Michael McGinn
Encyclopedia
Michael "Mike" Patrick McGinn (born December 17, 1959) is the mayor of Seattle, a lawyer, Greenwood neighborhood activist
and a former Sierra Club
state chair. In what was characterized as a "sea change in the power structure of Seattle", McGinn differentiated his primary campaign by his opposition to the proposed tunnel
replacement to the Alaskan Way Viaduct
and won election with the support of groups considered to be "political outsiders" such as environmentalists, biking advocates, musicians, nightclub owners, and younger voters.
and worked for Congressman Jim Weaver as a legislative aide. McGinn attended law school at the University of Washington
School of Law
. After graduation, he practiced business law for the Seattle firm Stokes Lawrence, becoming a partner. He remained a full-time lawyer for Stokes Lawrence until 2006, when he started a small non-profit.
Vulcan Inc.
on environmental and urban development issues. As a neighborhood organizer and head of his non-profit, McGinn endorsed his future opponent Mayor Greg Nickels
and worked with him to bar development of large, commercial "big box stores", eliminate street parking in favor of bus lanes and push for changes in zoning laws to encourage greater density in the Greenwood neighborhood. McGinn stepped down from his position as head of the Greenwood Community Council in 2006 and as Executive Director of his non-profit in March 2009 in order to run for Mayor. In 2007, McGinn used his position as a leader in the Sierra Club
's Cascade Chapter to help successfully campaign against Washington State's Proposition 1, a combined road and mass transit measure, in favor of a transit-only measure. Later McGinn chaired the successful campaign to pass a Seattle parks levy.
on March 24, 2009. McGinn stated that his principal policy positions would center on schools, broadband Internet access and local transportation infrastructure. He advocated the abolishing of local school boards and replacing them with city officials, replacing private broadband Internet service with a government-controlled utility provider, the replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct
with a surface street instead of the planned tunnel and greater local neighborhood control of their parking taxes and meter rates.
Mayor Greg Nickels proposed eliminating Seattle's business tax on SOV commuters on the grounds it was no longer needed and was hurting business and job growth. McGinn opposed ending the tax, called the Employee Hours Tax, which taxes business $25 for each of its employees that drive to work alone. McGinn said that Nickels and his opponent Mallahan, who also favored repealing the tax, were "out of touch" and too close to the "business elite".
McGinn rode his electrically-assisted bicycle
to and from political events and maintained no paid campaign staff. In an upset, aided by exposure in the form of a cover profile from The Stranger
, McGinn led the August primary with 39,097 votes, ahead of Joe Mallahan's
37,933 votes and incumbent Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels'
35,781 votes. By October 2009 the McGinn campaign had raised approximately $150,000.
McGinn's anti-tunnel stance received significant criticism from groups like the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, the downtown business community, the King County Labor Council and the Seattle Times which called McGinn's surface street plan "impractical" and claimed it would clog downtown and overwhelm nearby Interstate 5
.
McGinn did not gain the widespread support of local organized labor unions. The King County Labor Council endorsed McGinn's opponent, Joe Mallahan, mainly on the position that McGinn's opposition to the viaduct tunnel, described by unions as a "deal breaker", would cause the city and its unions to lose jobs and billions of dollars from the State of Washington and Federal government. The viaduct tunnel would have been partially funded by city, state and federal governments, bringing federal money into the state and supporting the building industry. McGinn did, however, receive the endorsements of several other unions, including IBEW Local 77,SEIU Local 925, and UFCW Local 21.
McGinn's policy prescriptions in 2010 for the city budget that include additional furloughing of city employees, has been met with stiff resistance from local bargaining units.
After the election, requests for state employee emails revealed a discomfort with the McGinn campaign by state government and transportation officials over McGinn's anti tunnel position. Ron Judd, an aide to Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, sent emails to staff and DOT officials saying McGinn's position was "BS" and accused McGinn of stoking populist angers and relying on voter's ignorance about funding details to advance his anti-tunnel stance. Washington State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond described McGinn's budget forecasting as "wild accusations" and in a response to questions her involvement in opposing the McGinn campaign said "I can't stand it when politicians make things up in order to win an election. When people do that, I think it's our responsibility to clear the record. That's my motivation." After the Seattle Firefighters Union Local 27 and the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) endorsed Joe Mallahan the SPOG President Sgt. Rich O'Neill went on record at a news conference to criticize McGinn's lack of an adequate policy position regarding public safety.
