Sunday’s massive march to Durkan’s home set of a new battle with Sawant
Seattle City Council President M. Lorena González has responded to Mayor Jenny Durkan’s blistering attack on the city’s longest-serving member of the council, saying she won’t be launching an investigation of Socialist Alternative leader Kshama Sawant’s actions.
“Over the past several months, I have heard from many of my constituents and it is clear to me that the people of Seattle want us to focus on addressing the concurrent crises facing thousands of families and small businesses in Seattle,” González writes. “There is an ongoing pandemic, a worsening economic and job loss crisis, and a civil rights movement demanding we divest from racist, anti-Black systems and redirect those investments towards housing, education, and wealth-building opportunities for Black and Brown community members. These are the issues that demand our attention.”
Tuesday, following Sawan’ts speech in front of a massive demonstration outside Durkan’s Northeast Seattle home, the mayor launched a five-pronged attack, calling for an inquiry into Sawant’s activism and for the council to expel the veteran council member over a roster of allegations including misuse of office and endangering the former federal prosecutor by revealing her home address.
In her response, González said she trusts the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission to examine the allegations.
“As a former SEEC Commissioner, I have full faith in that independent agency to handle complaints that may fall into their jurisdiction,” she writes.
CHS reported on the Sunday march for Black Lives Matter goals including a 50% cut to the Seattle Police budget organized by the Seattle Democratic Socialists of America and including Socialist Alternative, the Sawant-led political group that has helped the veteran politician build a deep and active support base in the city and beyond.
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“a civil rights movement demanding we divest from racist, anti-Black systems and redirect those investments towards housing, education, and wealth-building opportunities for Black and Brown community members. These are the issues that demand our attention.”
Um no. how about paying attention to the 99% of Seattle that you’re ignoring Ms. Gonzalez. The idea that Seattle wants funds “redirected to black and brown communities” is tone deaf and delusional. Black and brown communities get more than their fair share. How about paying some attention to the rest of Seattle. Including Asians who are super short changed.
Hey, Little Saigon got a Navigation Center that turned the neighborhood into a Dawn of the Dead set – and the city didn’t even bother to ask anybody when they set it up.
When protesters looted and destroyed Chinatown after they burned downtown, you didn’t see a peep from the likes of Gonzalez, Sawant and Morales.
That is the level of respect the city council has for Seattle’s Asian community.
So, Mr. Editor, the Mayor’s call for action against Sawant was “blistering.” How would you describe Sawant’s continued calls for the Mayor to resign or be impeached? Is that blistering too?
The pro-Sawant editorializing in CHS has been going on for years. It doesn’t even need to be said that jseattle would use far more neutral language to describe Sawant’s absolutely outrageous rhetoric and behavior.
And just as long have been the anti-Sawant commenters whose rhetoric is so pathetic, I wouldn’t be surprised if they end up driving people to vote FOR Sawant.
And I say that disliking Sawant.
I get a lot out of this blog and generally appreciate the work jsseattle is doing. Pretty much all media is biased as hell at this point and yes, I wish CHS would be more neutral sometimes and just report the news. Sawant is an extremely niche character. Very polarizing. CHS does its best work when they don’t polish such apples.
Where does Gonzalez live?
The Republican Party will soon implode after attaching itself to Trump; similarly, these city councilmembers who have jumped on Sawant’s crazy train will eventually cause irreparable damage to the progressive left.
Sawant is a joke and everyone on the council treats her as such except for her mini-me, Morales. If you want to see how little she is respected watch the budget committee meeting as she proposes amendment after amendment and can’t even get someone to second them so it can be discussed further. Gonzales is the consummate politician and realizes there is nothing to be gained from pursuing Sawant so she’ll put out this bs answer and then continue to keep her isolated.
I don’t understand your point since Kshama represents the citizens, not the council. How do they get elected? By cozying up to the industries and businesses that fund their elections, of course. So, a call to tax Amazon is actually risky to the political careers of those who do not represent the people but will guarantee that those big business “allies” will fund their next elections.
Sawant seems pretty strong to me. Glad to see a sensible tax finally being considered
++. Still, the reforms are relatively weak and narrow. Hoping this will prime the pump.
Our city council has become a wannabe Venezuela. They are focused on a particular narrative and a particular segment of the activist community. The other 99% of the people who live here are out of luck. Doesn’t matter what color you are either, if you aren’t part of their cult don’t expect a response on anything.