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

John

Earl

Manning

 

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

 

Seattle City Council Position #9

 

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  No

 

 

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

 

30 years.

 

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

 

30 years

 

6.   Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan?               Nonpartisan         

                                                                                                                       

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:       

 

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

 

Campaign Name:

John Manning For City Council

 

Address:

 

P.O. Box 28106

 

City/State/Zip:

 

Seattle, WA 98118

 

Campaign Phone:

 

(206) 760-7700

 

 

Campaign Fax:

 

(206) 722-1265

 

 

Campaign E-mail:

 

john.e.manning@att.net

 

 

Campaign Website:

 

JohnManning.org

 

 

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)

Seattle City Council

 

Elective

 

1/1996 -Dec 96

 

Chair Transportation

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

 

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

 

Office Title

Year of Run

n/a

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 


 


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 has been a very obvious disconnect between the citizens of our city and its' elected officials. There remains an issue of responsiveness, accountability and passion as it relates to the council and problems that continue to plague our city.  We need elected officials who share the values of the city's residents but who are also willing to provide vision and leadership for the future.  I am a person who knows how to achieve results and believe in progress not just process.

 

I am running for the Seattle City Council because I do bring sensibility in leadership to our local government.  I want to redefine Public Safety not only as police and fire but also as an  investment in people.  A strong public safety environment is created by taking a proactive and preventative position to averting crisis.  I desire to restore the cuts in Public Safety that affected the Human Services budget, i.e., community service officers, crimepPrevention staff, the Gang Unit, School Crossing Guards, the Juvenile Det. unit. and Community Police Teams.

 

Strong public safety policies help to create:

1.   A healthy economic environment that is conducive to development and growth of small and large businesses in our city. 

2.   A safer learning environment for families and their children to live, work and earn a solid education.

3.   Strong neighborhoods where every citizen can feel safe in their homes and communities.                    

 

I want to begin a dialogue with our state legislators about how best to address our regressive tax system.  Our current system of taxation hurts the middle class and small business owners.  We must develop and implement a system which makes sense and helps to establish a sustainable future for our children.

 


 

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

 

My strength lies in my ability to bring people together around very difficult isses, and yet maintain an honest, open, and direct approach to bring about positive and constructive resolutions.  I am an articulate and effective communicator who knows how to listen.   I have an inate desire and ability to take on tough assignments and work through the problems which may have been a hinderence in the past to progress.  I am a person who knows how

to get things done and involve those around me to catch the vision and run with it.

 

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. 

 

 1.  As a Sergeant with the Seattle Police department, I had primary responsibility for the Community Policing program for the east preceinct.  I was responsible for implementing and supervising the first Weed & Seed program in Seattle.  This was a highly controversial and succesful program.

 

2.  When the city lost the use of the street utility tax for road repair, I assembled the task force

     responsible for the creation of the transportation package that was the catalyst for the

    city’s 1997 transportation bond measure. 

 

3.  Because of commumity and professional work with youth and crime prevention, I was asked by the Govenor to co-chair a task force on families, youth, & justice prevention strategies.


 

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.

 

1.  Police Officer, Police Detective, Police Sergeant --  In these positions, I received training in the following areas: effective communication, including cross-cultural communication, public speaking, negotiation skills, conflict resolution, keys to management, professional writing, critical decision making, crisis intervention and community organizing (1979 - 1995).

 

2.  Business owner --  hiring, firing and supervising staff, creating policies and procedures, responsiiblity for grant writing, team development and training.  I drafted the business plan, and prepared and managed the annual budget (1982-1996).

   

 3.  As City Coucilman -- I chaired the Transportation committee and was an active member of the Personnel and Parks committees.  I sat on the Public Safety Committees of the League of Cities and Sound Transit boards.

 

4.  As Past President of the Black Law Enforcement Association of Washington and Board of Directors for the Seattle Police Officers Guild, I provided leadership and direction.

 

5.  As mentor, trainer and volunteer with the Joel Mitchell foundation, I worked with youth aged 10 - 13 years of age on issues ranging from the academic to mental health.

 

 

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

 

To enact legeslation, or ordinance, that govern the citizens of Seattle.   To review initiatives  or measures brought before the council  for consideration of a public vote.  Establish a city budget in conjunction with the Mayor's office.  To reject or accept proposals that may require a partnership with the private sector, with some public benefit.  To enforce the City Charter and govern the city according to its mandates.

 

Enforcing the guidelines of the City Charter is the most important, because these established rules help give citizens clarity on what the local government can and cannot do, and how they can be involved in the process.


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.

 

     

 

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.

 

     

 

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