Where is Seattle Mayor Ed Murray?

Taken from Don O’Neill on the “Ron and Don Show”

I appreciated that the Black Lives Matter protesters who marched from Westlake Park to the Mayor’s house in Capitol Hill Tuesday night were chanting statements about their movement and not directing hatred at killing the police who were there to protect them. That was helpful.

I don’t think it’s helpful when the Mayor Ed Murray doesn’t come out. Who knows, maybe he wasn’t home. But they’ve been out there a lot and I haven’t heard any stories about him engaging in any way. I’ve spoken with my police friends who they say they’re making money hand-over-fist from overtime related to these marches to the mayor’s house, and that he never emerges.

I don’t think he’s scared because I’ve seen him around town and he has a security team of four. He can call in his SWAT team whenever he wants. You don’t think he’d be afraid of the people here in Seattle. I also know that he and Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole let these folks march and it’s costing the city a lot of money. And I wonder where that money is coming from to pay all the overtime.

I just wish Murray was more of a neighborhood mayor. He’s spent a lot of time in Olympia. I think he probably enjoys being the mayor of Seattle (not that he’s ever come on our show to say as much) but I think he probably has focus on other things because he doesn’t really seem engaged with what’s happening in the neighborhoods. Maybe that’s just the way he governs.

You have to give former Mayor Mike McGinn credit. Whether you agreed with his politics or not, he was out in the community talking to people. Greg Nickels did, too.

Because what are we if not a bunch of neighborhoods strewn together. Yet, the only time I see the current mayor doing out in the community is, maybe, when there’s a ribbon-cutting ceremony or a catastrophe. We’ve seen that when he introduced the rainbow crosswalks in Capitol Hill. And when they opened the streetcar on Capitol Hill. I guess we really only see him in Capitol Hill. Do you see him in other parts of the city? He did put his Mr. Mayor jacket on during the explosion at Greenwood and when the murders happened in “The Jungle,” which he promised to close. Of course, it’s still open because he said we’re just making this up as we go along even though we’re still spending $50 to $100 million of taxpayer money.

That’s why I wish we would see him out in the community more. I wish he would come out and march with the Black Lives Matter folks. I wish he’d come out and have a conversation with them. They came to his house Tuesday night. If you’re not home, just make a phone call. We know that you considered calling council member Sally Bagshaw at 3:45 a.m. when you had some pretty important text messages she wasn’t reading. So we know you’re not afraid to make phone calls — even if you’re out in China. So pick up the phone, call someone at the house who can go out there and talk with the protesters. Maybe bring them snacks. Find out what they’re saying, what their concerns are.  Police are out there protecting you and them.

He could also come on our show. We’d be happy to talk.

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