Note: In the interest of helping Pinehurst neighbors to learn about the candidates who are running for local office in 2009, I invited all candidates to submit information about themselves and their campaigns to post on the Pinehurst Blog. This is the sixth post in the series.
Dear Pinehurst Readers,
I’m Jessie Israel and I’m running for Seattle City Council Position Six. Thank you for taking the time to learn about my campaign. I am running because you deserve a City Council that works for you. Not just asking questions, but finding solutions.
Issues of public safety, livable communities, and transit loom large for Seattle. I’ve been walking the neighborhoods talking to voters, and I’ve heard too many stories about home invasion affecting the elderly and women who are home alone, or joggers that are being held up at gunpoint for their wallets while trying to enjoy our parks. The first phase of light rail took 40 years to complete – 40 years too long. A simple snow storm shut our city down for a week, stranding thousands and costing us millions in revenue. Yet while brutal budget shortfalls and dramatic population growth only increase these challenges, our City Council has been bogged down by unproductive finger pointing and endless process. Now is the time for action, not rhetoric.
I will make sure Seattle’s City Council delivers on the basics, with a vision toward our future success.
- Public Safety: Adding 200 new police officer, increasing neighborhood patrols and community policing, funding the gang unit, and tackling the increasingly hostile environment in downtown’s public spaces while prioritizing real solutions to our human services needs.
- Emergency Preparedness: Implementing flood prevention programs, building better communication systems that utilize new technology, ensuring that Police, Fire and other first responders have the training and resources they need to respond to an emergency.
- Vibrant, Walkable Communities: Encouraging development in our targeted urban villages and around transit hubs, advocating for sidewalks and working with communities to come up with new and innovative ways to fund these important neighborhood connectors.
- Reliable Transportation: A long-term vision for moving people and goods with light rail, buses, bicycle paths, sidewalks, and maintaining roadways.
I know how to work within government to get things done with less. As an Executive at King County parks I helped save 25,000 acres of green space in the face of an 80% budget cut by making smart spending decisions, and forming strategic partnerships. Change is in the wind and we CAN have a City government taking action on the issues that matter.
I ask you to say NO to business as usual. YES to Jessie Israel for City Council.
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