Senator Murray tours small businesses in Ballard

In the final days leading up to her election battle with Dino Rossi, Senator Patty Murray made a stop in Ballard today to talk with small business owners along Market Street.

Senator Patty Murray talking with Cupcake Royale owner Jody Hall.

The stops on the walking tour included La Tienda, Bop Street Records, Secret Garden Books, Great Harvest Bread and Cupcake Royale.

Senator Murray selecting a book at Secret Garden Books for her grandson.

The theme was the same for many of the businesses. “Business has been bad for a couple of years, but things are getting better,” Fred Hart, the owner of La Tienda told the Senator.

“It’s been quite a ride.” Christy McDanold of Secret Garden Books says, “But I love what I do.”

Senatory Murray speaking with Bop Street Records owner Dave Voorhees.

The one bright spot, economically speaking, was the newly-relocated Bop Street Records, where the owner Dave Voorhees says business has been much better than at his previous location on Ballard Ave. They’ve seen ten times the foot traffic at the new location.

Senator Murray’s father was a small business owner and she believes the local shops are important for our economy. “I really believe that small businesses, just like we walked through this morning, really are the backbone of our economy,” she tells us after the tour. “Everyone is saying, ‘where are the jobs?’ it’s in small businesses like this.”

“We feel like she understands the plight of a small business,” Crystal Carlson of Great Harvest Bread tells us.

Small business owners talked with the Senator about their lives, businesses, the economy and health insurance. Senator Murray made a purchase at each stop.

Geeky Swedes

The founders of My Ballard

44 thoughts to “Senator Murray tours small businesses in Ballard”

  1. Ahh.. I remember when Spokane voters got rid of the Speaker of the House (Foley) for this very reason. They elected Nethercutt who went back on his term limit promise when his second term was up (whoops!) and all Spokane got was a long series of junior congressmen. Think before you vote please.

  2. Still better than a guy who spent the night before his announcement shilling for a “how to buy foreclosed properties and get rich” scheme.
    Dino is absolutely worthless and would be a complete disaster for all of our businesses small and large.

  3. No doubt Bob, If I was looking to score my 4th term in the Senate I would employ my own photographer to snap me from the correct POV when I was stumping around town, rather than letting the bloggers use their own iPhone photos!

  4. How about Mr. Rossi coming out of the woodwork? It’s not like he keeps a very high profile. All that money pouring into his campaign. I resent Mr. Rupert Murdoch and Mr. Carl Rove manipulating our election in this state and nationwide. The Republicans do not help the middle class.

  5. What is this “suckled” business? Are you one of those Glenn Beck clones? Show us where she is skimming money and building a mansion like some GOP investment advisor.

  6. Why isn’t she running on her and her pals success? Her and her buddies have spent us into massive debt. They’re attempting to turn America into some form of European socialism. And no, her and her expensive pals can’t tax us into prosperity. This “mom in tennis shoes” has had her chances. Ballard is “progressive”, right? What in the bleep does she know about running anything but her mouth? Same with her boss in DC. They know NOTHING about business, except taking what they’ve got. But around here tolerance/diversity are mere words when it comes to voting. Ballard is basically Berkley North. Got inclusion? And she wants yet another huge tax on these businesses she went into also. Can we really bring up wage earners by taking down wage payers Patty?

  7. Dude

    Take some reading comprehension. I said suckled at the public teat. That was nothing to do with actual private business. This women has lived off the efforts and money of others her entire life. Her greatest, and only achievement is spending other peoples money. Government adds nothing to the economy, it only sucks life out. Economic growth only happens in the private sector where value gets added to products and services.

  8. Seriously, Dino has made money flipping foreclosed homes in Ballard, while Patty is listening to small business owners and passing legislation that is helping them get loans in this tough time. Patty’s got my vote!

  9. I guess you can do without electricity, cops, roads etc. Why don’t you move to Somalia so you can be free of the horrible government?

  10. Hmm… let’s see, the Dems have been in the majority in the Senate for less than 2 years. You can thank the Republicans for spending us into debt. There was a surplus at the end of the 90s, remember that Clinton guy?

  11. Wow. There is so much startlingly misinformed ignorance in there I don’t even know where to start.
    1. If we can only elect people who’ve worked in big business to represent us, we will only have the interests of big business at the table. I’d prefer to have more moms, musicians, theorists, scientists, teachers, etc. representing us.
    2. You don’t have to make money or widgets to be of value. Police, teachers, and firemen all suckle at the public teet their entire careers too.
    3. Government adds quite a bit to the economy. Without the regulation of the government we’d all be getting poisoned by snake oil while our kids work in the mines and the banksters take our money.
    4. Libertarianism is best left for science fiction because that’s the only place it actually works.

