Big debate night!

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_05]: Hey Seattle Nice listeners just before we get going we really want to thank the hundreds of people who showed up at Town Hall this week for the

[00:00:08] [SPEAKER_05]: debate doubleheader

[00:00:09] [SPEAKER_05]: starting out with the vice presidential debate and following up with the

[00:00:13] [SPEAKER_05]: City Council debate for position 8 if you want to see more live events support unique hard-hitting local journalism and commentary

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[00:00:48] [SPEAKER_05]: Slash Seattle nice, okay. Here's the show

[00:00:56] You

[00:01:00] [SPEAKER_06]: Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Seattle nice

[00:01:03] [SPEAKER_06]: I'm David Hyde here as always with Erica C Barnett of publicola. Hi, Erica. Hello and political consultant Sandeep Kaushik

[00:01:10] [SPEAKER_06]: Hi, Sandeep. Hey David and an amazing crowd of debate watchers here at Town Hall

[00:01:17] [SPEAKER_06]: For those listening at home you can tell if this crowd has a punch drunk from having listened to about an hour and a half of

[00:01:22] [SPEAKER_06]: Vice presidential debate and before we get going. I just wanted to ask Erica and Sandeep who won well, I

[00:01:31] [SPEAKER_04]: Only thought I only saw part of the debate, but I will say this David they're eating the dog

[00:01:39] [SPEAKER_04]: I think if that's the bar that I think

[00:01:42] [SPEAKER_04]: Vance did better than Trump did you know, I thought walls is pretty good

[00:01:46] [SPEAKER_04]: I'm not sure I saw anything that's gonna move the needle and I could barely watch it

[00:01:50] [SPEAKER_02]: But the part that I saw I just don't trust a guy David who constantly says Sunday

[00:01:56] [SPEAKER_02]: The person's name that he's talking to David and especially when it's a man Sunday talking to women David

[00:02:03] [SPEAKER_02]: So that is really creepy

[00:02:04] [SPEAKER_06]: All right, let's get going our debate and here for our candidates

[00:02:24] [SPEAKER_06]: Thanks to both of you for your civic commitment and and showing up tonight and answering a few questions

[00:02:30] [SPEAKER_06]: Tonya Wu grew up in the Beacon Hill neighborhood

[00:02:33] [SPEAKER_06]: She's a small business person a Chinatown International District neighborhood activist and the incumbent in this race Tonya was appointed to the visit

[00:02:41] [SPEAKER_06]: Seat back in January Alexis Mercedes rink is originally from California

[00:02:46] [SPEAKER_06]: Her prior experience includes work at the University of Washington and for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority

[00:02:51] [SPEAKER_06]: And we're gonna go to Erica first for our first question. Thank you both for being here tonight

[00:02:57] [SPEAKER_02]: Our first question is gonna be about homelessness and we're gonna start with Tonya

[00:03:03] [SPEAKER_02]: Tonya you are on the record as

[00:03:06] [SPEAKER_02]: supporting the mayor's encampment or removal policies critics argue that removing encampments without increasing available shelter just moves people around

[00:03:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Do you think the Herald administration's policies are working and what is your measure of success?

[00:03:20] [SPEAKER_01]: So yes, I do

[00:03:22] [SPEAKER_01]: Support the mayor's plan on the camera removals and that plan involves

[00:03:27] [SPEAKER_01]: sending out

[00:03:28] [SPEAKER_01]: outreach workers

[00:03:30] [SPEAKER_01]: To make contact and offer shelter to every single person

[00:03:34] [SPEAKER_01]: There is an assessment being done to see if this encampment has any life safety issues if it's on a slope if there's

[00:03:41] [SPEAKER_01]: hazards or if it's in a dangerous location or it's blocking a sidewalk and that kind of determines the timeline on when that cabinet

[00:03:49] [SPEAKER_01]: will be removed and

[00:03:51] [SPEAKER_01]: while we haven't really

[00:03:56] [SPEAKER_01]: We definitely do need more shelter we need definitely need to build more housing

[00:04:00] [SPEAKER_01]: But we also have to allow for people to accept services and to have access to services

[00:04:06] [SPEAKER_01]: And a lot of people have been through the broken system where they have not

[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_01]: It been able to go to into a shelter because they couldn't bring their partner

[00:04:13] [SPEAKER_01]: They couldn't bring their pets they couldn't bring their family

[00:04:16] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I think we need to really reach out to people find out what the root cause of why people are outside and really make that connection

[00:04:24] [SPEAKER_01]: My family has the lease hotel apartments

[00:04:27] [SPEAKER_01]: We have about 20 units to house the formerly unhoused and we found out that people were successful when they had outreach workers

[00:04:33] [SPEAKER_01]: When they had connections, we had many people who came into the

[00:04:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Apartments who didn't know how to use a heater and started a fire

[00:04:40] [SPEAKER_01]: So I think making sure that continued outreach that gauge was important making that connection is important for continued success

[00:04:47] [SPEAKER_02]: That was perfectly on time

[00:04:49] [SPEAKER_02]: I just want to point out which I failed to do there's a timer up here that will be going and these questions are for the

[00:04:55] [SPEAKER_04]: Most part all 90 seconds. Yes. Yes, so we're diving right in obviously

[00:05:00] [SPEAKER_04]: Going going right to one of the big issues homelessness. So Alexis a homeless this question for you and obviously 90 seconds as well

[00:05:07] [SPEAKER_04]: So you said you oppose the city's encampment removal policies as they currently exist and would

[00:05:13] [SPEAKER_04]: Would push to sharply reduce the pace of encampment removals including a full ban on removals during the winter months

[00:05:19] [SPEAKER_04]: So should voters be concerned that adopting your approach will lead to a return to the days of the pandemic

[00:05:27] [SPEAKER_04]: When we had large encampments that emerged in parks and near schools and in some instances became associated with with criminal activity

[00:05:36] [SPEAKER_03]: Thank you for the question and double-checking because I'm short

[00:05:40] [SPEAKER_03]: As the most experienced candidate on this stage having worked on homelessness. I would note that

[00:05:46] [SPEAKER_03]: One of the primary metrics right now that the current sweeps

[00:05:49] [SPEAKER_03]: Policy does is really looking at shelter referrals, which we know doesn't get to the root of how we're actually housing folks

[00:05:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Since the pandemic has happened. We've learned better models that work namely the state right-of-way initiative

[00:06:00] [SPEAKER_03]: Which works across the course of weeks?

[00:06:04] [SPEAKER_03]: Identifying and working with folks matching people with the case manager and pointing them to a housing option that works now

[00:06:09] [SPEAKER_03]: That was an investment from the state

[00:06:10] [SPEAKER_03]: But it's a model that now we've implemented across the city between partnership with washjot

[00:06:15] [SPEAKER_03]: King County regional homelessness authority and city departments and successfully resolved and gotten folks into housing and actually found that

[00:06:22] [SPEAKER_03]: 73% of folks who went through that program remained housed a year later

[00:06:26] [SPEAKER_03]: We've learned programs that work more effectively and we know that we need to scale them

[00:06:31] [SPEAKER_03]: Family shelter intake line just for example on a nightly basis is unable to place 30 to 50

[00:06:37] [SPEAKER_03]: Families in need of shelter. So I have survived we really need to be scaling our housing solutions immediately

[00:06:46] [SPEAKER_06]: Tanya

[00:06:47] [SPEAKER_06]: Question for you

[00:06:48] [SPEAKER_06]: In a recent debate you called the King County regional homelessness authority a failed organization

[00:06:53] [SPEAKER_06]: Do you think that the city should now consider taking over homeless services and end its agreement to fund the KCRHA?

[00:07:01] [SPEAKER_01]: So right now the city of Seattle is working on interlocal agreement to update to the

[00:07:06] [SPEAKER_01]: Structure of the King County regional homeless authority. I believe there has been a lot of

[00:07:11] [SPEAKER_01]: implementation

[00:07:12] [SPEAKER_01]: issues and as we have heard

[00:07:15] [SPEAKER_01]: The structure of the interlocal agreement defines that there would be one body that would be held accountable

[00:07:23] [SPEAKER_01]: For the results the King County regional homeless authority

[00:07:26] [SPEAKER_01]: My opponent has worked there previously

[00:07:29] [SPEAKER_01]: She authored the five-year plan that would have cost the will the cost about 25 billion dollars and then 12 billion dollars

[00:07:36] [SPEAKER_01]: When I asked my opponent at the last debate about those numbers

[00:07:40] [SPEAKER_01]: She said it was to build housing the King County regional homeless authority is not here to build housing

[00:07:44] [SPEAKER_01]: They are here to shelter or unhoused as quickly as possible the point in time count for our unhoused

[00:07:52] [SPEAKER_01]: Neighbors was the highest ever

[00:07:54] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I believe that there's a lot of things that need to be

[00:07:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Reformed that needs to be looked at and there needs to be measurements results and accountability especially

[00:08:04] [SPEAKER_02]: All right, I Alexis I know you want to respond. I'm gonna ask you a question on the same topic

[00:08:09] [SPEAKER_02]: And you can respond then the KCRHA has been around for five years now

[00:08:13] [SPEAKER_02]: And you were a planner as your opponent mentioned for several of those years

[00:08:17] [SPEAKER_02]: As a council member what actions will you take to turn the ship around at KCRHA?

