Judy's rent rumble

Yet in order to really make progress, Nicastro will need more than political skill, as she herself acknowledges. In order to win, Nicastro needs a "mass movement" of "ordinary tenants" on her side to lobby the state Legislature and City Hall. "When the public is silent, their issues are not heard," she points out. This weekend's renters' summit can be a first step in building such a movement.

Will tenants respond to her clarion call? There aren't mass movements about anything in politically quiescent Seattle. Membership at the Tenants Union, the city's largest tenants-rights group, is on the rise but has only reached around 850, according to TU staffer Scott Winn. It also remains to be seen whether a city council member can organize a grassroots movement. "She can't do that given the constraints of her job," argues Winn.

Rick Dahms

Rent for Casey Korder's dream dump jumped from $400 to $1,200. He wants rent control, now.

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• Seattle Center
• Judy Nicastro
• Casey Korder
• Price Controls and Subsidies
• Politics

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Considering the long odds Nicastro faces, everything needs to go right if she is going to make headway. But then again, Nicastro didn't get as far as she already has by paying attention to conventional wisdom—she thrives on defying it.

Let's get ready to rumble!!

What: Renters' Summit
When: Saturday, June 10, 8:30am-1:00 pm
Where: Northwest rooms of Seattle Center
Workshops: rent control, housing codes, parking requirements, the right of first refusal, increased density
Wonk: Professor Dennis Keating, an expert on rent control, gives keynote speech
Want more info? Judy Nicastro 615-1567
www.ci.seattle.wa.us/leg/nicastro/strategy.htm