Photo by Jen Nance

Over 200 people packed the ballroom at Jumbo’s Chinese restaurant in South East Seattle last night for an inspiring rally in support of Mike McGinn as Seattle’s next mayor.

Members and leaders of the Filipino, Vietnamese, Chinese, East African, Hispanic, and other communities filled up Jumbos ballroom for their chance to meet Mike and hear from various local luminaries such as Linh Thai, State Rep. Bob Hasagewa, Mar Marillo, Yusuf Kabdi, Michael Neguse, Mohammed Sheikh, Andrea John-Smith and others about why they endorse Mike McGinn for the next mayor of Seattle. The event concluded with a wonderful Vietnamese fan dance performance.

The diverse cross section of guests was a testament to the inclusiveness of the campaign and the optimism that it inspires. Guests and volunteers left the event full, energized, optimistic about the future of Seattle, and carrying McGinn yard signs to display their support with.

The event doubled as a food drive to support the Rainier Valley Food Bank, and many pounds of food were donated.

Monday, the City Council unanimously authorized Mayor Greg Nickels to sign an intergovernmental agreement with the State of Washington committing Seattle to the tunnel plan.

I disagree with the decision. I disagree with the timing.

But the reality is Mayor Nickels and the Council have entered into an agreement, and the City is now committed to the tunnel plan.

If I’m elected Mayor, although I disagree with this decision, it will be my job to uphold and execute this agreement. It is not the Mayor’s job to withhold the cooperation of city government in executing this agreement.

I will, however, continue to ask tough questions:

• We don’t know how much it’s actually going to cost.

• If it ends up costing more than the current budget allows, there is serious disagreement between Seattle and the State over who will pay the cost overruns.

• Where will the money come from, and who will bear the burden? Will we have to cut police, fire, library, or services for the poor?

I will not stop asking the tough questions nor will I ever stop standing up for Seattle’s interests in this process.

I’m worried the people that want the tunnel have a champagne appetite and the City has a beer budget. The question is who will end up paying the tab.

There is a clear choice in this election.

My opponent has refused to ask any hard questions about the tunnel.

In fact, when asked about the Legislature passing the cost overrun amendment, he said:

“If I were mayor, rather than taking potshots at Democratic leadership who put that (amendment) on, I’d express disappointment and say, “OK, we can live with this.”

SeattlePI.com - Chris Grygiel, 05/11/09

Seattle cannot live with paying the cost overruns on the tunnel.

Mike McGinn was endorsed today by UNITE-HERE Local 8, Washington State’s hospitality workers’ union.

“Mike understands how important it is for the mayor’s office to play a positive role in creating and protecting quality jobs for hotel workers in Seattle,” said Rick Sawyer, the union’s Secretary Treasurer and Principal Officer.

UNITE-HERE endorsed McGinn based on his understanding of the issues important to workers in the hospitality industry. Seattle’s tourist economy provides a significant source of jobs for working families in the region.

Mike McGinn’s position is clear:

“I support Mayor Nickels’ efforts to ban firearms from parks and public places. There is no reason for people to carry guns in our parks, and tragedies like the Folklife shootings cannot be allowed to occur.”
- Mike McGinn, public safety platform, September 14, 2009

Meanwhile, Joe Mallahan no longer supports the gun ban:

Joe Mallahan… signals he won’t continue the ban if he’s elected mayor… “Far too many guns are carried in Seattle today illegally and I think that’s where we really need to focus.”
- Essex Porter, KIRO-TV, October 15, 2009

“Joe Mallahan says, while he supports what the mayor is trying to do, he is not certain if this is the right way to do it.”
- Tonya Mosely, KING-TV, October 15, 2009

“Joe shares concerns about family safety, especially in public parks, and thinks we should look for additional measures to increase safety,” says Mallahan spokesperson Charla Neuman. “He has concerns about whether this is the most pragmatic solution though.”
- Caleb Hannan, Seattle Weekly, October 15, 2009

“Pragmatic solution” seems to be Joe’s code phrase for ignoring public opinion (See Tunnel, deep-bore).

We are excited to present Mike’s new television commercial. Check out the video and share it with your friends online. If you have your own blog, we encourage you to embed our video directly into your site.
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