[00:08:22] [SPEAKER_02]: And at what point if any would you say it's time to shut the experiment down

[00:08:27] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm gonna start with a response and just say, you know

[00:08:29] [SPEAKER_03]: This is is disgraceful because we've talked about this a few times on Tanya

[00:08:34] [SPEAKER_03]: And I've corrected you four times on the record here

[00:08:37] [SPEAKER_03]: Corrected you that the plan does not cost 12 billion dollars the mayor and the county executive would not have voted on a

[00:08:43] [SPEAKER_03]: plan that cost 12 billion dollars

[00:08:46] [SPEAKER_03]: Which tells me two things either you don't know what you're talking about or you're intentionally spreading misinformation about homelessness

[00:08:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Both of which make you unfit to hold public office in terms of changes that needs to happen at KCRHA

[00:08:58] [SPEAKER_03]: I've been clear that the role of KCRHA and the reason why I want to make sure that it is a successful entity is

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_03]: Because when we have a functional KCRHA, we have the full understanding of our system capacity

[00:09:09] [SPEAKER_03]: We have a single place source of truth where we see how our system is performing

[00:09:12] [SPEAKER_03]: We have the best information in one spot and we're able to be accountable and really see where we're at and where we can go

[00:09:18] [SPEAKER_03]: And so I've called for a stabilization plan for the entity

[00:09:21] [SPEAKER_03]: I left the entity because of operational issues and I still stand by that

[00:09:26] [SPEAKER_03]: I want to make sure that under the leadership of the new CEO

[00:09:29] [SPEAKER_03]: We're setting up the agency for success and it can perform its core function

[00:09:33] [SPEAKER_03]: Which is consolidating the homelessness response system and bringing and setting a table for decision makers to come around and really

[00:09:40] [SPEAKER_03]: invest in solutions that work

[00:09:43] [SPEAKER_02]: Right

[00:09:45] [SPEAKER_02]: Tonya we will give you 30 seconds to respond and then

[00:09:49] [SPEAKER_02]: Alexis will have 30 seconds to respond as well. So let's go over to Tonya

[00:09:55] [SPEAKER_01]: So it is in the media all the stations have reported on this 25 billion dollars plan

[00:10:01] [SPEAKER_01]: That was then moved to 12 billion dollars and as we could see now their very own eyes

[00:10:06] [SPEAKER_01]: This organization is not working what we do need a regional plan and we do want to end homelessness

[00:10:11] [SPEAKER_01]: But we can't have pie in the sky

[00:10:15] [SPEAKER_01]: Unrealistic goals that we can solve all these ongoing issues within five years

[00:10:19] [SPEAKER_01]: We need a realistic plan a plan on the ground from somebody who has actually been in a catmits who have been intense not a plan based on

[00:10:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Surveys of people that were unrealistic. We need definable goals

[00:10:32] [SPEAKER_01]: Alexis

[00:10:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Hey, Seattle nice listeners Seattle politics got you low

[00:10:46] [SPEAKER_00]: We'll get high with Uncle Ike's

[00:10:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Pissed at the mayor

[00:10:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Relax with a dollar joint

[00:10:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Pop a tire in a pothole

[00:10:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Eat a $2.00 gummy and chill

[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Whether you need something to pump you up for Saturday's protest or a mellow strain for your next sit-in

[00:11:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Ike's is your best friend

[00:11:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Now is the time to roll up Seattle

[00:11:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Download the Ike's app today or head on over to Ike's dot com. That's Ike's dot com

[00:11:25] [SPEAKER_03]: Over a thousand people were consulted on the formation of the five-year plan a plan that lists a number of actions that we could be taking

[00:11:31] [SPEAKER_03]: Within KCRHA to make systems more effective within the private or network when we're reprecuring services to change up our system

[00:11:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Response and with other systems across the board and it's in fine print all of these 70 plus actions within the five-year plan can

[00:11:45] [SPEAKER_03]: Be done within the existing budget many folks had engagement opportunities. We went through a huge robust

[00:11:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Revision process to make sure we were hitting the mark and ultimately it was approved through two boards with unanimous votes and really did bring our region together

[00:12:02] [SPEAKER_04]: Great. Um, yeah, let's move on to the next topic, right?

[00:12:06] [SPEAKER_04]: And I want to ask you both questions that try to get at your your kind of underlying

[00:12:13] [SPEAKER_04]: Approach to governance, right?

[00:12:15] [SPEAKER_04]: So Alexis will start with you

[00:12:18] [SPEAKER_04]: During the primary I got several mailers from your campaign, right?

[00:12:20] [SPEAKER_04]: I'm on the record saying I thought so the the the mess and even there was good and

[00:12:24] [SPEAKER_04]: And in particular in those mailers you pledge to end the divisiveness at City Hall, right?

[00:12:30] [SPEAKER_04]: That was a sort of central theme of your

[00:12:33] [SPEAKER_04]: Of your communications with voters

[00:12:35] [SPEAKER_04]: And so it seems to me though that a lot of the divisiveness at City Hall is driven by what is a very real and sharp philosophical difference

[00:12:44] [SPEAKER_04]: Over and policy disagreement

[00:12:47] [SPEAKER_04]: Between kind of Seattle's left and Seattle's more more kind of you know, moderate whatever you want to call a moderate center left folks

[00:12:53] [SPEAKER_04]: So so as a candidate of the left where specifically will you find common ground?

[00:12:59] [SPEAKER_04]: would say some of the more moderate members of the council now and

[00:13:03] [SPEAKER_04]: You know, yeah

[00:13:05] [SPEAKER_04]: Leave it at that

[00:13:06] [SPEAKER_04]: 90 seconds

[00:13:08] [SPEAKER_03]: Appreciate the question

[00:13:09] [SPEAKER_03]: I've had a lot of experience working on this just given one of the places that I worked which was the sound cities Association

[00:13:14] [SPEAKER_03]: Which is a membership organization representing 38 cities within King County and

[00:13:19] [SPEAKER_03]: Representing all the elected officials within all of those 38 cities and as you can imagine

[00:13:25] [SPEAKER_03]: Across the board from MAGA to Marxist and I mean that literally

[00:13:30] [SPEAKER_03]: And my core role in doing that work

[00:13:33] [SPEAKER_03]: Was not only staffing those members on regional boards and committees to deliver best and important information about what they needed for their decision

[00:13:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Making but supporting those caucus meetings where let's say eight different elected officials from different cities would come together

[00:13:47] [SPEAKER_03]: And I would try and support them in developing a caucus position

[00:13:51] [SPEAKER_03]: And so I've had a lot of experience working with supporting folks with folks

[00:13:55] [SPEAKER_03]: With folks with differing opinions across the board by really focusing on what's the data and what is also the

[00:14:02] [SPEAKER_03]: Matter at hand. What is the issue? Can we agree on what the issue at hand is and what we're going to do to solve it?

[00:14:08] [SPEAKER_03]: I think a core difference and between me here is saying I'm not a particularly ideological person

[00:14:13] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm a data-driven person and I'm focused on how can we ensure that we are moving forward with the best information and really solving problems

[00:14:23] [SPEAKER_04]: Thank you

[00:14:24] [SPEAKER_04]: A follow-up question there for Alexis

[00:14:27] [SPEAKER_04]: So is there a place where and 30 seconds on this right?

[00:14:31] [SPEAKER_04]: Is there is there a place where 30 seconds on the answer not the question? Yeah

[00:14:38] [SPEAKER_04]: I'll make it quick then is there a place where where you can point to where you say

[00:14:43] [SPEAKER_04]: Diverge from Seattle's left on it. I would say position or a particular issue where

[00:14:57] [SPEAKER_04]: Right, you know where where maybe you align

[00:15:00] [SPEAKER_04]: In a different place from you know, we think of kind of is like Seattle left or I mean first

[00:15:05] [SPEAKER_03]: We'd have to define what the left is in a lot of ways and I think we have a myriad of differing opinions on how we get there

[00:15:11] [SPEAKER_03]: But I think just maybe it really boils down to just approach

[00:15:15] [SPEAKER_03]: I'll work with folks across the spectrum to make sure that we are really focused on solving problems and putting in thoughts in front of us

[00:15:21] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm not afraid to say that that I'm wrong about something

[00:15:25] [SPEAKER_03]: And that might be a little bit of a different approach, but it's one that I know works. Thank you

[00:15:30] [SPEAKER_04]: Now we'll move Tanya question for you. It's similarly trying to get it at some thoughts about about governance a 90-second question, right?

[00:15:38] [SPEAKER_04]: So one of the main accusations that your opponents level against you Tanya is that you were appointed to the council because of the backing of big business

[00:15:46] [SPEAKER_04]: Donors who believe you would support their agenda

[00:15:49] [SPEAKER_04]: So can you name an issue where you disagree with the business community or the groups that represent the business community?

[00:15:58] [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm gonna push back on being backed by big business. I did not receive a single cent from big business

[00:16:04] [SPEAKER_01]: So I don't know how I've gotten that reputation of being funded by business or being backed by business

[00:16:09] [SPEAKER_01]: I am a small business owner. I own a small family restaurant

[00:16:13] [SPEAKER_01]: And I grew up in a small family restaurant. You may remember Moon Temple restaurant in Wallingford

[00:16:18] [SPEAKER_01]: my family had Monhey bakery and so a lot of issues that

[00:16:23] [SPEAKER_01]: Small misses deal with especially in the Chinatown National District have to do with public safety

[00:16:28] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I've never worked for I mean the biggest corporation I ever worked for was King 5

[00:16:35] [SPEAKER_01]: I worked there for 10 years

[00:16:36] [SPEAKER_01]: But that was covering and telling stories from communities or from people

[00:16:40] [SPEAKER_01]: And so when you ask me if there is any issues that I may disagree with with big business

[00:16:47] [SPEAKER_01]: That I've been outworked on I'll have to think about it

[00:16:52] [SPEAKER_01]: Because a lot of these big issues that I think our city is facing that are within the purview of the Seattle City Council

[00:17:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Are similar we're looking at things like public safety. How do we address homelessness?

