I take no money from developers or those working on behalf of landlord interests (unlike my opponent) so I know they’ll never influence my vote. I advocate neighborhood sustainability councils which would obtain city resources while working to reduce carbon emissions and making our city more livable, neighborhood by neighborhood. I will advocate that workers, renters, homeless people and their advocates are on important boards and commissions and always included when making important decisions.

2. Building and preserving new housing units is key to solving our housing and homelessness crisis, but preventing the loss of the affordable housing that already exists is equally important. If elected, what would you do to preserve existing affordable / low-income housing? Please be specific about what the city can do under current law, and what changes, if any, you support in state law.

Currently, we can require that existing residents are provided with replacement housing at comparable rents when they are displaced due to demolition or conversion. I would immediately introduce legislation to require this throughout Seattle. I also would insist on one to one, on site replacement of threatened low income units such as those in Yesler Terrace. Statewide, I would push to cap condo conversions as other cities around the country have done. See http://www.joeforcouncil.com/issues/housing.shtml

3. What would you do to ensure that parks and open spaces are safe and accessible to all people, including homeless people, families with children, nearby workers, and others? Please be specific about what, if any, changes you would make in how parks are used and regulated. (e.g.; would you modify or eliminate the parks exclusion ordinance, support limiting park hours, support funding for downtown park rangers, add or remove park seating?)

I would eliminate the parks exclusion ordinance and support funding for downtown park rangers and for increased park seating. Currently the city is supposed to require private owners who obtain city subsidies to provide public open space in exchange; often this is not enforced and people either don’t know it is public space or are pushed off by police or private security – I will work to make sure this doesn’t happen.

4. People struggling with homelessness and poverty are often focused on making ends meet, finding a place to sleep, and otherwise taking care of their basic needs and the needs of their families. Many don’t feel that elected officials listen to them, and don’t see much value in participating in the political process. How would you respond to that concern?

When I served on the Madison, WI City Council I worked effectively to make sure that low income workers were represented on the board and committees that voted on issues affecting them. If elected I will do the same thing here. I would also hold meetings in venues that are comfortable and accessible to low income and homeless people and always make sure that they are invited and listened to.

5. If elected, would you take any steps to increase participation in the public process by people who are low-income and/or homeless?

We need to try new things-perhaps hold some of our public meetings in areas where low-income and homeless people tend to frequent. I also think city staff should be involved in doing outreach and providing training for people who are often left out of these processes in order to include them and listen to them more.

6. How would you respond to someone who is: Housed, but barely making ends meet, and concerned about losing their housing as costs rise and affordable housing is lost? Homeless, and feels they have no hope of finding a job that pays enough to afford a place to live as the cost of
housing continues to rise in Seattle?

I would explain to them about my vigorous efforts to stop displacement (see above; also see http://www.joeforcouncil.com/issues/housing.shtml) and I would invite them to become part of the important movement to stop displacement and provide affordable housing for all. I would also explain about my efforts to create a living wage policy and invite them to join this movement as well.

7. The Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness prioritizes permanent housing over shelter. How should this transition be managed, i.e., at what point in is a reduction in shelter appropriate?

Condo conversions undermine the plan. The plan legitimizes the fight to end homelessness, but given gentrification trends we will be managing a worsening situation. Condo conversion must be controlled now. Let’s adopt the Right of First Notice Ordinance and scrap the multi-family tax plan – it fails low income people.

Shelter space should not be eliminated until there is very clear data agreed upon by advocates that the population of un-housed persons has declined substantially.

8. Poverty and homelessness are bad for one’s health. What role does the City of Seattle have in making sure people’s health care needs are met?

The community clinic system, especially the Pioneer Neighborhood Health Station and PSNHC affiliated clinics, should be better funded and given the support needed to carry on their critical work. The city should also work in partnership with the County Health Department to ensure that diseases like TB are being properly dealt with and that our vicinity is prepared to deal with any outbreak of a potentially disastrous disease like bird flu or a related ailment.

9. Please speak to changes you would like to see in the local jail system, focusing on how those changes impact homelessness?

We should decriminalize drugs and stop the drug war. Ex-offenders need resources and support to transition back into society in a way that will allow them to live lives of dignity, including decent housing. In Madison I stopped legislation which would have denied housing to people who served their time and returned to society and have raised money for Katrina survivor housing with Common Ground Seattle- I will continue this strong advocacy on the council.

10. Do you support any changes to the system for police accountability/oversight?

We must establish an independent, properly funded and truly independent civilian review board to investigate allegations of misconduct. To preserve OPA independence and the integrity of citizen input, we need a firewall between the Chief and the OPA director. To promote transparency, we need to remove the exemption of OPA records from the Freedom of Information Act and prevent the overturning of discipline recommendations.

For more info, see http://www.joeforcouncil.com/issues/police-accountability.shtml

top