McGinn's management record has come under greater scrutiny, including his chairmanship of Seattle's successful 2008 parks levy campaign. Members of the Seattle City Council, including Tom Rasmussen, said that McGinn mismanaged the effort. The City Council became "alarmed" at what members described as a disorganized effort. The City Council appointed Seattle Parks Foundation Executive Director Karen Daubert as co-chair in order to help save the levy campaign. Rasmussen says that it was Daubert that "saved the day" for the levy despite McGinn receiving credit. McGinn has also been accused of "push polling"
with robo calls
to Seattle residents. His opponent Joe Mallahan called the survey (pdf) about the proposed Alaska Way Viaduct "dishonest" but McGinn says the poll was legitimate research.
lobbyist David Hiller at $95,000 a year after giving a controversial $21,000 raise to his new communications director, Beth Hester, whose position now makes $120,000 a year.
, "We recognize that, you know, like alcohol
, it's something that should be regulated, not treated as a criminal activity. And I think that's where the citizens of Seattle want us to go." He believes marijuana can be used as a cash crop to offset the city's financial problems. McGinn called for an executive review of Seattle's law enforcement policy in regard to marijuana after a controversial police raid on a medical marijuana user who was growing plants in his home. He has said that he believes the country is in a time of transition in regard to marijuana policy citing California as a "social bellwether'.
In July 2011, McGinn signed a medical marijuana bill similar to one rejected by Washington Governor Christine Gregoire
. The bill allows for the licensing of marijuana dispensaries within Seattle.
McGinn opposes the currently planned replacement of the 520 floating bridge
that connects Seattle to Bellevue and Redmond. McGinn is trying to stop the plan, which calls for six lanes instead of the current four, citing his opposition to building new roads. McGinn opposes adding any traffic capacity and has stated his desire to see the additional capacity planned now instead be used as transit only lanes. He also supports tolling on the bridge in order to further diminish car usage.
Down in the polls during the final days of his campaign for Mayor McGinn came out with a promise not to use his position as Mayor to obstruct the construction of the deep bore tunnel replacement of the Alaska Way Viaduct. Since taking office McGinn has consistently made efforts to stop its construction and has pledged to use his mayoral veto to stop the project. Citing potential cost overruns McGinn has proposed a surface street replacement of the viaduct and the reduction of cars on that portion of the Highway 99
corridor from 105,000 to 50,000 per weekday. McGinn claims that the lost traffic capacity could be offset by diverting more cars to Interstate 5
, increased transit use, walking, biking and drivers staying home. In February 2011, when the Seattle City Council voted 8-1 to sign an agreement allowing the tunnel project to proceed, McGinn used his Mayoral veto. The City Council then overrode his veto, again 8-1. After the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake
in Japan McGinn, citing the quake, called for the viaduct to be pulled down a year early. No plan to replace or mitigate the lost traffic capacity was put forward. The call is opposed by some businesses and transportation experts. The president of Ballard's
North Seattle Industrial Association called the likely fallout of early closure "a horror show" citing the corridor's role as the primary arterial for workers, equipment and supplies between manufacturers along Seattle's two key manufacturing zones, the Duwamish Waterway and along the Lake Washington Ship Canal. Washington's State's Department of Transportation viaduct program administrator also opposed the idea saying, "To simply close the viaduct without a reasonable replacement in place would be very damaging to the city of Seattle economically. To start over now and pursue a new alternative would delay the overall project schedule. The viaduct is just as vulnerable as it was before the earthquake in Japan.”
After having his veto on the tunnel overridden McGinn called for a referendum challenging the tunnel. Several of his staff members took temporary leaves of absence to work on the anti-tunnel campaign and McGinn and his wife both donated money. He called for others to support the measure and donate money. After the campaign turned in 29,000 signatures, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes
, asked the King County Superior Court to review whether the tunnel agreement was administrative or legislative in nature. It is the position of Holmes' office that the agreement is administrative in nature and so not eligible for a referendum. Washington State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond said that delays and court costs associated with the referendum will cost the city $54 million and Ron Paananen, the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement project administrator, says should it succeed it will cost the city over $1 billion. Fellow tunnel opponent City Councilman Mike O'Brien said that, when looked at a different way, cancelling the tunnel would save the city $700 million.
McGinn advocates expanding Light rail
in Seattle calling for a public vote in 2011 to raise taxes for a new light rail line for the western side of the city, including Ballard
, Interbay
, Queen Anne
, Belltown
, Downtown, West Seattle
, and possibly Fremont
.
