♪♪
-Justice equals peace.
You must remember
that where there's no peace in a society,
there's no justice in the society.
My name is Omari Tahir-Garrett,
and I'm running for Seattle City Council,
position number 2,
in order to solve problems.
The major problem facing us today is
the Native Americans in their own land
have been dispossessed of their land.
We must return their land back to
the Native Americans
the same way the land in South Africa
must be returned back to the people.
Julius Malema,
the head of the Economic Freedom Fighters
in South Africa,
is working on the same problems
that Native Americans
have in colonial America.
It's not easy
to face the truth about America's founding.
Yes, the native people were killed
and Africans were brought to
North America and enslaved.
And ever since then,
we have been under the rule
and control of others.
Gun culture is one of
the major problems in America today,
and the gun culture comes from
the fact that this land
was taken from the Native Americans
with the guns.
We have a big problem in Seattle
with the state legislature
trying to give the SVI building
to the Reverend McKinney,
community development PDA.
You can't establish a religion
as a dominant religion.
Vote your conscience.
-I'm Ari Hoffman.
I'm a husband and a father
living in Seattle for 16 years.
I'm running to serve the people
of District 2 because like so many of us,
when I needed help from our city's leaders,
they weren't there.
We deserve better.
We deserve leaders that will serve the people
in Seattle by investing in dignity.
For those suffering from homelessness,
we need to renovate and build
short-term emergency supportive housing
to get people off the streets now.
For those struggling to get by,
we need to dramatically increase
affordable housing units
with every new development.
Everyone deserves to live in dignity
in a place they call their own.
People need more than just a space
to pitch a tent without access
to even the most basic hygiene
or laundry services.
For those suffering from addiction,
from physical and mental illness,
we need the dignity of a robust healthcare
and human services infrastructure.
We need addiction and mental health treatment.
We need to bridge the gap
between health care professionals
and the people who need access to care.
Our society should not allow
illness to cause homelessness.
The cost of living has increased so much
that yesterday's middle class
is today's working poor.
Every day, we see more and more people
slipping down the economic ladder.
We need leaders who will not abandon
working families and small businesses,
that will prioritize opportunity,
and promote policies that help people
achieve the dignity of a living wage job.
As a father of three,
I'm committed to public safety.
Our firefighters and police
are being asked to provide
more services with fewer resources.
More firefighters have died from suicide
in Seattle than have died from fires.
We need our first responders.
We don't often encounter them
until we really need them to help us,
to save us, but when they are well-staffed
and taken care of,
they will serve us all better.
I want to write policy based on results.
I want to end bad policies
that waste taxpayer dollars
and invest in ideas
that will lift people in Seattle
out of poverty.
I am not interested in whether a policy
came from the left or the right.
I only care about making our government
work for the people of Seattle.
I'm Ari Hoffman.
I'm ready to go to work for you.
I would be honored to have your vote.
Please check out all my policies
at hoffmanforseattle.com.
-Hi. I'm Mark Solomon,
and I'm running to represent you on
Seattle City Council for District 2.
I am running because I want
every voice in District 2 to be heard
by our city government
and for the needs of our community to be met.
With my knowledge, experience,
and the relationships that I have built
throughout my 29 years of service
to our community as a Seattle Police
crime prevention coordinator
and as a retired
Air Force Lieutenant Colonel,
I believe that I am the best person suited
to carry out this task.
I know our community.
I was born and raised here.
I know the concerns facing District 2,
and I know how the city works.
And I am prepared to work for you from day 1
to address priorities of public safety,
homelessness, affordability,
and supporting community business.
Regarding public safety,
I will allocate additional funding
to community-based crime
and violence prevention efforts.
Further, I will work with
the chief of police to promote
comprehensive community policing
and relational policing programs
in our district.
In response to homelessness,
I will allocate more funding
to diversion programs to prevent people
from becoming homeless in the first place.
Regarding affordability,
I will champion efforts
to minimize displacement
of long-term residents
in our neighborhoods
and work to ensure any fees paid into
the Affordable Housing fund from District 2
are used in District 2.
To support our businesses,
I will introduce legislation
to designate a portion of the
Equitable Development fund
specifically for small,
commercial space development
and will work to pursue tax credits
for small commercial space lease rates.
Addressing our city's issues takes
thoughtful leadership that will
seek input, listen, collaborate,
and act in a timely manner,
leadership that will enact policies
to make the city safe, equitable,
inclusive, and functioning,
leaders that are accessible, responsive,
and accountable to you.
I pledge to be that leader.
Thank you for you time.
And I ask for your support
and your vote on August 6th.
-I am the candidate with the experience
to offer bold new approaches
to our community's more urgent challenges --
homelessness and lack of
affordable housing,
limited career paths for our youth,
and increasing negative impacts
of climate change.
I've worked at the city of Seattle
for over a decade and am proud
to have been the energy behind
the creation of the first-ever
Environmental Justice Program
at Seattle City Light.
