41 Facts About Michael McGinn

Michael McGinn was born on December 17,1959 and is an American lawyer and politician.

In what was characterized as a "sea change in the power structure of Seattle," McGinn differentiated his campaign by his opposition to the proposed tunnel replacement to the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Michael McGinn was elected in November 2009 with the support of groups considered "political outsiders", such as environmentalists, biking advocates, musicians, advocates for the poor, nightclub owners, and younger voters.

Michael McGinn attended law school at the University of Washington School of Law.

Michael McGinn left Stokes Lawrence in 2005 and started Great City Initiative, a nonprofit advocacy group.

Michael McGinn is credited with increasing the influence of the Sierra Club, helping transform it into a "real political force" in Seattle.

Michael McGinn is the founder and former executive director of the Seattle Great City Initiative, a nonprofit advocacy group, and a former head of the Greenwood Community Council.

Michael McGinn stepped down from his position as head of the Greenwood Community Council in 2006 and stepped down as executive director of his nonprofit in March 2009 to run for mayor.

In 2007, Michael McGinn used his position as a leader in the Sierra Club's Cascade Chapter to help successfully campaign against metropolitan Seattle's Proposition 1, a combined road and mass transit measure, in favor of a transit-only measure.

Michael McGinn later chaired the successful campaign to pass a Seattle parks levy.

Michael McGinn credited his grassroots style of campaigning for the victory.

Michael McGinn announced his candidacy in the 2009 Seattle mayoral election on March 24,2009.

Michael McGinn said his principal policy positions would center on schools, broadband Internet access and local transportation infrastructure.

Michael McGinn advocated replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a surface street instead of the planned tunnel; supplanting private broadband Internet service with a fiber optic system built and operated by Seattle City Light, the city's municipally owned electric utility; and greater local neighborhood control of parking taxes and meter rates.

Michael McGinn raised the possibility of abolishing the city's independent school board, with operation of the schools to become a city government responsibility.

Michael McGinn opposed ending the tax, called the Employee Hours Tax, which taxes business $25 for each of its employees who drives to work alone.

Michael McGinn said that Nickels and fellow candidate Joe Mallahan, who favored repealing the tax, were "out of touch" and too close to the "business elite".

Michael McGinn rode his electrically assisted bicycle to and from political events and maintained no paid campaign staff.

Mallahan criticized Michael McGinn for "push polling" with robocalls to Seattle residents during the campaign.

Mallahan called one survey about the proposed Alaskan Way Viaduct "dishonest" but Michael McGinn says the poll was legitimate research.

In 2010, Michael McGinn asked for a higher car tab tax and a mandatory doubling of the parking lot tax, a $241 million levy to replace the city's seawall two years early and almost doubling the city's education levy to $231 million.

Michael McGinn's budget included a mandatory, city directed increase in parking fees in several neighborhoods to $4 an hour, increases which were expected to return an estimated $20 million in revenue for the city.

Michael McGinn allocated a $13 million funding increase for bicycle and pedestrian projects derived from new taxes on motorists.

Michael McGinn's increased funding of pedestrian and bicycle projects during a time of general cuts raised criticism of his budgetary priorities.

For 2012, Michael McGinn proposed deferring some maintenance on roads and buildings and across the board cuts into the 2012 fiscal year, alerting police, fire and human-services departments to prepare for three to six percent cuts and all other departments for four to eight percent cuts, in order to close a $17 million funding gap.

Michael McGinn created a new position at city hall for a former Cascade Bicycle Club lobbyist at $95,000 a year after giving a $21,000 raise to his new communications director, bringing that yearly salary to $120,000.

Michael McGinn asserted that doubling the levy was necessary to get additional money to programs serving low-income and minority families.

Michael McGinn called for an executive review of Seattle's law enforcement policy in regard to marijuana after a police raid on a medical marijuana user who was growing plants in his home.

Michael McGinn has said that he believes the country is in a time of transition in regard to marijuana policy citing California as a "social bellwether".

In July 2011, Michael McGinn signed a Seattle-specific medical marijuana bill similar to one vetoed by former governor Christine Gregoire.

Michael McGinn is a proponent of reducing car ridership and increasing bicycling, walking, and public transportation.

Michael McGinn has been described in a critical editorial as "philosophically anti-car".

Michael McGinn described the idea of a war on cars as "silly" and stated his transportation policy is focused on reducing the number of cars in Seattle and expanding biking, walking and public transit.

Michael McGinn opposed the planned replacement of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge that connects Seattle to Bellevue and Redmond.

Michael McGinn tried to stop the plan, which calls for six lanes instead of four, citing his opposition to building new roads.

Michael McGinn opposed adding any traffic capacity and stated his desire to see the additional capacity instead used as transit-only lanes.

Michael McGinn supported tolling on the bridge in order to further diminish car usage.

Michael McGinn advocates expanding light rail in Seattle calling for a public vote in 2011 to raise taxes for a new light rail line for the western side of the city, including Ballard, Interbay, Queen Anne, Belltown, Downtown, West Seattle, and possibly Fremont.

Michael McGinn said the lost traffic capacity could be offset by diverting more cars to Interstate 5, increased transit use, walking, biking and drivers staying home.

Michael McGinn called for others to support the measure and donate money.

Michael McGinn's criticized the Council and tried to draw a parallel to the Council's decision on the Alaskan Way Viaduct Tunnel project, saying, "They approved agreements with the state [for the tunnel] even though the environmental review is far from complete".