  12. Massive debt = Bush tax cuts for the rich and two wars.
    European socialism = health care for the less than rich.
    Taxes = only apply to poor. The rich shouldn’t be taxed because God likes them.

  13. I still don’t see how making money wisely is a bad thing. If someone gets into a property they can’t afford and it goes into foreclosure…what are we supposed to do give it to someone else who can’t afford it? Real estate is a great investment, we shouldn’t punish people who take advantage of it or have the means to. I’m not rich at all, but I’m not going to fault the wealthy for making good financial investments that make them more wealthy. It’s likely how they got wealthy in the first place!

  14. Spoken just like someone that has never been in business. To clear things up for you I am not anti government. I just want government to do what private enterprise can’t do more efficiently. Public safety should be done by government, education should be organized by government but not operated by them. They prove over and over how pathetic they are at it compared to private education. Infrastructure should also be organized but not done by government. I hope you can understand all of that. Patty Murray exerts great control over business and wouldn’t the slightest clue how one operates. Remember, this is the women that told a high school assembly that Osama bin Laden built day care centers.

  15. How in the world do you make that leap? I can’t ask or comment on her height? If I do comment on her height I shouldn’t have kids?

  16. yeah I’d rather have seen some locals step up for her…all this last minute east coast stuff made me feel like she was even MORE out of touch than she’s ever been. The president is rad, but don’t try and sway my vote by showing me your high-profile friends. Show me the people you have helped and let them speak for you (and not cause you paid them on an ad, sheesh). I’m not harshing on her, I just felt like I was trying to be swindled with all the famous Dems coming through.

  17. I saw that video and I understand what was being discussed. What does have to do with our election? You TeaBaggers are idiots.

  18. I saw that video and I understand what was being discussed. What does that have to do with our election? You TeaBaggers are total idiots.

  19. It was the Republican administration that spent us into debt. Giving massive tax cuts to the Republican fat cats, that didn’t need them ran, us into the ditch. Do a little research before making yourself sound so stupid.

  20. You haven’t been paying attention lately. A heck of a lot of the foreclosures aren’t just because borrowers got in over their heads, but because people like Dino stacked the mortgage against them with hidden fine print and predatory lending practices. Why do you think there’s been such a stink about improper procedures on the foreclosures to the point where a lot of states have issued moratoriums just to sort it all out?

  21. Uh, for your information a lot of the same groups that are designated terrorist organizations do in fact build everything from schools to hospitals to day care and provide the infrastructure that the government can’t or won’t provide. How do you think they get recruits and goodwill of locals to give them safe havens?
    In regard to your libertarian argument, again you only think that profit is the sole motivator for everything…a greedy man will only see greed. I prefer to live in the real world.
    I have plenty of business experience as both employee and owner. Enough to realize that business isn’t some magical model that makes everything perfect or even works for the greater good in the long term. I should really just dismiss everything you say as “spoken like someone who believes in a libertarian fantasyland…”

  22. Relevant business experience equals agreement with your political views? Otherwise the person is “a block of concrete” or “navel lint” as you have characterized me in another thread?

    Dude, you really need to reexamine your attitude. Your passion has overwhelmed your intellect and you are making no sense whatsoever. If you really believe in what you say, make some arguments that support your position rather than reinforce the perception that you are a total looney who has been suckling at the Glen Beck teat for far too long.

  23. Relevant business experience equals agreement with your political views? Otherwise the person is “a block of concrete” or “navel lint” as you have characterized me in another thread?

    Dude, you really need to reexamine your attitude. Your passion has overwhelmed your intellect and you are making no sense whatsoever. If you really believe in what you say, make some arguments that support your position rather than reinforce the perception that you are a total looney who has been suckling at the Glen Beck teat for far too long.

  24. Oh, and since you keep telling people that they have “never been in business”, would you care to give us a brief synopsis of your business education and experience? I offered you a few facts about me in that other thread; is it asking too much for you to do the same?

    It’s pretty lame to assail people for their lack of “experience” if you don’t have the experience yourself. C’mon, TTTCOTTH. Share. Tell us your story.

  25. Oh, and since you keep telling people that they have “never been in business”, would you care to give us a brief synopsis of your business education and experience? I offered you a few facts about me in that other thread; is it asking too much for you to do the same?

    It’s pretty lame to assail people for their lack of “experience” if you don’t have the experience yourself. C’mon, TTTCOTTH. Share. Tell us your story.

  26. Actually it’s both parties to blame: the Republican tax cuts and the Democrats refusal to deal with Social Security and Medicare which will bankrupt this nation.

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