Peter Steinbrueck, He's Leavin' to Get Everbody to go to the Waterfront and, and Solve That Thing

Unlike some other quitter we could mention City Council Member Peter Steinbrueck will be finishing out his current term, however, he will not be seeking re-election this fall. Instead he will dedicate his time to stopping a viaduct re-build and promoting the surface street alternative. (Although Seattlest Seth has a theory that he just wants more time off to watch his son play basketball for Seattle Prep in the 3A State Tournament).

The Stranger's Erica C. Barnett who was there when Steinbrueck made his announcement at a gathering of the American Institute of Architects has the exclusive scoop:

"I feel like this era's come to an end," a visibly emotional Steinbrueck said, turning away briefly as he battled tears. "A new era is beginning, and it's going to be focused on defeating the rebuild of the viaduct, first of all. … I want to put all my time and effort toward an environmentally responsible, sustainable solution for the waterfront that is not auto-dependent. … that godawful thing has simply got to come down."

Meanwhile the Times also has a hot quote from Steinbrueck,"I have to talk to my [City Council] colleagues first."

Steinbrueck's departure opens a seat on the council, which means local sign printers are busy exchanging high fives this morning. The loss of an incumbent also provides those who decide city elections with an actual decision to make come this fall.

We are excited that Steinbrueck is leaving the council and working towards something better, and have always felt that, unlike some of his colleagues, he has ambition beyond the council.

The chatter of a Steinbrueck vs. Nickels mayoral race in 2009 genuinely excites us. We have felt a real frustration when people in this city, who are strongly qualified and have a real desire, back off from running for mayor leaving us with the Al Runtes of the world.