1. Name as it will appear on the ballot
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First Name |
Middle Initial or Nick Name |
Last Name |
2. Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):
3. Are you the incumbent? Yes No
4. How long have you resided in this district/city?
5. How long have you
resided in
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Twenty-five (25) years |
6. Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan? Partisan Nonpartisan
CAMPAIGN CONTACTS
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Campaign Name: |
Friends and Neighbors for Al Runte, Mayor |
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Campaign Phone: |
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Campaign E-mail: |
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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) |
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California State Department of Transportation, Rail Advisory Board
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2. If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:
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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.)
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The late Gaylord Nelson once
challenged me in a conference on the future of the national parks: "If
you don't like your government, look in the mirror." This year I
have. My concerns for the future of Good schools are another
issue. There is growing in Transportation is also
pressing. Senator Nelson was right. The
people of |
2. Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.
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From the time I was three years old, my mother called me the professor. I have always welcomed the opportunity of bringing people and knowledge together, and, although an academic, have always considered myself an activist. As early as the age of 19, in 1966, Nancy Ayers, a distinguished Broome County, New York, environmentalist, asked me to serve on her board, that of the Susquehanna Conservation Council. Together with other civic leaders, we established a broad system of county parks specifically designed for inner-city kids. Not only do those parks survive, more important, they gave thousands of children hope. During the summers of 1966-1968, I myself served as a guide, picking up busloads of inner-children and taking them to these parks for the day. It was the beginning of a life of public service and activism, with the exception of my holding public office. Now that my academic career is behind me--and I can no longer be accused of lacking objectivity--I have decided to run for office in the spirt of that background. Public service is what I do. Variously, I have been a teacher, professor, park ranger, government advisor, board member, media commentator, consultant, and citizen activist. The only thing I have not done is hold public office, which I consider far better than having done nothing else. We have too many lifetime politicians who are not truly lifetime public servants. I will be the latter far more than the former, and will listen to all community leaders for a change. |
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.
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.
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Just as I was typing this, I received a call from Mount Rainier National Park. Next week, I am to speak there and direct a workshop for 5th grade educators. A normal year for me is many such invitations from local, regional, and national forums, including perhaps my favorite--an annual invitation to address the 5th graders at Assumption-St. Bridget School. Invariably, as a historian of the national parks and conservation, I have had considerable experience in the public sector, including guiding the future direction of major bureaucracies and institutions. National policies with regard to the environment have changed because of my writing. In my next book, I combine the issues of transportation and the environment, and show that they are not separate. Rather, they are related, as our friends in Europe and Japan have known for decades. If Seattle is to become a great international city, it needs to think about the relationship between environment and transportation. Family is important, too. Over the past several years, my aging in-laws have needed my time and care. My mother-in-law died in January and my father-in-law continues to reside at the Hearthstone. Suddenly, I have a new expertise--aging, and all the problems it entails. Over the next several decades, America--including Seattle--will dramatically age. I am concerned that Seattle is not doing enough as this new "boom" comes upon us.
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The first duty of the mayor is leadership. A mayor should inspire the City Council to believe in effective and committed government. Most important, the mayor should commit the city and its citzens to think in larger blocks of time. Where will Seattle be in 25 years? 50 years? a hundred years? What will our snowpack be? How will we replace that power? How should we relate to the cities and towns that surround us? As a historian, I think in time. I will lead in time, as well. The mayor is foremost the executive leader of city government. What should its departments be doing? Are they listening to the citizens, or making bureaucracy more comfortable for themselves? How is that we tell the difference? This mayor will not ignore what any citizen knows and sees. Are the streets being fixed and maintained? Have the seismic safety improvements to the fire stations really started? Do the parks look truly inviting or just rundown? Is consumerism more important than a liveable city? As the guide to city government, a mayor influences all those issues--and more. A mayor also represents Seattle to the nation and the world. The world will be proud of my accomplishments on behalf of parks, transportation, and the environment. The world will believe us when we say we want good government for all our citizens. Too long, Seattle has listened to only its rich citizens. The duty of the mayor is to make sure that everyone believes government is there for them. |
EDUCATION BACKGROUND SUMMARY
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.
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PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara, 1976 MA, Illinois State University, 1971 BA, State University of New York at Binghamton, 1969 |
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.
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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.
Candidate Evaluation Coordinator: Rebecca Cooper
Seattle, WA 98104-1614 Fax: 425-671-0506 Website: www.munileague.org