Through the Static

By Gray Trammel

After spending decades helping people navigate public-benefit systems while struggling with many of those same systems himself, Seattle City Council District 5 candidate Silas James said Seattle’s biggest problems cannot be solved by treating their symptoms. James’ campaign issues focus on combating the high cost of living through affordable housing and a guaranteed basic income program, limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement officials, and creating a more holistic public safety approach.

“It seemed like it would be more effective to help reshape the systems, because we’re just kind of working around the issue that the systems are broken,” James told TtS.

James was born in Port Angeles and moved to Seattle when he was 14 years old, and his decision to run is rooted from years of advocacy work and firsthand experience navigating government assistance programs. Living with a disability resulting from a brain injury, James spent decades helping other people access life-saving services. James said he developed a perspective he believes is often missing from government, which he gained through his advocacy work, years of teaching health disparities at the University of Washington, and interviewing thousands of people who experienced economic hardship and other challenges.

“That perspective is one that’s not represented in any government,” he said, noting how he faces similar financial challenges to many working class residents. “I live paycheck to paycheck, and sometimes don’t make paycheck to paycheck.”

James’s experiences have molded policies at the center of his campaign, and he argued that many of Seattle’s challenges are rooted in economic inequality, and that poverty needs to be addressed as a core issue. James supports a guaranteed basic income program, expanded affordable housing efforts, a vacancy tax on unused residential and commercial properties, and an end to homeless encampment sweeps.

James highlighted his proposal of a guaranteed basic income program for low-income residents: providing direct financial assistance before people experience a crisis can help prevent housing instability and allow residents to better meet their basic needs. In James’ beliefs, investing in people before they reach a breaking point is more effective than relying solely on emergency responses after problems have already developed.

Seattle needs to take a different approach when it comes to public safety, James said. The candidate has denounced the city’s use of surveillance technologies, which includes automated license plate readers and CCTV camera expansion for the Real Time Crime Center. Instead of expanding surveillance systems, he said the city should focus on addressing the underlying conditions that contribute to crime.

“I don’t think surveillance actually makes us safer. Only prevention makes us safer,” James said.

Seattle should instead invest more heavily in housing, social services and programs that help residents navigate government systems, James said. He also supports creating a team of “second responders,” who would assist residents in connecting with public benefits and community resources following a crisis.

Immigration policy is another primary highlight in James’ campaign. He supports limiting the cooperation between local agencies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and noted that local governments are not doing enough to ensure immigrants and other vulnerable residents feel safe accessing services and participating in public life. James also brought up how he is eager to terminate Seattle’s contracts with Axon (formerly known as TASER), which is a company that makes and sells policing equipment.

The Democratic socialist label

While James identifies as a democratic socialist, he said the label is commonly misunderstood by voters. His political positions revolve around adding to the investments already made in the community, including housing, transport, and other social services.

“I think the most common misconception I get is that socialists want to control everything and they want to take people’s property away,” James said.

Although he’s running on a progressive platform, James noted that his best conversations occurred with individuals who had differing viewpoints from him on various issues, finding conversations with people whom he disagrees with more rewarding than those who agree with him. “We all kind of agree we want Seattle to be a nice place. We want it to be safe, we want people we care about to survive,” he said.

James is running against Nilu Jenks and Julie Kang, with primaries taking place in August. For more information on James’s campaign, visit https://silasforseattle.com/

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