[00:17:04] [SPEAKER_01]: And then how do we build more housing and I'm interested in solutions

[00:17:07] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm interested in making the city better and advancing all these things

[00:17:12] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I think if if you're asking regarding issues outside of the city or with the state

[00:17:19] [SPEAKER_01]: I know where people are always talking about progressive taxes

[00:17:25] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I I think the reason why we haven't been able to pass progressive taxes in Seattle is because

[00:17:33] [SPEAKER_01]: Finish your finish your sentence. Yes. It's basically the progressive any task force identified 12 progressive taxes

[00:17:40] [SPEAKER_01]: And 10 of them were legal by the state

[00:17:42] [SPEAKER_01]: The two that were legal we're currently doing and so we have a lot of restrictions that we're dealing with

[00:17:48] [SPEAKER_06]: So let's turn to another 92nd question. This is for Alexis on public safety

[00:17:54] [SPEAKER_06]: You know, as you know the crime rate spiked

[00:17:57] [SPEAKER_06]: Nationally not just in Seattle but all over the country sort of during and after the pandemic

[00:18:01] [SPEAKER_06]: But here in Seattle the violent crime rate in particular has been

[00:18:06] [SPEAKER_06]: persistent compared to a lot of other cities

[00:18:08] [SPEAKER_06]: 50% more homicides in the first part of this year compared to 2019 the year before the pandemic

[00:18:14] [SPEAKER_06]: so the question

[00:18:15] [SPEAKER_06]: For voters is why are you the right candidate as opposed to your opponent to try and and get at and

[00:18:22] [SPEAKER_06]: address this problem with violent violent crime

[00:18:26] [SPEAKER_03]: In first and foremost Seattle kids deserve to go to school without fear Seattle workers deserve to commute without violence

[00:18:33] [SPEAKER_03]: Seattle small businesses deserve some peace of mind and Seattle residents deserve to live safe

[00:18:37] [SPEAKER_03]: Healthy lives within the city

[00:18:39] [SPEAKER_03]: And at this moment we need all of the above approaches to public safety and we need action today

[00:18:45] [SPEAKER_03]: I support building a public safety system that has a quick response and the right response

[00:18:50] [SPEAKER_03]: Improving first responder staffing across the board from law enforcement behavior health alternative response fire and emergency

[00:18:56] [SPEAKER_03]: Medical is core to that I've been on a ride along and I've been within 911 dispatch to see how our system is working

[00:19:03] [SPEAKER_03]: But it's not enough to just respond

[00:19:05] [SPEAKER_03]: We also need to prevent crime and violence from happening in the first place today in Washington State

[00:19:11] [SPEAKER_03]: Someone is killed with a gun every 12 hours

[00:19:14] [SPEAKER_03]: A nationwide gun violence is the leading cause of death

[00:19:17] [SPEAKER_03]: For children and teens and as the only candidate on this stage endorsed by the Alliance for gun responsibility

[00:19:22] [SPEAKER_03]: I support both funding gun violence prevention

[00:19:24] [SPEAKER_03]: Programming and partnering with our legislature to pass common-sense gun legislation and the city auditor's report and even SPD

[00:19:31] [SPEAKER_03]: Have highlighted some of the crime prevention measures that I support

[00:19:35] [SPEAKER_03]: And they've highlighted these in reports

[00:19:37] [SPEAKER_03]: They've put out in the past two years and in a report specific for little Saigon

[00:19:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Only three of the 68 recommendations have actually been implemented and just yesterday friends of little Saigon published an op-ed in the Times calling for these

[00:19:49] [SPEAKER_03]: Very same investments. We know what we need to do. We need to invest in the solutions

[00:19:55] [SPEAKER_03]: Lastly our communities are safest when they're healthy and how so we need to increase access to treatment and build the affordable housing

[00:20:01] [SPEAKER_03]: We all need to be safe Tanya

[00:20:03] [SPEAKER_06]: Why are you as opposed to your opponent the best candidate to address the spike in violent crime?

[00:20:08] [SPEAKER_01]: I've only been on the council for about eight months

[00:20:11] [SPEAKER_01]: We've done some amazing things. I believe I mean we are really looking at

[00:20:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Solutions and ideas and implementing them so some of the things that we have done we have civilized the police department

[00:20:23] [SPEAKER_01]: We have offered competitive wages to officers. We saw applications go from five a day to 15 a day

[00:20:30] [SPEAKER_01]: We're able to hire the best in the region

[00:20:33] [SPEAKER_01]: We need to staff up our officers

[00:20:36] [SPEAKER_01]: And we also need to make sure that all of these things are in place

[00:20:40] [SPEAKER_01]: We expand the care team our social worker outreach, which has been really amazing to see happen

[00:20:46] [SPEAKER_01]: Based on my work with the community watch. I started an alternative to policing group four years ago

[00:20:50] [SPEAKER_01]: We're still going strong and I want to see more of that in the city

[00:20:53] [SPEAKER_01]: You'll see in a couple of of weeks that I will be

[00:20:57] [SPEAKER_01]: Implementing announcing some exciting things just last week to attack on violence

[00:21:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Which happens in our after-hour night clubs about 10% violent crime happens there between 2 a.m.

[00:21:10] [SPEAKER_01]: The 5 a.m. We're convening a stakeholder group that will work with members of the community to talk about

[00:21:16] [SPEAKER_01]: Recommendations and how do we make these places safer for our young people so that we don't have to go to memorial every month or so

[00:21:23] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think I'm working at his community escalation teams

[00:21:25] [SPEAKER_01]: How do we empower neighborhoods to be able to have the access to resources?

[00:21:31] [SPEAKER_01]: To help people who are in the tent down the street instead of having to call 911 and have a gun the bad show up

[00:21:37] [SPEAKER_01]: how can they have the resources to be able to make that connection to shelter to a

[00:21:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Sober living house and really empower neighborhoods

[00:21:47] [SPEAKER_01]: To because it's gonna take everyone to really solve our problems to get closer to safer cities

[00:21:53] [SPEAKER_02]: If I could make just a request y'all can ignore me if you want, but I love the applause

[00:21:59] [SPEAKER_02]: The booze are bringing down the vibes

[00:22:02] [SPEAKER_02]: And if there is yeah, if we can refrain from that I would love it

[00:22:06] [SPEAKER_02]: It would not think we would all appreciate it, but

[00:22:09] [SPEAKER_02]: The applause is fine. This is this is my I'm just stating a preference here

[00:22:14] [SPEAKER_02]: Okay, so my next question for the candidates is about taxes and jumpstart revenues

[00:22:19] [SPEAKER_02]: The mayor's budget closes a major city deficit by

[00:22:23] [SPEAKER_02]: Reappropriating more than half of next year's jumpstart payroll tax revenues

[00:22:27] [SPEAKER_02]: Which are supposed to go to affordable housing and other purposes to fill the general fund gap

[00:22:32] [SPEAKER_02]: Tanya as a council member will you support using jumpstart revenues this way and if so why?

[00:22:38] [SPEAKER_01]: We do have a $250 million deficit

[00:22:42] [SPEAKER_01]: And how we got here is something we've been looking at these last couple of months

[00:22:46] [SPEAKER_01]: And the mayor just handed down his budget this week

[00:22:49] [SPEAKER_01]: We as a council members are going through the budget very carefully

[00:22:54] [SPEAKER_01]: To make sure that we're making good decisions on making sure that the basic essential services are able to

[00:23:01] [SPEAKER_01]: Carry on we are also involved in you know nothing different than what the previous councils have done

[00:23:09] [SPEAKER_01]: Previous councils have always used excess and jumpstart to help supplement up the budget the general fund

[00:23:16] [SPEAKER_01]: But I think most importantly what we really need to do is look at our small businesses and help our small businesses

[00:23:21] [SPEAKER_01]: Most of the general fund is from being no tax as well as from permits

[00:23:26] [SPEAKER_01]: So the better our small businesses do but the better our city does and the better people are able to make a living wage

[00:23:31] [SPEAKER_01]: And to be able to have jobs and so I think it's a

[00:23:34] [SPEAKER_01]: Teared approach and really making sure our priorities reflected in this budget and so far they are

[00:23:39] [SPEAKER_01]: I mean we have public safety. We have economic development

[00:23:43] [SPEAKER_01]: I've built housing

[00:23:45] [SPEAKER_01]: I my family has the Lisa hotel apartments, which is workforce housing

[00:23:52] [SPEAKER_01]: We only charge rent

[00:23:54] [SPEAKER_01]: People's percentage of their income so no one's charge rent they cannot afford and we need more of that

[00:23:59] [SPEAKER_01]: And so looking at the budget

[00:24:00] [SPEAKER_01]: I believe me to really preserve the buckets in housing green new deal

[00:24:06] [SPEAKER_01]: Econoc development, but then unfortunately do have that deficit

[00:24:10] [SPEAKER_01]: So we will have to make some tough decisions

[00:24:13] [SPEAKER_01]: But I think being able to preserve those buckets as we have done in previous counsel to be essential

[00:24:19] [SPEAKER_02]: Alexa same question for you basically if you don't support using jumpstart this way

[00:24:23] [SPEAKER_02]: What would you propose as an alternative to fill the city's budget deficit?

[00:24:27] [SPEAKER_03]: First and foremost budgets are a statement of our values

[00:24:30] [SPEAKER_03]: We need a budget that reflects long-term solutions and not instead of just quick fixes

[00:24:34] [SPEAKER_03]: And I want to take a moment to celebrate something jumpstart tax is really delivering for Seattle

[00:24:40] [SPEAKER_03]: This is a progressive tax on big businesses dedicated for funding affordable housing equitable development green new deal initiatives

[00:24:46] [SPEAKER_03]: And since it was implemented it has collected more funding than

[00:24:50] [SPEAKER_03]: Initially projected and that surplus has been used to cover deficits

[00:24:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Imagine what it would look like if we fully realize that investment in those areas

[00:24:58] [SPEAKER_03]: We know our communities

[00:25:01] [SPEAKER_03]: Priorities are in housing from getting people inside to making sure everyone's housing is affordable to them and people aren't being displaced

[00:25:08] [SPEAKER_03]: We know our community wants not just quick responses to crime

[00:25:12] [SPEAKER_03]: But crime prevention measures from proven gun violence prevention programs to built environment changes highlighted in the auditor's reports to

[00:25:19] [SPEAKER_03]: Services that disrupt cycles and support people in their path to stabilization

[00:25:23] [SPEAKER_03]: We know this community wants to invest in our young people

[00:25:26] [SPEAKER_03]: Making sure their basic needs are being met while also making sure that they have

[00:25:31] [SPEAKER_03]: After school in Richmond and safe places to be and we know our community wants to live up to the promise of being the emerald city

[00:25:37] [SPEAKER_03]: And paving the way in addressing climate none of that is free

[00:25:41] [SPEAKER_03]: I want to have a realistic conversation about the needs of our city in every neighborhood

[00:25:46] [SPEAKER_03]: And what investments will get us where we want to go

[00:25:48] [SPEAKER_03]: I want us to move away from a budget of Band-Aid solutions to a budget that will set us up for a future where a city is affordable

[00:25:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Accessible climate resilient where people want to raise their families here start small businesses here and come see our innovation

[00:26:02] [SPEAKER_04]: We'll do 30 second follow-up questions on this topic to both candidates and

[00:26:08] [SPEAKER_04]: Tanya, let me start with you

[00:26:10] [SPEAKER_04]: So I just wanted to kind of get clarity in the answer that you gave before it sounds to me like what you're saying

[00:26:15] [SPEAKER_04]: Is that the basic structure of the of the mayor's budget proposal which doesn't involve?

