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The first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol and Seattle city hall, PubliCola has been called a “must-read” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and a hot “New Media Mover and Shaker” by Seattle Magazine—which also cited our own Erica C. Barnett as the city's No. 1 news nerd.

Contribution of the Day

News   October 13, 2009 at 3:07 pm Erica C. Barnett

King County Parks employee Jessie Israel, who’s running against three-term city council incumbent Nick Licata, just put $15,000 of her own money into the race. Israel’s contribution brings her roughly in line with Licata in terms of cash on hand (although Israel has raised more, around $150,000, than Licata, she has also spent more), and puts her in a position to do a big mail push before the November 3 general election. Ballots for the all-mail election will start showing up in mailboxes later this week.

Israel says she decided to spend the money because “I know this is a critical time in the election cycle, and we’re making spending decisions now. Seeing that there are a lot of folks who have a lot of faith in me, I know that this race is winnable and I am in this to win.” She adds, “I know that $15,000 can make a big difference.”

Israel is fundraising aggressively, with several events planned in the next week alone.

Her $15,000 contribution, though significant, pales in comparison to contributions made by mayoral candidate Joe Mallahan ($232,000) and council Position 8 candidate Robert Rosencrantz ($27,000) to their own campaigns.


  • http://manywordsforrain.blogspot.com/ Mr.Baker

    Licata abstained, rather than voting no on the MOA, and looked like a weasel tap dancing around it on the citystreem video.
    And, that is nothing new for Licata.

    Good luck Jessie.

  • http://manywordsforrain.blogspot.com/ Mr.Baker

    Licata abstained, rather than voting no on the MOA, and looked like a weasel tap dancing around it on the citystreem video.
    And, that is nothing new for Licata.

    Good luck Jessie.

  • Chris Stefan

    Since Jessie is a County Parks employee I’m sure the $15,000 is a much bigger stretch for her than either Mallahan’s or Rosencrantz’s were for them.

  • Chris Stefan

    Since Jessie is a County Parks employee I’m sure the $15,000 is a much bigger stretch for her than either Mallahan’s or Rosencrantz’s were for them.

  • Michael M.

    I think my absolute fav self-contribution this year: $24,210 by Rusty Williams. Awesome.

  • Chris Stefan

    @3
    That was pretty much Rusty’s entire campaign budget wasn’t it?

  • Chris Stefan

    @3
    That was pretty much Rusty’s entire campaign budget wasn’t it?

  • Michael M.

    @4 – surprisingly, no. His total amount raised was $41,736 (including the self-funding)

  • Michael M.

    @4 – surprisingly, no. His total amount raised was $41,736 (including the self-funding)

  • http://www.fattailed.com/ Fat-tailed

    Remember when Jesse Israel saved the King County Parks with corporate partnerships? That was sure a lasting solution, no way the parks dept. would ever get cut again…

  • http://www.fattailed.com/ Fat-tailed

    Remember when Jesse Israel saved the King County Parks with corporate partnerships? That was sure a lasting solution, no way the parks dept. would ever get cut again…

  • http://gomezticator.livejournal.com/1522367.html Gomez

    Jesus, $150K in total funds? How did she get that much money in the first place?

  • http://gomezticator.livejournal.com/1522367.html Gomez

    Jesus, $150K in total funds? How did she get that much money in the first place?

  • http://manywordsforrain.blogspot.com/ Mr.Baker

    Remember when Nick Licata championed the monorail for a few years and then killed it?

  • http://manywordsforrain.blogspot.com/ Mr.Baker

    Remember when Nick Licata championed the monorail for a few years and then killed it?

  • Mr. X

    I bet this was Cathy Allen’s idea.

  • Mr. X

    I bet this was Cathy Allen’s idea.

  • Mr. X

    Does anyone else remember her giving the same advice to Pat Strohsal?

  • Mr. X

    Does anyone else remember her giving the same advice to Pat Strohsal?

  • abc

    Pat runs a winery in Eastern Wa now, right?

    Nick didn’t kill the monorail – Ron Sims Jessie’s boss had a lot more to do with it.

  • abc

    Pat runs a winery in Eastern Wa now, right?

    Nick didn’t kill the monorail – Ron Sims Jessie’s boss had a lot more to do with it.

