this camera program, let's 383 00:16:40,283 --> 00:16:42,831 make sure, like Oakland, we have a Citizens Privacy 384 00:16:42,831 --> 00:16:45,240 Advisory Committee or something like that. 385 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:48,499 Let's talk about housing and housing affordability in D5. 386 00:16:48,500 --> 00:16:50,657 Mayor Wilson presented the Taller, Faster, Denser 387 00:16:50,657 --> 00:16:52,750 plan a few months ago, which calls for taller 388 00:16:52,750 --> 00:16:54,879 multifamily buildings across Seattle, 389 00:16:54,879 --> 00:16:56,932 a faster approach to build more housing, 390 00:16:56,932 --> 00:17:00,163 especially near transit, and more density in neighborhood 391 00:17:00,163 --> 00:17:01,658 hubs outside of downtown. 392 00:17:01,658 --> 00:17:02,759 Julie, maybe I can start with you. 393 00:17:02,759 --> 00:17:04,116 Do you support this plan? 394 00:17:04,116 --> 00:17:05,700 How do you think it would impact D5? 395 00:17:05,700 --> 00:17:07,337 What are your thoughts about growth? 396 00:17:07,337 --> 00:17:09,380 Well, I think, yes, we need more housing. 397 00:17:09,380 --> 00:17:11,000 There is no argument about that. 398 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,952 I think it's where and near the transits and as somebody 399 00:17:14,952 --> 00:17:18,999 who grew up taking the transit and I actually came here on 400 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:20,498 Transit this morning. 401 00:17:20,498 --> 00:17:23,096 I know how important that connection is 402 00:17:23,096 --> 00:17:26,651 That said I also want us to think about some of the 403 00:17:26,651 --> 00:17:31,538 naturally affordable housing that is already in District 5. 404 00:17:31,538 --> 00:17:33,919 District 5 has been very generous 405 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:36,117 with permanent supportive housing 406 00:17:36,117 --> 00:17:40,357 and some of the housings that the city is asking for. 407 00:17:40,357 --> 00:17:43,116 And we actually have some public land 408 00:17:43,117 --> 00:17:48,442 that is shovel-turn ready lots, just like 130th and Aurora, 409 00:17:48,442 --> 00:17:50,557 we have that empty lot. 410 00:17:50,557 --> 00:17:54,038 So I welcome in the places where it makes sense 411 00:17:54,038 --> 00:17:56,756 for people to get to their affordable, you know, not 412 00:17:56,756 --> 00:17:59,219 only affordable housing, but grocery stores. 413 00:17:59,220 --> 00:18:02,990 And, you know, there are two grocery stores, transit nearby. 414 00:18:02,990 --> 00:18:03,806 So I welcome. 415 00:18:03,806 --> 00:18:06,566 But I think we have to think about growth with 416 00:18:06,566 --> 00:18:10,459 infrastructure. I want to make sure the school where they will 417 00:18:10,460 --> 00:18:14,596 will welcome the 200 plus students already. 418 00:18:14,597 --> 00:18:19,028 The utilities, you know, we have a lot of things that 419 00:18:19,028 --> 00:18:23,365 need to be replaced, so I want to make sure that it serves 420 00:18:23,365 --> 00:18:27,699 the community that's already living, working, and thriving 421 00:18:27,700 --> 00:18:30,420 and grow with intentionality. 422 00:18:30,420 --> 00:18:31,097 Thank you for that. 423 00:18:31,097 --> 00:18:32,577 Nilu, some thoughts about this. 424 00:18:32,577 --> 00:18:34,357 What's your position on taller, faster, denser? 425 00:18:34,357 --> 00:18:35,759 Are you supportive of that? 426 00:18:35,759 --> 00:18:37,420 What kind of growth do you want to see in D5? 427 00:18:37,420 --> 00:18:39,794 Yeah, I mean, I would say that we need housing 428 00:18:39,794 --> 00:18:42,230 across the entire city and not just on Aurora, 429 00:18:42,230 --> 00:18:43,577 where we have quite a lot. 430 00:18:43,577 --> 00:18:46,673 I live on Sandpoint Way, and I don't know that only 431 00:18:46,673 --> 00:18:49,919 developing on high transit corridors makes sense. 432 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:53,352 There's no reason to put affordable housing or 433 00:18:53,352 --> 00:18:57,488 people that are struggling, have lower incomes, always 434 00:18:57,488 --> 00:18:59,160 on traffic corridors. 