[00:26:22] [SPEAKER_04]: Moving jumpstart revenues over to support the general fund is something that that you're supportive of

[00:26:28] [SPEAKER_01]: the mayor did hand down a bound budgets and

[00:26:33] [SPEAKER_01]: I think if if progressive revenue is

[00:26:36] [SPEAKER_01]: Able to be done would have been done. We're already doing it last council wanted progressive revenue. They have done it

[00:26:42] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think now we have to advocate in the state level to change

[00:26:47] [SPEAKER_01]: policies and change laws to fund our schools

[00:26:50] [SPEAKER_01]: and so I

[00:26:52] [SPEAKER_01]: Right now the mayor's balance budget does use jumpstart

[00:26:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Money, but that's not different than what we have been doing in previous years

[00:27:02] [SPEAKER_04]: So Alexa similar 30 seconds to you

[00:27:05] [SPEAKER_04]: You talked a bit about having a more, you know robust

[00:27:09] [SPEAKER_04]: Conversation rather than quick fixes about the budget, but are you basically saying that you would fill the entire

[00:27:16] [SPEAKER_04]: 250-260 million dollar budget hole with new revenue

[00:27:20] [SPEAKER_03]: Dilly I want to make sure that we are fully realizing the jumpstart investment for its intended purpose

[00:27:25] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm open to and have been vocally supportive of progressive revenue options such as the legal ones that are legal

[00:27:31] [SPEAKER_03]: locally like a local capital gains tax to address some of our other cities basic city services and

[00:27:38] [SPEAKER_03]: I think we should be clear before we love you any type of tax

[00:27:41] [SPEAKER_03]: What are the outcomes we're looking for and making sure that we have stakeholders around the table in agreement for what we're funding

[00:27:48] [SPEAKER_06]: All right

[00:27:49] [SPEAKER_06]: We're sort of keeping with 30 second questions here for a minute. This is our new improved lightning round

[00:27:54] [SPEAKER_06]: We're calling the rapid round

[00:27:55] [SPEAKER_06]: So you get 30 seconds to respond to this already. Yes or no questions

[00:27:59] [SPEAKER_06]: Let's just ask another capital gains question actually Alexis since you brought it up

[00:28:04] [SPEAKER_06]: Last year someone proposed a 2% capital gains tax that would have been revenue neutral

[00:28:08] [SPEAKER_06]: And it would have sort of alleviated some of our more regressive taxes was progressive tax

[00:28:13] [SPEAKER_06]: but it would not have raised new revenue and

[00:28:17] [SPEAKER_06]: Setting aside that particular proposal just what about that concept?

[00:28:20] [SPEAKER_06]: What are your values as a candidate is the idea of leveling a progressive

[00:28:25] [SPEAKER_06]: Capital gains tax that would be revenue neutral something that you would support and why are we not you got 30 seconds

[00:28:30] [SPEAKER_03]: If I'm understanding so leveling a progressive tax to try and be more revenue neutral and

[00:28:35] [SPEAKER_03]: Minimizing it with lower offset

[00:28:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Regressive taxes. Yeah, I think fundamentally

[00:28:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Washington we know Washington States tax code is upside down

[00:28:44] [SPEAKER_03]: Where our lower income community members and middle income are disproportionately paying more into our tax system

[00:28:51] [SPEAKER_03]: We know we do need more revenue

[00:28:53] [SPEAKER_03]: But I understand also just as important making sure that we're taking some of the tax burden off of our lower income

[00:28:58] [SPEAKER_03]: Community members is also really important to me again creating more fairness and our tax system is also a part of this and bringing back

[00:29:05] [SPEAKER_06]: More money into people's pockets is really important to me great Tanya same question revenue neutral capital gains tax

[00:29:12] [SPEAKER_01]: yes, so I

[00:29:14] [SPEAKER_01]: Think we have to make sure it's legal and we have to be very careful about how we do it because affordability is a huge issue for many of

[00:29:20] [SPEAKER_01]: Our for many people we have the transportation levy this year. We had the housing levy last year. We also had the

[00:29:28] [SPEAKER_01]: Libraries education levy coming up and it all heads up. We have to be rates going up

[00:29:32] [SPEAKER_01]: So I'll say like rates going up every single month

[00:29:35] [SPEAKER_01]: So it's it's we really have to be mindful

[00:29:39] [SPEAKER_01]: We also have to think about

[00:29:41] [SPEAKER_06]: Generational wealth and displacements. That's time was that a yes or a maybe

[00:29:47] [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe okay

[00:29:49] [SPEAKER_02]: All right another 30 second question

[00:29:52] [SPEAKER_02]: Given this year's budget crunch should the city put nearly three million dollars a year into a new contract with the score jail and Des Moines

[00:30:00] [SPEAKER_02]: And why are we not and we'll start with Tanya?

[00:30:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so you have this I'm on the record for voting. Yes on this

[00:30:09] [SPEAKER_01]: You have to realize during the pandemic King County

[00:30:13] [SPEAKER_01]: jail

[00:30:15] [SPEAKER_01]: We've been paying

[00:30:16] [SPEAKER_01]: To to have them house a certain number of people and they kind of because of the pandemic

[00:30:22] [SPEAKER_01]: Lowered that amount. Um, so we weren't able to hire enough people to work in the jail

[00:30:28] [SPEAKER_01]: So they were not able to fulfill the full amount pre-pandemic

[00:30:32] [SPEAKER_01]: score is

[00:30:34] [SPEAKER_01]: Not a private jail their South King County's jail system

[00:30:38] [SPEAKER_02]: And so that's time and I just to I guess to make your point

[00:30:43] [SPEAKER_02]: It's a jail system or it's a jail that is owned by a bunch of South King County cities jointly

[00:30:48] [SPEAKER_02]: So Alexa same question would you support spending that three million dollars or so a year on score?

[00:30:54] [SPEAKER_03]: No

[00:30:55] [SPEAKER_03]: Especially given again the budget deficit environment that we're in we just added to our deficit meeting that other things needed to be

[00:31:02] [SPEAKER_03]: Addressed and balanced in that process when I went and talked to parties who would all be affected by this contract

[00:31:08] [SPEAKER_03]: They continue to emphasize to me the complicated logistics an actual strain

[00:31:12] [SPEAKER_03]: This would create on our judicial system and the anxiety about having this passed without all of those details figured out from strain

[00:31:20] [SPEAKER_03]: On municipal courts to all the staff and having

[00:31:23] [SPEAKER_03]: SPD spends staff time to drive down to Des Moines

[00:31:26] [SPEAKER_03]: There's a number of logistics here. All right, that's time

[00:31:29] [SPEAKER_02]: So next 30 second question

[00:31:32] [SPEAKER_02]: Do you support efforts like Amazon's recent mandate to bring employees back to their downtown offices full-time?

[00:31:38] [SPEAKER_02]: We'll start with Alexis

[00:31:39] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, I think there are a lot of ways that we can be providing downtown revitalization without mandating workers attend downtown

[00:31:46] [SPEAKER_03]: I think there's a lot more kind of revitalization efforts particularly on the arts and culture front that naturally would entice and bring people to

[00:31:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Downtown we still have a number of amazing cultural institutions in theaters and providing support to

[00:31:59] [SPEAKER_03]: People who work in the arts is more of a priority to me again

[00:32:02] [SPEAKER_03]: We want to make downtown a fun place where folks want to go on the weekends to see shows and what have you

[00:32:08] [SPEAKER_03]: That will continue to just build on itself. And so I'm more supportive of other measures

[00:32:13] [SPEAKER_01]: Same question. So for the city of Seattle, we have a three-day

[00:32:20] [SPEAKER_01]: mandatory work policy for legislative forwards four days

[00:32:23] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not gonna tell private businesses what they sure should not do

[00:32:26] [SPEAKER_01]: But I believe it's been really collaborative having people in the office four days a week

[00:32:31] [SPEAKER_01]: We are able to talk and spread ideas and get information really quickly

[00:32:35] [SPEAKER_01]: Also seen that the small businesses around

[00:32:39] [SPEAKER_01]: The city hall and around different areas that have mandated more people coming into work

[00:32:45] [SPEAKER_01]: Has been quite exciting seeing the foot traffic during lunch. And so I think it's baby steps. Thank you

[00:32:50] [SPEAKER_04]: So a question for both of you and Tanya will start with you on this one

[00:32:56] [SPEAKER_04]: Name and 30 seconds. So

[00:33:00] [SPEAKER_04]: Again part of this rapid round

[00:33:02] [SPEAKER_04]: Name one thing you like that may or Harold is accomplished during his time as mayor and one thing maybe you dislike or disagree

[00:33:09] [SPEAKER_01]: Well, I love his one Seattle

[00:33:13] [SPEAKER_01]: Unifying idea. I love the one day of service and going out and meeting

[00:33:18] [SPEAKER_01]: neighbors and in picking up litter cleaning up pee patches

[00:33:22] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I think the mayor's one Seattle

[00:33:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Plan his ideology is really bringing communities together really bringing the city together

[00:33:32] [SPEAKER_01]: And how do we unify people?

