Tag Archives: Lorena González

News

Mayoral Candidates Spar on Public Safety, Being ‘From Here’

by Erica C. Barnett & Paul Kiefer

(This article originally appeared on PubliCola and has been reprinted under an agreement.)

Seattle Mayoral candidates Lorena González and Bruce Harrell faced off once again on Sunday during a public safety-focused forum hosted by the ACLU of Washington and moderated by Sean Goode, the director of the Seattle-area youth diversion nonprofit Choose 180.

The forum was a chance for the two candidates to get into the weeds on issues like police oversight, union contracts, and the logistics of civilian emergency response.

But anyone looking for detailed, specific responses to questions about these issues — not to mention the City’s use of the King County Detention Center, plans to increase or decrease Seattle Police Department (SPD) funding, and under what circumstances police should use lethal force — might have come away disappointed.

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Features

The 2021 Seattle Mayor’s Race by the Numbers

by Erica C. Barnett

With just over a month to go before the 2021 Seattle mayoral election, both Lorena González and Bruce Harrell have amassed financial support worth well over a million dollars, including both direct contributions (which are capped at $550) and independent expenditures (which are unlimited). But a closer look at campaign contributions and expenditures reveals key differences between the candidates’ supporters and how they’re spending their campaign funds.

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Voices

Why I’m The Best Candidate for South Seattle: Lorena González

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The Emerald invited top mayoral to tell readers why they deserve South Seattle’s vote. Voters have until Aug. 3 to cast their vote in the primary election.

My Plan for a Thriving South Seattle 

by Lorena González 

I loved living in South Park, one of Seattle’s most vibrant, diverse neighborhoods. Like many of South Seattle’s culturally rich neighborhoods in our city, South Park also suffers disproportionately from the impacts of systemic racism and economic inequality. 

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News

Seattle Uber Drivers Receive Sick Day Compensation in Record-Breaking Settlement

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by Luke Schaefer

A multimillion dollar settlement has been reached between rideshare titan Uber and the Office of Labor Standards (OLS) over alleged violations of Seattle’s Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST) for Gig Workers Ordinance. The settlement will put $3.4 million into the hands of over 15,000 Seattle Uber drivers and marks the largest settlement agreement in OLS’s history.

On Thursday, June 24, City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda and Council President Lorena Gonzales joined the Teamsters Local 117 union and several Uber drivers for a press event outside the Islamic School of Seattle to celebrate the win for drivers.

“Today $3.4 million [is] going back in the hands of workers. $3.4 million from an investigation initiated by these workers here. $3.4 million going on the tables of hardworking families across Seattle. That’s an economic stimulator. That’s good for everyone,” said Mosqueda, whose labor-focused reelection campaign is being endorsed by Teamsters 117. “We can be proud of Seattle. Today, workers are getting the pay and respect that they deserve.”

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News

Durkan Administration Asks State to Expand Scope of Audit Into City Council Contract

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by Erica C. Barnett

(This article was originally published by PubliCola and has been reprinted under an agreement.) 

On Monday, the director of the city’s Department of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS), Calvin Goings, and the city’s finance director, Glen Lee, signed a letter to the State Auditor’s Office (SAO) asking the auditor to expand the scope of its ongoing audit of the contract between the city’s Legislative Department and the Freedom Project, which served as the “fiscal agent” for a $3 million project to study participatory budgeting and alternatives to policing.

However, PubliCola’s reporting indicates that the letter was written not by Goings and Lee but by Mayor Jenny Durkan’s office — and that Goings and Lee were less than thrilled to sign their names to such a blatantly political series of requests and leading questions.

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Community

Rainier Beach Eyes Multifaceted Solutions to Ending Violence in the Safeway Parking Lot

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by Ari Robin McKenna

After a late-January in which three, high-volume shooting incidents in or near the Rainier Beach Safeway parking lot left almost 100 bullet casings scattered about — and fortunately no one injured or killed — there appears to be a broader sense of community purpose around preventing further gun violence. 

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News

The Morning Update Show — 2/5/21

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The Morning Update Show — hosted by Trae Holiday and The Big O (Omari Salisbury) — is the only weekday news and information livestream that delivers culturally relevant content to the Pacific Northwest’s urban audience. Omari and Trae analyze the day’s local and national headlines as well as melanin magic in our community. Watch live every weekday at 11 a.m. on any of the following channels, hosted by Converge Media: YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and whereweconverge.com.

We’ll also post the Morning Update Show here on the Emerald each day after it airs, so you can catch up any time of day while you peruse our latest posts.

Morning Update Show — Friday, Feb. 5

LIVE —Lorena Gonzalez | LIVE — Sweeng One | Black History Every Day | #FeelGoodFriday | Week in Review

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News

Pledging a “Pathway to Shared Prosperity,” Seattle Councilmember Lorena González Announces Run for Mayor

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by Marcus Harrison Green and Maggie Mertens 

Before Lorena González was a Seattle City Councilmember, or a civil rights attorney, she was the daughter of migrant farmworkers in central Washington. Next, she hopes to be Seattle’s mayor. 

On Wednesday morning, González, a first-generation American, officially announced her run for the position of the city’s top elected official.

Continue reading Pledging a “Pathway to Shared Prosperity,” Seattle Councilmember Lorena González Announces Run for Mayor →
Features

A Guide to Seattle’s New Lobbying Rules

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by Erica C. Barnett

Last week, the Seattle City Council quietly adopted legislation that will have far-reaching implications for groups that mobilize ordinary people to lobby the mayor, city council, and other city officials.

The bill, proposed by the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission (SEEC) and shepherded by council president Lorena González, will require so-called grassroots lobbyists to register with the city and disclose their contributions and expenditures.

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News

South End Constituents React to Mayor Durkan’s Decision Not to Seek Re-election

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by Elizabeth Turnbull

At the end of a demanding year responding to the COVID-19 crisis and overseeing controversial police tactics during to Black Lives Matter protests, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced on Dec. 7 that she will not seek re-election. 

In several interviews and in a video announcing her decision, Durkan said her decision came down to a choice: Run a successful re-election campaign or devote all her attention to being mayor in the final year of her term. 

“I could spend the next year campaigning to keep this job or focus all my energy on doing the job,” Durkan said. “There was only one right choice for our city: Doing the job.” 

To gauge how the South End feels about the mayor’s eventual departure, the Emerald spoke with local groups and community members about what the mayor’s decision means to them and their view for the city. 

Continue reading South End Constituents React to Mayor Durkan’s Decision Not to Seek Re-election →