Saturday afternoon, the McGinn campaign celebrated the opening of its newest office in South Seattle. Citizens and volunteers alike packed into the new location to hear Mike speak briefly about the state of the campaign and field questions from concerned community members seeking answers to local challenges. (And to enjoy a big pile of Banh Mi from Tony’s Deli.)

The new office, in sight of the Othello Link Light Rail station, sits nestled among King Plaza’s plentiful and vibrant local businesses, among them Nguoi Viet, a local Vietnamese weekly newspaper, and Quan Ben Le, a popular coffee shop.

Mike opened the event by relating the community work his father undertook on the East Coast (where Mike grew up) and in particular, time he spent working with new immigrants in helping them to learn English as a second language. He emphasized the importance of immigrant communities to an international city like Seattle, saying that immigrants have relationships with people all over the world, different ways of looking at problems, and rich cultures that deserve a place to flourish.

The floor was opened for citizens to direct questions toward Mike’s various policies. Concerned senior Opal Hopper, who uses the transit system but lamented the fact that it still has a ways to go, asked Mike what he plans to do about the issue of transportation. McGinn admitted that although the city is facing a $70 million dollar budget shortfall, he said that where public transit is concerned, “we’ve had a regional failure” and that “we need to fix the metro funding crisis,” also adding that transportation will be a “high priority” if he is elected.

In response to a question from Michael Neguse (an active member of South Seattle’s African community) about how McGinn planned to engage people in the area, McGinn explained that “this office is an expression of our commitment to the community.”

McGinn went on to explain that where the issue of youth and gang violence are concerned, community involvement will be instrumental in solving the problem, adding, “We have to provide an alternative pathway with education and employment.”

In his closing remarks, Mike explained that he believes it is people, and the communities to which they belong, that make the difference.