[00:33:35] [SPEAKER_01]: Mayor Harold is from community just like I am I'm a fish generation Seattle lights

[00:33:40] [SPEAKER_01]: and

[00:33:40] [SPEAKER_01]: So knowing our communities in all parts time but but just to finish this off

[00:33:45] [SPEAKER_04]: Is there is there a place where you disagree with the mayor? There are a couple places. I disagree with the mayor

[00:33:51] [SPEAKER_01]: One of the places is

[00:33:54] [SPEAKER_01]: sometimes

[00:33:55] [SPEAKER_01]: implementation

[00:33:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Sometimes of how things are made like we always talk about sweeps

[00:34:01] [SPEAKER_01]: I wish there was more engagement. I wish there was more service workers out there

[00:34:07] [SPEAKER_01]: And so it's just not the over general plan or goal, but thank you. Have a go about things

[00:34:14] [SPEAKER_04]: Alex the same question to you. It's something you like about what the mayor's done and something maybe you dislike

[00:34:19] [SPEAKER_03]: I would say the general support for the care team our alternative responder team

[00:34:23] [SPEAKER_03]: I've seen the way in which the the mayor has prioritized and recognized that this is kind of a new arm of our response system

[00:34:30] [SPEAKER_03]: And I've appreciated his support for the team and the allocation of additional positions in the proposed budget

[00:34:35] [SPEAKER_03]: I think I disagree on some of the emphasis on the unified care team

[00:34:39] [SPEAKER_03]: That doesn't count in removals. I think we could be investing that money into things that get folks housed

[00:34:46] [SPEAKER_03]: And so that would be a point of disagreement

[00:34:47] [SPEAKER_04]: And and we did give Tanya a little bit of extra time. So if you want to if you if you would like another 15 seconds

[00:34:52] [SPEAKER_04]: Feel free to say no, we're good. Okay

[00:34:55] [SPEAKER_04]: Just want to make sure thank you

[00:34:58] [SPEAKER_06]: All right

[00:35:01] [SPEAKER_06]: One more quick one

[00:35:02] [SPEAKER_06]: Seattle needs more housing obviously for prices to stabilize probably gonna go down some other cities Portland

[00:35:11] [SPEAKER_06]: Minneapolis are

[00:35:12] [SPEAKER_06]: Experimenting with removing parking requirements entirely for new apartment construction. What about that idea?

[00:35:19] [SPEAKER_06]: I think it's a good one should Seattle experiment with removing parking mandates for new apartments city-wide

[00:35:24] [SPEAKER_03]: Let's start with Alexis short answer. Yes, I think we should be exploring it

[00:35:28] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm interested in making sure that we have folks at the table to understand what all the impacts will would be

[00:35:33] [SPEAKER_03]: Particularly and I have experience working in really balanced atmospheres making sure bringing all the folks around the table and understanding

[00:35:40] [SPEAKER_03]: How we're moving forward so in short it being able to make sure that we are fully addressing the housing crisis and doing everything

[00:35:46] [SPEAKER_03]: We can I think this is an option

[00:35:48] [SPEAKER_03]: We should really seriously pursue and have a very serious conversation about making those changes same question

[00:35:54] [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you. Yes, so I have built housing and I built housing in a transit hub

[00:35:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Which has been quite amazing not having to worry about parking restrictions

[00:36:01] [SPEAKER_01]: And this is something we're looking at council right now in terms of how do we streamline being able to build more?

[00:36:06] [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm really excited about some future legislation that I will be proposing in the next couple of months

[00:36:11] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm working on how do we build more housing quickly?

[00:36:15] [SPEAKER_01]: allowing for those lower

[00:36:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Affordable units and making sure those projects pencil out

[00:36:20] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm looking at how do we build more housing and build trees at the same time you can do both

[00:36:25] [SPEAKER_01]: And so we are looking at things like how do we navigate through design review?

[00:36:29] [SPEAKER_01]: How do we restrict parking recommendations and other things as well people arrested for breaking drug laws?

[00:36:35] [SPEAKER_06]: We'll now be barred from certain areas like Chinatown International District a much of downtown due to a drug policy that you voted for in September

[00:36:41] [SPEAKER_06]: But critics say these new zones aren't going to solve the problem. The drug activities not going to go away

[00:36:48] [SPEAKER_06]: It's just going to move somewhere else the next block or the next neighborhood

[00:36:52] [SPEAKER_06]: So how do you respond to that criticism?

[00:36:54] [SPEAKER_01]: Great. Yes, I supported soda I voted for it

[00:36:56] [SPEAKER_01]: I also supported soap and it's because we are going after the people are causing the most amount of harm to our communities

[00:37:02] [SPEAKER_01]: With soda it's a pre-trial conditional release for drug offenses

[00:37:06] [SPEAKER_01]: And has these zones that were based on data of where the most reports have been for drug sellers

[00:37:13] [SPEAKER_01]: and drug offenses and so basically that was a concern that if you implement these zones

[00:37:19] [SPEAKER_01]: These drug dealers not going to go there. Maybe they'll move have a block down or move into parks or communities surrounding and talking to several

[00:37:29] [SPEAKER_01]: law enforcement people first responders

[00:37:31] [SPEAKER_01]: when

[00:37:33] [SPEAKER_01]: This is not the soda of the past but when soda was instituted earlier

[00:37:38] [SPEAKER_01]: They said that they didn't see this happen

[00:37:40] [SPEAKER_01]: This was not the case and even if people did move they didn't they still moved within a sight line of an officer and

[00:37:46] [SPEAKER_01]: being at

[00:37:47] [SPEAKER_01]: 12th and Jackson and going there often and once a week and I invite all of you to drive by 12th and Jackson

[00:37:53] [SPEAKER_01]: Tonight and you will see what community has been dealing with

[00:37:57] [SPEAKER_01]: We know who's doing what we know who are the people who need help and resources we develop relationships with them

[00:38:03] [SPEAKER_01]: We know who selling drugs. We know who's engaged in the legal market

[00:38:07] [SPEAKER_01]: bit why a little Saigon experienced ten thousand dollars worth of theft a month and

[00:38:13] [SPEAKER_01]: It was the last straw when their employees were coming in the bloody noses and and after being attacked

[00:38:18] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I think the reason why I support is because we are going after people causing harm and allowing for resources

[00:38:25] [SPEAKER_01]: And what's different now than four or five years ago is that we have the care team we have lead we have a delivery care

[00:38:32] [SPEAKER_06]: related question

[00:38:33] [SPEAKER_06]: Alexis about drug policy. I interviewed a family last year who

[00:38:38] [SPEAKER_06]: Lived in the little sign get gone neighborhood their daughter essentially had to walk to school through

[00:38:45] [SPEAKER_06]: You know an area of a lot of drug activity the daughter became

[00:38:48] [SPEAKER_06]: Super freaked out. She was really afraid for her life. Really there were people following home

[00:38:53] [SPEAKER_06]: They were harassing her and eventually

[00:38:55] [SPEAKER_06]: They opted to have her take a bus like 45 minutes away rather than walk the two blocks of school

[00:39:00] [SPEAKER_06]: And this is a family that was you know, like you like a lot of people in Seattle very concerned also about the folks who were

[00:39:08] [SPEAKER_06]: using drugs and

[00:39:10] [SPEAKER_06]: Doing whatever else it was right?

[00:39:12] [SPEAKER_06]: So I know you're concerned about these drug exclusion zones

[00:39:15] [SPEAKER_06]: But if that finally calls your office next year and you're in the city council, what would you say to them?

[00:39:19] [SPEAKER_03]: I think we've identified that the soda zones in particular because we recognize that we have challenges facing those areas

[00:39:25] [SPEAKER_03]: Challenges where we see abject suffering challenges where we see folks who are needed support and the harm is happening for

[00:39:33] [SPEAKER_03]: Neighbors to those areas for folks living outside and small businesses. So if I got that call, which which I already have

[00:39:41] [SPEAKER_03]: Because public safety is front of mind for so many Seattle residents. I really take take it seriously

[00:39:46] [SPEAKER_03]: we also be able to walk outside feel safe in our communities and

[00:39:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Being able to also make sure that we're doing our part to address the issue at heart

[00:39:57] [SPEAKER_03]: Which is the need for making sure that we are providing accessible treatment options

[00:40:01] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think we need to also acknowledge where some of this began decriminalization arose as a necessary response to the evident

[00:40:08] [SPEAKER_03]: failures of

[00:40:09] [SPEAKER_03]: criminalization in addressing our drug crisis and the introduction of fentanyl and meth two of the most

[00:40:14] [SPEAKER_03]: Addictive substances on the planet into the market for often for as little as a dollar has transformed our understanding of drug policy

[00:40:22] [SPEAKER_03]: And now as we look back years later changing laws have not addressed the crisis

[00:40:27] [SPEAKER_03]: But we have learned some things for sure

[00:40:29] [SPEAKER_03]: Imprisoning individuals and imposing fines on drug users and enforcing laws without connecting them to supportive services

[00:40:36] [SPEAKER_03]: Does not curb drug use?

[00:40:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Genuine recovery requires access to effective treatment options and I hear from countless residents across our city from King Street

[00:40:45] [SPEAKER_03]: To Green Lake who are ready to end their addiction

[00:40:48] [SPEAKER_03]: But find themselves unable to get the treatment they nest they desperately need

[00:40:52] [SPEAKER_06]: What would you say to that family when they when you call you up just a 30 second response when they call you up?

[00:40:57] [SPEAKER_03]: What would you say to that family? I always would so I've already gotten a call like this

[00:41:01] [SPEAKER_03]: I ask a lot of questions to say really understand the issue. I ask a lot of questions

[00:41:06] [SPEAKER_03]: I tell them, you know, they deserve to be safe in their community

[00:41:09] [SPEAKER_03]: I talk through have you called contacted SBD has there been an incident?

