5: 25: We're waiting for the CityClub-sponsored mayoral debate at the central Seattle library to start, and the room is above capacity. The woman next to me, who's about 55, is talking on her cell phone, in a dismayed voice, about how "these ("these" being Joe Mallahan and Mike McGinn) are the two worst candidates I've ever seen. We're used to having a strong mayor, now we're going to have a weak mayor." But, she adds, "We're going to have to go for Mallahan, because the other guy wants to overturn the tunnel." City council member Tim Burgess is waving amiably at Mallahan's campaign staffers.

5:30: Introductory statements: In a statement straight out of his Democratic-district stump speech, Mallahan calls himself a "lifelong Democrat."

"I feared that city government had gotten so inefficient and so ineffective at delivering some of our basic city services that we were at risk of moving backward. ... By moving forward I mean also moving forward with smart transportation solutions. Moving forward with our economy. ... And finally moving forward with our progressive Democratic values. ... Ensuring diversity and opportunity and respecting and protecting the rights of every citizen to raise a family and live a full live in our city.  ... I have 20 years of experience ... bringing people of diverse backgrounds together in the private sector to solve our problems."

McGinn is saying that the lack of sidewalks in Greenwood is what got him involved in local politics. "I believe we should extend light rail using Seattle resources... within the next two years," expand education by lobbying Olympia for more education money, and invest in a citywide fiber-optic cable system. "We know how, when we work together, to solve problems, and that's what I would like to do if elected mayor—work with you on the challenges we face."

5:40: Moderator Joni Balter, an editorial-board member for the Seattle Times, asks the candidates how they'll minimize their learning curve, given that neither have held elected office.



McGinn says he doesn't "believe there's a school for mayors." He cites his experience as an attorney, a Sierra Club leader, a Greenwood community activist, a proponent of the Bridging the Gap transportation ballot measure, and founder of the green-urbanist group Great City, as experience that's relevant to the job of mayor.

Balter interrupts him: How will you make it go quickly?

"The same way you solve any problem. You reach out to people, and you bring in the best people you know. ... In areas where I don't have the same depth of experience (as others) I've been fortunate enough to be surrounded by the best people for years."

5:45: Mallahan says, "I have 20 years of management experience. .. Business and government aren't the same, but I believe my open and inclusive management style... inviting those who disagree on the margin to get behind important initiatives for the common good. ... I've learned a lot in the last several weeks. I've put together an advisory team around me that's representative of all the people I've met. ... We'll start with what's critical. I feel there are four departments where we need to make quick changes and drive efficiencies. ... We need to get a new police chief who understands the front line... Planning, Department of Transportation. ... and also recently I've heard City Light has been letting down businesses and residents, and I've added that one through my listening and that's where I'll focus."

Radio host Dave Ross asks Mallahan: How will you convince people to be politically involved, given that you've skipped 13 recent elections?

Mallahan's dodgy response: "Over the years, there have been a lot of reasons and all I can do is promise I'll do better."

Then he goes into a pablum-laden speech about how process and special interests hold up process and he'll do better through "my leadership style, which is open and accountable. The way to drive accountability in an organization is to exhibit openness and accountability yourself." Then he mentioned annual reports.

5:50: Ross asks McGinn: How will you unite people with so many different interests, given that your experience is working for a single neighborhood?

McGinn's response is smart (and I'm paraphrasing): Obviously, you've never been involved in the neighborhood movement. I worked against Nickels on the parks levy. We fought the roads and transit ballot measure and brought light rail back and won. Effective, succinct answer.

5:51: A (somewhat unfairly worded) style question. Mallahan is often characterized as the "practical, don't rock the boat" candidate. McGinn is the "radical change agent." How will you bring those roles into the job of mayor?