435 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:01,259 They, too, deserve nice things. 436 00:19:01,259 --> 00:19:04,290 You know, Magnolia has come up as moving that project, the 437 00:19:04,290 --> 00:19:05,999 Fort Lawton project, to Aurora. 438 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:09,259 That is something that I don't understand personally. 439 00:19:09,259 --> 00:19:11,969 I think the way we support our neighborhood schools is 440 00:19:11,969 --> 00:19:14,920 actually putting more housing across all neighborhoods. 441 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:16,876 You know, it's a struggle that we have in this city. 442 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:19,720 But I've talked very actively about having stacked flats. 443 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:22,688 And I grew up in triple-deckers in the Boston area as 444 00:19:22,688 --> 00:19:25,380 a child and, again, with my husband as an adult. 445 00:19:25,380 --> 00:19:28,410 It is very affordable housing, you know, two- 446 00:19:28,410 --> 00:19:31,519 to three-bedrooms, a single-home footprint. 447 00:19:31,519 --> 00:19:34,856 But it also helps protect our trees and our tree canopy. 448 00:19:34,857 --> 00:19:38,557 I don't think housing and trees have to be in conflict at all. 449 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:42,334 And I do know for a fact that we are lacking 450 00:19:42,334 --> 00:19:43,940 thousands of shelter beds. 451 00:19:43,940 --> 00:19:45,979 We have to build shelter and housing both. 452 00:19:45,980 --> 00:19:47,357 Yeah, there's a lot going on here. 453 00:19:47,357 --> 00:19:49,336 I do want to make sure I move on to cover some more 454 00:19:49,336 --> 00:19:49,999 ground if I can. 455 00:19:49,999 --> 00:19:51,420 Thank you both for covering that. 456 00:19:51,420 --> 00:19:54,269 Let's talk about the city of Seattle budget, which 457 00:19:54,269 --> 00:19:57,116 has a $175 million deficit heading into this fall. 458 00:19:57,117 --> 00:19:58,621 It's a structural deficit. 459 00:19:58,621 --> 00:20:01,557 The data shows city spending is outpacing tax revenue 460 00:20:01,557 --> 00:20:04,365 for at least the next three years when the deficit is 461 00:20:04,365 --> 00:20:06,000 projected to be $488 million. 462 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:07,737 So there's definitely something you're going to 463 00:20:07,737 --> 00:20:09,557 be dealing with if indeed you're elected next year. 464 00:20:09,557 --> 00:20:10,856 Maybe I can start with you, Julie. 465 00:20:10,857 --> 00:20:12,721 Your thoughts about how the council has been 466 00:20:12,721 --> 00:20:14,837 approaching this, what you might do differently. 467 00:20:14,837 --> 00:20:17,778 Well, I want to share that when our District 5 small 468 00:20:17,778 --> 00:20:20,857 business owners could not get equitable loan rates, 469 00:20:20,857 --> 00:20:24,919 I actually co-founded a community bank in District 5. 470 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:28,394 And we offer equitable loans to people who are 471 00:20:28,394 --> 00:20:32,597 starting out businesses to help our community thrive. 472 00:20:32,597 --> 00:20:37,038 And when we had revenue, we actually returned it through 473 00:20:37,038 --> 00:20:41,199 a foundation to make our YMCA and nonprofits thrive. 474 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:45,179 So I have had experience of managing big budget. 475 00:20:45,180 --> 00:20:48,961 And what I always say at the end of the day, we can't close 476 00:20:48,961 --> 00:20:50,939 a bank if we are missing $100. 477 00:20:50,940 --> 00:20:53,400 We have to go figure out where that money went. 478 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:56,626 And I think right now with our budgeting process, we 479 00:20:56,626 --> 00:21:00,159 don't have that accountability and oversight process. 480 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:04,256 For example, in the audit from 2025, I believe 84 481 00:21:04,256 --> 00:21:08,452 out of 95 items are still pending, meaning that we 482 00:21:08,452 --> 00:21:11,220 don't have the accountability. 