Democritus Blantayre says he wants to institute a direct democracy in which residents make all the decisions themselves.
Langer would like to be elected to the council for the first time. The council appointed him to replace Joe Hyer, who resigned last year. But instead of running for the remaining term on his Position 7 seat, he’s running for a full four-year term on Position 2. That’s the seat being vacated by Craig Ottavelli, who isn’t running for re-election.
Langer, a 56-year-old psychologist, says he wants to transform downtown into a safe and welcoming place and adjust the budget to lower revenues because of the recession, the “new normal.”
“I very much look forward to continuing my job on the City Council and representing the citizens of Olympia in the process,” he said. “I really enjoy this work.”
Blantayre, a 31-year-old videographer who lives at Camp Quixote, a tent city for the homeless, said his single goal is to abolish the representative democracy of City Council and replace it with a direct democracy system. Blantayre said he changed his name from Nicholas Bland.
He said he would petition to amend the city’s charter to implement a direct democracy form of government, and might have to amend the state constitution. If he couldn’t make that happen, the council would act as a proxy for the voters, who would all have a vote, he said.
“You can’t have a higher amount of quality … than all of the people of Olympia collectively,” he said.
For his position on the issues facing the city, he would say only how he would vote in such a system in which every other resident gets to vote.
MORE LAYOFFS?
Whoever is elected to the council will have to face thorny issues, such as whether to cut more city programs or raise taxes and how to improve a district of derelict buildings downtown.
The city already has made cuts, including the equivalent of 52 full-time positions, about 9 percent of the city’s work force, City Manager Steve Hall said.
Hall said he’s considering more layoffs next year, as well as dipping into the city’s reserves to balance his proposed 2012 budget. Details will be released Nov. 1. Still, he’s more worried about 2013.
The council has talked about whether to ask voters to raise property or sales taxes to spare more cuts.
“I certainly support putting that question in front of voters,” Langer said. But he said the city needs to spell out in detail what the tax hike would be used for in budget meetings with residents.
“I think we as a city need to make it really clear what it is we are talking about.”
Blantayre said he would like to increase volunteer participation to provide city services, and with those savings, tax increases or budget cuts might not be necessary.
“You can’t eliminate certain core services like public safety,” he said. He suggested tolls on a bridge, for example, as an alternative form of taxation. He said public art and public relations are possible budget cuts, as well as not building “a ton of new buildings.” He also proposed forming a local currency.
The future of downtown is another major issue this election. Areas of Fourth Avenue in the city core and on the isthmus have a collection of vacant buildings. A host of people have complained to the city about people sleeping on the sidewalks, aggressive panhandlers and people urinating on the pavement.
Some options the council is considering include a ban on some high-alcohol drinks, working with bars to prevent over-serving and declaring part of downtown blighted under the state community renewal law in order to buy derelict properties and sell them for redevelopment.
Langer has been tackling many of the issues as chairman of the council’s Land Use and Environment Committee.
“One thing I’m committed to is seeing this thing through and coming up with a comprehensive plan … rather than this just sort of piecemeal approach,” he said.
Blantayre said he likes the city’s approach to blight, but a ban on certain alcohol drinks is prohibition, which he said is nonsense.
PANHANDLING BAN
He’s against an ordinance that Langer and a majority of other council members approved that bans panhandling within 25 feet of ATMs and parking pay stations. He said it violates the constitutional right to free speech.
Blantayre said it’s not the government’s role to make people feel comfortable downtown. “If you don’t like a particular … setting, you can leave,” he said.
Langer said that people lying on sidewalks are “essentially privatizing public space” and “that’s really not OK.”
People on the streets need alternatives, Langer said, and he said one possibility is a downtown ambassador, a civilian who would check up on street people. He suggested a hybrid of that and a downtown police walking patrol.
On the blighted isthmus, Blantayre said it makes sense to build up and not out. “What I’m talking about is an eco-city,” he said.
Langer supports acquiring land there for a park and would love to have a public plaza there. But it’s unclear how the city would pay for it.
On the matter of a fireworks ban, Langer said, “I suppose. This isn’t a big issue for me, and I’m happy to have the voters decide.” Blantayre said he doesn’t support the ban, but likes the idea of asking the voters.
The biggest difference between the two candidates according to Blantayre: “My opponent doesn’t believe in direct democracy.”
“I spent hours trying to convince him.”
Matt Batcheldor: 360-704-6869 mbatcheldor@theolympian.com
