US
(2009-09-11)
Listen Now:
null
Bellamy Pailthorp photo
The watershed issue defining the two candidates is where they stand on replacing Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct. Construction of a deep-bore tunnel is already underway. A coin toss meant Mike McGinn got the first word. He quickly folded his opposition to the tunnel into his response to a question about tax policy.
"Mr. Mallahan supports the single-largest tax increase in Seattle history: the $930 million dollars required to build the deep bore tunnel." He said, adding, "And even more -- is accepting of the fact that the state says we have to pay cost overruns on this project."
Joe Mallahan responded by saying that he's as frustrated as anyone that it's taken the city eight years -- since the viaduct was damaged in the Nisqually earthquake -- to figure out what to do.
"But I believe that decision has been made. And we're moving forward," he said. "I really think it's the role of the next mayor of Seattle to ensure that that project -- that WSDOT and all of the agencies are able to deliver that project on time and hopefully under budget."
McGinn, who's become a known quantity at city hall after years as a community organizer, says it's unrealistic to expect this project not to have overruns. Mallahan says his corporate experience has shaped him into a seasoned manager with the pragmatism needed to do the best job seeing it through.
On other issues, McGinn and Mallahan agreed more than they disagreed. Few minds were changed by the discussion. Seattle Firefighters Union spokesman Kenny Stewart was one of several holding a big yellow sign that read Firefighters for Mallahan. Stewart says even though Mallahan has tried to prevent unionization of workers at T-Mobile, the firefighters in local 27 recently endorsed him.
"Very clearly impressed with how he treats employees, how he treats workers, his basic values of working-class folks, who work for a living."
Stewart says they conducted extensive interviews in a lengthy and thorough vetting process, for which Mallahan was well-prepared. "And we saw nothing that would lead us to believe he would be anything other than an advocate for labor, an advocate for workers, and an advocate for firefighters and public safety."
Mike McGinn's supporters wore stickers to show their stance. Ainslee Close, a grad student in environmental management at the U-dub, says she's spent a lot of her precious free time this summer volunteering for the campaign. She says 70 % of Seattle voters rejected a tunnel as the replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct. She agrees with McGinn that people should be allowed to vote on it again.
"He and I have similar values, so that's why I'm willing to donate my time. I just think that we really have to continue to listen to the voters of Seattle. And when there's a wrong decision, like the decision of the tunnel, we have to go back and fix that. We can't just take a wrong decision and say that it's already done and then just try and plow past the citizens."
The debate was put on by the Greater Seattle Chamber and several other groups that lobby for business and development. The general election takes place on November 3rd.
On the web:
Joe Mallahan for Mayor
Mike McGinn for Mayor
© Copyright 2012, KPLU