McGinn: "I don't think we need to just keep doing what we're doing. ... We know how to create change when we want to. ... We voted to expand light rail. We voted for more bus service, more parks, fixing our schools. .... All too often, I believe, our elected leaders are too timid about solving these problems. ... I don't think there's anything radical about making sure we got light rail without billions of dollars in new highways. ... I'm a change agent, but I've aligned the changes I've worked on" with what the people want.

As for whether he's a "don't-rock-the-boat manager," Mallahan takes exception: As a T-Mobile executive, "I innovated consistently around delivering cellular service at great rates to poor people. ... It's about focusing on priorities and being principled in leadership. ... I drive consensus."

Ross asks Mallahan: How will you pay for the waterfront tunnel? Is it appropriate to consider the tunnel when the environmental review is more than a year away?

Mallahan: "It would be irresponsible to reconsider this decision. ... There's broad consensus among leadership. ... The environmental review process is a natural step in a long-term project. ... The biggest driver of overruns in a long-term capital project is delay. ... If there are overruns, we'll deal with the overruns."

Then he says he'll get rid of the provision in state legislation requiring the city of Seattle to pay for any cost overruns on the tunnel by lobbying Olympia, "and I think I've got a great shot at that" because he supports the tunnel.

Ross notes that a pro-tunnel study says there will be four times as much traffic along the waterfront if the tunnel isn't built.

McGinn responds: "It's worth reviewing the history of this project and to see how we got here. ... We voted against a new tunnel on the waterfront and we voted against a new elevated. ... One of the proposals (in the wake of that vote) was called the I-5 transit surface proposal ... They concluded that the I-5 transit surface proposal would work. This is the department of transportation, and they love cars.

Ross asks: But wouldn't you be giving up the state-guaranteed $2.4 billion?

McGinn responds: Absolutely not. The state allocated that money for replacing the seawall and the viaduct. "The tunnel plan would leave it uopen until 2015 if that tunnel was done but they're not taking it down until that tunnel is done. And that's not safe."

6:00: Yes or no question round.

First question: Do you support keeping the ride-free zone even if it costs the city more?

Both say: Yes.

Second: Arts groups worry that the recession puts their city funding on the choping block. Would you protect them?

Both say: Yes.

Third: Do the circumstances today mean that the city will have to take over Seattle Public Schools?

Mallahan says: No.

McGinn refuses to answer: "It's not yes, it's sure as hell not a waffle."

Fourth: Do you support current Mayor Greg Nickels' $200 million Mercer plan?

Both say: Waffle. Yelling in the audience ensues..

Do you support repealing the "head tax"?

McGinn says: No. Mallahan says: Yes

Do you grow any of your own food?

Both say: Yes.

Is it any good?

Mallahan says: No.

McGinn says: Yes.

Do you support the First Avenue streetcar route?

Both say: No.

Would you support a Seattle Center levy in 2010 or 2011 to pay for their vision plan?

Both say: Waffle.

Will you support the expansion of Children's Hospital?

Both say: Yes.

How will you vote on this year's housing levy?

Both say: Yes.

How will you vote on Initiative 1033 (which would limit all tax increases to the rate of inflation)?

Both say: No.

How will you vote on Referendum 71 (a "yes" vote upholds domestic-partner rights)?

Both say: Yes.

Balter asks: Do you support cutting programs, or raising taxes?

McGinn: "I do not support repealing the head tax. ... I do not support the deep-bore tunnel." He says he would eliminate duplicative functions, and—ALMOST—says he would "drive efficiencies," then corrects himself: "I would support efficiencies."

Mallahan: "It would be my priority to keep the libraries open. It would also be my priority to make significant investments in public safety."

Ross asks: Crime is up. What will you do about it?

Mallahan: "It's an economic issue. People don't feel comfortable coming downtown. ... The most important tourist is the family in Redmond. It's also a social justice issue -- the people in Southeast Seattle feel the city has turned their back on them ... We need to fully fund the gang unit and we need to fully fund the outreach model.

