My remarks prior to passage of City Council Bill 119891 authorizing legal assistance to Councilmember Sawant during the initial stage of the recall petition against her: I would like to thank my constituents who took the time to contact me and my office with their strong feelings about this issue — both for and against […]

Black Lives Matter I have received over 38,000 e-mails, including over 2,000 from constituents in Seattle’s District 4 about police accountability, following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the police response to protests here in Seattle, and the long history of institutional racism here and throughout our nation.  I am grateful so many […]

On September 8, 2020, I voted against scooters in Seattle and here’s why: I support improved mobility options by encouraging environmentally friendly alternatives to gas-powered, single occupancy vehicles.  Ideally, electric scooters (e-scooters) would provide an alternative for some trips for some travelers. At the same time, the City government is essentially authorizing a new mode […]

Friends and Neighbors, While City Hall refers to the past two weeks without City Council meetings as a “recess,” your District 4 office continued to work for you—having more conversations about the role of policing in our community, preparing for the bigger budget process this Fall, and responding to constituent requests. After Labor Day we […]

Since 2019, federal government agencies have been advancing the sale of this important historical asset located at 6125 Sand Point Way NE here in Northeast Seattle, which has been very disappointing to many of us. As someone who taught history, majored in history, and worked for the Clinton Administration, I recognize the value of these […]

Friends and Neighbors, Due to the COVID pandemic, revenues to our City’s treasury have dropped substantially, creating massive budget deficits (an estimated $325 million this year and $325 million next year). Last week your City Council took action to re-balance our 2020 budget and made initial changes to our police budget. While calling for more collaboration […]

AUGUST 12, 2020 UPDATE: SUPPORTING MAYOR’S VETO AND RESPONSIBLE COVID RELIEF: Today, our City Council responded not only to our Mayor’s veto of Council Bill 119812 but also to new information about a slower economic recovery and a larger budget deficit than expected. Our forecast of revenues dropped substantially since we unanimously passed our original COVID relief package (CB […]

JULY 27, 2020 UPDATE: After a lengthy debate on several amendments — your City Council unanimously approved a 6-year transit measure with a 0.15% sales tax to send to the November ballot, giving voters the option to renew funding for our Transportation Benefit District. The current measure is funded by a 0.1% sales tax (the 0.1% of the 10.1% total sales tax in Seattle). To keep promises I previously made […]

On Monday, July 6, 2020, your Seattle City Council voted 7-2 to approve a new tax on large Seattle employers (Council Bill 119810).  This new tax will be in addition to the Business & Occupation (B&O) taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, and business license fees paid by Seattle employers.  This new tax must be paid […]

A small, but concrete piece for reimagining public safety that can respond effectively to true community needs Most of my June 2020 newsletter was dedicated to addressing police accountability issues in the wake of the protests following the police killings of George Floyd and the painfully long history of misconduct and institutional racism negatively impacting […]