The Municipal League of King County

810 Third Avenue, Suite 224

Seattle, WA 98104

 

2005 Board of Trustees

 

Rita Brogan, Chair

Mark Troxel, Vice Chair

Beth M. Arman, Secretary

Harold Taniguchi, Treasurer

 

Putnam Barber, Executive Alliance

Vaughnetta J. Barton, community volunteer

Jill D. Bowman, Stoel Rives

Patricia Bowman, human resources manager (ret.)

Bruce Carter, judge pro tem, Seattle Municipal Court

Kevin Carter, Safeco

Stephanie Cirkovich, Pike Place Market PDA

Peter Coates, Building and Construction Trades Council

Chris Cooper, CHHIP

Paul Demitriades, Medina City Council (ret.)

Sandra Driscoll, City Attorney (ret)

Deborah Eddy, Consultant

Keven Franklin, King County

Mary Gates, Consultant

Norma Jean Hanson, Norma Jean Hanson Paralegal Services

Robert Klein, McNaul, Ebel, Nawrot, and Helgren

Eric Laschever, Stoel Rives

Steve Marshall, Snohomish PUD

Rob Neate, Puget Sound Energy

Jennifer Piccolo, citizen activist

Charles Redell, Reporter

Tami Ritoch, Fireside Homes Real Estate Associate

R. Todd Slind, CH2MHill

Lucy Steers, public participation consultant

Harold Taniguchi, King County Department of Transportation

Rashelle Tanner, CRISTA Ministries

David Tarshes, Davis Wright Tremaine

Kate Tate, Weyerhauser

Philip Thompson, Perkins Coie

Mark Troxel, City of Seattle

Wes Uhlman, Wes Uhlman & Associates

Rich White, Boeing

2005 CANDIDATE BACKGROUND QUESTIONNAIRE
FOR NON-JUDICIAL CANDIDATES

 

The Municipal League of King County requests every candidate who participates in the candidate evaluation process to submit background information prior to his/her interview with a candidate evaluation committee.  The questionnaire is the basis of the League’s research and interview process.  The League’s ratings are non-partisan; they are based on standards of Involvement, Effectiveness, Character, and Knowledge, all of which have been developed and refined over the past 90 years.

 

A printed version of the questionnaire is available for candidates who prefer to use the traditional format.  To obtain a hard copy, please contact the League office.  A copy of this questionnaire will be provided to Candidate Evaluation Committee members to help them prepare for your interview.  Candidate responses, except the confidential section, will be available to the general public at the League website. 

 

The Municipal League requests the following materials from candidates.  Please check to make certain you have sent in your:

 

      Candidate Questionnaire

          Sent by:         Email             US Mail          Fax            Not Sending

      Resume (education, employment, and professional activities)

          Sent by:         Email             US Mail          Fax            Not Sending

               Check here if you DO NOT want your resume posted on the Municipal

                   League website

      Campaign Materials

          Sent by:         Email             US Mail          Fax            Not Sending

      Constituent Newsletters and other publications

          Sent by:         Email             US Mail          Fax            Not Sending

      Photograph

          Sent by:         Email             US Mail          Fax            Not Sending

 

Note: Electronically submitted questionnaires are strongly preferred. All materials can be emailed to rebecca@munileague.org.  They can be processed and made available on-line far more rapidly than handwritten or typed submissions.

 

For non-electronic submissions, please print clearly and legibly and return the application as soon as possible in order to allow the committee the greatest amount of time to prepare a complete report on your skills and experience.

 

If you have not yet been contacted to schedule an interview, or if you have questions about the candidate evaluation program, please contact the League office at 206-264-1070.

 

If you have a disability and require accommodation to participate in the candidate evaluation process, please contact Rebecca Cooper at the League office.

2005 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

Linda

E.

Averill

 

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

 

Seattle City Council, Position Four

 

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  Yes              No

 

 

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

 

45 years

 

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

 

 45 years

 

6.   Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan?         Partisan      Nonpartisan         

                                                                                                                       

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:       

 

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

 

 

Campaign Name:

 

Advocates for Averill

 

Address:

 

5018 Rainier Ave. S.

 

City/State/Zip:

 

Seattle

 

Campaign Phone:

 

206-722-2453

 

 

Campaign Fax:

 

206-723-7691

 

 

Campaign E-mail:

 

Votelinda@earthlink.net

 

 

Campaign Website:

 

www.socialism.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)

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

 

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

 

Office Title

Year of Run

Seattle City Council, Position Five

 

2003

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 


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.)

 

I have lived in Seattle all my life and see it is being stolen right out from under workingclass people. I want to reverse this. Also, co-workers and supporters urged me to run again because they were glad to see the impact I made in 2003. They are excited by the idea of a bus driver who stands up to the career politicians, and who raises issues they won't. I am running for Seattle City Council to provide a voice and representation for the overtaxed, underserved working class majority of this city.

 

As an activist and a Metro bus driver I meet people in all kinds of jobs and neighborhoods. Whether city workers, single moms, underpaid home healthcare workers, etc. what I hear is frustration and dismay over the increasing difficulty of making ends meet in Seattle.

 

They need basic services, such as jobs programs, health clinics, an expanded and integrated transit system, daycare assistance, rent control and a moratorium on razing public housing. I am raising in my campaign the need to tax corporate profits to fund these social programs. I advocate a $17/hour minimum wage which is what a person needs to live in our expensive city.  I know some of these proposals require changes in state law, but if we don't start now, when?