In May 2011 McGinn hired controversial former Cascade Bicycle Club
lobbyist David Hiller as his transportation adviser. The new position will have a starting salary of $95,000 a year. Hiller, sparked controversy with his previous comments including an interview about drivers who injure or kill bicyclists saying, "I'd love to hang these people up by their toenails at the edge of town and paint 'killer' across their chest and let them hang there until the buzzards peck their eyes out." The creation of the new position has also generated controversy as it coincides with across the board budget cuts for other departments.
After a series of controversial police actions McGinn laid out in his State of the City address that there was "no room" for police officers in Seattle who did not share his administration's views on race and social justice. The Seattle Police Officer's Guild spokesperson called the position "scary". Later, in the aftermath of the shooting of a transient woodcarver John T. Willimas by a Seattle police officer, McGinn declared February 27 to be "John T. WIlliams Day." The declaration was met with a variety of reactions from activists, the media and community groups. Some media figures and police officers complained that honoring a man with a lengthy criminal record who had been recorded threatening the lives of police officers was inappropriate and others claimed the declaration was political pandering designed to distract from perceived failures in his leadership. Conversely many members of the community and the Williams family expressed gratitude and John Diaz, Seattle Chief of Police, declared the invitation to the event the be "an honor."
In his first two years as mayor, McGinn spearheaded a new program in the Seattle Police Department to expand foot patrols around entertainment venues and nightlife hot spots during the summer, predominantly in the Belltown neighborhood. The program came in response to several early morning shootings outside bars and nightclubs. The emphasis of the program is to preempt crime in the area on evenings and weekends. Additional neighborhoods targeted for increased patrols are Alki beach and the Greek Row around the University of Washington
.
McGinn and a panel of activists for the homeless, appointed by him, have called for the creation of a permanent free housing facility for the homeless on city land. The panel forwarded seven different locations for the mayor's consideration. After initially choosing a site in the Georgetown neighborhood McGinn elected to have the old Fire Station 39 in Lake City act as the site for a period of four to six months. In March 2011 the City Council rejected McGinn's plan for the permanent facility in Georgetown citing the mayor's failure to secure the environmental review required by state law in order to make the necessary zoning changes. McGinn's criticized the Council and tried to draw a parallel to the Council's decision on the Alaskan Way Viaduct Tunnel project. The facility is expected to cost approximately a half million dollars a year.
McGinn vetoed a ban on aggressive panhandling which was passed by the Seattle city council. The law was designed to cut down on aggressive panhandlers using intimidating language and gestures, begging at ATMs, repeatedly soliciting people who have already said "no" or blocking people's path while soliciting money. He cited concerns about free speech rights, the panhandlers not having access to lawyers, and that the bill could compel people into mental health and drug treatment programs instead of what he called the "normal civil commitment process."
at 40% approve, 34% disapprove with 27% unsure. By July, in a KING 5 poll, his approval had risen to 45% with 38% disapproving and 17% unsure. By March 2011 a poll by Elway Research
showed dissatisfaction with his performance across multiple criteria and put public opinion of his job as mayor at 2-1 negative with 4% calling his performance "excellent" and 27% calling it "poor". A poll published by EMC Research in June 2011 showed a further eroding of support with a job approval rating of 33% and a disapproval rating of 65% in March. The same poll conducted in June showed a job approval of 23% and a disapproval of 73%, an 18 point shift.
Community organizing
Community organizing is a process where people who live in proximity to each other come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest. A core goal of community organizing is to generate durable power for an organization representing the community, allowing it to influence...
and a former Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
state chair. In what was characterized as a "sea change in the power structure of Seattle", McGinn differentiated his primary campaign by his opposition to the proposed tunnel
Proposed replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct
The Alaskan Way Viaduct is a viaduct bridge in the city of Seattle, Washington, that carries Washington State Route 99 over the Elliott Bay waterfront between the city's Industrial District and Belltown...
replacement to the Alaskan Way Viaduct
Alaskan Way Viaduct
The Alaskan Way Viaduct, completed on April 4, 1953, is a double-decked elevated section of State Route 99 that runs along the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle's Industrial District and downtown Seattle. It is the smaller of the two major north–south traffic corridors through Seattle ,...
and won election with the support of groups considered to be "political outsiders" such as environmentalists, biking advocates, musicians, nightclub owners, and younger voters.
