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

Angel

M.

Bolanos

 

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

 

Seattle City Council Position 4

 

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  Yes              No

 

 

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

 

thirteen years

 

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

 

thirteen years

 

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

                                                                                                                       

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:       

 

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

 

 

Campaign Name:

 

Bolanos Campaign for City Council

 

Address:

 

4223 S. Juneau St

 

City/State/Zip:

 

Seattle, WA 98118

 

Campaign Phone:

 

206-725-8758

 

 

Campaign Fax:

 

SAME

 

 

Campaign E-mail:

 

angel@electbolanos.org

 

 

Campaign Website:

 

www.electbolanos.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)

1999-2001

 

Appointive

 

1989-1991

 

Ecuadorian Congress Political advisor

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

 

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

 

Office Title

Year of Run

Seattle City Council

 

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:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 am running for Seattle City Council because I believe that Seattle can become a more hospitable community for all of its multicultural and diverse ethnic background citizens.  I am a part-time parent of an eight-year-old daughter, and I want her to have more and better opportunities in the future that, at this point, do not exist in Seattle.  My daughter and your children deserve to grow up in a city that provides inclusiveness and job opprtunities that pay a living wage, so that when our children  start supporting themselves they won't need two or three jobs to live in the city limits, nor will they have to choose between paying rent or buying food.  Our children deserve to feel safe from racial profiling and discrimination, and we need more leadership in creating the mechanisms that hold police accountable.  I want to realize my vision of a city that honors families, cares for the environment, offers truly low-income housing, and strives for neighborhood economic sustainable development. My opponet after twelve years in the council has distance more and more from the middle, lower middle economic class and the poor. I want to make sure that our government is fiscally transparent, responsible and oppen so that, trust is restore. I believe it is irresponsible to finance mega projects that favors special interests (billionairs and millionairs) on the expenses of the majority of Seattle citizens. We need to demand accountability and make sure that public safety is a must issue to be addressed at all times.  I want to create a Civilian board that holds the police department accountable by providing them with subpoena power to investigate any police misconduct. Finally, I strongly believe that we need more diversity in the council so that, we can solve our problems with a different vission.  It is time to have a city council that reflects the diveristy of our city.

 


 

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

 

I am the fifth of ten children and the only one who finished school. Since my chilhood although, i was born in extreme poverty I have been an asset for every community i have lived in. I have always been a person of great perserverance.  As a child growing up in rural poverty in Ecuador, I worked hard to transcend the desperation and illiteracy around me, working odd jobs from my early childhood on to fund my own education.  I was the first person in my family to graduate from high school, College and then to work in the National Ecuadorian Congress as political advisor. Later after moving into Seattle in 1992,  I had to learn the  English Language, then several months later found my first job as project Co-Director  for Seattle Partnership in Service under the unbrella of United Way of King County. I have been a tirelees worker and student. In 1993 i was a founder member of Mecha-Latina a student organization at Seattle Central Community College. In 1994 I took the lead to become one of the fuonder members of CASA-LATINA currently a succesfull non-profit organization dedicated to helping immigants with ESL and labor traning and other social services. Then when i felt my English language skills were good enough, I went to receive a Masters in Public Administration-International Affairs from the Evans School of Public Affairs, those were huge accomplishments and are examples of my tenacity. 

I also feel that my life experience has made me sensitive to the needs of those who do not have a voice.  Much of my work and volunteer life has been dedicated to helping others help themselves get their basic human needs met.  I will continue to be a tireless advocate for those not represented in our city government.

Other important traits include the ability to facilitate, negotiate and stay true to my beliefs while being flexible in my ability to work with others toward a common end.

 

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. 

 

My volunteer work with the Ecuadorian Women's Foundation for Community Development (FUMDEC) touched the lives of thousands of people and taught me a lot about program development.  FUMDEC is an NGO based in Quito that promotes self-sufficiency among women in marginalized communities.  The Executive Director of FUMDEC and I developed training programs for the women served that would build skills, confidence, and make it possible for women to work outside their home, which made it more viable for some women to leave abusive, dependent relationships.  The Executive Director saw the need, and I saw the practicality of teaching women to be self-sufficient.  We recruited teachers, developed the course descriptions, and helped facilitate the smooth running of the program.  We endeavor and taught women non traditional workshops for women such as carpentry, electricity, mechanic, artcrafts, and others women's traditional workshops. Once we saw the success of the trainings in Quito, we took this replicable model to communities throughout Ecuador. I worked as a volunteer in this program for eight years, stopping only because I emigrated to the United States. 

In conjunction with FUMDEC, I also spent five years as vice-president of the Humberto Valdez Housing Cooperative.  Our Board recruited hundreds of dues-paying members and secured the purchase of a large parcel of land in Quito for homesteading.  In addition to increasing membership, I also wrote the articles of incorporation and statutes for the organization.  I  worked closely  with the Ministry of Social Welfare to coordinate our development activities.The cooperative members were poor, landless families, some of whom were served by the foundation's programs I helped to create and maintain.


