Civic Cocktail

George Floyd's murder sparked a movement, forcing this nation to acknowledge and confront systemic racism. But how much has changed in the year since Floyd was killed? Seattle Times Assistant Managing Editor Naomi Ishisaka tells host Joni Balter, "this is part of an arc of work that's been ongoing... and while momentum has slowed, progress has been made." New York Times columnist Kurt Streeter warns, "Any movement for change that specifically regards African Americans can expect a pushback, and of course that's happening." And Jasmyne Keimig, staff writer for The Stranger says, "The defund conversation has pushed the center of gravity... but there's still an overwhelmingly uphill battle to implement real change." All three journalists also agreed the flood of misinformation coming from various news outlets is troubling since it allows false narratives to take hold which are then accepted as fact. 

After struggling through the pandemic, social unrest, and an ongoing homelessness crisis, what is the state of downtown Seattle? Bob Donegan, president of Ivar's restaurants tells host Joni Balter that 2020 was grim, but he's encouraged by the crowds returning to the city. The number of visitors to Pike Place Market is a good example. Donegan says, "In April and May it had none. Last month, Pike Place Market was averaging 10,000 to 12,000 visitors a day." And more people coming downtown will help battle the perception the area is unsafe. Brian Surratt, the former director of Seattle's Office of Economic Development and current Vice President of Alexandria Real Estate says, "Downtown has been vacant for so long when you don't have bodies walking through and interacting with each other, you're going to notice a lot of these issues." He also blames national media reports for doom and gloom descriptions of Seattle after last summer's protests. But both men agree one thing could help jumpstart the recovery, and they say the City of Seattle could actually play a pivotal role.  

The President and Congressional Democrats are moving fast to work through a list of major projects demanded by the American public. Two U.S. House members from Washington state, helping to lead the way, speak to host Joni Balter about the challenges ahead. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Progressive Caucus, says "I just watched the American Rescue Plan go through with not a single Republican vote when 76% of Americans believe it was the right thing to do." Democrats hope the multi trillion-dollar plan to revamp the nation's crumbling infrastructure will have more bipartisan support. Rep. Suzan DelBene, chair of the New Democrat Coalition, which includes 94 congressional moderates says, "We have great needs across our country...long-term going forward we want to make sure we are getting things done for the American people." Other subjects discussed include gun control, the future of the filibuster, immigration policy, and what each congress member believes is the biggest threat to democracy. This episode of Civic Cocktail is the third in a multi-part series on "The State of Our Democracy."

A new president has established a different tone, but politics nationally remains as contentious as ever. Is the same true in this state? The leaders of Washington's two major political parties join host Joni Balter to discuss bridging the political divide. The conversation revealed there's still work to be done. "I think Republicans, at this point, have zero, none, nada ground to stand on when talking about bipartisanship" said Washington state Democratic Party Chair Tina Podlodowski. Her counterpart for the Republican Party, Caleb Heimlich, responded, "If the Democrats viewpoint is that you have to abandon all your principles, you have to give up on the people that voted for you... than our country is never going to come together." Heimlich did agree the election is over and that Joe Biden is clearly the president. Despite their differences, each party chair was given the opportunity to say something positive about the other person. And it was more than just, "no comment." This episode of Civic Cocktail is the second in a multi-part series on "The State of Our Democracy." Watch January's conversation with Rick Wilson and Bill Bryant.

After losing both the White House and control of the U.S. Senate, even longtime Republicans are wondering, what's the future of the GOP? Lincoln Project Co-founder Rick Wilson and 2016 GOP nominee for Washington governor Bill Bryant share strong opinions with host Joni Balter on what they see on the road ahead. Wilson says the Republican party is at a juncture, and warned, "they're going to be the Whig Party and die, or they're going to take a very difficult step and say we're not a party about the dear leader." Bryant agrees, saying it's time to move past the Trump era. He says Republicans must "focus on the real reasons we lost and why we're not responding to the needs of people and neighborhoods all around the country." Both guests say the country is in desperate need of a center-right party. Wilson summed it up this way, "offer a vision that is optimistic, prospective, big, inclusive, smart, and forward-looking." This episode of Civic Cocktail is the first in a multi-part series on "The State of Our Democracy."