Early life and education
Originally from Long Island, New York, McGinn grew up in a family of eight. He earned a BA in economics from Williams CollegeWilliams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
and worked for Congressman Jim Weaver as a legislative aide. McGinn attended law school at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
School of Law
University of Washington School of Law
The University of Washington School of Law is the law school of the University of Washington, located on the northwest corner of the main campus in Seattle, Washington.The most recent 2012 U.S...
. After graduation, he practiced business law for the Seattle firm Stokes Lawrence, becoming a partner. He remained a full-time lawyer for Stokes Lawrence until 2006, when he started a small non-profit.
Political activism
McGinn was the founder and former executive director of the Seattle Great City Initiative, a non-profit advocacy group, as well as a former head of the Greenwood Community Council. While at Seattle Great Initiative McGinn oversaw a budget of $160,000 and worked alliances with companies like Triad Development, Harbor Properties and Paul Allen'sPaul Allen
Paul Gardner Allen is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates...
Vulcan Inc.
Vulcan Inc.
Vulcan Inc. is an investment and project management company founded in 1986 by Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, to manage his investments...
on environmental and urban development issues. As a neighborhood organizer and head of his non-profit, McGinn endorsed his future opponent Mayor Greg Nickels
Greg Nickels
Gregory J. "Greg" Nickels was the 51st mayor of Seattle, Washington. He took office on January 1, 2002 and was reelected to a second term in 2005. In August 2009, Nickels finished third in the primary election for Seattle mayor, failing to qualify for the November 2009 general election, and...
and worked with him to bar development of large, commercial "big box stores", eliminate street parking in favor of bus lanes and push for changes in zoning laws to encourage greater density in the Greenwood neighborhood. McGinn stepped down from his position as head of the Greenwood Community Council in 2006 and as Executive Director of his non-profit in March 2009 in order to run for Mayor. In 2007, McGinn used his position as a leader in the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
's Cascade Chapter to help successfully campaign against Washington State's Proposition 1, a combined road and mass transit measure, in favor of a transit-only measure. Later McGinn chaired the successful campaign to pass a Seattle parks levy.
2009 Seattle Mayoral Campaign
McGinn announced his candidacy in the 2009 Seattle Mayoral electionSeattle mayoral election, 2009
The 2009 Seattle mayoral election took place November 3, 2009.Incumbent Mayor Greg Nickels sought reelection but finished third in the August 18, 2009 primary election. The general election was instead between Joe Mallahan and Michael McGinn...
on March 24, 2009. McGinn stated that his principal policy positions would center on schools, broadband Internet access and local transportation infrastructure. He advocated the abolishing of local school boards and replacing them with city officials, replacing private broadband Internet service with a government-controlled utility provider, the replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct
Alaskan Way Viaduct
The Alaskan Way Viaduct, completed on April 4, 1953, is a double-decked elevated section of State Route 99 that runs along the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle's Industrial District and downtown Seattle. It is the smaller of the two major north–south traffic corridors through Seattle ,...
with a surface street instead of the planned tunnel and greater local neighborhood control of their parking taxes and meter rates.
Mayor Greg Nickels proposed eliminating Seattle's business tax on SOV commuters on the grounds it was no longer needed and was hurting business and job growth. McGinn opposed ending the tax, called the Employee Hours Tax, which taxes business $25 for each of its employees that drive to work alone. McGinn said that Nickels and his opponent Mallahan, who also favored repealing the tax, were "out of touch" and too close to the "business elite".
McGinn rode his electrically-assisted bicycle
Electric bicycle
An electric bicycle, also known as an e-bike, is a bicycle with an electric motor used to power the vehicle. Electric bicycles typically cost between and , use rechargeable batteries and can travel up to...
to and from political events and maintained no paid campaign staff. In an upset, aided by exposure in the form of a cover profile from The Stranger
The Stranger (newspaper)
The Stranger is an alternative weekly newspaper in Seattle, Washington, USA. It runs a blog known as Slog.-History:The Stranger was founded by Tim Keck, who had previously co-founded the satirical newspaper The Onion, and cartoonist James Sturm. Its first issue came out on September 23, 1991...
, McGinn led the August primary with 39,097 votes, ahead of Joe Mallahan's
Joe Mallahan
Joe Mallahan is a telecommunications executive, former Chicago community organizer and unsuccessful candidate in the 2009 Seattle mayoral election...
37,933 votes and incumbent Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels'
Greg Nickels
Gregory J. "Greg" Nickels was the 51st mayor of Seattle, Washington. He took office on January 1, 2002 and was reelected to a second term in 2005. In August 2009, Nickels finished third in the primary election for Seattle mayor, failing to qualify for the November 2009 general election, and...
