(Image: Jessica Rycheal)
From Andrew Grant Houston
This Monday, conservative blogger Jason Rantz published a hit piece, alleging I intentionally refused to pay rent amid the fallout of a pandemic that laid off, unhoused, and killed millions in our country. The only “exclusive” it contained is that Rantz hasn’t been listening to the multitude of times I’ve talked about my rental debt online and during forums for the past six months and a lack of true understanding as to just what is happening to myself and to our community.
Over the pandemic, 200,000 Washingtonians have accumulated over a billion dollars of rent debts in our state. In a city where homelessness has been declared an emergency that has only gotten worse, it’s immoral and petty to belittle me, the only candidate in this race whose net worth isn’t six figures or more, the only candidate who doesn’t own a home, and the youngest candidate (who represents Seattleites in ways others in this race cannot) simply because I’m one of these people. I am currently experiencing the precarious condition that many renters live in—where one catastrophe can make them another homelessness statistic in our leadership’s failed response.
Setting aside the questionable methods of obtaining this information and the lazy reporting in Rantz’s piece, the math simply does not add up to suggest that I have refused to pay rent. My small-business architecture company, like many small businesses, lost clients in March 2020. Then, like many, I navigated the hurdles of our flawed unemployment system—with delayed payments—for months. That is while applying for, and being rejected for, PPP assistance; like so many other small businesses in our community that are now gone for good.
I had no income outside of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance between April and December of last year. The only extra money I made was from community donations supporting my social media reporting on Council meetings and the protests.
I later obtained a $60,000/yr salary (before taxes), for six months from December to May with the City (so I made $30,000 pre-tax), all while conversing with potential clients about projects that—specializing in housing—they decided to delay due to the sky-high lumber costs.
In order for me to obtain work, despite having none, I had to renew my architecture licenses, my business licenses, and the software necessary to run my business, a yearly cost I make in May that exceeds $1,000.
And as a high-risk individual trying to find work in a pandemic, I pay my own needed health insurance (even while working temporarily). That’s $430/mo I continue to pay out of necessity.
During the last economic recession, 25% of architecture jobs were eliminated. Twenty-five percent.
This has happened before and I am not alone in this. These are all together a very real experience many faced before and during the pandemic, and will continue facing even as we recover. It is callous to suggest people return to unlivable wages as the sole solution to back-paying $20,000 of rental debt when many were and are barely making ends meet. Living paycheck to paycheck is no joke, and accumulated rental debt is insurmountable in that context.
This is exactly why our government doesn’t currently represent actual Seattleites. Even with our swell of grassroots support, being the first campaign to max out on fundraising, and going from no name recognition to being a leading candidate in this race, my battle remains uphill. I am not wealthy, connected, and privileged. Candidates don’t get paid to run for office—even if Rantz and those targeting our social media apparently don’t know this. That breaks campaign finance law. So for much of 2021, I’ve essentially had to work two full-time jobs in the hopes of improving my personal finances while running.
And let me be clear: whether as Mayor, through my business, or even the potential of having to find another full time job, I have always made my landlord aware that I intend to pay every single dollar that I owe; because I honor my commitments, even if working hard sometimes isn’t enough. A pandemic is not going to keep me from fulfilling a promise.
I share this now because, like I have said many times, I intend on bringing back transparency, honesty, accountability, and trust to the office of Mayor—something it has lacked for years. But let me now add that I will bring another thing to the office: empathy. Others can learn from Rantz’s foolishness and show some empathy for our 200,000 renters by advocating for better housing policy, renter protections, and wages instead of gleefully expressing the extent to which they hate Black people and poor people. I encourage them to take the time they dedicate to trolling my campaign online and instead join their nearest mutual aid group. We will need every pair of helping hands to make this city better when I am in office.
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Wow, I ran out of fingers and toes counting the excuses dropped in this piece. Sorry AGH, you’re unfit for the office you seek.