  • salary levels

    $15K out of an $81K salary for seveal years isn’t such a huge self donation. Probably she’s contributed just as much in simply taking time off to run. Here’s data from that website on government salaries, as of 2007:

    Isler R Transit Engineer VI Transportation 129563.17 12/21/1987
    Isley J Transit Operator Transportation 33686.09 701.8 4/18/1997
    Ismail A Transit Operator Transportation 77416.6 312.12 4/16/1999
    Isom M Corrections Officer Adult Detention 54419.96 2249.50 2/20/1980
    Ison K Police Officer Sheriff’s Office 88816.51 7680.70 7/9/1990
    Israel J Project/Program Manager IV Parks & Recreation 81670.27 3/25/2003
    Israel R WWTreatmentUtilityWorker Natural Resources 52156.63 3324.94 8/2/2000
    Ito G LAN Administrator Superior Court 69528.77 9/20/1992

  • salary levels

    $15K out of an $81K salary for seveal years isn’t such a huge self donation. Probably she’s contributed just as much in simply taking time off to run. Here’s data from that website on government salaries, as of 2007:

    Isler R Transit Engineer VI Transportation 129563.17 12/21/1987
    Isley J Transit Operator Transportation 33686.09 701.8 4/18/1997
    Ismail A Transit Operator Transportation 77416.6 312.12 4/16/1999
    Isom M Corrections Officer Adult Detention 54419.96 2249.50 2/20/1980
    Ison K Police Officer Sheriff’s Office 88816.51 7680.70 7/9/1990
    Israel J Project/Program Manager IV Parks & Recreation 81670.27 3/25/2003
    Israel R WWTreatmentUtilityWorker Natural Resources 52156.63 3324.94 8/2/2000
    Ito G LAN Administrator Superior Court 69528.77 9/20/1992

  • http://gomezticator.livejournal.com/1522367.html Gomez

    11. $81K a year, huh?

    Not exactly the working class renter that liberal outlets were pushing her as, is she?

  • http://gomezticator.livejournal.com/1522367.html Gomez

    11. $81K a year, huh?

    Not exactly the working class renter that liberal outlets were pushing her as, is she?

  • ya-betcha

    @11

    no wonder the county is broke – looks like a lot of highly paid desk jobs and low paid line jobs…

  • ya-betcha

    @11

    no wonder the county is broke – looks like a lot of highly paid desk jobs and low paid line jobs…

  • http://gomezticator.livejournal.com/1522367.html Gomez

    14. To be honest, though, a LOT of government funded entities and 501c3′s do this: Employ a lot of overpaid chiefs, and few indians to get anything done. And of course most of the proverbial indians live in the far-flung suburbs and commute for 1-2 hours to get to work while the chiefs drive a mile or two from, say, Ballard or Capitol Hill in large part because there are so many overpaid chiefs with disposable income in Seattle that the Seattle real estate market can ask insane prices and there’s enough chiefs who will pay it.

    The reason home are $300K and up around here are because there’s so many people pulling down $50K-100K a year who can afford it because there’s so many agencies out there, the universities, the City/County/State, the allegedly hardscrabble 501c3s, let alone all the overfed local industries here, offering absurd salaries for the scope of their positions to well-to-doers, whether out of college or incumbents of their profession.

  • http://gomezticator.livejournal.com/1522367.html Gomez

    14. To be honest, though, a LOT of government funded entities and 501c3′s do this: Employ a lot of overpaid chiefs, and few indians to get anything done. And of course most of the proverbial indians live in the far-flung suburbs and commute for 1-2 hours to get to work while the chiefs drive a mile or two from, say, Ballard or Capitol Hill in large part because there are so many overpaid chiefs with disposable income in Seattle that the Seattle real estate market can ask insane prices and there’s enough chiefs who will pay it.

    The reason home are $300K and up around here are because there’s so many people pulling down $50K-100K a year who can afford it because there’s so many agencies out there, the universities, the City/County/State, the allegedly hardscrabble 501c3s, let alone all the overfed local industries here, offering absurd salaries for the scope of their positions to well-to-doers, whether out of college or incumbents of their profession.

  • Michael M.

    I think my absolute fav self-contribution this year: $24,210 by Rusty Williams. Awesome.