SEATTLE VOTERS ELECT FIRST SOCIALIST CITY COUNCILOR IN 100 YEARS

[sheshe2]

Seattle: the most progressive city in America just got even more progressive as it officially elected its first socialist member to their City Council in 100 years. Kshama Sawant, an college economics professor and prominent figure in Seattle’s Occupy Wall Street movement, has surged past the 16-year Democratic incumbent Richard Conlin to win a seat on the council in a move which surprised even Seattle political commentators.

Snip/

The Nation reports HERE that Sawant “pulled no punches” when designing her campaign platform; her signature proposal is the $15 minimum wage, which is also close to becoming the law of the land in Washington State (the measure had 2,837 “yes” votes compared to 2,784 “no” votes after Thursday’s ballot drop).

“Seattle has become a really unaffordable city and overall, not just in Seattle but everywhere in the country, people are fed up, angry and frustrated with the political system. They’re fed up with the political dysfunction and they’re hungry for change.” – Kshama Sawant on her strong finish [source]

The rest of her platform outlines an explicitly socialist vision for Seattle, a position that would spell near-certain electoral defeat in other parts of the United States but which is finding a more receptive audience in the state of Washington.

A former software engineer who now teaches economics at Seattle Central Community College, Sawant ran a Socialist Alternative “Fund Human Needs, Fight Corporate Greed” campaign that argued: “We live in one of the richest cities in the richest nation on earth. There is no shortage of resources. Capitalism has failed the 99%. Another world is both possible and necessary—a socialist world based on the needs of humanity and the environment.”





- See more at: http://www.classwarfareexists.com/seattle-voters-elect-first-socialist-city-councilor-in-100-years/#sthash.cx0CFmND.dpuf

Go Seattle!

[sheshe2]

1. Well I for one am kicking this for the city of Seattle,

and the great State of Washington!

You rock!

[arely staircase]

2. good on seattle voters nt

[eridani]

3. Minor correction--the minimum wage initiative was for the City of SeaTac

It applies to airport workers only, and brings them in line with what workers in other west coast airports earn. It's a good start, though, and Sawant made it her signature issue in Seattle. Both the winner and the loser in the mayor's contest took it up, so there is a lot of scope for some serious pressure here.

See Washington State forum for running totals and lots of background information.

[freshwest]

4. Sooo happy! Let's celebrate!

[sheshe2]

5. Seattle,

You are awesome!

freshwest!

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

6. k&R. nt

[liberal_at_heart]

7. K&R

[nolabear]

8. I've been meaning to post this. She really is excellent.

We were shocked she won, and it took days to finish the count, but she gives every indication of being an outstanding choice.