483 00:21:11,220 --> 00:21:13,884 And we have to think about the working folks, the 484 00:21:13,884 --> 00:21:16,817 teacher candidates that graduate from our program. 485 00:21:16,817 --> 00:21:18,557 Affordability is real. 486 00:21:18,557 --> 00:21:20,817 So we can't keep saying pay more. 487 00:21:20,817 --> 00:21:23,951 We have to be responsible for the taxpayers' 488 00:21:23,951 --> 00:21:25,557 money that we collect. 489 00:21:25,557 --> 00:21:28,982 And we have to think about some new ways, creative 490 00:21:28,982 --> 00:21:30,740 ways, so it's equitable. 491 00:21:30,740 --> 00:21:34,689 So people who are earning a lot more, companies, they 492 00:21:34,689 --> 00:21:38,459 have opportunities to pay more and to contribute. 493 00:21:38,460 --> 00:21:40,336 Okay. There's a lot going on with what you said there. 494 00:21:40,337 --> 00:21:41,979 Thank you for breaking that down. 495 00:21:41,980 --> 00:21:44,030 Nilu, maybe your thoughts on how the city of Seattle 496 00:21:44,030 --> 00:21:46,180 should be approaching the structural budget problem. 497 00:21:46,180 --> 00:21:48,308 what would you do as a council member? 498 00:21:48,308 --> 00:21:51,200 Yeah, I mean, we live in the state, I think, with the 499 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:53,557 second most regressive tax system in the entire 500 00:21:53,557 --> 00:21:55,384 nation. So one of the things that I... 501 00:21:55,384 --> 00:21:56,875 Meaning the people that are earning 502 00:21:56,875 --> 00:21:58,563 less are paying a lot more than the people up 503 00:21:58,563 --> 00:21:59,028 the ladder. 504 00:21:59,028 --> 00:21:59,500 Keep going. 505 00:21:59,500 --> 00:22:02,266 And so, you know, I'm a supporter of the millionaire's 506 00:22:02,266 --> 00:22:05,101 tax. I think that's a really important thing that is on in 507 00:22:05,101 --> 00:22:07,765 our conversations happening for the state right now. 508 00:22:07,765 --> 00:22:09,392 But on the city level, we should be looking 509 00:22:09,392 --> 00:22:10,459 at more progressive revenue. 510 00:22:10,460 --> 00:22:12,932 That's a pretty significant budget deficit that 511 00:22:12,932 --> 00:22:13,837 you talked about. 512 00:22:13,837 --> 00:22:16,423 And so I've talked about, you know, how do we 513 00:22:16,423 --> 00:22:18,076 expand our public transit? 514 00:22:18,077 --> 00:22:21,920 Well, we could have a congestion tax around Capitol Hill or 515 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:25,220 downtown and use that funding to expand slowly the corridor. 516 00:22:25,220 --> 00:22:28,431 That was a very successful model in Sweden, unlike in London, 517 00:22:28,431 --> 00:22:29,880 where they did everywhere. 518 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:33,980 Or capital gains tax. 519 00:22:33,980 --> 00:22:38,140 One of our biggest issues is slowing down 520 00:22:38,140 --> 00:22:39,617 the permitting and building housing. 521 00:22:39,617 --> 00:22:41,400 We're actually to 2008 levels. 522 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:44,576 It's really concerning in a state where tax revenue, 523 00:22:44,577 --> 00:22:46,479 sales tax is how you fill your budget. 524 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:49,076 So the Vibrant Cities Act is going to be introduced 525 00:22:49,077 --> 00:22:50,298 into the legislature this year. 526 00:22:50,298 --> 00:22:52,159 It's a building tax credit. 527 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:53,837 It's something I'm very interested in making work 528 00:22:53,837 --> 00:22:55,857 that will incentivize building in our city, 529 00:22:55,857 --> 00:22:59,229 help fill our coffers, and also help us restructure our 530 00:22:59,229 --> 00:23:02,380 property tax to help bring our property taxes down. 531 00:23:02,380 --> 00:23:04,919 So we need to be looking how to reduce taxes 532 00:23:04,919 --> 00:23:08,038 that are really making working families struggle, 533 00:23:08,038 --> 00:23:10,817 but also finding ways to bring more progressive revenue 534 00:23:10,817 --> 00:23:13,180 to the city so that we can actually pay for things 535 00:23:13,180 --> 00:23:14,538 and fill these budget gaps. 536 00:23:14,538 --> 00:23:17,000 There's multiple levers we need to be pushing at the same time. 537 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,077 Are there some cuts on the table, though, too? 538 00:23:19,077 --> 00:23:19,940 I know you were talking. 