Interview with Marty Campbell – City Council Candidate, Pos. 4
by Electric Elliot
You know Buzzards and Stadium Video? Of course you do. Well the manager of both, Marty Campbell, is running for City Council. It seems Marty lives double lives, one managing these businesses and one as a dedicated community member serving on numerous boards including the Tacoma Neighborhood Council, Downtown Merchants Group and the Grand Cinema board.
Now, Marty is running for City Council position 4 and he hopes to revitalize the East-Side of Tacoma with new business. Find out more at: http://www.electcampbell.org
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June 8th, 2009 at 9:58 am
I like how he kept saying ‘won’ instead of ‘run’ when referencing his previous campaign. One of the major differences between the campaign THEN as to the campaign NOW i’d like to point out is the presence of facial hair. I for one am happy to see the subtle maturity suggested by the beard. Go Marty!
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June 8th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Would somebody please give this guy a job so we don’t have to suffer through another campaign after he loses this one?
There is a difference between hanging on by your fingernails in 2 businesses based on dead technology, and running a municipal government.
A BIG DIFFERENCE.
Bottom line: Marty worries me, not the least since he can’t tell the difference between ‘run’ and ‘won’.
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Kevin Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
@Eastsider Hoping For Better,
First off, why do you have to act like an ass? Do you have a job, started a biz… anything?
Marty’s businesses are doing fine. If I used your logic about “dead technology”, then I guess ALL brick and mortar stores should be considered “dead technology”. I choose to support my community and my local businesses, do you?
Marty is running for a city council seat, he will be a part of the process not the entire process of “running a municipal government”.
Your “bottom line” and your “worries” are meaningless and are based on what, the fact that you don’t care for “dead technology”? hm?
Also.. about the “run” and “won” thing, I believe I heard it once and what he did was started to say won and corrected to say “ran”.
G’day.
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RR Anderson Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
@Eastsider Hoping For Better, you sound like a blockbuster patron. May your kidneys fail.
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Eastsider Hoping For Better Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 12:29 am
@RR Anderson, @Kevin, @Daymaker
Actually RR, I don’t have a lot of time to browse for DVDs, since I’m running several successful businesses based on current technology. They are all local.
Have any of you actually ever worked with this guy? Or been in meetings with him? (I have.) The thoughtful, inclusive, patient guy you’re describing doesn’t bear much resemblance to the Marty of my experience.
Maybe you’ve only had occasion to know ‘Candidate Marty’.
I can also tell you that he is particularly worried about people digging into his background. I have no idea why, but it keeps coming up. Frankly, I don’t care about his background before he landed in Tacoma. I do care about what he has actually said and actually done since then.
But I know you don’t. You just want to know someone who got elected. That’s what gets us “more puppets wielded by past politicians and their personal agendas” (great phrase, Daymaker – were you referring to MS. M.S.?) and a guy (Marty) who wanted to spend almost $2,000,000 on SIGNS to tell us when we were downtown.
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Kevin Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 8:56 am
@Eastsider Hoping For Better,
So.. are these “businesses” you run located in a brick and mortar store? If so, then that is “dead technology”, right?
Since you are so busy, do you have time to support any local businesses or do you just send all of your money to “current technology” businesses located on the “tubes”?
I have known Marty for years and I know many other people that have worked with him and been friends with him for years, so yes I do know Marty and I support Marty.
In the same breathe you complain about “his background” and then say you don’t care about his background. hm.
Seems like you are just throwing out BS hoping something will stick. This is very “fox news” of you.
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RR Anderson Reply:
June 10th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
@Eastsider Hoping For Better, those tired rumors about Marty being involved in human trafficking for the Russian mafia are just that: rumors.
If I had to choose an candidate based on DVD selection I would choose Marty Campbell… and this is exactly what guides my decision methods (DVD Selection).
Marty will fight the terrorists.
Marty will stand up for Science.
Marty can beat anyone at Chess.
Marty can eat a whole watermelon.
These are attributes of a powerful man deserving of public office.
Vote the Campbell/Van Vechten Ticket!
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June 8th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Marty is a tireless and dedicated leader in our community. He would be a great voice on the Council. Go Marty!
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June 8th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Marty will make a great city council person. He is thoughtful, he listens, he does not make snap judgments and decisions. He is also very dedicated to his community and the city of Tacoma.
The man works hard for what is right and fights for We The People.
He gets it.
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June 8th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
This is a man who is not afraid to enter the conversation. No matter what his personal view may be, he gives all parties a voice, and is never concreated into one position. He sees things big picture, and realizes opportunities for connectivity. An issue never has only one layer. This is the kind of proactive thinking our council needs, not more puppets wielded by past politicians and their personal agendas. Parking doesn’t effect only parking!
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June 9th, 2009 at 7:58 am
Marty cares a great deal about this community, a feeling that is bolstered by his experience running two successful businesses. (No small feat to keep an indy record store and indy video store buzzing these days.) He’s been there for the community on school issues, and most importantly he’s just an extremely decent guy.
I feel confident in Marty’s ability to represent all of the people of the East Side, especially the booming population of young families.
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June 9th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Fellow “Eastsider,”
I have had the pleasure of working Marty, and I do know other elected officials. Marty is not a novelty item. He is one of the many fine and hard-working individuals who helped to breathe life into Tacoma. I am proud of the my city’s renaissance and Marty was a part of making that happen. He’s tough on crime, has spawned local businesses and been a great friend and supporter of the arts community. He is a perfect fit for the council.
We need more individuals to be public servants, while also being leaders, who stand by their convictions without being afraid to evolve. That candidate is Marty Campbell.
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June 9th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
It’s healthy to have reservations about ANY individual who would desire to be in public office. As I understand it, (from my safe vantage point in the arts), it appears to be a vicious and thankless job that only a fool would desire. Oh, there’s a small stipend to pay for band-aids.
The reason Marty is willing to do it is because it’s in his blood to help Tacoma. I know this and not because I particularly like him. I mean, I do…he’s a fine person…but he walks the walk in public service.
I’ve been involved in skatepark and skateboarding advocacy locally for the last five or six years. It’s sort of fun because skaters are consistently flabbergasted when anything goes their way. They’re more accustomed to being defined by stereotypes and constantly being told where they can’t recreate. Being “rugged individualists,” they’re not the easiest of groups to work with. All things considered, two people in the City have had the vision to see past that to the good that lies beneath; Bill Evans and Marty Campbell.
Without Marty’s support, Tacoma would NOT have won an international award for policies in youth inclusion. Tacoma’s Thea’s Park would NOT have been one of the featured places in Project for Public Spaces’ “Nation’s 50 Neighborhoods” book. Tacoma would NOT have been depicted as the visionary community who was willing to embrace their skaters as vital members of the creative class. As I said, supporting a largely misunderstood and sometimes controversial group like ours takes guts, vision, and commitment. Marty knew when the reward was worth the risk and acted on it.
Skateboarding is small. It’s a microcosmic example of what’s going on all around us. Marty is someone who sees that and knows how to support it. He’s demonstrated that to me. I trust his wisdom (in spite of the fact that he wants to be on City Council).
There’s my 2¢.
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June 13th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Marty Campbell is my pick for the Tacoma City Council for several reasons. 1) He volunteers for causes that catch his heart, but aren’t necessarily politically advantageous. 2) He’s never said a hateful thing about anyone. 3) He can describe what Tacoma is, should be, and can be. Roxanne Murphy is an awesome new entry, but Marty has my vote.
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