One day after Americans cast their ballots in record numbers, we are joined by a prominent Democrat and Republican who share their perspectives on our divided nation. Congressmember-elect Marilyn Strickland tells host Joni Balter, no matter who becomes president, we must find a way to come together to begin solving problems. She says she'll start by listening to those who don't share her point of view. Former Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna says, "The people of our country need to see their elected leaders accomplishing something." He urges they start with an effective response to the pandemic. But even after the ballots are counted and winners declared, it's clear this country will remain bitterly divided. Two of the three founding members of the Interfaith Amigos admit healing will be difficult, but doable. Imam Jamal Rahman advises we, "Listen, respect, connect, so there's no need to talk about politics or religion, let's start by sharing stories." Pastor Don Mackenzie agrees saying people need to be heard, especially right now. But he adds, "...in order to have the difficult conversations, we come back to the need to trust each other."  

As Senate Republicans push to confirm President Trump's conservative Supreme Court nominee, how will that be received? Senior U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik tells host Joni Balter politics should stay out of the process and we should avoid any temptation to load the court. He says, "...it is a bad idea, frankly, to tinker with the nine we have." State Senator Manka Dhingra is worried about the future of healthcare and reproductive rights but says Washington has protections other states do not. And, the daily protests have ended, but the Trump administration continues to label Seattle an "anarchist city." Is that fair? Two journalists who captured many moments protesters clashed with police, share their perspective. Omari Salisbury, founder of Converge Media, spent 30 consecutive days in the CHOP. His live stream attracted a global audience. And though he agrees Seattle has its problems, he says "to paint the whole city with this broad brush is disingenuous and misleading." Associated Press photographer Ted Warren says there was plenty of sensationalized media coming out of Seattle. He cites one example where a TV network manipulated photos to make it appear downtown Seattle was in flames and overrun by crime. 

Interim Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz is already on the move, shifting 100 officers from specialty units to patrol. The night before taking command, he shares his list of priorities with host Joni Balter and explains his plan to repair relationships within the community. But to Diaz, this still tops his list, "When people call 911, they don't care if you have enough staffing or not, they need help." Sharing in the discussion is Rev. Harriett Walden, founder of Mothers for Police Accountability. She offers a historical perspective to protests from her current and decades long experience fighting for civil rights and poses a stern warning to troublemakers disrupting peaceful protests. From protests to lesson plans, the state's largest school district shifts to remote learning as classes begin. Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Denise Juneau explains the "strong start" method and how the district will employ check-ins to ensure students receive social/emotional support. Juneau also shares who saved the day when the district's 12,000 iPads were stranded in a supply-chain nightmare. Now, all 53,000 Seattle students will return to class with the tools needed to learn. 

Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan says the trauma of systemic racism is real and has inflicted pain on the African American community for generations. She tells host Joni Balter, "If we don't acknowledge that deep, deep truth about our country and its systems, we can't begin to heal." That healing process inched forward as protest leaders met with the Mayor to share concerns about policing and inclusion on the community police commission. Mayor Durkan also agreed it's time to review police crowd control tactics. One of those meeting with the Mayor was Andre Taylor, Executive Director of the racial justice organization Not This Time! But Taylor did not come with a list of demands. He says the current problems are much bigger than the Mayor. He encouraged Black people to stand up, realize their own power and genius and get things done. Taylor also encouraged, what he called, his "White allies" to use their passion and privilege to infiltrate their own communities and work for change.

Washington state cracks the door on its economy giving some businesses a boost. But the Director of the state's COVID-19 Health System Response Raquel Bono tells host Joni Balter it will clamp down if the number of coronavirus cases spikes in the weeks ahead. Bono emphasizes, "we want to avoid increasing risk to others who may not be as capable of fighting this off." She also explains the current challenge regarding testing. Speaking as a former Navy surgeon, she answers the question about whether six feet of social separation really enough? And, as the coronavirus first emerged, former Washington Governor Gary Locke says the Trump administration was slow to act, "the W.H.O. sounded the alarm, many other countries around the world responded, the United States did not." Locke also comments on his puzzling appearance in an anti-Joe Biden ad and what it reveals about longstanding stereotypes. Plus, he updates Washington's participation in the current U.S. census.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson explains his rationale behind 58 lawsuits against the Trump administration. He tells host Joni Balter, "There are many times the administration does something that I think is not the right way to do something." Ferguson's challenges cover a wide range of issues including immigration, environmental protections, 3-D printed guns, the border wall, and DACA. Currently, the Attorney General's office is also investigating possible price gouging related to the coronavirus. Concerns about COVID-19 also have Secretary of State Kim Wyman urging voters not to lick the envelope on their election ballots, as a precaution. And with the state's presidential primary just around the corner, election security is top of mind. Wyman describes it as a race with no end, as security experts keep up with operatives trying new schemes to hack the system. She explains what's being done to keep this state's election firewalls secure.

