I am deeply disappointed by the outcome of the presidential election.
The people of this country have elected a man who repeatedly demonstrated his disrespect for so many – to women, Latinos, Muslims, Black Americans, his contractors, his past wives and people with whom he disagrees. The world is shocked by this decision; so am I.
But, President Obama said last night what my father would have said, that the sun will come up again this morning and we will choose to face the new day. And we on this Council have this day to face and it is even more important that we do so now together.
We are proud that Seattle is a leader in so many things – minimum wage, worker paid leave, a growing economy, gun responsibility, public health; we have generous voters who tax themselves for parks, affordable housing, libraries, good schools, a strong transportation system and more.
To the voters across the city and region and state, I say thank you for supporting some very important measures including ST3 and I-1491 regarding extreme protection orders to protect vulnerable people from those who would use guns against them.
To my colleagues on this Council, I want to say it is an honor to serve with you. Since the outcome at the federal level was not what any of us wanted, for the next four years we must redouble our efforts to make Seattle a model for the rest of the country.
A model of honor, of connectedness, of inclusiveness, of fairness for all of us who live and work here.
I will strive to do this in every vote we take, and appreciate that what makes this city work is personal and individual regard for people around us.
I honor you, and acknowledge even though we may disagree around the edges, and each of us is trying to do our best and what we believe is right. I will look for new ways to connect not just with people within this city with whom I agree, but with others across our County and state who have different points of view.
I urge us to include each other in positive ways, to stop any individual disparagement when we see it, and look for new ways to provide support to those who need it across our community.
This is how we will create model a city that works for all of us, and promote a lifestyle that is both healthy and uplifting. If we do this right, other cities will take note. Maybe we truly can make our country great again.
Notwithstanding what happened last night, my goal is to support the dreams of every person in our city and still come together as one Seattle family.
President Obama, whom I admire to my core, reminded us in his famous 2004 speech on behalf of John Kerry, E pluribus unum: “Out of many, one.”