Franklin, Bader for council
Published 5:46 pm Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Everett voters will narrow their choices for two city council seats in the Aug. 4 primary election, ballots for which will be mailed today. The top two from each race will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.
Position 4: Ron Gipson, with 20 years on the council, is the longest-serving current council member. He seeks a sixth, four-year term but is challenged by two candidates: Victor Paul, who has been employed in pest control and banking, identifies himself as a political outsider. Cassie Franklin is chief executive for Cocoon House, the Everett-based nonprofit agency that provides shelter and other services for homeless youth.
Gipson, a corrections employee at Snohomish County’s Denney Juvenile Justice Center, considers himself the council’s representative for Everett’s “blue collar and no collar” working-class community and has been an advocate for seniors and paratransit and public transit services. However, Gipson’s record of service can’t withstand the outcome of an investigation concluded earlier this spring. Gipson and other center employees were found to have made sexually suggestive and racially inappropriate remarks to other staff members. The actions by himself and others created a hostile work environment that led the county to settle a claim by three employees for $750,000. Gipson continues to deny the allegations against him and says he was targeted because of his position on the council. The investigation was thorough, interviewing all 76 employees of the center’s correction staff, a total of 171 interviews.
Paul did not participate in an interview with the editorial board. But in a candidate profile in The Herald, Paul identified tax fairness as one of his interests in running and said he hoped to bring a dissenting voice to the council.
Franklin earns the endorsement and deserves election based on what she can bring to the council and the city.
Franklin, a member of the Everett Streets Initiative taskforce, is more than familiar with the initiative’s proposals and should be well prepared to help turn many of its recommendations into policy and action.
Cocoon House, which Franklin has led since 2011, is one of the city’s success stories, each year sheltering more than 230 youths and offering other services to more than 1,500 youths and adults. Charity Navigator, which rates nonprofits on management and use of donations, gives Cocoon House a four-star rating, scoring it 91 out of 100 for its financial practices and 92 out of 100 for its accountability and transparency.
Franklin’s management skills and her empathy and understanding for the city’s youths will translate well to serving all of Everett and make her an effective member of the council.
Position 5: Scott Bader has served on the council since 2012, after winning a special election to complete the term of Drew Nielsen, who died in a rafting accident. Josh Petersen, a web developer and programmer, was encouraged to run by the county Green Party. Charlene Rawson, an AT&T employee, has been active with the city’s Council of Neighborhoods, representing Port Gardner, and served on the county parks board and was a vice-chairwoman with the county Democratic Party.
Petersen has intriguing ideas about direct democracy and believes the city should undertake a jobs program, but for the council the choice falls between Bader and Rawson.
Rawson’s work with the Council of Neighborhoods would provide the council insight into better connecting Everett’s disparate areas. She praised the role that the late Drew Nielsen played in his outreach to the neighborhoods group and we believe she would work to continue that. Rawson’s advocacy and enthusiasm for the city are clear.
Bader, with only a partial term under his belt, is eager to continue his work and recognizes that there are needs that have not been met for south Everett residents, such as parks and expansion of the public library’s Evergreen Branch. Key to providing the necessary revenue, Bader said, will be the city’s continued effort to promote business and bring jobs to the city.
A long-time advocate for Everett Transit, Bader also appears committed to continuing work on the Streets Initiative’s emphasis on homelessness and addiction issues but makes the key point that the county and its other cities have to be involved in implementing solutions to ensure its effectiveness.
Bader defeated an impressive list of opponents in winning the seat in 2012, including current state Rep. June Robinson. Bader’s collaborative style on the council shows he was a good choice and deserves a full four-year term.
