One thing that always strikes me during conversations with fellow Seattleites is how frustrated people are with government. They don’t feel listened to and they don’t believe that city government lives up the excellence of its citizens. And they don’t trust politicians.
I know we can do better. In the spirit of transparency, during my campaign I released my answers to questionnaires from various interest groups playing a role in the election. I asked my opponent and other candidates to release their questionnaires so that voters could see how they responded to business, labor and environmental groups that seek to influence the election with endorsements. Endorsements are valuable to voters only if the process is transparent.
Voters should be able to expect this sort of accountability after Election Day too. Candidates should stand for principles. The challenges our city faces are too important for business-as-usual politicians who say one thing to interest groups behind closed doors and another in public.
Questionnaires are just one part of the endorsement process. Interest groups typically ask candidates to submit a questionnaire and usually – though not always – do an in-person interview. A decision is based on the candidate’s stance on issues, campaign viability and whether the group thinks it’s in their interest to take a position. Many groups award endorsements without asking for a questionnaire or interview.