The Weekly has the news that Alison Holcomb is considering a challenge to Kshama Sawant for City Council in 2015. If it happens, this is really the type of race that Seattle can take pride in: Two giants with amazing history of activism and with real accomplishments to their names vying for a City Council seat.
That said, I’m a bit worried about some of Holcomb’s rhetoric:
Holcomb, a resident of Capitol Hill, said Sawant is not an effective messenger for the cause of economic inequality, finding alternatives to the city’s regressive tax system, “and our inability to fund education.” She added, “You don’t effect change without a broad coalition, and her rhetoric is all about ‘you are a capitalist pig,’ no matter what the size of your business.”
I guess the $15 minimum wage having passed is a fairly clear indication that she has effected change in the first year governing. It’s a bit of a worry that Holcomb is running to the right on this issue. Maybe there isn’t too much of to the left when you’re running against an honest to goodness socialist, but saying she’s wrong on the minimum wage because she thinks it ought to apply to workers in small businesses is a troubling start to the campaign.
Her husband owns a bar on Capitol Hill.
I’ve only been in Seattle 14 years… who is Holcomb?
Holcomb claims that she’s been warned that Sawant’s supporters will go after her very aggressively while she’s basically starting her campaign with strong personal attacks on Sawant.
@3, interesting fallout from district-based elections. Do you run for an at-large or do you run for a district (and, based on her residence, that must be against Sawant) ? However, if ever there was a time to capitalize on the marijuana success….
A cardboard box with a smiley face drawn on it, would be better than Comrade Sawant.
@5 Oh, it bothers you that our city council isn’t populated by evolution and climate denying redneck coal rollers, does it? Well, suck on it! Electing socialists is worthwhile just to see vermin like you squirm.
I believe her husband owns Witness
http://witnessbar.com/
Two “giants with amazing history of activism”? Sawant had been in Seattle for, what, all of 3 years when she defeated Conlin. And her history here consisted of participating in the Occupy activities and being defeated for a seat in the Legislature by Speaker Frank Chopp.
Sorry, but I’m not amazed.
Hi, Carl.
As I’ve said elsewhere, “for the record, I’m not opposed to the $15 minimum wage law. Rather, I thought the conversation was unnecessarily and unfortunately divisive, pitting progressives against progressives.”
Best regards,
Alison
Hey Alison, if that’s all you got, don’t bother. If you’re running on a platform of “Seattle Nice,” then just run away. We have had it up to here with that. Effecting positive change is always going to be “divisive.”
@9
“for the record, I’m not opposed to the $15 minimum wage law”
That’s a strange way of stating your support for an issue.
Hi Alison,
Glad you dropped -in.
It is fine that you thought the process was flawed. But,why aren’t you going after Murray? Murray crafted the deal.
You look to be a strong candidate. Why not take-out Burgess? Why are you going after Sawant?
Hi Alison,
Glad you dropped -in.
It is fine that you thought the process was flawed. But,why aren’t you going after Murray? Murray crafted the deal.
You look to be a strong candidate. Why not take-out Burgess? Why are you going after Sawant?
I hear Murray threatened small business…”If you don’t take this..I’ll give you worse”?
Why the hostility towards Sawant? I don’t get it.
Both Allison and Sawant are much better looking than Frank Chopp. Is that sexist? I don’t think it is.
Shall we talk about the Dems that pushing Holcomb? There is a bigger picture, here.
As another poster mentioned: Why isn’t Holcomb critical of Murray’s role? Perhaps it is because MURRAY’s former colleagues that are supporting Holcomb!
Can we have some transparency? Please.
We’re watching the Democratic Machine unfold. Stay tuned.
Have the Dems hired Sinderman for Holcomb, yet?
Two giants in activism one sane promoting civil discourse and coalition building & one insane promoting Boeing workers take over and start manufacturing busses while demonizing anyone who disagrees with her socialism as the 1%.
I’ll take the sane one pls
Pinhead/John/Samantha @above,
Changing names in a comment thread is a form of sockpuppet and therefore violates the HA Comment Policy.
I’ve corrected your comments in this thread, but will simply delete such comments in the future.
“I’ll take the sane one pls”
Were the Seattle Forward people sane with their lies and manipulation and flinging money at their problem? Is that the kind of civil discourse and bridge-building that you endorse?
You are, however, in the running for the next David S. Broder award.
I bet Sawant has Soviet flag bed sheets and Chairman Mao pillow cases.
I think that the Left will not be the compliant and squishy boobs that they used to be when confronted with the aggressive, mean-spirited, Johnny-One-Note conservatives.
The media tipping point, in my opinion, came when Cliff Schecter called Rush Limbaugh a: “…self-discredited, drug-addled gasbag” on national television on May 14, 2010.
The right also constantly attacks science now in the same fashion that they’ve assaulted the press for so many years.
“I bet Sawant has Soviet flag bed sheets and Chairman Mao pillow cases.”
Don’t you wish that you were half the capitalist as the person that sold them to her?
I think coalitions build around a politician who clearly advocates a position or goal. I don’t think politicians build coalitions that then elect them because they’re coalition builders. The exception might be Mayor Murray’s election where he ran as as a bridge builder while lacking a defining singular position or goal. I think the even scales tipped his way due to his sexual orientation. Maybe Holcomb can ride her 502 success onto the city council . . . but to beat Sawant, she’ll need more than a vague advocacy for ‘coalition’.
@24 Why didn’t I think of that? All I’ve been doing is selling cheeseburgers (McDonalds) and gas (Chevron, British Petroleum, Occidental) to potbellied rednecks. A true capitalist leaves no profit-making stone unturned!
@21
“Were the Seattle Forward people sane with their lies and manipulation and flinging money at their problem? Is that the kind of civil discourse and bridge-building that you endorse?”
I didn’t know Forward Seattle was considering running? I thought this was a discussion about Holcomb & Sawant, try to stay on topic.
Though Sawant facing a progressive challenger who’s husband owns a small business like those that Sawant repeatedly demonized as the 1% is particularly appropriate.
@ 12 Becuase Burgess is a good Democrat and reasonable while Sawant is an extremist.
Right. Kshama has become not just nationally but internationally recognized (The Guardian, the Times of India, Libération…) for championing and actually winning a $15 minimum wage law, but she’s “not an effective messenger for the cause of economic inequality.” That sounds like pretty effective messaging to me — even if Kshama has ruffled the feathers of some incompetent or shortsighted small business owners who feel entitled to profit from the sweat of sub-living-wage workers’ brows. Besides, we already have Sally Clark to do the kind of messaging Holcomb seems to have in mind.