 

 

 

I chose to run against Jan Drago, specifically, because of all the council members she is among the most oblivious to the needs of her constituency. She  champions the needs of developers, and a good example is her promotion of subsidies going into South Lake Union, and the $4 billion viaduct tunnel option, despite the fact that our city continually faces budget crisis and is facing rising homelessness due to soaring housing prices. 

 

Seattle needs council members who will fight for low-wage workers and residents on fixed-incomes and insist that those who have grown fabulously wealthy in the Puget Sound region contribute their fair portion to providing services, expanded transit, schools, and job programs to help our youth get a start in the world.

 


 

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

 

As a bus driver I have had the opportuntiy meet people from all walks of life and it has given me a much broader sense of the struggles different people face. It also has given me a great deal of respect for the integrity and ingenuity of workingclass people, which is who I primarily serve.  I strongly believe that Seattle needs a workingclass voice on the city council. Most of our current representatives are professionals or small business people, or career politicians, who, in my opinion, are out of touch with a huge portion of the population they are supposed to represent.

 

As a member of a minority political party, and as a socialist, I have learned  the fine art of agreeing to disagree, and to then search for common ground to build alliances to change things for the better.

 

I am good at finding other leaders or developing leaders who are principaled, articulate, and working collaboratively to build leadership teams. This is essential to build coalitions which is essential to organize to change and improve city law.

 

Because of my 25 years as a community activist I have ties to various movements and communities, including the anti-war, feminist, queer, labor, native, african american and other people of color communities. I would rely on these ties for a base and essential feedback in office.

 

I am a journalist and have written on national, state and local affairs. My years of research and writing have given me a well-rounded knowledge of important issues for Seattle residents, and of issues that go beyond our city and state, like the war in Iraq and our so-called healthcare system.

 

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. 

 

I helped to spearhead a fair contract campaign with co-workers in my union. The issues we raised were the need to retain COLA, safety on buses, and job security for part-time drivers. Because I was ordered off the base while leafleting for this campaign, I successfully fought an unfair labor practice for a violation of employee rights to organize. By working with a caucus I formed, educating union members and winning the union leadership over, we won after 3 years and reversed management's right to stop employees from distributing literature off-duty in off-work areas. Tenacity and a belief in the rightness of the cause accomplished this.

 

By working with other labor activists, shortly after President Bush launched the war in Afghanistan, we formed Organized Labor Against the War. We developed a statement of principles, a mailing list, and held educational meetings and events. We spoke up in King County Labor Council, and the broader labor movement for the principle of international workingclass solidarity. We also organized for civil liberties and against racial profiling of immigrants. We have continued to oppose the war in Iraq and the Patriot Act, and won support for many of our positions, which were unpopular in the beginning.

 

As a young woman graduating from college, I became the president of Seattle Radical Women. I learned that leadership does not mean being a star, or doing everything yourself. Rather, leadership is the ability to consult and collaborate to find the best solution or strategy. Listening is a key element of a good leader. Also, being a leader means you have to be a very hard worker.


 

 

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.

 

Nathan Hale High School, swim team captain, 1977-78

 

UW Women's Commission Director, 1982-83

 

founding member of Registration Age People, an anti-draft registration group for young people who were dedicated to educating and organizing against reinstitution of the draft, 1981-83

 

Legislative correspondent for the Yakima Herald Republic, 1986; freelance reporter for the UW Daily, and numerous Seattle community newspapers during the 1980s and 1990s. They include South District Journal, Capitol Hill News, The Facts, Seattle Gay News and other pubications.

 

President of Seattle Radical Women, a socialist feminist organization dedicated to building the leadership of women, and winning full equality, 1986-1990; currently an active member.

 

Member of Freedom Socialist Party, 1986-current, and currently FSP candidate for Seattle City Council; journalist and member of editorial staff for FSP's newspaper, Freedom Socialist

 

Delegate for Amalgamated Transit Union 587 to ATU International Women's Caucus, 1995

 

Delegate for Amalgamated Transit Union 587 to the King County Labor Council, 1997-99, 2001-current

 

founding member of FORWARD, For Workers Activism and Rank-and-file Democracy, a rank  file caucus of my union, 1999-2002.

 

 

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

 

Seattle City Council members are responsible for overseeing and/or participating in the various committee of the Seattle City Council, and proposing appropriate legislation that addresses the concerns of Seattle residents.

 

They are empowered to call hearings and to hear testimony on issues of concern to Seattle residents, such as the destruction of public housing and the loss of low-income units. These first listed duties strike me as among the most important. Hearings are a crucial component in drawing up good legislation, and good legislation is key to making this city better.

 

They review and approve or reject changes in city zoning, oversee the running of Seattle City Light, and review and approve, or make amendments to the City budget. As such, they have a great deal of say over which programs get funding priority. This is also a crucial and important part of the council's work.

 

The city council can pass resolutions that address topics of concern to Seattle residents, such as speaking out on the USA Patriot Act and the war in Iraq. They can also provide leadership by speaking out publicly on various topics, or making their participation in various events publicly know.

 

They make and approve appointments for important city commissions and boards.


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.

 

BA, political science, University of Washington, 1983, BA journalism/communications, University of Washington, 1986.

 

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: 206-264-1070                Email: rebecca@munileague.org

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