539 00:23:19,940 --> 00:23:21,837 I was hearing that, I think, from you, Ju. 540 00:23:21,837 --> 00:23:22,837 Is that what you're saying? 541 00:23:22,837 --> 00:23:23,163 I do. 542 00:23:23,163 --> 00:23:26,317 I think we need to have accountability where if 543 00:23:26,317 --> 00:23:29,957 we're not seeing the results that were promised in the 544 00:23:29,957 --> 00:23:33,837 programs, then I think we can't continue to sustain them. 545 00:23:33,837 --> 00:23:38,153 So we have to have results that show that we are 546 00:23:38,153 --> 00:23:40,538 investing up our stream. 547 00:23:40,538 --> 00:23:41,096 Okay. Yeah. 548 00:23:41,096 --> 00:23:42,153 Some thoughts on that. 549 00:23:42,153 --> 00:23:43,826 I know this is a sensitive issue with 550 00:23:43,826 --> 00:23:44,939 cuts in any budget here. 551 00:23:44,940 --> 00:23:46,872 Would you have some thoughts about that and 552 00:23:46,872 --> 00:23:49,019 how the city might be thinking to cut some stuff? 553 00:23:49,019 --> 00:23:51,047 Yeah, I mean, I think part of it is we'll have to look 554 00:23:51,047 --> 00:23:53,073 at things to make sure we have measurable outcomes 555 00:23:53,073 --> 00:23:54,278 and accountability for sure. 556 00:23:54,278 --> 00:23:56,818 You know, we've seen at KCRHA people had concerns and now 557 00:23:56,818 --> 00:23:58,116 they're coming to the light. 558 00:23:58,117 --> 00:23:58,892 That's not OK. 559 00:23:58,892 --> 00:24:00,180 It breaks public trust. 560 00:24:00,180 --> 00:24:01,405 The Regional Homelessness Authority. 561 00:24:01,405 --> 00:24:01,778 Keep going. 562 00:24:01,778 --> 00:24:03,700 Sorry to use abbreviations. 563 00:24:03,700 --> 00:24:06,290 But also we have a lot of no bid contracts that just 564 00:24:06,290 --> 00:24:09,140 do not seem reasonable and very expensive to the city. 565 00:24:09,140 --> 00:24:11,915 or I've had many neighbors tell me how come my street was ripped 566 00:24:11,915 --> 00:24:14,336 up once and then ripped up another time for cable and then 567 00:24:14,336 --> 00:24:14,785 for light. 568 00:24:14,785 --> 00:24:16,278 We should make that more efficient. 569 00:24:16,278 --> 00:24:17,875 So there are things that we can do 570 00:24:17,875 --> 00:24:20,326 to increase efficiency, make sure that we're 571 00:24:20,326 --> 00:24:22,741 funding things that are actually successful. 572 00:24:22,741 --> 00:24:24,338 And again, we are going to have to 573 00:24:24,338 --> 00:24:25,817 look at progressive revenue. 574 00:24:25,817 --> 00:24:26,854 Okay. Thank you for that. 575 00:24:26,854 --> 00:24:28,528 I'm going to ask you about endorsements. 576 00:24:28,528 --> 00:24:29,759 And Nilu, I'll ask you first. 577 00:24:29,759 --> 00:24:32,440 You won 54% of the vote in the August primary. 578 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:35,304 You've raised more than $155,000 as of early 579 00:24:35,304 --> 00:24:37,239 September for your campaign. 580 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:39,557 Tell us about your top three endorsements, please. 581 00:24:39,557 --> 00:24:41,240 Yeah, I mean, I'm very excited about the 582 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:42,519 endorsements I've received. 583 00:24:42,519 --> 00:24:45,796 It's hard to pick, but I would say the Martin Luther King 584 00:24:45,796 --> 00:24:47,720 Labor Council just got that one. 585 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:49,499 Very excited to work with working families. 586 00:24:49,500 --> 00:24:52,068 I think unions are more popular than they've ever been in the 587 00:24:52,068 --> 00:24:54,538 nation, especially considering our federal situation. 