 

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.

 

Work Experience

05/91 to 05/92  Popular Democratic Party, Quito, Ecuador.  Presidential Campaign Coordinator

10/89 to 5/92  Ecuadorian National Congress, Quito, Ecuador.  Development Policy Advisor.  Advised congressional representatives regarding education, health care, and welfare issues affecting senior citizens.

6/99 to 9/99 Embassy of Ecuador, Washington, DC.  Restructured the Administrative Department and created effective mechanisms for delegation of responsibilities.

Several jobs I have held required a lot of community outreach and advocacy.  These jobs include:

04/94 to 04/96 Seattle/King County Department of Public Health TB Clinic, Seattle WA.  Senior Service and Pharmacy Assistant

6/93 to 12/93  YMCA-Metrocenter, Bilingual Writing Instructor, Seattle, WA.  Literacy training and outreach to homeless immigrants

04/93 to 12/93 Youth Partnership in Service, Seattle, WA.  Project Co-Director

07/04 to 11/04 National Association of Social Workers (NASW-PACE), Seattle WA. Field Political Organizer.  In charged of recruiting and coordinating volunteers. Mobilizing NASW members to actively participate in the Nation’s electoral process. Responsible for maintaining data-base keeping members informed through a fluid communication and energizing members to become lobbyist and/or to better understand the political process in order to make NASW stronger.

11/99 to11/01  Seattle Neighborhood Group, Seattle, WA.  Crime Prevention Trainer and Community Organizer.  Worked at Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) sites.  Focused on safety and crime prevention issues.  Analyzed Seattle Neighborhoods Crime Data and worked together with SHA site management, community leaders, as well as community councils.

01/03 to 09/03 TRAC Associates, Seattle, WA.  Job Developer.  Worked primarily with immigrants women and men helping finding and placing them in jobs through the Welfare-to-Work program.

01/02 to 06/02 Youth Opportunities Program, Seattle, WA.  Supervised youth at-risk namely minority and disadvantage individuals in the South East area of Seattle in conjunction with Seattle Housing Authority-New Holly housing development site Manager.

11/99 to11/01  Seattle Neighborhood Group, Seattle, WA.  Crime Prevention Trainer and Community Organizer.  Worked at Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) sites.  Focused on safety and crime prevention issues.  Analyzed Seattle Neighborhoods Crime Data and worked together with SHA site management, community leaders, as well as community councils.

06/99 to 09/99 Embassy of Ecuador, Washington, D.C. Internship. Restructured the Administrative Department. Helped in administrative tasks and set up creative and effective mechanisms of delegation and responsibilities for the Embassy’s personnel. 

Of my volunteer experience, the most skill-building include:

01/93 to 4/95  CASA-LATINA, Seattle, WA. founding member

05/89 to 05/92  Humberto Valdez Housing Cooperative, Quito, Ecuador.  Vice-President

03/84 to 05/92  Ecuadorian Women's Foundation for Community Development (FUMDEC), Quito, Ecuador.  Project Coordinator

 

 

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

 

The duties of City Council members include crafting City policy in the form of ordinances or adopted resolutions.  Council members are also appointed as the chair of one of nine committees and as members of the other remaining committees.  It is desirable to have Council members who are knowledgeable about every committee so that no one member becomes essential in one committee and lacking of experience in others.  Due to the energy crisis our city faced in the past, it is now required that each Council member sit on at least one utility committee.  The Council is also responsible for managing the City's budget. 

 

The most important duty is managing the City's budget.  Proper fiscal management and a balance of priorities facilitates public health and safety,  keeps incentives for corporations and developers in check, and can help streamline the operations of the City. 

 

Being an active member of a committee--as well as chairing --is very important.  Oftentimes this is the best opportunity to receive community input during the decision-making process in every issue that matters to our neighborhoods and and communities.


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.

 

Masters in Public Administration-International Affairs fron Evans School of Public Affairs

Undergraduate in Journalism from Universidad Central de Ecuador

 

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.

 

7/2004-11/04 National Association fo Social Workers. Field Political Organizer for the last presidential election

5/91-5/92 Popular Democratic Party, Quito, Ecuador.  Presidential Campaign Coordinator

10/89-5/92 Ecuadorian National Congress, Quito, Ecuador.  Development Policy Advisor.  Advised congressional representatives on education, healthcare and welfare issues affecting senior citizens.

11/99-11/01 Seattle Neighborhood Group, Seattle, WA.  Worked as a Crime Prevention Trainer/Community Organizer and data analyst at Seattle Housing Authority sites.

1/94-4/95 CASA-LATINA, Seattle, WA. founding member

 

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