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ISSUE
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Judy Nicastro
vs.
Jean Godden
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Heidi Willis
vs.
David Della
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Margaret Pageler
vs.
Tom Rasmussen
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Jim Compton
vs.
John Manning
|
Peter Steinbrueck
vs.
Zander Batchelder
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South Lake Union streetcar:
Mayor Greg Nickels has proposed a streetcar from downtown to South Lake Union that is modeled, in part, on a Portland streetcar which costs $2.4 million per year to operate. Do you support spending city money — any city money — on constructing and operating such a streetcar?
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Both support spending city money on a streetcar but are waiting to see how much federal and state money is available. Nicastro said she would be willing to consider spending $1 million or more this year to encourage federal and state support. Godden said the Portland streetcar made property values in Portland rise and said she hoped the same would happen in Seattle.
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Della opposes the use of city money for the streetcar, saying local property owners should pay by creating a local-improvement district. Wills says it's "too soon to tell" how to pay for it.
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Neither candidate is sold on the project. Both say the city needs more information on the costs and benefits. Pageler says she's looking for a plan that "doesn't put the city on the hook long-term." Rasmussen says whatever is decided "it has to be a benefit to the public, not just adjacent property owners."
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Both say they want more information before deciding. Compton says some "minimum city contribution" may be necessary, but he's waiting for the mayor to come through on federal funding. Manning says with the city's dismal budget situation, he doubts the city can build the streetcar if that federal money falls through.
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Both are critical of the streetcar proposal. Steinbrueck called it "pretty unplanned" and said he's looking for more answers from the mayor. Batchelder doesn't support it right now and says streetcars might make more sense in other neighborhoods.
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ISSUE
|
Judy Nicastro
vs.
Jean Godden
|
Heidi Willis
vs.
David Della
|
Margaret Pageler
vs.
Tom Rasmussen
|
Jim Compton
vs.
John Manning
|
Peter Steinbrueck
vs.
Zander Batchelder
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Mandatory recycling:
The mayor has proposed a new mandatory recycling program that would ban paper in nonresidential waste and would ban paper, bottles and cans from residential garbage. Nonresidential customers would face fines for violating the policy. Residential customers would not get their garbage picked up if they included paper, bottles and cans in their waste. Do you support the proposal?
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Godden supports the plan, while Nicastro opposes it. Godden argues: "It may seem difficult at first, but there are so many benefits" such as reduced waste. Nicastro says it's wrong to penalize people as a way of encouraging recycling. "If anything, we should look at positive incentives," she said.
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Wills supports the recycling plan, while Della opposes it. Wills notes the plan would be phased in over a few years to give people time to grow accustomed to it. Della argues it would place an "undue burden" on business and says "incentives and education" are a better way to encourage recycling.
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Both support mandatory recycling. "It's the logical next step," says Pageler. She adds that most businesses won't even blink at the small fines proposed. Rasmussen says the plan is a "reasonable approach" as long as there is a grace period before penalties are imposed.
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Both support the mandatory recycling plan, citing the grace period before penalties would be imposed.
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Steinbrueck opposes mandatory recycling, while Batchelder supports it. Batchelder says "we're running out of landfill space." But Steinbrueck argues the city has a good record of meeting environmental goals without penalties.
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ISSUE
|
Judy Nicastro
vs.
Jean Godden
|
Heidi Willis
vs.
David Della
|
Margaret Pageler
vs.
Tom Rasmussen
|
Jim Compton
vs.
John Manning
|
Peter Steinbrueck
vs.
Zander Batchelder
|
Magnuson Park:
Do you support the Seattle Parks Department's plans to develop Magnuson Park with 11 lighted ballfields, which opponents say will be brighter than Safeco Field? Some fields will remain open as late as 11 p.m. Why or why not? What changes do you favor?
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Nicastro is ambivalent, while Godden, who lives near the park, opposes the plan. Nicastro says the city needs more lighted fields for recreation. But she's open to compromises on the location and brightness of the lights and on the hours the park remains open. Godden says the plan is "really much too intense for a residential neighborhood." She wouldn't mind a few new fields but says the city should look to nonresidential areas for more fields.
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Both support the proposal but say there may be ways to lessen the intensity of the lighting and say the fields may need to close earlier.
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Rasmussen is critical of the Magnuson Park plan, while Pageler endorses it. Rasmussen characterizes the proposal as a "regional attraction" for sports tournaments with a 1,000-car parking lot. Pageler says she's committed to more all-weather sports fields. "When you've got an epidemic of obesity you've got to make a special effort" to encourage exercise, she said.
