Monday, November 16, 2009

"Got a question for Mayor-elect Mike McGinn?"

Andrew (NPI Advocate):
KCTS 9 has just announced that it will be airing the first in-depth post-election interview with newly elected Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn a week from today (Friday, November 20th).

KCTS Connects host Enrique Cerna will be asking McGinn about who he plans to tap for key administrative positions like Deputy Mayor and Police Chief, as well as his plans for tackling the range of challenges he'll face after taking office.

Cerna will also ask McGinn questions sent in by KCTS viewers. Questions may be submitted online at KCTS' website now.

Meet The New Mayor: A KCTS 9 Connects Special will start at 7:30 PM next Friday. For those who can't tune in then to watch, the program will also be made available for streaming and downloading online afterwards.

Incidentally, as of this afternoon, McGinn's lead over Joe Mallahan stands at 6,475 votes (51.04% to 47.84%). It's not a blowout, but it's a much stronger position than the tenuous lead McGinn had on Election Night.

Mallahan conceded the election to McGinn on Monday.

McGinn's win remains the only outcome that the usually-reliable Washington Poll failed to accurately predict. (Last year, the poll got Sound Transit Proposition 1 wrong, but was otherwise correct in forecasting who the winners would be).
Howie P.S.: I missed the above when it first appeared last Friday. Publicola's post about "Vulcan’s Presence" in the McGinn administration is prompting the first pushback to the McGinn takeover. From the comments:
"McGinn is a proponent of cranking zoning while eliminating requirements for on-site parking. That translates into major profits for developers. McGinn was never about neighborhoods, that was just a slight of hand."
"Vulcan has not taken an equitable stance on zoning issues that strive to accommodate affordable housing such as incentive zoning; in fact they have been less-than accommodating in South Lake Union on that issue.

Given that 66 percent of Seattle voters just affirmed their commitment to affordable housing with the passage of the Housing Levy, getting deeply involved with Vulcan folks in city operations really opens McGinn to backlash. His upcoming town hall meetings could get quite interesting.

The McGinn volunteers I’ve met don’t seem like corporate handmaidens – I hope they have the backbone to warn McGinn off on multiple Vulcan appointments no matter what hos personal connections are."
"More than anything else, Mayor McGinn needs to hire people with experience and skills. He got elected on the vision thing. The people he appoints need to do the implementation thing – which requires experience. Management experience. Experience in not only working in local government, but experience in leading.

Of the names listed so far, there aren’t many with experience in managing people and moving parts of an organization."
"That McGinn would even consider placing Vulcanite foot-soldiers McGrady, Fuji or Postman within his administration is a surprise and an affront to everyone who supported him. It would be a clear reversal from his grass roots/anti-establishment campaign and leave the door wide open to criticism that he (McGinn) misled the voters from the onset."
"Why are you all so surprised that McGinn is close to major developers such as Vulcan? I tried to tell a number of voters that McGinn was a friend to powerful development interests and City officials. Sounds like some of you who believed his stance on issues of neighborhood interest and grassroots pose are experiencing some regrets. A number of individuals in the City warned of this outcome, but they were dismissed as NIMBYs and old farts. Enjoy McGinn’s reign all you McGinn voters."
"McGinn is a windy prick. I hope he surrounds himself with some folks who aren’t.

No comments: