Mayor's message to the city: Schell's doing all right

Seattle Mayor Paul Schell seemed to use his fourth State of the City address yesterday to answer some of the political questions surrounding his chances of re-election.

Schell enters the final year of his term in office facing a poll that shows city voters -- some upset about the city's mishandling of the World Trade Organization conference, and others unsure exactly what he's done in office -- aren't exactly clamoring to have him back for another four years.

An independent Elway Research poll released last month found that only 27 percent of those surveyed would support Schell, 40 percent said they would vote for "someone else" and 34 percent were undecided.

The mayor and his aides deny that anything he does is politically motivated, and Schell said in an interview after the speech that the only election on his mind right now is the Seattle school levy vote Feb. 6.

But his 30-minute speech sounded like a tome he'd likely repeat if he were to run again. Though he still hasn't said he will definitely run, he made the case that he's done a lot in his first three years in office, and that he plans to do a lot more -- particularly in improving the city's transportation mess.

Schell mentioned what may well be his administration's last Hail Mary, a three-step transportation plan that involves removing parking on some major streets to make room for bus-only lanes.

"Seattle needs ways for people to get from Crown Hill to Capitol Hill, from Lake City to Columbia City, from West Seattle to downtown," he said.

The first step of his plan is to continue quick fixes for moving traffic, such as synchronizing lights, keeping signals green longer for approaching buses and building new sidewalks and bike lanes. The city will also study bus-only lanes along two routes: from Lake City through Ballard to downtown, and from West Seattle to downtown.

The third, more long-range step, would involve a study of trolleys or monorail lines to move people quickly between neighborhoods.

As he noted in the speech, improving transportation is significant on its own:

"Gridlock, bottlenecks, hours of our lives lost to staring at the car in front of us -- this cannot continue. Not if we want to keep Seattle a healthy, attractive place to live and work. ... Yet there are solutions out there -- good solutions. We just need to stop arguing and start acting on them."

But the plan also has a political significance. Ever since Schell was criticized for not ensuring that police were better prepared for WTO protesters and for not protecting taxpayers from being saddled with the bill from the conference, he and his aides have said that what people will care about on Election Day is what he's done about key concerns -- like neighborhood improvements, housing, children and transportation.

Schell touched on all those points in assessing the State of the City.

But perhaps because of the astounding bad luck that's marked the past 18 months of his administration, Schell found himself trying to give an upbeat assessment of the State of the City, and therefore his administration, just moments before the City Council was to pass an 18 percent electric rate increase.

To be sure, the power crisis is not of his making. But neither did he invite terrorists to smuggle bombs from Canada to ruin his millennium celebration, nor did he create the forces that turned Seattle's international coming out party into a debutante ball with tear gas and riot gear.

So it was no surprise that he was dogged by protesters as he strolled to the podium to tout a record that includes library, community center and park improvements made possible by initiatives he backed; programs that built and preserved low-income housing; a new emphasis on road maintenance; and beefing up an understaffed police force.

A member of ACORN, a community group, challenged Schell to increase help for low-income families in paying light bills. After cutting her off, Schell began his speech saying it was actually an opportune time, because it allowed him to speak about the city's resilient spirit.

"I believe that Seattle's health is excellent," he said. "That does not mean that we lack our share of difficulties. On the contrary, we have big ones to face -- with the electricity crisis and transportation at the top of the list. What it means is that we have the vitality and the spirit to meet those challenges head on, and to find within them opportunities to make our city an even better place. It is that spirit that defines our city's civic health."

He later added that the city has begun finding new sources for electricity and by Oct. 1, City Light will not be buying electricity from private suppliers. He urged customers to conserve, and he concluded with an almost Churchillian flair: "We have worked together to face challenges head on, search for solutions with open minds, and take bold action for the common good. If we can keep that sprit, we cannot fail."