588 00:24:54,538 --> 00:24:57,423 So I'm very excited to work with them and fight for people and 589 00:24:57,423 --> 00:25:00,192 the working people and make sure we're doing good work and 590 00:25:00,192 --> 00:25:02,616 bringing great apprenticeships to the city, too. 591 00:25:02,617 --> 00:25:05,490 The sole endorsement of the King County Democrats is 592 00:25:05,490 --> 00:25:08,298 really important as well, especially at this time. 593 00:25:08,298 --> 00:25:11,449 And I would say our two citywide council members who also 594 00:25:11,449 --> 00:25:15,000 represent District 5, I would be very excited to work with them. 595 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:16,809 You kind of worked in four there, but I see what you're 596 00:25:16,809 --> 00:25:17,673 doing. That's all right. 597 00:25:17,673 --> 00:25:18,500 That's quite all right. 598 00:25:18,500 --> 00:25:21,117 I did want to ask you the same question here, Julie. 599 00:25:21,117 --> 00:25:23,857 You were second in the primary with 33% of the vote. 600 00:25:23,857 --> 00:25:26,894 You've raised more than $129,000 for your campaign 601 00:25:26,894 --> 00:25:28,239 as of early September. 602 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:29,836 Who are your top three endorsements? 603 00:25:29,837 --> 00:25:33,191 Well, as a new candidate, I was so honored to receive 604 00:25:33,191 --> 00:25:36,462 multiple endorsements of individuals in elected 605 00:25:36,462 --> 00:25:38,180 office, past and present. 606 00:25:38,180 --> 00:25:42,000 But I'm going to share three of the group, I guess. 607 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:45,086 As a Washington State Democratic delegate, I am 608 00:25:45,086 --> 00:25:48,486 honored still to receive the endorsement of the 32nd 609 00:25:48,486 --> 00:25:50,337 LD, where I've been serving. 610 00:25:50,337 --> 00:25:54,720 And of course, as a lifelong union member of LIUNA, 611 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:58,459 I think I am very proud to be part of that group. 612 00:25:58,460 --> 00:26:02,140 And then lastly, as somebody who is really caring 613 00:26:02,140 --> 00:26:05,699 and speaking for the trees and thinking about climate change, 614 00:26:05,700 --> 00:26:09,597 I think TreePAC's endorsement is very meaningful for me 615 00:26:09,597 --> 00:26:12,479 as a mother, as a citizen, and as a teacher. 616 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:13,400 - Okay, thank you for that. 617 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:15,077 It is closing statement time. 618 00:26:15,077 --> 00:26:16,219 And Julie, you're first up. 619 00:26:16,220 --> 00:26:18,400 Your final thoughts on why voters should choose you. 620 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:19,680 Please keep it to a minute. 621 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:20,278 Thank you. 622 00:26:20,278 --> 00:26:24,182 So Seattle needs a change in direction, as I've said, 623 00:26:24,182 --> 00:26:28,440 to be safe, affordable, and full of opportunities again. 624 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:32,576 And I've spent 30 years building my life in District 5. 625 00:26:32,577 --> 00:26:36,298 I am an educator, a first-gen immigrant, a civic leader, 626 00:26:36,298 --> 00:26:39,776 and someone who has stepped up for my community for 627 00:26:39,776 --> 00:26:41,519 the last three decades. 628 00:26:41,519 --> 00:26:45,088 I've listened to thousands of neighbors at the door, 629 00:26:45,088 --> 00:26:49,480 and not only during campaign, but I want to ensure that those 630 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:51,557 voices carry to City Hall. 631 00:26:51,557 --> 00:26:54,836 I've shown up, I've listened, and I've taken action, and I 632 00:26:54,836 --> 00:26:58,423 want to hold myself accountable for delivering 633 00:26:58,423 --> 00:27:00,679 the progress people can see and feel. 634 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:04,026 That's the change in direction I'm ready to lead 635 00:27:04,026 --> 00:27:06,968 in City Hall and using my professional and civic 636 00:27:06,968 --> 00:27:09,759 leadership skills I've built for the last 30 years at 637 00:27:09,759 --> 00:27:12,721 University of Washington, Seattle University and 638 00:27:12,721 --> 00:27:14,097 in Community Bank in D5. 