35,781 votes. By October 2009 the McGinn campaign had raised approximately $150,000.
Criticism
As mayor, McGinn has experienced political conflict dealing with local unions, developers, the downtown community, moderate environmentalists, businesses and other groups in the city on the subject of the tunnel.McGinn's anti-tunnel stance received significant criticism from groups like the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, the downtown business community, the King County Labor Council and the Seattle Times which called McGinn's surface street plan "impractical" and claimed it would clog downtown and overwhelm nearby Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
.
McGinn did not gain the widespread support of local organized labor unions. The King County Labor Council endorsed McGinn's opponent, Joe Mallahan, mainly on the position that McGinn's opposition to the viaduct tunnel, described by unions as a "deal breaker", would cause the city and its unions to lose jobs and billions of dollars from the State of Washington and Federal government. The viaduct tunnel would have been partially funded by city, state and federal governments, bringing federal money into the state and supporting the building industry. McGinn did, however, receive the endorsements of several other unions, including IBEW Local 77,SEIU Local 925, and UFCW Local 21.
McGinn's policy prescriptions in 2010 for the city budget that include additional furloughing of city employees, has been met with stiff resistance from local bargaining units.
After the election, requests for state employee emails revealed a discomfort with the McGinn campaign by state government and transportation officials over McGinn's anti tunnel position. Ron Judd, an aide to Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, sent emails to staff and DOT officials saying McGinn's position was "BS" and accused McGinn of stoking populist angers and relying on voter's ignorance about funding details to advance his anti-tunnel stance. Washington State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond described McGinn's budget forecasting as "wild accusations" and in a response to questions her involvement in opposing the McGinn campaign said "I can't stand it when politicians make things up in order to win an election. When people do that, I think it's our responsibility to clear the record. That's my motivation." After the Seattle Firefighters Union Local 27 and the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) endorsed Joe Mallahan the SPOG President Sgt. Rich O'Neill went on record at a news conference to criticize McGinn's lack of an adequate policy position regarding public safety.
McGinn's management record has come under greater scrutiny, including his chairmanship of Seattle's successful 2008 parks levy campaign. Members of the Seattle City Council, including Tom Rasmussen, said that McGinn mismanaged the effort. The City Council became "alarmed" at what members described as a disorganized effort. The City Council appointed Seattle Parks Foundation Executive Director Karen Daubert as co-chair in order to help save the levy campaign. Rasmussen says that it was Daubert that "saved the day" for the levy despite McGinn receiving credit. McGinn has also been accused of "push polling"
Push poll
A push poll is a political campaign technique in which an individual or organization attempts to influence or alter the view of respondents under the guise of conducting a poll. In a push poll, large numbers of respondents are contacted, and little or no effort is made to collect and analyze...
with robo calls
Robocall
Robocall is a term for an automated phone call that uses both a computerized autodialer and a computer-delivered pre-recorded message. The implication is that a "robocall" resembles a telephone call from a robot...
to Seattle residents. His opponent Joe Mallahan called the survey (pdf) about the proposed Alaska Way Viaduct "dishonest" but McGinn says the poll was legitimate research.
2011
Facing a substantial deficit, McGinn has called for new taxes and the raising of existing taxes and fees in 2010 and 2011, mainly targeting drivers. McGinn has asked for a higher car tab tax and a mandatory doubling of the parking lot tax, a $241 million levy to replace the city's seawall two years early and almost doubling the city's education levy to $231 million. Despite campaign promises of more neighborhood control of parking rates, he has also pushed for a mandatory, city directed increase in parking fees in several neighborhoods to $4 an hour. He has allocated a $13 million funding increase for bicycle and pedestrian projects derived from new taxes on motorists. At the same time, he pushed for reduced funding in road maintenance and widespread cuts in basics such as police and library services. His increased funding of pedestrian and bicycle projects during a time of general cuts has raised criticism of his budgetary priorities. In all McGinn's budget slashed $67 million from various areas by laying off 300 employees, reducing hours at community centers, cutting park maintenance, raising fees and wage reductions from union workers.2012
McGinn proposed deferring some maintenance on roads and buildings and across the board cuts into the 2012 fiscal year, alerting police, fire and human-services departments to prepare for three to six percent cuts and all other departments for four to eight percent cuts, in order to close a $17 million funding gap. In other areas McGinn proposed funding increases. Responding to a letter from Seattle Gay News, and at the recommendation of the city government's Seattle Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Commission, McGinn stated he will work to change current city health benefits packages to make sure the city pays for any transgendered employees sex change operations. The Commission called the operations "a medical necessity" and McGinn asserts that the issue is about fairness and not costs. City Budget Director Beth Goldberg states that the city faces several long-term financial challenges including rising costs for employee health care and maintaining its retirement fund. McGinn also created a new position at city hall for controversial former Cascade Bicycle ClubCascade Bicycle Club
Cascade Bicycle Club is a nonprofit 501 community organization based in Seattle, Washington. It is the largest bicycling club in the United States with more than 13,000 members. It is run by unpaid directors, professional staff and volunteers...
