>> I KNOW CHAIR O'BRIEN THAT YOU SAID THAT WE SHOULD LET THE
PRESENTATION GO ON AND OF COURSE GENERALLY I AGREE.
BUT THERE IS ALSO A PART OF ME THAT DOESN'T ENTIRELY AGREE
BECAUSE IT SEEMS MEANINGLESS TO ME TO GO THROUGH A PRESENTATION
THAT HAS SLIDES THAT ARE TITLED SEATTLE IS AN AWARD-WINNING
BIKE CITY.
DATA SHOWS MORE PEOPLE ARE RIDING BIKES.
PROGRESS AND BUILDING A COMPLETED BIKE NETWORK, IT
SEEMS MEANINGLESS TO ME AND TONE DEAF AND OUT OF TOUCH TO
GO THROUGH A PRESENTATION.
OBVIOUSLY YOU WILL GO THROUGH IT AND I WON'T STOP YOU BUT MY
POINT IS THAT IT IS STRANGE FOR THE MAYOR TO SEND YOU ALL FOR
THIS KIND OF PRESENTATION AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE AND SDOT LEADERSHIP HAS DEALT A SIGNIFICANT BLOW TO THE
WHOLE PLAN
OF ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE AND ALSO AS SPEAKER WHO MADE A VERY
POIGNANT REMARK ABOUT HOW HER IDENTIFICATION WAS NOT ACCEPTED
BECAUSE SHE DID NOT HAVE A DRIVERS LICENSE.
AS SHE POINTED OUT, THIS IS ACTUALLY, IT IS ABOUT THE
QUESTION OF CARBON EMISSIONS IN THIS REGION BUT ALSO ABOUT THE
RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WHO WALK.
PEOPLE WHO BIKE.
PEOPLE WHO NEED TO USE WHEELCHAIRS AND PEOPLE WHO NEED
TO USE PUBLIC TRANSIT.
I THINK THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IS BEING TONE DEAF ALSO TO THE
WHOLE SPECTRUM OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE FIGHTING FOR
SEATTLE TO BE BICYCLIST SAFE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFE.
IT IS WORKING CLASS PEOPLE, EVEN TODAY'S PUBLIC TESTIMONY
SHOWS THAT WORKING-CLASS PEOPLE, MIDDLE-CLASS PEOPLE,
FAMILIES WITH LITTLE CHILDREN ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS, COMMUNITY
MEMBERS, ALL OF THEM HAVE SPOKEN AND SO I DON'T REALLY
UNDERSTAND WHEN THE MAYOR'S PRESS RELEASE SAYS THAT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT,
IT IS ABOUT FEEDBACK.
WHOSE FEEDBACK ARE YOU LISTENING TO?
THAT IS THE QUESTION.
AND I WILL SAY THIS TOO.
IN SUPPORT OF THE SPEAKERS WHO SAID THIS ALREADY IS THAT THE
MOVE SEATTLE LEVEES, ONE OF THE MANY EXAMPLES OF WHERE WORKING
AND MIDDLE-CLASS PEOPLE HAVE SHOWN THEIR WILLINGNESS AGAIN
AND AGAIN TO TAX THEMSELVES IN A CITY WITH THE MOST AGGRESSIVE
TAX SYSTEM IN THE ENTIRE NATION IN ORDER TO DO THE RIGHT
THING.
SO AFTER HAVING REPEALED THE AMAZON TAX, THE LEAST THE
MAYORS OFFICE COULD DO IS NOT DEAL A BLOW TO THE TAX MONIES
BEING USED FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING.
THESE ARE TAX REVENUES THAT ARE BEING GENERATED FROM WORKING
PEOPLE AND THEIR LIMITED INCOMES.
THE MAYOR'S PRESS RELEASE OR WHATEVER THE EMAIL THAT WAS
SENT OUT, THIS IS THE ACTUAL PRESS RELEASE.
IT IS A LONG PRESS RELEASE.
AHEAD HAS A LOT OF NICE WORDS.
WE HAVE HEARD CONSISTENCY THAT 50 ALONG THE QUARTERS AND
NEIGHBORHOODS ARE THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
CLEARLY YOU ARE NOT, THIS MOVE IS NOT AN EXAMPLE OF
PRIORITIZING SAFETY OF PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS.
SO AS YOU GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION TODAY, THAT IS
FINE.
BUT OBVIOUSLY MY QUESTION IS MUCH MORE FUNDAMENTAL.
WHAT ARE YOU ACTUALLY GOING TO DO TO REINSTATE THIS WORK AND
STOP BEING ANACHRONISTIC AND BEHIND THE TIMES.
LISTENING TO, WHEN YOU SAY COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, WHAT
THEY'RE LISTENING TO IS BUSINESS OWNERS.
NOT ORDINARY PEOPLE.
SOME OF THEM ARE BUSINESS OWNERS THEMSELVES WHO SUPPORT
THE BIKE MASTER PLAN.
THE LAST THING I WILL SAY IS THAT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE
FIGHTING FOR THE CITY TO BE A PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLIST FRIENDLY
CITY AND FOR VISION ZERO AND FOR THE BICYCLE MASTER
PLAN, PLEASE KNOW THAT MY OFFICE IS STRONGLY ON YOUR SIDE
IN SOLIDARITY WITH YOU.
PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP BUILD THE FIGHT
BACK.
THIS WILL HAVE TO BE A FIGHT BACK.
THE MAYOR HAS CHOSEN TO IGNORE US ALL AND DO WHAT SHE HAS DONE.
WE NEED TO FIGHT BACK.
I ALSO WANTED TO APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE.
I HAVE TO DEAL WITH ANOTHER EMERGENCY ON A PERSONAL FRONT.
I WILL HAVE TO LEAVE AT 3:30.
>> THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER.
ALL RIGHT.