We invited all Seattle City Council candidates to submit statements to our membership. Below are the unedited statements from the candidates that did submit them.

We must get our team back! I have been discussing the Sonics issue with people for years focused around 41 years of family entertainment, employment opportunity, revenue for our city and region, neighborhood business vitality, tourism and many related benefits, support for our City's largest public space, and immeasurable national/regional identity for Seattle.

A friend was honored with being the first operator of the 24-second clock for many years, and I have consistently supported the team since attending the first games in '67-'68 as a student. We would get $3 general admission tickets and friend Bill, from the scorer's table, would signal us what seats down front were not being used, moving down at the half. Later on I would become a season ticket holder, as I remain today with a priority number under 100. I have been in the stands for our one championship and most other great Sonics victories.

Nick Licata took great pride in sending the team away. He poisoned the debate with his dismissal of the Sonics' cultural value for our city. As a council member, I will not apply some personal litmus test in representing all of us the way Licata has in the past and will in the future; a trait not endorsed by true leadership. We should not have to choose either the Symphony or the Sonics- we need both. We are diverse in our connections, and celebrating them is a council member's uncompromised responsibility. As an avid arts supporter as well, I served on the Intiman Theatre board for 10 years and have easily related to playwright Noel Coward and Michael Jordan simultaneously-amazing!

As I have described since entering the race in March, Licata kicked out a 41-year-old business and now claims to have secured the Storm and a profitable Key Arena as if to prove his point. Well, like many of his claims, they are baseless and pander to a few who look for and embrace any excuse. The Sonics left a hole in the City's Seattle Center and Key Arena budget, and to claim otherwise is typical political double speak-if Clay Bennett paid off my $45M mortgage or yours, we too would be able to make a profit. Folks, be wary of this standard political speak.

Instead of finding excuses and reasons to cast away the Sonics, I would have taken the lead in immediately securing the next local ownership group. Matt Griffin, Steve Ballmer and others could have stepped in earlier if only the city had been a 'partner' with Schultz, and I would have helped facilitate such an assist. In addition, I would have presented a strong and united front in Olympia, not supporting a $100M investment in the Key, but promoting a responsible investment package that would garner collective support in the legislature.

We must pick up the ball once again and aggressively bring the rock to the hoop! Interest in this issue still strongly smolders, and we must find new opportunities to unite our city once again behind a strong franchise and a smart investment. Tourism taxes are paying off the Safeco and Qwest bonds and should be considered among other investment options in supporting a 21st Century venue and our Sonics. And unlike Licata, I am not afraid of making an appropriate public-private partnership deal to advance the debate, invest wisely with shared benefits, and help us fill the Seattle Center with cheers, families, jobs, revenue, vitality and pride.

Thanks for considering my candidacy. Unlike Nick Licata and Jesse Israel, I bring over 30 years of actually getting things done in our city as an architect, business owner, neighborhood leader and dad. I have served my city and you for decades in many capacities and unlike my opponents, I am not locked in as a politician-I am a Seattleite and Sonics fan promising delivery of a fresh collaborative voice, dynamic experienced leadership and comprehensive future vision for our City; a real change for Position 6.
Thanks, now "Let's Get Ready to Rumble!"

I look forward to helping bring mens professional basketball back to Seattle and continue a strong 41 year history. Finding a venue for the Sonics will require help from Olympia. But the case in Olympia is made easier if the leadership in Seattle is more hospitable to having an NBA team here. As we retire the debt early from Qwest and Safeco fields, there is an opportunity to ensure that this existing revenue stream from hotel, rental car and restaurant taxes is leveraged against private investment to create thriving new tourist attractions in Seattle including a Key Arena, Seattle Center and the Convention Center -- improvements that drive economic development and jobs. Seattle Center is where basketball belongs in Seattle. And it is even more attractive now that the "Mercer mess" will be cleaned-up.

I am running for this seat because I believe that we can do better. Nick stands between us and that vision of a better Seattle. He too often opts for standing alone to fight the process rather than working to solve the problem. It's time for people to see that an effective, well-run government can be a force of positive change not just a source of delay and waste.

A poll I recently commissioned brought back great news. Despite running against a 12 year incumbent, nearly 70% of voters are undecided. This is a wide open race. Although there is another candidate running for position 6, the poll shows that I am within the margin of error of Nick and better situated to win in the general election.

Some of my endorsements include: Washington Conservation Voters, Cascade Bicycle Club, Alki Foundation (of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce), Seattle Firefighters Local 27, Seattle Police Officers Guild, King County Realtors, Rental Housing Association, Building Trades Council, AGC, Union of Painters and Allied Trades, 34th District Democrats, King County Young Democrats, National Women's Political Caucus, West Seattle Democratic Women, Allied Arts, Friends of Seattle. I'm also proud to have the support of Brian Robinson, Troy Finlayson and others who fought hard to keep the Sonics in Seattle.

I can bring a winning coalition of voters to my campaign in the general election - seniors, women, business leaders, and young people. We CAN have a strong new, pragmatic, effective council in the fall; but I need your help.

Please vote Jessie Israel for position 6 before August 18th.

I voted yes on the City's 2009 legislative agenda, which included the following:

"We request the legislature's authorization of a less- than-1% revenue-neutral shift of the existing hotel/motel tax, to be directed toward Seattle Center tourism improvements." (This is the current convention center hotel-motel tax)

I also felt that the proposal brought forward by Steve Balmer for a $300M renewal of Key Arena, with $150M from private sources was well thought out and looked like a feasible funding plan. I would seriously consider it and work with others to make it happen.

I am willing to support efforts to bring the NBA back to Seattle within this context.

While serving on the Council I would work to bring a NBA team back to Seattle. In order to do this we will have to refurbish the Key Arena. The arena has demonstrated time and again an ability to serve the community in a way that would warrant the investment. It would:

1. 1. Draw the attention of a new NBA team and better support our Seattle Storm
2. 2. Enable greater use as for other cultural events such as entertainment shows and musical concerts.
3. 3. Could be refurbished in such a way to better prepare it to serve as an Emergency Disaster Shelter.

There are a number of means by which to make Key Arena an attractive venue for the Sonics & Storm without making the taxpayers foot the bill. This may mean a transfer of development rights or a leaseback arrangement in exchange for a capital investment to improve the building.
I have many years experience structuring and negotiating deals similar to what it will take to bring the Sonics back to Seattle. If elected to the Council I will seek responsibility for doing just that and will ask to be held accountable for producing results.

My thought process was that whichever had a better dollar return on investment (ROI) for taxpayer dollars -- NBA or touring events -- would be what I would favor. During the campaign, it was pointed out to me there are significant differences in the "intangibles" between the two. Such intangibles are why we do things like 1% for the arts and give up public land for the sculpture park.

I also had a great, long chat with Storm co-owner Anne Levinson about Key Arena. Anne has, incidentally, endorsed my campaign.

So here is my position on Key Arena and bringing the NBA back to Seattle: With the proper contract with team ownership AND the NBA, I can see reworking Key Arena for the NBA even if the ROI for an NBA team is *somewhat* worse than the ROI for touring events. Important contract points for me will be the length of the contract, who handles construction cost overruns, a long-term contract for event management/booking with an experienced event firm for off-days, ownership assets & experience sufficient to field a competitive team, and a committment to show a meaningful number of games on basic cable TV to help rebuild public excitement for the team.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my views with your group.

Steve Ballmer and is group came oh so close to saving the team for this city. Some stronger governmental leadership could have done the rest. Let's hope that we get another chance. I would be proud to lead the charge.