I have worked directly with communities
to advocate for equity and justice.
I intend to build on that experience
as the city council member
to foster transparency,
equity, and cultural accessibility
across city government.
This starts with facing head on
one of our city's most visible challenges --
our homelessness crisis.
Over the past several months,
I, along with my husband
and two young children,
have volunteered at Camp Second Chance.
For our family, this has been
a transformative experience
to better know our neighbors
facing the challenges of life
on the street.
We need to provide more support for those
programs that work and continue to build
upon those successes,
but we also need to do more to protect
our existing affordable housing units
and meet the city's commitment
to build 6,000 new, low-income,
and affordable housing units.
We will work with regional partners,
private businesses, and nonprofits
to consider policies and funding
while working to stop the pressures
of gentrification and displacement
so that all residents can thrive in place.
I have been blessed to have the means
to own a home in Seattle
and understand firsthand the challenges
and security that come with home ownership.
We must provide stronger protections
for our renters so they don't end up homeless.
We can't displace people as quickly
as we build affordable housing.
Lastly, we know that we face
a climate crisis.
I believe it is time to call for
a Seattle Green New Deal.
This framework can serve as a catalyst
to fast track the work underway
at the city's climate action plan,
creating jobs, opportunities,
and career pathways for our youth
to become the next generation
of environmental and clean-energy workers.
I'd be honored to have your vote.
My name is Chris Peguero.
-My name is Phyllis Porter,
and I am running for Seattle City Council,
District 2 because I have lived through
too many of the crises
that the people of Seattle
are now facing and intimately understand
why we need a representative
who has lived the same experiences
of those they are hoping to represent
at city hall.
Seattle needs a responsive,
representative leader
who will get things done at city hall.
As Seattle continues to buckle
under the pressure of so many
different crises, it is more important than ever
that we seek practical solutions,
not just platitudes.
From the Chinatown-International District
to Rainier Beach, people are at risk
of losing their communities.
As a renter, I've experienced
astronomical rent increases
that have made staying here
harder and harder.
One of the most important things
we can do is to keep people in the homes
they currently live in and provide more relief
to their increasing costs.
Our unsheltered crises need smart solutions
that prioritize keeping people
in their homes and mental health services.
We need to be better stewards
of our resources, prioritizing,
finding new, progressive revenues streams
to build more housing right here in District 2
and have places to immediately house those
who need it.
I decided to take up cycling
and began to see the city in ways
I've never seen it before.
My eyes opened to the dangers
of south Seattle streets,
especially Rainier Avenue.
South Seattle residents
have experienced far too many casualties
on our district's main arterial,
and they happen here more than anywhere
in the city.
Transportation access
is an equity issue we need to prioritize.
Representative leadership means
electing people who have lived through
the experiences of those they serve.
I want to go to city hall to be
a responsive voice to the community
and implement smart policies
that help those who need it most.
My perseverance and lived experience
will help make our community
a better place for everyone.
I would be honored to earn your vote
so that we can make District 2
work for all of us.
I would appreciate your vote on August 6th.
-Hello, I'm Tammy Morales,
running for city council in District 2.
Seattle is at a crossroads this election.
Will we allow corporate special interests
to dictate local policy
or will we shift power
to the people of our city?
I'm a community organizer,
a long-time budget
and policy analyst,
and a mom with two kids
in Seattle public schools.
I've spent my career
building healthy neighborhoods
with greater food security,
better housing, and stronger protections
for working people.
I did this work in coalition with many
of our community organizations,
joining to find solutions and advocate
for our district priorities.
That's how I lead, by joining with neighbors
and those most impacted to advance equity
and shared prosperity.
I'm running to build power
for the people of District 2
so we all feel safe, we all thrive,
and so we make decisions
that are good for all of us,
not just the most privileged.
We know that cities must lead the way
in protecting our communities.
I'll work to create a city
where we can live without fear
of displacement by building
more housing to serve low-income families,
seniors, and to support
the transition out of homelessness.
I'll invest in our young people,
from those needing more childcare options
to students who are transitioning to
college or to union
apprenticeship programs.
Together, we can transition to green building
and better transportation choices
so we end our reliance on fossil fuel,
because we can't call it an investment
if it destroys the planet.
And we must fix our upside-down tax structure.
I'll work to find the right mix
of progressive revenue
so we can stop funding the city
on the backs of our low-income neighbors.
For Seattle to thrive,
we need wealthy corporations to pay their fair share.
I'm proud to have the endorsement of grocery, healthcare,
and warehouse workers
who know my commitment to working families.
I've been endorsed by
Representative Jayapal, State Senator Saldaña,
City Council Members Mosqueda
and González,
and County Council Member Larry Gossett,
as well as the Washington Progressive Caucus,
Latino Caucus, 37th District Democrats,
and the Sierra Club.
I'm Tammy Morales,
and I'm asking for you vote so together,
we can build power for our community.
♪♪