Art Skolnik: Challenger underscores fund-raising flaws

Art Skolnik is running a novel campaign for City Council: He's not accepting campaign contributions; he's asking people to contribute to their favorite charities or organizations instead.

Skolnik knows how tough the economic climate is for nonprofits today. Until February, he was executive director of the Kalakala Foundation, a group that unsuccessfully tried to raise almost $1 million to restore the 1935 art-deco ferry that once was a gleaming Seattle icon. The foundation filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, and the Kalakala is scheduled to be auctioned on Saturday.

Skolnik acknowledges that his council campaign "may be dead on arrival without raising money." But he wants to call attention to the fact that campaign fund raising creates "distractions and soft promises that get in the way of credibility."

"These people have all done us a great disservice. I am embarrassed for my city. The credibility of the council has taken a deep dive," he said, referring to council members Jim Compton, Judy Nicastro and Heidi Wills, who have been embroiled in a controversy involving contributions tied to Rick's strip club in Lake City.

Skolnik has a long record of neighborhood activism and public employment in the Seattle area. He has worked as economic-development manager for King County, state historic-preservation officer, director of the city's urban-conservation program, and assistant city architect.

He is critical of Mayor Greg Nickels, saying his style has been divisive and "done great harm."

Skolnik wants to phase out vehicular use of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, starting with the elimination of truck traffic, followed by a ban on all motor vehicles on the upper deck, allowing pedestrians and bicyclists to use the road.

Demolition of the viaduct should occur, he says, when new forms of transportation, like the monorail, are developed. He supports widening Interstate 5 by one lane in each direction to absorb traffic diverted from the viaduct.