Stop calling yourself an architect then.
You state, “In a city where homelessness has been declared an emergency that has only gotten worse, it’s immoral and petty to belittle me, the only candidate in this race whose net worth isn’t six figures or more, the only candidate who doesn’t own a home, and the youngest candidate (who represents Seattleites in ways others in this race cannot) simply because I’m one of these people. I am currently experiencing the precarious condition that many renters live in—where one catastrophe can make them another homelessness statistic in our leadership’s failed response.”
I agree, it’s rather childish to belittle you. That’s an unfortunate reality of running for public office. You expose yourself to all kinds of criticism. However, if you are going to run for mayor of this quite large city with many serious problems, I’d expect you to bring more to the table. The fact that you are underemployed does not make you a great mayor candidate in my eyes. The fact that you quote the 25% unemployment figure for architects during the economic downturn is somewhat oblivious to the fact that the economic downturn was some time ago and now local architectural firms are crazy busy. The fact that you are in a precarious situation with your rent, as are many other people in our city, may demonstrate that you understand that pain, but in my opinion it doesn’t exactly show me that you have a viable plan to ease that pain.
And sharing your business expenses so that we appreciate your economic challenges don’t really prove to me that you possess the acumen of managing the 10,000 employees of the City, while managing the estimated $1.5 Billion in General Fund income.
I’m sure you are a very smart, well-intentioned person. I celebrate that you are willing to throw your hat in this ring. I wish you luck with your business and your life. But I think I’ll likely vote for someone with experience in the areas that this job requires.
Asking for empathy much? You might have gotten some if you demonstrated a bit for your landlord and community. Like for example paying a portion of your earned income to the rent. It is not all or none, you could have paid some. During the year you took in 30K for 6 months of work, paying a third to the landlord or 10K, or heck even 5K – some evidence of effort and goodwill, might lend some credibility. But it appears that you have paid zero because you can in our twisted situation where this has been allowed. And this “high risk” claim. Maybe true, but it is none of our business so why claim it absent giving us details of your claimed risk, as if it has anything to do with non-payment of rent.
Citing the homeownership status of the other candidates is only relevant if you can demonstrate that they are behind on their mortgages and/or taxes on said dwellings. As an architect I hope you are aware that houses cost money.
There is a difference between what one can do, vs what one should do. And the voters should and will consider this and what standards they expect of the CEO of our city, considering they have other choices.
Your treatise above did you no service and only makes your tiny base more concerned if not angry, as it includes decent people wanting good governance who thought you might offer it, but who find ways to honor their obligations.
You sure are the millenial mayoral candidate. This whole article reads like someone who was raised receiving participation trophies and medals just for showing up. There is only one word that sums up a response to your rebuttal to the ‘hit piece’. CHOICES. You CHOSE to open your own architecture firm which is awesome and commendable. It’s not an easy pursuit though. You don’t automatically receive a line of clients out your door as soon as you hang a shingle up. In the words of Britney Spears, “You gotta work bitch!” You also have made the CHOICE to run for mayor. No one is forcing you to run for this office. Again it is not an easy thing to do, and it shouldn’t be easy because guess what its a big job. God forbid the people of Seattle do elect you it’s going to be a tough job with long days and a lot of people lined up to stop your agenda and tear you down. You don’t see Jenny Durkan penning op-eds in the Seattle Times every time someone is critical of her decisions or writes an article she feels is unfair or a hit piece. She ignores the haters and keeps doing her thing good or bad.
I do agree with you that the net worth of someone should not be a deciding factor in choosing a mayoral candidate. What is a deciding factor however is someone’s character. Based on your own words and personal statements I find your character unfit to hold this office.