[00:41:14] [SPEAKER_03]: What has been your interactions with the response system? How quick was that response?

[00:41:18] [SPEAKER_03]: And then also just trying to understand the situation at hand and ensure that our public safety system is operating to the best of its capacity

[00:41:25] [SPEAKER_03]: That's really how I've been responding

[00:41:30] [SPEAKER_01]: Okay 30 seconds. Yeah, so fentanyl is really deadly. It's basically Russian roulette when you take it you live you die

[00:41:37] [SPEAKER_01]: I've done Narcan in front of Summit Sierra High School. I've done CPR some have survived some have not I've done it on

[00:41:45] [SPEAKER_01]: Elders I've done it on young people trying out drugs for the first time without realizing fentanyl isn't it?

[00:41:51] [SPEAKER_01]: This is not the crack cocaine epidemic. This is something totally new and it's deadly and we have to do something about it

[00:41:57] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I I think talking to this family. It's you will see when you drive by

[00:42:04] [SPEAKER_06]: Okay, that's time

[00:42:06] [SPEAKER_02]: All right to quote the moderators with the VP debate

[00:42:09] [SPEAKER_02]: We have a lot of topics to get to so I'm gonna switch sort of back to the budget and policing

[00:42:15] [SPEAKER_02]: One department that is not being cut in the mayor's budget and will actually grow under this budget is the police department

[00:42:21] [SPEAKER_02]: In fact, SPD's budget routinely includes tens of millions of dollars for positions that are not going to be filled

[00:42:28] [SPEAKER_02]: So my question will start with Tanya Tanya

[00:42:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Why should the city keep funding unfilled and unfillable police positions, especially at a time when 159 jobs are on the chopping block?

[00:42:41] [SPEAKER_01]: Well, let's talk about how we got here really quickly. So

[00:42:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Four years ago while we did not technically defund police

[00:42:47] [SPEAKER_01]: We demoralized the police department and 600 officers left the force

[00:42:50] [SPEAKER_01]: we are still over 400 officers short and so

[00:42:55] [SPEAKER_01]: Basically when I talked about how we have

[00:42:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Proved competitive wages and we're able to hire best and better officers in this region through different programs like before the badge

[00:43:05] [SPEAKER_01]: Which is amazing program taking our officers out to our community organizations getting to learn about community

[00:43:10] [SPEAKER_01]: being able to have our CSOs community service officers go out and

[00:43:14] [SPEAKER_01]: Possibly make that connection to hire people from the community as well

[00:43:18] [SPEAKER_01]: And so there is a huge shortage in terms of the first responder staffing

[00:43:24] [SPEAKER_01]: I mean it's not just police departments also firefighters looking at potentially the collapse of different programs in the firefighting

[00:43:32] [SPEAKER_01]: Profession because they can't hire fast enough. So as you will see in the budget that they there are some

[00:43:40] [SPEAKER_01]: Adjustments made for those positions

[00:43:43] [SPEAKER_01]: That we cannot fill but able to hold positions that we will be able to fill this year

[00:43:47] [SPEAKER_01]: And so that has already been accounted for

[00:43:50] [SPEAKER_01]: And many of the business you talked about about being cut there was a hiring freeze early this year

[00:43:55] [SPEAKER_01]: So many of these positions were never filled in the first place and we are gonna be taking a very careful look at those positions

[00:44:00] [SPEAKER_01]: That are on the chopping block. I'm sure you heard that the Seattle Channel might possibly be at risk

[00:44:05] [SPEAKER_01]: I used to work at King 5. I worked with many people who who are there and so

[00:44:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Realizing the importance of telling stories and educating people the government and hoping to save those jobs

[00:44:16] [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you. Just one one point of clarification SPD was not under a hiring freeze

[00:44:23] [SPEAKER_02]: Yes, so similar question for Alexis

[00:44:27] [SPEAKER_02]: You know one thing that we hear often about these positions is we have to fund money for over

[00:44:32] [SPEAKER_02]: We have to extra money in the budget for overtime because there simply aren't enough officers on hand to do

[00:44:38] [SPEAKER_02]: You know all the jobs that need to be done

[00:44:41] [SPEAKER_02]: Do you support eliminating those positions and how do you respond to those concerns?

[00:44:47] [SPEAKER_03]: Well, I think part of the point around this idea of like there are simply things that just need to be done

[00:44:51] [SPEAKER_03]: I really want us to focus in on what is the right right role for a police officer in our community and really

[00:44:56] [SPEAKER_03]: Scoping in and making sure that they're responding to to violent crime and scaling up our other options of folks from

[00:45:02] [SPEAKER_03]: behavioral health crisis

[00:45:03] [SPEAKER_03]: Response and other forms of responders to really meet our communities needs that is a priority for me and

[00:45:10] [SPEAKER_03]: Since that you know

[00:45:11] [SPEAKER_03]: I really want to make sure that we're also having a data-driven discussion about this and not an ideological one

[00:45:16] [SPEAKER_03]: What are the outcomes that our community is looking for from law enforcement?

[00:45:20] [SPEAKER_03]: One of the big ones we talk about is response times

[00:45:23] [SPEAKER_03]: We know that tier one response time right now is 10 minutes

[00:45:26] [SPEAKER_03]: We want to get that down to seven minutes. Are these investments going to get us there?

[00:45:30] [SPEAKER_03]: While also having a discussion of how are we further evaluating the success of our officers are we also

[00:45:36] [SPEAKER_03]: Keeping track of and having less cases of misconduct racial bias or sexism within the department not needing to do a payout

[00:45:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Additionally in relation to officer conduct

[00:45:45] [SPEAKER_03]: So I really want to make sure that we're having a thorough discussion grounded in in a point of what are we looking for from our

[00:45:52] [SPEAKER_03]: law enforcement officers and how are we actually meeting those needs?

[00:45:57] [SPEAKER_04]: Changing topics

[00:45:59] [SPEAKER_04]: The council is going to take up a new comprehensive plan next year, right?

[00:46:04] [SPEAKER_04]: The initial draft of the plan released by Mayor Harrell

[00:46:09] [SPEAKER_04]: Continues to concentrate housing along busy arterials and

[00:46:12] [SPEAKER_04]: When able would enable about a hundred thousand new units of housing over the next 20 years

[00:46:17] [SPEAKER_04]: It's obviously there's been some some pushback against that plan from a

[00:46:23] [SPEAKER_04]: From a fairly interesting coalition that includes both urbanists the Chamber of Commerce and developers some other folks so

[00:46:30] [SPEAKER_04]: Starting with Alexis do you support the comprehensive plan proposal that's been put forward and

[00:46:36] [SPEAKER_04]: Are there things you would change about it?

[00:46:38] [SPEAKER_03]: If so, yeah, well as a renter and just like half of Seattle

[00:46:43] [SPEAKER_03]: We feel the impacts of the housing crisis differently

[00:46:46] [SPEAKER_03]: And I want to ensure that I bring balance to the council and are in being one of the only potential renters

[00:46:51] [SPEAKER_03]: That will be serving on council. I'd bring my that perspective

[00:46:53] [SPEAKER_03]: We know Seattle needs to bring online a hundred and twelve thousand new homes over the next 20 years

[00:46:59] [SPEAKER_03]: And we need a comprehensive plan that accommodates that reality and will serve for it

[00:47:03] [SPEAKER_03]: So I support the recommendations from the complete communities coalition

[00:47:07] [SPEAKER_03]: That is a coalition that includes urbanists advocates housing developers business

[00:47:11] [SPEAKER_03]: And they've put forward a priority such as expanding our middle housing

[00:47:16] [SPEAKER_03]: Expanding transit oriented development in the plan ending exclusionary zoning

[00:47:19] [SPEAKER_03]: And I also want to make sure that we have a meaningful

[00:47:23] [SPEAKER_03]: Antidisplacement strategy within the plan to ensure that we are not continuing Seattle's pattern of displacement for communities of color in Seattle

[00:47:30] [SPEAKER_03]: And we can go on to the wonky bits around all of the pieces that we could do in the comp plan

[00:47:35] [SPEAKER_03]: But I want I want to see more and ensure that we are allowing for zoning changes to develop more housing across our community

[00:47:41] [SPEAKER_03]: And supporting more transit oriented development. Thank you

[00:47:45] [SPEAKER_04]: That's the same question to you the do you support the draft plan put forward by the mayor earlier this year

[00:47:52] [SPEAKER_01]: So I went to every single comprehensive plan meeting and I agree with everybody we need to build more we need to be able to

[00:48:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Have our elders age in place

[00:48:02] [SPEAKER_01]: We'll love to have more families move into Seattle and be able to start going to have their kids going to local schools

[00:48:09] [SPEAKER_01]: And people who work here can live here and so as someone who has built housing who has built affordable housing

[00:48:15] [SPEAKER_01]: We need to do more of that

[00:48:17] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think not only do we look at the comprehensive plan for our for our goal

[00:48:21] [SPEAKER_01]: but we have to look at implementation of this plan and

[00:48:25] [SPEAKER_01]: What I'm hearing is that the justification displacement portion has been taken out

[00:48:29] [SPEAKER_01]: But love to have to see it go back in the plan will probably be released in about two weeks or so

[00:48:38] [SPEAKER_01]: But fighting to make sure that that stays in there as someone who's fought gentrification displacement in one of the most endangered

[00:48:43] [SPEAKER_01]: neighborhoods in the nation my entire life

[00:48:44] [SPEAKER_01]: I would love to see that back in there

[00:48:46] [SPEAKER_01]: We also need to be able to save trees and looking at information environmental impacts as well

[00:48:51] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I am waiting for the plan to drop before I make final decisions on if this is something I recommend

[00:48:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Or something me to add amendments to but when that plan does drop

[00:49:02] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm also really excited because I'm gonna be using the EIS and the CEPA studies from that plan

[00:49:09] [SPEAKER_01]: For legislation that I'm hoping to implement that'll be able to build at housing and build more affordable housing

[00:49:14] [SPEAKER_06]: All right now we're gonna move to

[00:49:19] [SPEAKER_06]: Would be publicola reader Seattle nice listener and town hall audience questions, so special delivery

[00:49:26] [SPEAKER_06]: Oh, and they've been up voted. This is so cool

[00:49:28] [SPEAKER_06]: We're gonna start with there's a publicola question

[00:49:31] [SPEAKER_06]: Somebody writing into Erica. So do you support moving all city council elections to even years?

