Experience gives Buxbaum edge in race for Olympia mayor

Olympia City Council

Mayor

q Stephen Buxbaum

q Dick Pust

Position 2

q Steve Langer

q Democritus Blantayre

Position 3

q Rhenda Strub

q Nathaniel Jones

Position 7

q Jim Cooper

q Brian Tomlinson

Mail-in ballots for the Nov. 8, general election have arrived in South Sound homes and Olympia voters have four key decisions to make that will chart the future of the capital city.

The Olympian’s editorial board supports Stephen Buxbaum for mayor and the election of Steve Langer, Rhenda Strub and Jim Cooper for seats on the City Council.

BUXBAUM VS. PUST

With the exodus of Mayor Doug Mah, two well-qualified candidates have stepped forward to run for the vacant position. The race pits Dick Pust, 71, a retired radio station manager and on-air personality, against Councilman Stephen Buxbaum, 56, a part time faculty member at The Evergreen State College, a private consultant and former manager in state government.

Pust’s 50 years at KGY radio have made him a community icon. He is well-liked, respected for his knowledge of community issues and leaders and sees himself as someone more conservative than the rest of the council.

Not surprisingly, Pust is an excellent communicator and would excel at the ceremonial aspects of the mayor’s role – serving as the city’s ambassador, welcoming visiting dignitaries, cutting ribbons at business openings and presiding over council meetings.

But the mayor’s job includes more than ceremonial duties. The mayor, by setting the council agenda, can guide public policy decision-making. And in that regard, Buxbaum, mayor pro-tem, has the superior experience. In two years on the council, he set Olympia up to receive a $2 million community development block grant for community renewal and has put the downtown community on the path toward establishment of an alcohol impact area. It was Buxbaum’s leadership that brought the South Sound area the first intake center for homeless people.

As mayor, we encourage Buxbaum to take a lesson from Pust by polishing his communications skills, making points succinctly and providing a clear and concise vision for the capital city.

LANGER VS. BLANTAYRE

We commend Democritus Blantayre for his willingness to get involved in city politics, and his laudable efforts to involve ordinary citizens in the decision-making process. Blantayre, 31, an independent contractor for a videography company, has based his entire campaign on the proposal to shake up the legislative process by moving to direct democracy. His proposal is to have citizens drive the community agenda by directly voicing their opinions on every council issue. The majority rules. While we applaud his quest for inclusiveness, we question Blantayre’s ability to bring about such a sea change in Olympia.

His opponent, Steve Langer, 56, a clinical psychologist, was appointed to a vacant council seat in May 2010. He’s a strong advocate for turning the isthmus property between Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet into a public plaza with – perhaps – an amphitheater, food carts, expanded water features like Heritage Fountain, street performers and a showcase for the arts.

Langer also gets credit for tackling the problems associated with downtown anti-social behavior and leading the city’s effort to create a community where people are not harassed, where thriving businesses succeed and where people are held accountable for poor behavior. We encourage him to maintain that focus in the hopes of truly transforming Olympia’s downtown, which already has so much going for it.

STRUB VS. JONES

Nathaniel Jones, 56, an asset manager with the state Department of Enterprise Services, is perhaps best known as the staff member who led a big portion of the 13-year debate whether to transform Capitol Lake into an estuary. The final recommendation – an estuary – is one Jones said he disagrees with.

His campaign seems personal and negative in nature. He attacks his opponent for her initial support of mixed-use housing on the isthmus and bills himself as someone who will bring the community together on important issues.

Too often the government-dominated mindset in Olympia is to study and process everything to death. We fear Jones will play right into that mindset. He makes no credible case to replace Rhenda Strub.

Strub, 56, has served on the Olympia City Council for four years. If re-elected, she will be the longest-serving council member. Her experience is needed.

Critics say Strub has a prickly personality. The problem is she’s direct, concrete in her opinions and precise in her statements. Rhenda Strub does not engage in “bureaucracy-speak.” She calls it like she sees it, is a strong personality and that’s off-putting to some people.

While we may wish she was more temperate with her remarks at times, there is no getting around the fact that Strub is a hard worker and focused on accomplishments. She worked behind the scenes to bring the feuding isthmus sides together and was rewarded with meanness and vindictiveness.

Strub has been effective. She was a leader to build the fourth fire station, helped lead the effort to build the first dog park in the city, was instrumental in the creation of the transportation benefit area and on the social service side, was a supporter of finding a permanent home for Camp Quixote, South Sound’s tent city.

Looking ahead, she wants to get the city budget sustainable – with perhaps two voter-approved tax increases – get the Arts Space project funded and help turn Olympia into a destination city for people interested in the arts.

Strub has a clear vision and the outspoken personality to make it happen.

COOPER VS. TOMLINSON

Brian Tomlinson, 56, an information technology infrastructure technician, declined our invitation for an endorsement interview, saying his opponent has all the money and endorsements. That says something about Tomlinson’s commitment to this campaign.

That takes nothing away from Jim Cooper, 36, executive director of Together, a nonprofit focused on the health and safety of Thurston County youth.

Cooper, former chairman of Thurston County Democrats, is extremely well-connected in the community – connections that will serve him well on regional issues. He has a proven track record of bringing people together on difficult issues. He’s pragmatic, articulate and his knowledge of how government works will serve him well.

Thurston County, per capita, has more nonprofits than any other county in the state. Cooper’s voice will be important as the council struggles to balance a budget and keep the social service safety net in place.

In a council that is likely to have many strong personalities, Cooper will be a voice of reason and calm. We encourage his election to a two-year term.