639 00:27:14,097 --> 00:27:18,509 I will fight to restore that city can be safe, affordable 640 00:27:18,509 --> 00:27:20,479 and full of opportunity. 641 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:21,500 Thank you very much for that. 642 00:27:21,500 --> 00:27:22,856 You get the last word a minute, please. 643 00:27:22,857 --> 00:27:23,826 Yeah, thank you. 644 00:27:23,826 --> 00:27:26,240 You know, I want to fight for our district. 645 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:29,680 We have been left behind from many of our neighborhoods 646 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:33,798 and not getting the response and recognition that we deserve. 647 00:27:33,798 --> 00:27:36,241 Many times been told it doesn't look good to give money to 648 00:27:36,241 --> 00:27:39,305 the North End, and that is an unacceptable statement to me. 649 00:27:39,305 --> 00:27:42,817 I also have the experience in Olympia, in City Hall, here in 650 00:27:42,817 --> 00:27:45,692 Seattle, working on bills and working with organizations to 651 00:27:45,692 --> 00:27:48,432 deliver and work on our voting rights, which I think is 652 00:27:48,432 --> 00:27:50,900 important right now, but also I know how to work something 653 00:27:50,900 --> 00:27:53,759 through committees and do stakeholder processes 654 00:27:53,759 --> 00:27:56,278 as a political and partnerships director at 655 00:27:56,278 --> 00:27:57,557 FairVote Washington. 656 00:27:57,557 --> 00:28:00,665 I also have released a very robust public safety platform, 657 00:28:00,665 --> 00:28:03,303 showing that I'm talking to public safety experts and 658 00:28:03,303 --> 00:28:05,636 thinking about what we can do to make things better. 659 00:28:05,636 --> 00:28:07,519 But overall, you know, this is where I live. 660 00:28:07,519 --> 00:28:10,440 I live in Lake City, and I experience these traffic 661 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:12,038 concerns on Sandpoint Way. 662 00:28:12,038 --> 00:28:13,057 I don't have a grocery store. 663 00:28:13,057 --> 00:28:13,960 I don't have a pharmacy. 664 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:15,659 And so I'm in it with community. 665 00:28:15,659 --> 00:28:18,046 I'm here to fight for us and make sure that this 666 00:28:18,046 --> 00:28:20,394 city works for all of us and so that we can celebrate 667 00:28:20,394 --> 00:28:22,357 D5 and make it a wonderful place for all of us. 668 00:28:22,357 --> 00:28:24,680 Thank you both, and we will be right back. 669 00:28:25,759 --> 00:28:29,018 What are people saying on social media about the race for 670 00:28:29,018 --> 00:28:30,960 Seattle City Council District 5? 671 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:33,701 One person writes, Julie Kang's decades of 672 00:28:33,701 --> 00:28:36,480 leadership as an educator, local businesswoman, 673 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:39,682 and cultural advocate shine through in both her vision 674 00:28:39,682 --> 00:28:41,557 and her commitment to service. 675 00:28:41,557 --> 00:28:44,615 Another comments, "Nilu Jenks will always be an 676 00:28:44,615 --> 00:28:46,759 inspiration and force for women. 677 00:28:46,759 --> 00:28:50,038 I have never doubted her ability to lead and motivate." 678 00:28:50,038 --> 00:28:52,159 We'd like to know what you think. 679 00:28:52,159 --> 00:28:55,680 Send us an email at contact@seattlechannel.org 680 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,057 or find us on social media. 681 00:28:58,057 --> 00:29:00,259 That conversation is continuing on social media, 682 00:29:00,259 --> 00:29:02,200 but that's all the time we have for today. 683 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:04,557 Julie Kang, Nilu Jenks, thank you very much for being here. 684 00:29:04,557 --> 00:29:05,337 Thank you. 685 00:29:05,337 --> 00:29:06,259 I'm Brian Callanan. 686 00:29:06,259 --> 00:29:07,659 See you next time on City Inside Out. 687 00:29:08,857 --> 00:29:26,659 ♪ ♪