lobbyist David Hiller at $95,000 a year after giving a controversial $21,000 raise to his new communications director, Beth Hester, whose position now makes $120,000 a year.
Education
McGinn campaigned on removing control of Seattle schools from local, elected school boards and placing it under the purview of appointed officials from City Hall. After winning election he forwarded a new education levy which would raise $115 million in additional taxes for the Seattle Public School District but be placed under the control of City Hall. McGinn asserts that the doubling of the levy is necessary to get additional money to programs serving low-income and minority families. The levy would also expand early education and kindergartens, extra elementary school programs for high poverty areas, support for struggling students transitioning from middle to high school and academic, career and college planning for at risk high school students. The Seattle Times characterized the size of the tax hike to be "tone deaf" to the economic realities of voters. Acknowledging the size of the levy as a concern the Seattle City Council still voted unanimously to forward the mayor's levy proposal to voters with Tim Burgess, the Council's lead on the levy, saying its size "matched the needs" of Seattle's children.Marijuana
McGinn supports the legalization and taxation of marijuana, saying on KUOW-FMKUOW-FM
KUOW-FM 94.9 is a National Public Radio affiliate radio station in Seattle, Washington. It is a top-ranked radio station in the Seattle/Tacoma media market...
, "We recognize that, you know, like alcohol
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
, it's something that should be regulated, not treated as a criminal activity. And I think that's where the citizens of Seattle want us to go." He believes marijuana can be used as a cash crop to offset the city's financial problems. McGinn called for an executive review of Seattle's law enforcement policy in regard to marijuana after a controversial police raid on a medical marijuana user who was growing plants in his home. He has said that he believes the country is in a time of transition in regard to marijuana policy citing California as a "social bellwether'.
In July 2011, McGinn signed a medical marijuana bill similar to one rejected by Washington Governor Christine Gregoire
Christine Gregoire
Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire is the 22nd and current Governor of the state of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party. Gregoire defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and again in 2008. She is the second female governor of Washington...
. The bill allows for the licensing of marijuana dispensaries within Seattle.
Transportation
McGinn is a proponent of reducing car ridership and increasing bicycling, walking, and public transportation. McGinn has proposed raising taxes on car transportation. He has been described as "philosophically anti-car" and even conducting a "war on cars". McGinn described the idea of a war on cars as "silly" and stated his transportation policy is focused on reducing the number of cars in Seattle and expanding biking, walking and public transit. McGinn asserts that the only way to make people change their behavior is to make it more difficult for them to drive and park. Since his time as a neighborhood activist in Greenwood, to his current position as Mayor, McGinn has pushed for the removal of car lanes and on-street parking around the city in favor of bus and bike lanes. McGinn also supports the reduction of lanes dedicated to vehicular traffic within the city through "road diets". These programs convert four lanes of traffic into two lanes, using the added space from lane reductions for the inclusion of bike lanes and a center turn lane. Some of these programs have been well received as improving safety for bicyclists and lowering vehicle speeds while others have been opposed as hurting local business and being inappropriate for arterial routes.McGinn opposes the currently planned replacement of the 520 floating bridge
Evergreen Point Floating Bridge
The Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge—Evergreen Point is the longest floating bridge on Earth at and carries State Route 520 across Lake Washington from Seattle to Medina.The Evergreen Point of the bridge's original name is the westernmost of the three small Eastside...
that connects Seattle to Bellevue and Redmond. McGinn is trying to stop the plan, which calls for six lanes instead of the current four, citing his opposition to building new roads. McGinn opposes adding any traffic capacity and has stated his desire to see the additional capacity planned now instead be used as transit only lanes. He also supports tolling on the bridge in order to further diminish car usage.
