Council Appointee Tanya Woo Cancels Endorsement Assembly with The Stranger on the Final Minute

With simply hours discover, Council Appointee Tanya Woo rejected our invitation to The Stranger Election Management Board (SECB) endorsement assembly along with her opponents for the citywide Place 8 council seat. She declined to provide a purpose for canceling the assembly she agreed to again on June 10, leaving us to imagine she fears media scrutiny. 

Her cowardice displays a bigger development with the brand new Seattle Metropolis Council. They routinely ignore media requests, unfold falsehoods about dissenting colleagues, belittle the communities they betray, and, in excessive circumstances, name for the arrest of people that dare disagree with them too loudly. 

However Woo’s progressive opponents symbolize an openness to dialog, disagreement, and criticism. Metropolis Council Place 8 candidates Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Saunatina Sanchez, and Tariq Yusuf all attended The Stranger’s assembly, and earlier this week in addition they attended an endorsement assembly with the Seattle Occasions Editorial Board, who supported Woo in her first failed election.

“I’m dissatisfied that [Woo] selected to decide out of an endorsement interview right this moment with The Stranger and the opposite candidates on this race,” mentioned Rinck, who her opponents mentioned sat within the scorching seat for the Seattle Occasions endorsement assembly. “On the marketing campaign path, I haven’t shied away from assembly with the media or participating with my critics–that’s a part of the job. I’ll be proud to proceed this dedication when elected.”

Woo’s opponents expressed totally different ranges of shock to The Stranger. In a video that may air on Instagram later, Yusuf described vibes of “comradery” on the Seattle Occasions assembly only a day earlier than. Woo gave him the impression that she would attend The Stranger assembly, too. 

“All of us candidates hope to symbolize our respective communities—and Seattle as a complete—which implies that it’s important that we meet with people no matter whether or not they’re group organizations, publications, or common Seattleites—even when they don’t share our views,” Yusuf advised The Stranger in a written assertion. “In any case, isn’t that why we’re right here? To advocate for a greater Seattle for everybody and that begins from the marketing campaign path.”

In the identical video, Sanchez mentioned she was “pleasantly stunned” that Woo seemingly deliberate to attend as of Wednesday. It appeared extra on model for Woo to skip, so the final minute rejection didn’t shock Sanchez a lot. 

“It is unlucky when these in public workplace determine to disregard a gaggle of individuals they’re imagined to be serving,” Sanchez mentioned in an e mail to The Stranger. “Being accountable to the individuals who rent us to do a job is a part of the job, so [Woo] canceling on the SECB endorsement interview clearly reveals how she values the factors of view of The Stranger readers. If you cannot deal with the warmth of a difficult dialog the place it’s important to defend the insurance policies you are championing, you should not be able to push these insurance policies onto the people who find themselves going to be affected by them. #Recused.”

The SECB was irritated for positive, however we noticed it coming.

I noticed this coming. After I texted her marketing campaign supervisor to verify, they mentioned “its on her calendar!” which I suppose is like after I put “do laundry” on my calendar

— Hannah Krieg (@hannahkrieg) June 27, 2024

On Might 15, The Stranger invited Woo and her three opponents to satisfy at our workplace within the Chinatown Worldwide District (CID) on June 27 at 1 0am. Woo’s marketing campaign supervisor confirmed receipt of the e-mail and mentioned he would “be in contact.” 

On Might 20, The Stranger requested, “Any replace?” The marketing campaign supervisor mentioned, “Seems like we would have a battle with that date…will test with Tanya and, if that’s the case, recommend some alternate options.”

After a number of enterprise days with no instructed alternate options, The Stranger mentioned on June 5, “Hey! Any replace on this? Everybody else could make this time work!” The opposite candidates, who’ve jobs, confirmed the time instantly, and the longer Woo dragged her toes the less choices we must reschedule and accommodate all 4 candidates. No response. 

On June 10, The Stranger texted her marketing campaign supervisor and requested, “Can Woo make it to the assembly June 27 at 10am?” To which he replied, “Hello Hannah from The Stranger, the interview is on her schedule.” 

Any cheap particular person would learn that as accepting our invite. However at 5 am right this moment, hours earlier than The Stranger would movie with the candidates for Instagram, Woo despatched an e mail saying, “Thanks to your invitation to satisfy with you and my fellow candidates. Sadly, I won’t be able to attend right this moment, however I look ahead to working with you sooner or later.” 

She didn’t reply when The Stranger requested why she wouldn’t come. 

However as many chud Twitter customers advised me, it’s as a result of we’re huge meanies. To that I say, thanks. It’s my job to carry elected officers to account, not be their fan membership. 

I did my job after I put her nonsensical platform into phrases when she ran in 2023. I did my job after I uncovered the truth that she had not voted in a neighborhood election till 2021 regardless of her practically 30 years of voter eligibility as a result of she would not “have workers.” I did my job after I predicted that huge enterprise would coalesce behind her after which reported the greenback quantities after they did. I did my job after I broke information that she sought a “second opinion” when the Govt Director of Seattle Ethics and Elections advised her to recuse herself from a vote that would profit her financially. I’ll proceed to do my job, and it’ll most likely appear rather less imply when Woo begins doing hers.