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Compton supports the parks plan. Manning says the wattage of the lights should be lowered and says 10 p.m. is a better time for the park to close.
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Both agree the plan needs to be changed to reduce the intensity of lighting and say the fields should close at 10 p.m.
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ISSUE
|
Judy Nicastro
vs.
Jean Godden
|
Heidi Willis
vs.
David Della
|
Margaret Pageler
vs.
Tom Rasmussen
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Jim Compton
vs.
John Manning
|
Peter Steinbrueck
vs.
Zander Batchelder
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City budget:
After a period of boom times, Seattle is finding it doesn't have enough money to keep paying for everything as it has in the past. If this picture doesn't improve, where would you make cuts to city government? Be specific. Would you support raising taxes or fees to forestall cuts?
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Nicastro opposes new fees or taxes, with the exception of parking meters. Godden says she'd support raising taxes and fees: "I don't think people oppose taxes as much as they favor services." After recent budget cuts, Godden says, "I doubt there is much waste left" in city government, noting that police staffing has slipped to 1970s levels. If she has to cut, she'd "opt for a few percentage points in everything" except public safety and social services. Nicastro says she'd protect fire and police and is working to restore cuts to crossing guards and community-service officers. She'd look for cuts in the mayor's office and "middle management" in city administrative departments.
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Neither would specify where to cut city government, beyond looking at "consultant contracts" and other administrative costs. Both say they support higher parking rates. Wills says she'd look to install parking meters in some neighborhood business districts that don't have them. Della says he'd look at tolls on bridges.
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Pageler says the city needs to "look at everything besides public safety and health" for cuts. She says she'd look at voluntary furloughs for some departments, similar to the weeklong library closures the past two years. "It's either that or seriously start eliminating jobs. Nobody wants to close down whole offices, but I think that's the next step," Pageler says. Rasmussen says the city should look at whether it can cut overtime and middle management at Seattle City Light and the Parks Department. He also supports current proposals to raise parking rates.
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Neither offered many specifics on where to cut. Compton says every area of city government needs to be scrutinized to ensure money is spent wisely. For example, he notes police scheduling needs to be changed to ensure police are on the streets more at high-crime hours. Manning says some city departments are "top heavy," including City Light and the Police Department.
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Batchelder favors raising more city fees and cutting the city consulting budget. He also says spending on human services should be reduced because the city can't be expected to solve problems that should be addressed by the state and federal government. Steinbrueck says "core services" including human services, libraries and police need to be protected. He'd look to cut travel spending and opposes the mayor's proposal to spend money on sidewalks.
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ISSUE
|
Judy Nicastro
vs.
Jean Godden
|
Heidi Willis
vs.
David Della
|
Margaret Pageler
vs.
Tom Rasmussen
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Jim Compton
vs.
John Manning
|
Peter Steinbrueck
vs.
Zander Batchelder
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Transportation levy:
Some City Council members support the idea of increasing property taxes to provide about $30 million a year to pay for maintenance of Seattle's streets, sidewalks and bridges. Councilman Richard Conlin has suggested that such a Seattle-only transportation levy could go on the ballot in 2004 or 2005. Do you support such a proposal?
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Both say they're willing to consider a transportation levy. "I wish we didn't need it, but the reality is we do," Nicastro says. Godden suggested some of the levy money go to pay for pedestrian-safety improvements, including sidewalks.
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Wills supports a transportation levy but wants it to be on the ballot in 2005 as opposed to next year. Della says he may support a levy if it pays for items such as sidewalks, which wouldn't be paid for by a regional transportation package that also may be on next year's ballot.
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Rasmussen says he doesn't support a levy at this time, while Pageler says she's inclined to support one in 2005, citing the city's growing maintenance backlog and limits on its ability to raise other taxes. Rasmussen says he might support a transportation levy if the property-tax burden could be reduced in other ways.
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Both are skeptical of putting a levy on the ballot any time soon. Compton says people are "overtaxed already" and won't stand for a new levy. Manning supported a similar proposal when he was on the council in 1997 but agrees people are "taxed out" and says now may not be a good time to try again.
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Both oppose a transportation levy in the next few years. Steinbrueck says the city should wait until there is an economic recovery. Batchelder says the city needs to include more money for street maintenance in its regular budget.
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