Down in the polls during the final days of his campaign for Mayor McGinn came out with a promise not to use his position as Mayor to obstruct the construction of the deep bore tunnel replacement of the Alaska Way Viaduct. Since taking office McGinn has consistently made efforts to stop its construction and has pledged to use his mayoral veto to stop the project. Citing potential cost overruns McGinn has proposed a surface street replacement of the viaduct and the reduction of cars on that portion of the Highway 99
Washington State Route 99
State Route 99, abbreviated SR 99, commonly called Highway 99, is a numbered state highway in the U.S. state of Washington extending just under from Fife in the south to Everett in the north, with a gap in Tukwila.-Southern division:...
corridor from 105,000 to 50,000 per weekday. McGinn claims that the lost traffic capacity could be offset by diverting more cars to Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
, increased transit use, walking, biking and drivers staying home. In February 2011, when the Seattle City Council voted 8-1 to sign an agreement allowing the tunnel project to proceed, McGinn used his Mayoral veto. The City Council then overrode his veto, again 8-1. After the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
in Japan McGinn, citing the quake, called for the viaduct to be pulled down a year early. No plan to replace or mitigate the lost traffic capacity was put forward. The call is opposed by some businesses and transportation experts. The president of Ballard's
Ballard, Seattle
Ballard is a neighborhood located in the northwestern part of Seattle, Washington. To the north it is bounded by Crown Hill, ; to the east by Greenwood, Phinney Ridge and Fremont ; to the south by the Lake Washington Ship Canal; and to the west by Puget Sound’s Shilshole Bay. The neighborhood’s...
North Seattle Industrial Association called the likely fallout of early closure "a horror show" citing the corridor's role as the primary arterial for workers, equipment and supplies between manufacturers along Seattle's two key manufacturing zones, the Duwamish Waterway and along the Lake Washington Ship Canal. Washington's State's Department of Transportation viaduct program administrator also opposed the idea saying, "To simply close the viaduct without a reasonable replacement in place would be very damaging to the city of Seattle economically. To start over now and pursue a new alternative would delay the overall project schedule. The viaduct is just as vulnerable as it was before the earthquake in Japan.”
After having his veto on the tunnel overridden McGinn called for a referendum challenging the tunnel. Several of his staff members took temporary leaves of absence to work on the anti-tunnel campaign and McGinn and his wife both donated money. He called for others to support the measure and donate money. After the campaign turned in 29,000 signatures, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes
Pete Holmes
Pete Holmes is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and cartoonist based in Los Angeles, California.-Early life:Holmes was born in Lexington, Massachusetts, United States....
, asked the King County Superior Court to review whether the tunnel agreement was administrative or legislative in nature. It is the position of Holmes' office that the agreement is administrative in nature and so not eligible for a referendum. Washington State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond said that delays and court costs associated with the referendum will cost the city $54 million and Ron Paananen, the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement project administrator, says should it succeed it will cost the city over $1 billion. Fellow tunnel opponent City Councilman Mike O'Brien said that, when looked at a different way, cancelling the tunnel would save the city $700 million.
McGinn advocates expanding Light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
in Seattle calling for a public vote in 2011 to raise taxes for a new light rail line for the western side of the city, including Ballard
Ballard, Seattle, Washington
Ballard is a neighborhood located in the northwestern part of Seattle, Washington. To the north it is bounded by Crown Hill, ; to the east by Greenwood, Phinney Ridge and Fremont ; to the south by the Lake Washington Ship Canal; and to the west by Puget Sound’s Shilshole Bay. The neighborhood’s...
, Interbay
Interbay, Seattle, Washington
Interbay is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington in the United States consisting of the valley between Queen Anne Hill on the east and Magnolia on the west, plus filled-in areas of Smith Cove and Salmon Bay...
, Queen Anne
Queen Anne, Seattle, Washington
Queen Anne Hill is a neighborhood and geographic feature in Seattle, Washington, northwest of downtown. The neighborhood sits on the highest named hill in the city, with a maximum elevation of . It covers an area of , and has a population of about 28,000...
, Belltown
Belltown, Seattle, Washington
Belltown is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, United States, in the 98121 Zip Code, located on the city's downtown waterfront, on land that was artificially flattened as part of a regrading project...
, Downtown, West Seattle
West Seattle, Seattle, Washington
West Seattle comprises two of Seattle, Washington's thirteen districts, Delridge and Southwest and encompasses all of Seattle west of the Duwamish River. It was incorporated as an independent town in 1902 and was annexed by Seattle in 1907. Among the area's attractions are its saltwater beach parks...
, and possibly Fremont
Fremont, Seattle, Washington
Fremont is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. Originally a separate city, it was annexed to Seattle in 1891. Named after Fremont, Nebraska, the hometown of two of its founders, L. H. Griffith and E...
