Forty-four people have submitted applications and resumes to serve out now-former city council member Sally Clark's term; Clark resigned this month to take a job at the UW as director of regional and community relations (rather than, it is presumed, stand for reelection in this year's free-for-all).

The process going forward is this: The council, looking for consensus, will narrow the names down to a short list (no exact number, but likely between five and 15) and will pass a resolution naming that crew on Monday, April 20.

Nick Licata is out of the country, and so, if there's a scrap—likely coming from Kshama Sawant's left corner versus council president Tim Burgess's establishment corner—Burgess will likely have the advantage, only needing four votes. Sawant's only solid ideological ally absent Licata is Mike O'Brien. However, council sources tell me, it's more likely Sawant will pick her battles, and horse trade names in the first round, agreeing on a compromise consensus list to move her picks forward. (Look for Sawant to champion Low Income Housing Institute director Sharon Lee and high school vice principal Sarah Morningstar, former city council member Cheryl Chow's widow.)

The short list of finalists will present to council on Friday, April 24. And then the final vote (Licata will be back for this second half of the process) will take place on Monday, April 27. It's unlikely any of the former council members who applied (Jan Drago, Peter Steinbrueck, or Heidi Wills) will make it, by the way. UPDATE: Steinbrueck has withdrawn his application.

Space Needle family scion Howard Wright is supposedly on Burgess's short list; Wright has given $1,400 to Burgess over the last two years. It's not likely the lefty council members will support Wright given his role pushing the $15 minimum wage deal to the center. There have also been recent worker protests at the Space Needle itself.

We were also hearing that former acting human services director John Okamoto is a frontrunner, but we don't believe it. Okamoto, who does fit the bill as a steady caretaker with deep experience, is also a mayor Ed Murray favorite—why would the council agree to that? And many people forget that Okamoto was the chief administrative officer at the Port of Seattle during the besmirched Mick Dinsmore years. With the port back in the news as a political lighting rod right now, Okamoto seems like a risky choice.

Another name that has evidently caught the council's interest is Seattle Department of Neighborhoods grant manager Ed Pottharst, who would be the first deaf council member; Pottharst ran for King County Council against Larry Phillips in 2005.

One applicant we're not hearing about, but who caught our attention, is former monorail hero Dick Falkenbury. The voluble iconoclast and cabbie is still a driver (driving for a retirement center and also helping his elderly mother full time) and lives in Wedgwood. Falkenbury, 62, hasn't been in the news for more than 10 years.

We called him this afternoon. (Here's Falkenbury's application.)

 

Why did you apply?

I’ve always been concerned about the city. What the [city council] is doing with mass transit and housing is almost all wrong. They don’t understand what’s causing the backups.

What do you think about the other candidates running?

The other candidates are part of the problem, they won’t bring anything new, innovative or [bring any] good answers except what the city has already decided is the right answer. For example, there is no candidate opposing the tunnel. There is no one saying we should be thinking about stopping this thing, and what do we do after that. If you didn’t know any better and were told this was being done, you would think it was a joke. This drive to consensus is killing us. It’s the ones that come up with a different answer, that don’t get ready acceptance by everybody, that’s where you get your drive and movement.

"Cab companies are the dumbest, stupidest, and worst-run businesses in the world." —Dick Falkenbury

What does the city need right now?

The biggest problem facing the city is housing affordability. My mother pays more interest on her house and it's almost larger than her mortgage. It’s not just a question of buying a house; it’s also a question of keeping a house.

The problem is also not a lack of money; it’s a lack of land. What we need to do is take parking lots at Safeways, Home Depots, and institutions like the veteran’s hospitals on Beacon Hill and build on top of those parking spaces. The way you do that is by offering incentives to build on top of those spots. It’s a good idea, unless you think of parking spaces as sacrosanct.

What’s the problem with the council right now?

They have almost entirely nine-to-nothing votes. They're all saying and doing the same thing. I’m obviously not going to be able to turn around an entire city council or a whole city. But what I can offer them is on a occasion a glimpse into something new. A new view. Right now they all have the same view. Even Sawant tends to vote with the majority. They rarely have dissension on the city council.

Having someone that will put their wooden stick into the spokes is disconcerting. But they should be bigger than this; they should bring in a new voice. It’s pretty clear most people in city think we are going in the wrong direction. The council should find someone with a new voice—that’s a challenge.  

As a cabbie, what do you think about the Uber phenomenon?

It’s real simple, cab companies are the dumbest, stupidest, and worst-run businesses in the world. Because they had a monopoly, they became worse and worse at delivering their service. The city council should not do anything to stop Uber; it’s like stopping Amazon.

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