2003 Candidate Questionnaire

 

SECTION I               

 

BASIC CANDIDATE INFORMATION

 

1.      Name as it will appear on the ballot

 

First Name

Middle Initial or Nick Name

Last Name

Dick

     

Falkenbury

 

2.   Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):

 

Seattle City Council  Position Five

 

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  No

 

 

4.   How long have you resided in this district/city?

 

Life

 

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

 

Life

 

6.   Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan?               Nonpartisan         

                                                                                                                       

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:       

 

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

 

Campaign Name:

"DickFalkenbury for Seattle"

 

Address:

 

7547 32nd NE

 

City/State/Zip:

 

Seattle, WA  98115

 

Campaign Phone:

 

(206) 633 0231

 

 

Campaign Fax:

 

     

 

 

Campaign E-mail:

 

falkenbury@w-link.net

 

 

Campaign Website:

 

falkenbury.com

 

 

POLITICAL BACKGROUND

 

1.   Beginning with the most recent position, please list public offices which you have held.  Include positions on appointive Boards or Commissions.

 

Public Office

Elective or Appointive?

Dates Held

Leadership Role (if any)

Monorail Board

 

A

 

1998-2003

 

     

 

Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Board

 

A

 

1988-1995

 

     

 

Mayor's Citizen Advisory Committee on Sand Point

 

A

 

1970-73

 

     

 

 

2.   If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:

 

Office Title

Year of Run

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 


 


SECTION III

 

In this section, we are seeking responses that reflect the four ratings criteria: involvement, effectiveness, character, and knowledge.  These are defined as follows:

 

  • Involvement: What has the candidate done previously in family, neighborhood, community, volunteer work, employment or public life to suggest readiness to accomplish challenging objectives? How do these activities demonstrate readiness for the challenges unique to the office sought?

 

  • Effectiveness: Has the candidate demonstrated promise of being productive in the office sought?  Has the candidate shown the ability to work with other people?

 

  • Character: Do the candidate's personal traits show the ability to take on the responsibilities of campaigning for and holding the public office she or he is seeking? Is the candidate a leader, participant or observer?  Is the candidate trustworthy, reliable and candid?

 

  • Knowledge: Has the candidate demonstrated the willingness and ability to learn and adapt?  Does the candidate understand the duties and challenges of the office sought?  Does the candidate have a firm grasp of the issues important to his or her constituency and their potential effects?

 

 

1.      In a page or less, why are you running for this office?  (Note: the interview committee will be given a copy of this statement before your interview; at the beginning of your interview you will have the opportunity to expand on this statement in any way you wish.)

 

There is a lack of direction and purpose on the Seattle City Council.  I will bring the ability and desire for focus that I demonstrated while serving on the Monorail Board for six years. 

 

The monorail project had been opposed by city hall at nearly very level, the newspapers, business world and most of the opinion makers of Seattle.  By remaining resolute, focused and reasonable, we were able to eventually turn around most of the city, as evidenced by the succesful vote of the people to securepermission and funding for the Green Line.

 

During my six year service on the board, I did not miss a single monthly meeting. 

 

The Seattle City Council must begin by identifying the problems of the city.  Then, prioritize those problems and make them known to the citizens with their participation and input.  We must then truthfully ascertain how many resources we have at our command.  Only after this type of process can we begin to attack and solve the host of problems that this city that I love faces. 

 

The City Council must eschew the sideshows of no consequence that have been unfortunately too large a part of the last few years. 

 

My experience with the Monorail Board, the Bicycle Advisory and other public endeavors have proven to me that one person can make a difference.  By demonstrating a personal leadership I can help the City Council come to grips with our problems.

 


 

2.      Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.

 

First, I have 'inherited' the sort of honesty that seems to come from growing up in Seattle. 

 

Second, is my proven willingness to doggedly pursue an idea in the face of massive opposition and even ridicule. 

 

Third, is my sense of proportion.  I understand the nature of political discussion.  Very little of what we think is important truly rises to the occasion of grandeur.  On the other hand, extending a small kindness, such as taking flowers to someone who is sick or stopping traffic to make sure that an elderly person feels free to cross safely, can b as special as battles won and victories assured. 

 

Fourth, is my saving grace: a self-depreciating humor and general ability to laugh, without which this life would be tedious in the extreme. 

 

3.      Please describe in sufficient detail, one to three accomplishments or contributions of which you are most proud.  These examples should illustrate effective skills and capabilities you think apply to the office you are seeking.  These accomplishments may have occurred at any time in your personal, professional, or public life. 