[00:49:38] [SPEAKER_06]: Why are we not it's called 30 seconds starting with who wants to start show of hands, okay, Alexis? Yes

[00:49:46] [SPEAKER_03]: Yes, absolutely

[00:49:48] [SPEAKER_03]: You know this will be a very interesting test case here. We know there's a ton on the ballot this year

[00:49:52] [SPEAKER_03]: We usually don't vote on on city council races the same time as a presidential

[00:49:55] [SPEAKER_03]: But we know there's a lot more active voter engagement

[00:49:58] [SPEAKER_03]: We tend to see turnout rates higher on even years so anything that ensures that we have more voters engaged in voting and participating

[00:50:05] [SPEAKER_03]: Is critically important to me?

[00:50:07] [SPEAKER_03]: So I would be supportive of that and curious to see how we see things shape up this year in Washington great Tonya

[00:50:13] [SPEAKER_01]: So I ran last year and I also am running obviously this year

[00:50:17] [SPEAKER_01]: And I found out this year was harder to

[00:50:20] [SPEAKER_01]: Break through the presidential election attention in trying to get my messaging out there

[00:50:25] [SPEAKER_01]: So I would prefer to have it on odd years

[00:50:29] [SPEAKER_01]: But at the same time how do we encourage more people to vote during that time?

[00:50:34] [SPEAKER_01]: How do you register hundreds of people and make sure that messaging does get out?

[00:50:39] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I think also it was also very hard honestly to

[00:50:43] [SPEAKER_01]: To be able to hire this year everybody is so excited to work on presidential campaigns

[00:50:48] [SPEAKER_01]: So I think there's a lot of things we have to work through

[00:50:51] [SPEAKER_02]: I'm just going through these questions from the live audience, so I don't know who's question this is

[00:50:56] [SPEAKER_02]: But it's a good one New York City has dropped its congestion pricing plan

[00:51:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Do you think Seattle should lead the country in adopting congestion pricing? And this is also 30 seconds. Let's start with Tonya

[00:51:07] [SPEAKER_01]: I think if this is an equity issue. I mean a lot of people

[00:51:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Who have children who work?

[00:51:14] [SPEAKER_01]: May not be able to not use their cars

[00:51:18] [SPEAKER_01]: I know that we want to be able to make people use transit and I'm excited about st3 coming online

[00:51:26] [SPEAKER_01]: How do you make transit options easier more accessible?

[00:51:30] [SPEAKER_01]: How do you make our streets more walkable?

[00:51:32] [SPEAKER_01]: But I know there are a lot of people and communities who who depend on their cars who have children and don't have many other

[00:51:38] [SPEAKER_01]: Options and so I think we have to really

[00:51:40] [SPEAKER_01]: Have these conversations

[00:51:41] [SPEAKER_01]: Thanks Alexis

[00:51:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Just just thinking thoughtfully it's important to note that because

[00:51:46] [SPEAKER_03]: Seattle has become so affordable for many working people

[00:51:49] [SPEAKER_03]: They've been pushed out of the city and pushed into lengthy commutes in passenger vehicles

[00:51:56] [SPEAKER_03]: Which has of course a ton of implications associated with it

[00:51:59] [SPEAKER_03]: But that's also because we haven't scaled our public transit system to the level that we really need to be

[00:52:04] [SPEAKER_03]: So I'm mindful of some of the equity impacts of this

[00:52:07] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think we really need to be ensuring that we're taking a balanced approach and using carrots and sticks

[00:52:12] [SPEAKER_03]: So how do we find ways to disincentivize folks in passenger vehicles, but also provide enticing alternatives that also help us meet our climate goals

[00:52:24] [SPEAKER_04]: next question and this this comes from one of our

[00:52:27] [SPEAKER_04]: our very exclusive club of Seattle nice

[00:52:31] [SPEAKER_04]: patreon supporters, but

[00:52:34] [SPEAKER_04]: We'll start this question. I think with Tanya, but

[00:52:38] [SPEAKER_04]: Let's say you win this election this November. You're gonna be on the ballot again

[00:52:43] [SPEAKER_04]: Next November right because you're just filling out the end of a term

[00:52:47] [SPEAKER_04]: So how would you define success over the next year?

[00:52:51] [SPEAKER_04]: For your term so that when you get to the ballot say in November of 2025

[00:52:55] [SPEAKER_01]: What would be your definition of having a successful year? Well being in office for eight months. I think my definition success would be

[00:53:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Being able to continue the progress I've made currently in all of the legislation that I've started all the stakeholder

[00:53:11] [SPEAKER_01]: And I've done and be able to make that progress going forward

[00:53:14] [SPEAKER_01]: I mean we cannot go back to the failed policies the last four years that have brought us to where we are today that my

[00:53:20] [SPEAKER_01]: opponent advocates for we cannot go back we have to make progress and we have to go forward and with

[00:53:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Looking at where we're at where we've been and planning for the future

[00:53:30] [SPEAKER_01]: And so there's a lot of things I have in the works

[00:53:33] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm excited to have you learn more about them and and see them happening

[00:53:38] [SPEAKER_01]: Things like how do we make it easier to build housing? How are we able to save trees?

[00:53:42] [SPEAKER_01]: How are we able to make it safer and I am the clear candidate when it comes to having a plan on how do we roll out public safety?

[00:53:49] [SPEAKER_01]: initiatives, I mean my opponent is really vague on her answers

[00:53:53] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I have a plan you see that I'm implementing them right now

[00:53:57] [SPEAKER_01]: And then you'll see all I mean don't you feel like the city has gone better in these last eight months

[00:54:03] [SPEAKER_04]: So so

[00:54:07] [SPEAKER_04]: Alexis a same question to you if you win in November you're gonna be right back on the ball at the following year

[00:54:12] [SPEAKER_04]: What is your definition of success over that year and your first your first year in office?

[00:54:17] [SPEAKER_03]: Absolutely getting things done our community is asking us to act with urgency

[00:54:21] [SPEAKER_03]: Especially on on the climate crisis on the housing crisis

[00:54:25] [SPEAKER_03]: Expanding our transit system making sure our communities are safe our community is asking us to act with urgency

[00:54:30] [SPEAKER_03]: So my goal is to be a day one council member not a council member in training who hasn't introduced legislation in months

[00:54:43] [SPEAKER_06]: Here's one sticking with you Alexis. What do you think is more effective in addressing homelessness increased surveillance and police presence or more affordable housing?

[00:54:51] [SPEAKER_06]: 30 seconds. What was the question? I'm so sorry. Sorry one more time 30 seconds

[00:54:55] [SPEAKER_06]: What do you think is more effective the reader asks in addressing homelessness?

[00:54:59] [SPEAKER_06]: Would it be increased surveillance and police presence or more affordable housing start with you Alexis?

[00:55:05] [SPEAKER_06]: 30 seconds. Yeah

[00:55:08] [SPEAKER_03]: Do I need 30 seconds more affordable housing?

[00:55:10] [SPEAKER_03]: But while I have the time, you know, I do want to say this is a point of contrast

[00:55:14] [SPEAKER_03]: My opponent leverages her identity as a developer of affordable housing

[00:55:18] [SPEAKER_03]: But voted against a revenue neutral option that would have come to no cost of the city

[00:55:23] [SPEAKER_03]: But would have brought online more affordable housing and equitable development

[00:55:25] [SPEAKER_03]: She's yet to introduce legislation that addresses the housing crisis but co-sponsored a ballot alternative

[00:55:30] [SPEAKER_03]: That's not supported by some of our local housing developers

[00:55:33] [SPEAKER_03]: And she's doing all of this while her own tenants are testifying chambers about the conditions of her building broken elevators unsafe conditions

[00:55:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Actions speak louder than words

[00:55:43] [SPEAKER_06]: Same question Tanya increased surveillance and police presence or more affordable housing

[00:55:48] [SPEAKER_01]: So there were a couple of things I want to address

[00:55:50] [SPEAKER_01]: The first one is yes for housing that that's the harder

[00:55:54] [SPEAKER_01]: But I don't subscribe to this either or it has to be all the above and everything

[00:55:59] [SPEAKER_01]: Connected communities as a housing developer. I read the there is a lot of unintentional consequences

[00:56:05] [SPEAKER_01]: That would allow for these community groups to have their land taken away and be taken advantage of by developers

[00:56:11] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I realized that they only can own 10% I could go into the weeds on this

[00:56:17] [SPEAKER_01]: But basically this legislation

[00:56:20] [SPEAKER_01]: Was had a lot of issues based on my experiences and it would have been very risky for these

[00:56:27] [SPEAKER_01]: Community groups also

[00:56:30] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, did I get a rebuttal time?

[00:56:33] [SPEAKER_01]: 30 seconds. I let's let's let's her respond

[00:56:36] [SPEAKER_02]: I think you want to respond to something that Alexa said and I do want to give you an opportunity but 30 seconds

[00:56:41] [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, sounds good

[00:56:43] [SPEAKER_01]: There was one person who I know this person very well and we were friends previously

[00:56:49] [SPEAKER_01]: But I do not day day day manage the Louisa hotel apartments

[00:56:54] [SPEAKER_01]: I go through an apartment manager

[00:56:57] [SPEAKER_01]: Apartment group that is very well respected in our community and that has

[00:57:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Done a lot of city contracts as well

[00:57:05] [SPEAKER_01]: And so there is a very specific reason why this person has some grievances and that's something that's between me and this person and

[00:57:14] [SPEAKER_01]: I do

[00:57:16] [SPEAKER_01]: That it's great that she's willing to speak

[00:57:20] [SPEAKER_01]: That's okay

[00:57:22] [SPEAKER_02]: So this is a question for both of you and let's keep this one to a minute since we want to get as many reader questions

[00:57:28] [SPEAKER_02]: Is in listener questions as possible? How will you support the protection of Seattle's tree canopy particularly in poor neighborhoods?