Let’s say you are elected. What’s going to happen when you start working on pursuing one of your numerous policy proposals and hit a roadblock or fork in the road? Are you just going to sit there and wait for someone to come along and help you? Complain that people are being mean and not doing what you want? Because based on what you’ve said in this response that seems to be your modus operandi. If you want to make the big changes you’ve outlined in your campaign you’re going to have to fight and claw and keep pushing through all the naysayers. It’s the only way big change gets done. And at the end of the day, it’s probably not going to be 100% what you outlined because some compromises and concessions are always required to get to a successful outcome. Being Mayor is a 24/7 job that requires a lot of behind the scenes work that is not just making flashy speeches saying “DEFUND THE POLICE”, “2500 TINY HOMES”, “JUST TRANSITION TAX”. It requires a strong backbone and work ethic that appear to be lacking within you.
Awesome response – you put my thoughts into words for me.
Posted in the “Political Ad” section of the Stranger.
First off, millions have not been killed by Covid in the U.S., the actual number is about 625,000. It concerns me that a mayor wannabe is so loose with the facts.
There is nothing in Ace’s rebuttal that shows him even remotely qualified to be a big city mayor.
What a wall of obfuscation and deflection, “Ace.”
You might just try answering the questions Rantz raised.
Hey Ace, iced mochas are like $8 now. You should switch to cold brew.
Political spin, pure and simple.
This guy is polling at <5%. He’s not important enough to engender any emotion, either outrage or empathy. The only emotion I get when I see his face is confusion. Why am I hearing so much about this also-ran, and not Harrell/Echohawk/Gonzalez?
‘Times are tough, millions are suffering, architecture is a tough gig, I am just like them’
You know what the difference is between you and them, Ace?
THEY AREN’T RUNNING FOR MAYOR! They are trying to get their own lives in order before they demand the great privilege and responsibility of running a city.
Grow up!!
Wow these comments are full of COVID denial & landlord-apologists. Whoof.
Thanks, Ace for opening up about your personal situation, going above & beyond.
It’d be a breath of fresh air if every candidate talked about how they got where they are, if they’re able to run for office full time & how, or if they’re trying to work at the same time. It’d also be great if we updated our Democracy Voucher & campaign spending laws to not only allow normal citizens to donate, but also to run for office, by allowing them to pay for even basic living expenses while running.
Maybe everyone tripping over themselves to back up the freeloading landlord should go advocate for campaign finance reform so that candidates can pay their landlords while running for office? Or are renters not supposed to run for office? Only millionaires who can buy homes?
Freeloading = taking advantage of other people’s generosity without giving anything in return. Somehow, I’m not sure the landlord is the freeloader in this situation, Jacob. No one is saying renters shouldn’t run for office. Renters who can’t seem to manage their own finances and choose to blame everything other than themselves and their own decisions? Yeah, those people shouldn’t.
Why is the landlord a freeloader?
And who said renters aren’t supposed to run for office? Literally no one in these comments.
Ace is gonna learn some hard lessons soon when the eviction moratorium runs out, he doesn’t make it past the primary, and all he’s done is accumulate more debt. I would feel bad for him, except this is really all his own doing.
Renters should definitely run for office, but they should expect sideeye when they clearly refused to get a real job to be able to pay their rent.
you’re unfit to be mayor of this town. also your rent is due, time to pay up son.
I was sort of sympathetic until you started spinning excuses about the percentage of architecture jobs lost between (checks) 2008 and 2013. We’re nearly ten years out from that NPR report, Ace. Come on now. Did you hope nobody would follow the link?
What I want to know is this: somehow you got a job as interim policy director for Teresa Mosqueda, but Mosqueda isn’t on your list of endorsements. What’s up with that? This is the closest you’ve ever come to real City Hall politics, and your old boss has no faith in you?
So: the people who knew your political work best won’t support you; you don’t pay your rent, but you do huff and puff about how you intend to pay it (did you pay even a dime toward that debt?); and there are two reports in the Stranger of your paid voucher collectors misleading the public.
I do support honesty, transparency, and trust in the Mayor’s office. That’s why, although I’m not sure who I’ll be voting for, I know I won’t voting for you.