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2009 Voters Guide General Election

Friends of Seattle is an endorsing organization: we have a vision for the city---urban and environmental issues are our biggest concern---and we have views on which candidates and ballot measures are best suited to advance Seattle's wellbeing.

At the same time, we believe strongly in transparency and the value of citizen participation in government. So we offer this general-election edition of our 2009 Voters Guide not only to inform our members about the people who will best uphold our values once in office, but also to educate our members and the public at large about the candidates' views.

Here is an opportunity to read the candidates' questionnaire responses and watch their interviews with us, and then to compare the information here with media coverage, the candidates' official websites, and the King County Official Voters Guide.

We hope you enjoy what you find here.

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Miller Continues to Lock Down Union Support (Slog)

Friends of Seattle is in the news.

Bryan T. Bissell, "Miller Continues to Lock Down Union Support," Slog: The Stranger's Blog (August 15, 2009)

City council position 8 candidate David Miller continued his near monopoly on union support today when he received three more labor endorsements. . . . Miller also has the backing of most of Seattle's Democratic districts.
His position 8 opponent Mike O'Brien has a similar level of support within the environmental community, including the backing of the Sierra Club, Washington Conservation Voters, the Cascade Bicycle Club, and Friends of Seattle.

Read the whole thing.

20,000 voters

That's how many total votes mayoral candidate Mike McGinn (endorsed by Friends of Seattle) needs to finish in the top two of the August 18 primary and advance to the November general election.

Right now, Mike and the other challengers running against Greg Nickels are in a statistical tie, according to a University of Washington poll released Tuesday. And this race is up for grabs---37% of Seattle voters are still undecided.

Mike is the only candidate willing to make the tough choices to invest seriously in transit, walking, and biking. He opposes the $4.2 billion waterfront tunnel and pledges to instead invest taxpayer money in Seattle's real priorities.

With the first weekend of voting complete in this all-mail election, we're estimating that Mike needs to earn about 15,000 more votes by August 18 to win.

Donate

You have the power to contact those voters and bring change to City Hall. A $100 contribution will pay for 300 pieces of mail sent to targeted voters.

For every two hours you volunteer, you can contact 100 voters by phone or by dropping off campaign literature at their doorstep.

Commit to volunteer by replying to this email.

Volunteers and donors from Friends of Seattle have already contacted 800 voters directly and contributed $1050---giving the McGinn for Mayor campaign the resources to send over 3,000 mailers.

Friends of Seattle endorsed Mike because he is the only outside challenger who understands the issues, has experience working with Seattle's diverse community groups, and has a track record of success in community involvement.

Donate

And don't forget to vote for:

>> Jessie Israel for City Council Pos. 6

>> Mike O'Brien for City Council Pos. 8

Please donate or volunteer today, and learn more about the candidates at our Voters Guide

[We apologize if you have received this email twice. Friends of Seattle is using a new email service and is still working through some technical problems.]

Endorsements: Mayor - Mike McGinn; Council - Jessie Israel (Pos. 6) and Mike O'Brien (Pos. 8); YES Green Bag Fee

Dear Friends of Seattle Members and Supporters:

We endorse YES for the Green Bag Fee; Mike McGinn for Mayor; Jessie Israel (Pos. 6) and Mike O'Brien (Pos. 8) for City Council

Our complete 2009 Voters Guide (Primary Election Edition), which includes a detailed analysis of each candidate, a description of the endorsements process and evaluation criteria, candidate questionnaires and interview videos, is available here.

A brief summary is below:

Voters Guide

One of the major goals of Friends of Seattle is to hold our elected officials accountable to a principled vision for Seattle, and that is why Friends of Seattle assembles an annual voters guide and endorses ballot measures and candidates for elected office.

We seek candidates who have the qualifications, experience, and talents to be capable elected representatives. More than that, we seek candidates who subscribe to our vision for Seattle and who will support the policies necessary for sustaining urban life and a healthy environment. In evaluating candidates and ballot measures, we keep our mission foremost in mind: to be courageous when no one else will.

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