[00:57:35] [SPEAKER_02]: While balancing the need for more for fast-tracking more dense housing and let's start with Alexis

[00:57:41] [SPEAKER_03]: Absolutely, I know we need to make sure that we're meeting our tree canopy goals of 30%

[00:57:46] [SPEAKER_03]: I think there's too often the conversation about tree protection

[00:57:50] [SPEAKER_03]: Is pitting tree protection against affordable housing and I just think there's a way forward that protects both

[00:57:57] [SPEAKER_03]: We know we need to be increasing our tree canopy

[00:58:01] [SPEAKER_03]: Especially in communities of color where we have too many urban heat islands

[00:58:05] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm supportive of developing more pocket gardens making sure that we have our we're increasing and maintaining trees that we're also planting

[00:58:14] [SPEAKER_03]: I am supportive of making sure we expand and fully realize our investments in Green New Deal initiatives

[00:58:19] [SPEAKER_03]: Which will support more green spaces coming online

[00:58:22] [SPEAKER_03]: And overall I'm excited to work alongside and really problem-solve around what can we do within the tree ordinance that protects

[00:58:28] [SPEAKER_03]: Larger trees from being cut down since we know the tremendous benefits that they can bring to our communities

[00:58:34] [SPEAKER_01]: So I grew up in Beacon Hill, which is a tree desert at the heat islands

[00:58:39] [SPEAKER_01]: And we need to not only save trees, but also plant more trees

[00:58:44] [SPEAKER_01]: We're not gonna reach Seattle's goal of 30% tree canopy by 2037

[00:58:48] [SPEAKER_01]: I mean we have to do more and this is something we're doing right now

[00:58:51] [SPEAKER_01]: We're looking at the tree ordinance. You may see it pop up soon

[00:58:54] [SPEAKER_01]: But we're doing that legal looking at right now some legislation

[00:58:59] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm looking at is how do we develop at building density if you save trees?

[00:59:04] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's a really important

[00:59:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Topic I chair the sustainability committee and we've done some

[00:59:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Interesting things we've been able to electrify our cruise ship berths our ports able to allow for more EV chargers

[00:59:17] [SPEAKER_01]: By looking at sales to delights electricity. We're able to look at conservation targets

[00:59:22] [SPEAKER_01]: We also have to look at electrifying our our fleet as well as

[00:59:27] [SPEAKER_01]: The conversion the equitable conversion from like from oil to electric

[00:59:33] [SPEAKER_01]: And making sure that information goes out to our fixed income elders and communities of color

[00:59:39] [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you

[00:59:40] [SPEAKER_02]: So I think we're gonna ask just a couple more questions and then give you both an opportunity for a closing statement

[00:59:47] [SPEAKER_02]: and

[00:59:48] [SPEAKER_02]: Maybe one minute on this question. I know folks are getting tired. It's getting late and we're gonna wrap it up shortly

[00:59:53] [SPEAKER_02]: The social housing measure initiative

[00:59:55] [SPEAKER_02]: 137 would impose a new tax on annual earnings above a million dollars to build mixed income housing

[01:00:01] [SPEAKER_02]: And the city council recently voted to put an alternative measure on the ballot that would not do that

[01:00:07] [SPEAKER_02]: It would build affordable housing that's more traditional and would not have a new funding

[01:00:11] [SPEAKER_02]: Question for Tanya. Why did you oppose the original social housing measure and let's do one minute on this one?

[01:00:17] [SPEAKER_01]: So really quickly I did not oppose the original affordable housing measure. I went 37. I'm on the record for endorsing

[01:00:24] [SPEAKER_01]: I won 35 social housing is very similar workforce housing. I've done that

[01:00:28] [SPEAKER_01]: I want to be success. So we definitely need more workforce housing. We need more low lower AMI units of

[01:00:35] [SPEAKER_01]: 50% AMI under and that's desperately needed. I want this I want to succeed. I want social housing to succeed

[01:00:42] [SPEAKER_01]: I want more workforce housing basically and I

[01:00:45] [SPEAKER_01]: Supported an additional measure on the ballots because I believe that people should have choices that they did not like one

[01:00:51] [SPEAKER_01]: They have another and in the end, hopefully this

[01:00:54] [SPEAKER_01]: will get funded

[01:00:56] [SPEAKER_02]: Great Alexis similar question. How do you respond to the council majority's claim that the social housing developer isn't ready for prime time?

[01:01:05] [SPEAKER_03]: We we know we're in a housing crisis

[01:01:07] [SPEAKER_03]: We know our resource or existing resources don't meet the need and with the I-137

[01:01:13] [SPEAKER_03]: Proposed alternative, you know voters are fundamentally faced with the choice of whether or not

[01:01:18] [SPEAKER_03]: We want to cut a slice out of an existing pie or try and grow the pie

[01:01:21] [SPEAKER_03]: And so that is why I've been on the record as being supportive of I-137

[01:01:26] [SPEAKER_03]: I want to ensure that the social housing developer is set up for success and is

[01:01:30] [SPEAKER_03]: Complimentary to the additional work in the affordable housing realm

[01:01:33] [SPEAKER_03]: So how are we really building it upon our work and making sure that we are fully addressing the housing crisis as as we need

[01:01:39] [SPEAKER_03]: To be and as it relates to just the development of the alternative. I think I would just make a note around transparency

[01:01:46] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, I'm all forgiving voters choices, too

[01:01:49] [SPEAKER_03]: But having the alternative proposed so down to the wire close to that the deadline for council to advance something to

[01:01:56] [SPEAKER_03]: The the King County elections to put on the February ballot, you know

[01:02:00] [SPEAKER_03]: We were realizing in real time, you know

[01:02:03] [SPEAKER_03]: What was going to be put out there and so I think just advocating for more transparency?

[01:02:07] [SPEAKER_06]: All right, let's make this

[01:02:09] [SPEAKER_06]: Our last question

[01:02:11] [SPEAKER_06]: Which is just open-ended kind of what didn't we ask you or would you like to emphasize?

[01:02:16] [SPEAKER_06]: Let's start with you Alexis

[01:02:18] [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, well, thank you all for the opportunity to be here tonight as I hope you have heard

[01:02:23] [SPEAKER_03]: I bring experience and the ability to unify folks across the spectrum

[01:02:27] [SPEAKER_03]: I've championed agreements between five north King County cities with unanimous votes under every council and bringing forward a county-wide

[01:02:35] [SPEAKER_03]: plan also under unanimous votes and have a proven ability to really tackle some of our region's hardest challenges

[01:02:43] [SPEAKER_03]: I've since worked in the UW's budgeting office while also working across the University Medical System and balancing priorities

[01:02:49] [SPEAKER_03]: I know division is everywhere. We all feel it, but this is the campaign that is uniting Seattle

[01:02:54] [SPEAKER_03]: This is the campaign that Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates Trust will protect a woman's right to choose

[01:03:00] [SPEAKER_03]: This is the campaign that the Alliance for Gun Responsibility Trust will keep our community safe

[01:03:04] [SPEAKER_03]: This is the campaign that unionized nurses electricians maritime workers machinists trust will fight for working families

[01:03:10] [SPEAKER_03]: And this is the campaign that united all the Democratic Party organizations in Seattle because it will uphold core Democratic Party values

[01:03:31] [SPEAKER_06]: Okay, Tonya same question. Thank you. So

[01:03:36] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm interested in uplifting communities and we all want the same thing for Seattle. We all love our city

[01:03:42] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not interested in name-calling or bringing other people down

[01:03:46] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm interested in facts and working together to find solutions

[01:03:50] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I always ask people people know I'm a small business owner and people know that

[01:03:55] [SPEAKER_01]: My opponent here worked for the King County Regional Homeless Authority

[01:03:59] [SPEAKER_01]: Downtown partnership for zero

[01:04:01] [SPEAKER_01]: Failed basically and so I always ask people who would you rather want on the running the city running council?

[01:04:08] [SPEAKER_01]: And would you want somebody who's a small business owner who has realistic on-the-ground approaches who has a public safety group that goes to

[01:04:15] [SPEAKER_01]: Jackson their pike and pine every single day that has a plan and that's

[01:04:19] [SPEAKER_01]: Currently working on legislation that you will see in the next couple weeks that will help bring us closer to affordability

[01:04:25] [SPEAKER_01]: public safety and

[01:04:27] [SPEAKER_01]: How do we dress homelessness?

[01:04:29] [SPEAKER_01]: And so or would you rather have somebody who worked for an organization that had?

[01:04:34] [SPEAKER_01]: Ideology a lot of ideological values that were unrealistic and that we probably would not be able to achieve within the next five years

[01:04:42] [SPEAKER_06]: And so okay, thank you. That's time. All right. Let's hear it for our city council candidates

[01:04:48] [SPEAKER_06]: Thanks to all of you for turning out your civic engagement your doubleheader. I mean that's impressive

[01:04:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, thanks everybody. Let's give ourselves a round of applause. Thanks for sticking it out

[01:05:06] [SPEAKER_06]: Thanks to the folks at town hall for hosting this debate. That's it for another edition of Seattle nice. She's Erica C Barnett

[01:05:13] [SPEAKER_06]: He's Sonny Kashik. I'm David Hyde our editor is Quinn Waller our debate

[01:05:18] [SPEAKER_06]: Producer is Jenny Sussell more our time producer is jazz Lacey Holbert. Thanks to everybody so much for listening