 

Of course, the monorail.  The monorail is so much more than merely another project.  It is an entirely new way of travel.  It can be done in such a way as to pay for itself.  It is safe.  It is clean. 

 

The monorail will be an icon for the city,much the way the Space Needle is.  More, it will tell the world that "Seatttle is the future, again!"

 

I am proud of the monorail.

 I am prouder of the way that it was done.  Members of the Board paid for their own travel to see other monorails.  We did it as volunteers, even though we were legally allowed to take a substantial per diem for every meeting.  We performed our task on-time and even returned $300,000 taxpayer dollars to the city.

 

But I am proudest of my small contribution to the first Burke-Gilman Trail.  A project derided by nearly all powers at every turn, that cost so little and yet is enjoyed by millions to this day.

 


 

 

4.      Please list or describe your current and past activities in the community in which you have acquired skills that relate to the office you seek.  Include your role in the activity and the year(s) in which you were involved.  Involvement consists of many areas such as family, neighborhood, community, employment, or public life.

 

I served on the Mayor's Citizens Advisory Committee on Sand Point (1970-73)

 

I was a volunteer on the first Citizen's Committtee for a Trail (Burke-Gilman) in 1970.

 

I was a foot soldier/envelope stuffer for Mike Lowry, Joel Pritchard, Jim McDermott, Ruthe Ridder, Norm Rice and others.

 

I ran an initiative to halt the expansion of the I-90 in 1978 (it was stricken from the ballot).

 

I have started several businesses and have failed each time, but I have always paid my bills.

 

I bought a run-down house at 2711 S Elmwood Pl in Seattle and completely rebuilt it, largely with my own labor.  And then, I built a four bedroom, two bath house behind it from the ground up.

 

 

  1. Please describe the duties of the office you seek.  Which are the most important duties and why?

 

Listening to the citizens of this city.  Truthfully responding to them.  Telling them what you see as the problems, the resources available and the ways to solve those problems. 

 

The ability and willingness to say 'no' when necessary.

 

Finally, to inject a joy into the body politic and the civic life that we enjoy.  Make government friendly and fun again.

 


 

EDUCATION BACKGROUND SUMMARY

FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT

 

The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report is distributed to voters in print and/or on our website.  It includes a summary of the candidate’s education.  Please summarize your education in 120 characters (letters, punctuation, and space all combined).  The League will delete material that exceeds the space limit by beginning with the last entry.  Suggested order is (degree)  (subject)  (school)  (year, if desired). 

 

Note: If this question is left blank the League will not include education information in your candidate profile.

 

Graduated Roosevelt High School 1971

 

BA from Western Washington State University 1977

 

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT SUMMARY

FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT

 

The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report also includes a summary of each candidate’s civic involvement.  Please summarize your civic involvement in the space below.  We will make every attempt to include the information in the Candidate Evaluation Report as submitted.  Due to space restrictions in the Report, your response is limited to 500 characters (letters, punctuation, and spaces all combined).  It is important that you list your involvement beginning with the most important and ending with the least important.  If you exceed the length of response permitted, or if the League should find it necessary to shorten responses for publication purposes,  deletions will be made beginning with the last item listed. 

 

Note: This information will appear verbatim on the League’s Candidate Evaluation Report.  If this question is left blank, the Municipal League will not include information on your civic involvement in the Report.

 

  Check here if you would like the Municipal League to copy the first 500 characters from Question 4 to paste into this section.

 

Burke-Gilman Trail (1970)

Monorail Board (1998-2003)

Mayors Citizen's Advisory on Sand Point (1970-1973)

Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Board (1988-1995)

 

Finished!

If at all possible, send your response to the Municipal League electronically as an attachment, or insert it into an e-mail message (rebecca@munileague.org).  Mail and fax numbers are listed below.  If the League has not contacted you to schedule an interview, please call the League office at your earliest convenience.

 

Don’t forget to send the following to the Municipal League:  a resume, a photo, campaign literature, and, if you are an incumbent, constituent newsletters and other materials.  Please use the check-off list on the cover sheet of this packet to indicate which items you have sent.

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND GOOD LUCK IN YOUR CAMPAIGN!

 

THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE OF KING COUNTY

 

Candidate Evaluation Coordinator:  Rebecca Cooper

 

810 Third Avenue, Suite 224                  Phone: 206-622-8333                Email: rebecca@munileague.org

Seattle, WA 98104-1614                        Fax: 425-671-0506                        Website: www.munileague.org