McGinn says: We need to focus on enforcement, engagement in the community, and prevention. "There's been too many deaths in this community. ... We need to focus on not just coming up with our own ideas and telling neighborhoods what to do," but finding neighborhood-based solutions and creating pathways to jobs for at-risk youth.

6:15: Balter asks the candidates to fill out rest of this sentence: "In four years, Seattle will be a city known for ____"

McGinn responds: "... a city that was, in tough times, prepared to come together to work to solve challenges that will make the city work better economically, work better environmentally, and extend opportunity to more people than ever before."

Mallahan's response: "... a city built for people and the environment." He adds: "Public safety is a critical social justice issue in the city."

Then he says he "grew up on the beaches and the tide pools of the Puget Sound. ... Vehicle waste is the number-one issue. ... It's vehicles, it's raw sewage, and it's development of undeveloped lands. ... We need a street sweeping program. ... The state requires businesses" to periodically sweep around their businesses. "We need to think about large capital improvements to our sewage systems. Our city and our county both have sewage systems where runoff and raw sewage marry together... Those are things I will work on as mayor to protect the environment."

An audience question: Who will your deputy mayor be?

Both say they haven't chosen a deputy mayor yet.

Although, Mallahan says, "I am a listener. ... and the current deputy mayor [ Tim Ceis] is said to be very responsive... and I will aspire to achieve the same." He adds, "I'm not shy about hiring people who are smarter than me. ... I don't know the ins and outs of City Hall, and I can't imagine hiring anyone for that role that doesn't have that experience. ... It's time for collaboration, ladies and gentlemen."

Then he mentioned "driving efficiencies" again—twice.

Another audience question: What will you do, beyond supporting the housing levy, to reduce homelessness?

McGinn says he would seek more money from the state and federal governments, and be more thoughtful and considerate about how we provide housing. He mentions tent cities and people living in cars. "We're going to have to find a better way to accommodate them in our city. ... For many epople having a more stable place to stay is critical for them finding other opportunities." He also expresses support for rooming houses and single-room-occupancy hotels, which have been largely displaced from downtown Seattle.

Mallahan responds: I would "ensure that human services around particularly psychiatric care remain well-funded and well-managed. ... Manage well all of the services. Tight management and accountability and ensuring that we're getting good outcomes. ... Good, effective management has big payoffs, including for the homeless. And the third thing I think we need to focus on is the housing stock. We don't have enough good homes in Seattle. For the homeless I just described that's not a solution but, for the workforce.... to get as much housing as possible for our workforce."

An audience question: Given the budget shortfall, what department would you cut the most?

Mallahan says he would cut consultants, and cut executive-level pay grade employees in the city.

McGinn says he doesn't know that he would cut a specific department, but says he'd look to provide support services more efficiently and reduce the number of political appointees in government, and preserve the "head tax" to pay for roads and transit, allowing more general-fund money to go to other programs.

6:30: Balter asks whether guns should be allowed in public parks and public places. McGinn says he supports Nickels' ban on guns in parks; Mallahan says he would "need to study the implications," but that he opposes young people having guns. "I do think there's an opportunity to focus on gun enforcement; I also support banning assault weapons in our city, that makes common sense. And I will work to study the mayor's proposal."

An audience question: Would you welcome a WTO-style, controversial international meeting in Seattle, and how would you handle it better than Paul Schell handled WTO?

Mallahan dodges. He says he'd like to have the FIFA World Cup here. He adds: "There needs to be a plan, there needs to be training, and then you have to execute on the plan. The same could be said of snow plowing."

Then he makes a weird remark about Nickels not plowing sufficiently during last winter's snowstorm out of a desire "not to pop off turtles."

McGinn says: "We've seen situations where cities have taken on big local obligations that profited only a segment of the economy. ... But the police force was not prepared to deal with the situation" and would need to do more to prepare in a similar future situation.

And now I must bolt for the bus to Ballard, where Mallahan and McGinn have another debate scheduled tonight. Tune in to tomorrow's Morning Fizz for a full report.