Despite growing terror threats and recent conflicts with Iran, retired four-star General Barry McCaffrey tells host Joni Balter the U.S. has never been more secure. He uses historical context to justify his claim saying it's highly unlikely our naval or air forces will run into anyone who is even remotely a competitor. MCaffrey also discusses Seattle's vulnerability to a North Korean attack, plus the damage done by President Trump to our defensive alliances. Then, meet the four new members of the Seattle City Council. Tammy Morales, Alex Pedersen, Dan Strauss, and Andrew Lewis share their thoughts on the downtown crime problem, a proposed countywide tax, the Third Avenue transit corridor, and how they feel about "Seattle Kraken" as a potential name for the city's future NHL team!

The Seattle City Council will have four new faces, and possibly more, once all the ballots are counted from the Nov. 5 general election. Political consultant Heather Weiner tells host Joni Balter, "When Amazon dropped $1.5 million into our local election... politics suddenly hit home for the people of Seattle." But, Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Marilyn Strickland says money has always been a part of politics. She adds, "...declaring victory is more about the work that's going to happen after the election is over." And two men who really know their numbers also weigh in. The Seattle Times' Gene Balk, author of the popular data-centric column FYI Guy, says some of the political tension in town may be due to a growing generation gap, as 3 out of 4 people moving here are millennials. Seattle pollster Stuart Elway's latest poll on the City Council left him with this topline conclusion: those he polled want to change the people in the Council chamber and elect new people to keep doing the same work the council's already been doing!

As several U.S. House committees pursue an impeachment inquiry, Washington Congressman Adam Smith tells host Joni Balter, "Impeachment is not a good thing, it's just not." The 9th District Democrat says the process is divisive and poses some political concerns for his party heading into 2020. Still, Smith agrees President Trump's behavior is not acceptable and he needs to be held accountable. And he says what's most puzzling, the President hasn't even tried to hide his dealings with Ukraine. And just two weeks after she addressed a congressional committee on the climate crisis, 17-year-old Jamie Margolin of Seattle tells how she stood up to a house member and called him, "cowardly." The co-founder of the international nonprofit Zero Hour doesn't mince words when talking about the climate crisis, saying "Our oceans are dying, our salmon are dying... there is no gray area for survival, so it's kind of either we do survive this thing or we don't."

Deadly violence linked to white supremacy is on the rise in this country. King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg tells host Joni Balter that much of this violence involves white males who are alienated and angry. University of Washington political science professor Christopher Sebastian Parker adds, "...it removes all doubt of the fact that this is a racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic country, period." In the second half, Garth Stein - best-selling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain - shares his thoughts about the book being adapted for the big screen and whether Hollywood got it right. Stein also talks about the inspiration behind the book and reveals tidbits about his next novel, A Couple of Old Birds, set in Seattle and influenced by his 89-year-old mother.

Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz says all signs point to an extremely serious wildfire season, with the state facing more risk than wildfire-prone California. "I have firefighters who've fought for 40 years who've said 'I've never seen this in my entire life,'" Franz tells Civic Cocktail host Joni Balter. For now, she's focused on fires, but we ask if she's also considering a run for governor. And, it's been 50 years since the Stonewall riots marked the start of the modern LGBTQ movement. Today, the fight for civil rights continues. Former Seattle Deputy Mayor Anne Levinson says in the past few years there's been a ceaseless, relentless attack on the LGBTQ community. And Tobi Hill-Meyer, co-executive director of the Gender Justice League says transgender women of color are especially vulnerable and frequently the target of violence.

Is Seattle dying or trying? That question - arising from a KOMO News special on the impacts of substance abuse and homelessness - sparked a lively conversation hosted by Joni Balter. Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes shares some of the public's discontent, but says the documentary failed to mention effective city programs. KOMO News Director Bill Dallman says the report's nontraditional approach gave a voice to frustrated residents and police. Thea Oliphant-Wells, a public-health manager who battled addiction and homelessness, highlighted the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions and suggested a treatment option for those who refuse assistance. Then, the conversation took on a more lighthearted tone as local NPR radio personalities Bill Radke and Luke Burbank offered a humorous take on Seattle's changing culture, from the zipper merge to tech-boom tensions.