.
In May 2011 McGinn hired controversial former Cascade Bicycle Club
Cascade Bicycle Club
Cascade Bicycle Club is a nonprofit 501 community organization based in Seattle, Washington. It is the largest bicycling club in the United States with more than 13,000 members. It is run by unpaid directors, professional staff and volunteers...
lobbyist David Hiller as his transportation adviser. The new position will have a starting salary of $95,000 a year. Hiller, sparked controversy with his previous comments including an interview about drivers who injure or kill bicyclists saying, "I'd love to hang these people up by their toenails at the edge of town and paint 'killer' across their chest and let them hang there until the buzzards peck their eyes out." The creation of the new position has also generated controversy as it coincides with across the board budget cuts for other departments.
Social welfare and public safety
As both a candidate and a mayor, McGinn supported his predecessor's attempts to ban all guns from parks and other public places. After the King County Superior Court overturned the gun ban, for being in violation of state law, McGinn petitioned for the state legislature to change the law.After a series of controversial police actions McGinn laid out in his State of the City address that there was "no room" for police officers in Seattle who did not share his administration's views on race and social justice. The Seattle Police Officer's Guild spokesperson called the position "scary". Later, in the aftermath of the shooting of a transient woodcarver John T. Willimas by a Seattle police officer, McGinn declared February 27 to be "John T. WIlliams Day." The declaration was met with a variety of reactions from activists, the media and community groups. Some media figures and police officers complained that honoring a man with a lengthy criminal record who had been recorded threatening the lives of police officers was inappropriate and others claimed the declaration was political pandering designed to distract from perceived failures in his leadership. Conversely many members of the community and the Williams family expressed gratitude and John Diaz, Seattle Chief of Police, declared the invitation to the event the be "an honor."
In his first two years as mayor, McGinn spearheaded a new program in the Seattle Police Department to expand foot patrols around entertainment venues and nightlife hot spots during the summer, predominantly in the Belltown neighborhood. The program came in response to several early morning shootings outside bars and nightclubs. The emphasis of the program is to preempt crime in the area on evenings and weekends. Additional neighborhoods targeted for increased patrols are Alki beach and the Greek Row around the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
.
McGinn and a panel of activists for the homeless, appointed by him, have called for the creation of a permanent free housing facility for the homeless on city land. The panel forwarded seven different locations for the mayor's consideration. After initially choosing a site in the Georgetown neighborhood McGinn elected to have the old Fire Station 39 in Lake City act as the site for a period of four to six months. In March 2011 the City Council rejected McGinn's plan for the permanent facility in Georgetown citing the mayor's failure to secure the environmental review required by state law in order to make the necessary zoning changes. McGinn's criticized the Council and tried to draw a parallel to the Council's decision on the Alaskan Way Viaduct Tunnel project. The facility is expected to cost approximately a half million dollars a year.
McGinn vetoed a ban on aggressive panhandling which was passed by the Seattle city council. The law was designed to cut down on aggressive panhandlers using intimidating language and gestures, begging at ATMs, repeatedly soliciting people who have already said "no" or blocking people's path while soliciting money. He cited concerns about free speech rights, the panhandlers not having access to lawyers, and that the bill could compel people into mental health and drug treatment programs instead of what he called the "normal civil commitment process."
Polling
In February of 2010, two months after his election, McGinn's job approval was polled by SurveyUSASurveyUSA
SurveyUSA is a polling firm in the United States. It conducts market research for corporations and interest groups, but is best known for conducting opinion polls for various political offices and questions...
at 40% approve, 34% disapprove with 27% unsure. By July, in a KING 5 poll, his approval had risen to 45% with 38% disapproving and 17% unsure. By March 2011 a poll by Elway Research
Elway Research
Elway Research, Inc.is a Seattle-based public opinion research firm. Since 1975, Elway Research has research projects for major corporations, media outlets, associations, foundations, campaigns and governmental agencies at all levels....
showed dissatisfaction with his performance across multiple criteria and put public opinion of his job as mayor at 2-1 negative with 4% calling his performance "excellent" and 27% calling it "poor". A poll published by EMC Research in June 2011 showed a further eroding of support with a job approval rating of 33% and a disapproval rating of 65% in March. The same poll conducted in June showed a job approval of 23% and a disapproval of 73%, an 18 point shift.
External links
- Biking to Work with Seattle’s Mayor Mike McGinn - Video by Streetfilms
- CityMayors profile