My name is Wyking Garrett and I am running for Mayor of Seattle to join you in creating a city that exceeds its potential and values all of its citizens. I am committed to working with you to bring the new energy and real change needed to bridge the best of Seattle’s heritage with the opportunities of the future. Together we can make Seattle shine as a beacon of true diversity, opportunity, and equity.

Seattle must judge its success based on the health of our families and communities, youth and schools, economy and small businesses. May it be unexpected snow or irruption of youth violence, Greg Nickels has too often given citizens the cold shoulder while favoring developers and big money. Enough is enough!¡No más!

We cannot take four more years of top down politics that haphazardly address the interests of many to benefit a select few. I will investigate fraud that leaves communities disenfranchised, such as the case of Urban League/African American Museum where grassroots community efforts were forcibly co-opted by insider dealing.

As a lifetime Seattle resident, I have spent 20 years as a community organizer, youth advocate, educator, and entrepreneur practicing my commitment to problem solving. Through this work I have come to recognize that we have everything we need to solve any problem. Our solutions must go to the root and rely on the expertise of our communities to know what they need and how to make the biggest impact. We are our most underutilized resource.

As mayor I hope to be someone who leads, inspires, mobilizes, and facilitates, not one that dictates, excludes, and retaliates. While I continue to be dedicated to effecting change, this isn’t about my personal legacy; it’s about you and the city we share. I am committed to using the mayor’s office to its full potential to create a fertile environment for problem solving and innovation.

Together we can create a Seattle that’s at the forefront, from the South-end to the North-end, with:

• Vibrant Communities and Safe neighborhoods,
• Outstanding Education & Youth Development Programs,
• Affordable Housing for All,
• Strong Local Economies and Sustainable Small Businesses,
• Green Economic Recovery and Development,
• and Efficient Use of Public Funds for Proven Results.

During the past 8 years, city hall has given to many of us the cold shoulder. It’s new time for opportunity, for all of us. As a community we can work together to exercise our alternatives and change the patterns of business as usual.

Vote for me, Wyking Garrett – New ideas, new energy, and real change in 2009!