The Jayapal campaign’s anger at criticism of her as a carpetbagger, is the sort of spin we are all used to in the “spin room” post debates. Of course my choice of the word “carpetbagger” is loaded, but the facts is that Pramila does not live in our Congressional District, District 7, and chose to run in CD7 out of political convenience and personal ambition. The Pramila crew spins .. saying “she has lived here for 20 years.” Of course this is not really true. Largely due to her efforts, we removed the southern part of Seattle, where the African American community and immigrant communities lived, to the areas south of Seattle and east of Tacoma .. areas where many military and other families live as well as more immigrants. Ms. Jayapal’s intent with the redistricting was to create a “minority majority” or “people of color district.” The redistricting was a tribute to Ms. Jayapal and, as as a resident of District 9, she was widely expected to run for Congress from her new distinct. Her decision not to run in the District she created was motivated by political convenience. Pramila thought she had a better chance of winning in CD 7 because the incumbent, Jim McDermott chose to resign.
I have a proposal.
Let’s get Pramila and Brady to debate Seattle issues!
Over on Facebook supporters of Pramila Jayapal are very angry at me. Her supporters say I will not listen to arguments on her behalf.
The key issue is described in the sidebar. She has said she will move into this district only IF she wins.
At the risk of further angering her fans, Ms. Jayapal’s statement is as arrogant as the ones Mr. Trump makes about contesting the election if he does not win.
Let me make it clear, I have been very impressed with the work she did in drawing immigrant communities together and creating District 9. Pramila Jayapal obviously has great political skills and like most politicians she is ambitious. That is not a big deal for me. I would have been in her camp if she showed a real interest in district 7.
Let me start with an example of my concern. One person tried to say that Pramila’s decision not to run against Congressman Adam Smith was a noble one. Does anyone actually believe that? Adam Smith is certainty not a person of color and has never shown special interest in that part of his District. None of his campaign literature says much about the new District 9, the District she built.
Worse, Congressman Smith, who has supported Jayapal as a candidate in the 7th, has built his alliances with the defense industry. He is oddly called the Congressman from Northrup Grumman, a competitor to Boeing and certainly not part of District 9. Smith is acting like a typical politician. Is Pramila different? He is exactly the sort of Congressman whose lack of interest in issues specific to his district worry me.
So I have a proposal. Let’s get Pramila and Brady to debate Seattle issues!
Look, we still have two weeks. Here are the topics I would like to hear:
1. Black Flight. African Americans have now largely left CD7. We will soon be the whitest CD in the US. Similar demographic changes are occurring across the US. What can Congress do about this?
2. The Sound and the Waterfront. The United States is now down to one ice breaker for both poles. What would Brady or Pramila do to secure funds for rebuilding this critical resource and creating an enhanced NOAA facility in Seattle to serve NOAA?
3. H1 Visas. Amazon, Microsoft and the UW all benefit hugely from immigration of talented people from India, China, Hungary and Africa. How should we change our immigration policies to bring in these people and how does that affect American jobs?
4. The border between WA and BC. Industry leaders in Seattle have proposed that we build a high speed corridor between Seattle and Vancouver BC. Do you support this and if so, what is the role of the federal government in this project?
5. How will you root yourself in Seattle? The campaigns have raised the issue of how can a Congressperson remain rooted in her or his home district. Working 3500 miles from Seattle, inevitably means you will have a real home in Washington DC. What would each of you do to crate roots with the people of CD 7?
6. TPP. Seattle is one of the places in the US that economists agree would benefit hugely from the TPP. Boeing, Microsoft and Amazon all support the TPP. Both Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump have argued against TPP. What can Congress do to make this treaty more agreeable to the leadership of your party?