Ron Sims
Encyclopedia
Ronald Cordell Sims, is currently the Deputy Secretary
of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
, having been confirmed by the Senate on May 6, 2009 and sworn in on May 8. He is also the former King County Executive
. Sims ran unsuccessfully for higher office twice: United States Senator
in 1994
and for Governor of Washington in 2004
.
, to Reverend James C. Sims Sr. and Lydia T. Sims. He graduated from Lewis and Clark High School and attended Central Washington University
in Ellensburg
, where he earned a B.A.
in psychology
. Between graduation and his election to the King County Council he worked in the office of the Washington State Attorney General, for the Federal Trade Commission
, for the juvenile offenders program of the city of Seattle, and as an aide in the state senate. He is an ordained
Baptist
minister
.
and was subsequently re-elected two more times, 1989 and 1993. During his first term, he and fellow Councilman Bruce Laing successfully led a campaign to have the county rededicate its name in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.
(this change was not officially recognized by the state until July 25, 2005).
In 1994, he was defeated by Republican
incumbent Slade Gorton
in an election for the United States Senate
.
In 1996, he was appointed King County Executive after the previous holder of the office, Gary Locke
, was elected governor of Washington. He was re-elected by wide margins to the position in 1997, 2001 and 2005.
On July 29, 2003, he announced that he would seek the Democratic
nomination for Washington state governor in the 2004 elections. Sims made news in the campaign when he proposed replacing the state sales tax
and business and occupation tax
with a progressively graduated income tax
. In the primary election held on September 14, 2004, Sims lost to state Attorney General
Christine Gregoire
.
Sims is outspoken in his support of legalizing same-sex marriage
in Washington state. Although he has refused to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples, stating that it was not the business of state officials to practice civil disobedience
, he has encouraged same-sex couples to sue the county in order to have the courts decide.
On February 2, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Sims to become Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Sims' nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 6, 2009 and he was sworn in on May 8, 2009 As the second most senior official at HUD, Sims is charged with managing the Department's day-to-day operations, a nearly $39 billion annual operating budget, and the agency's 8,500 employees.
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan
said, "The drive and vision Ron brings is critical to our efforts to not only transform the Agency but to help the nation's communities recover and to better position them for the future. Our leadership team is now coming together and we can now focus on systemic reform, policy innovation, and harnessing private sector capital and talent as well as new kinds of partnership and collaboration to respond to the nation's housing crisis."
On June 14, 2011 - less than two years after accepting his HUD appointment - Sims announced his resignation and intent to return to Seattle, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. Sims' announcement followed the release of official travel records to Americans for Limited Government
that showed Sims had spent 45 of 128 travel days during his tenure on trips to Seattle, a statistic that the group said raised "questions about the legitimacy of these trips." A HUD spokesperson denied the travel records indicated malfeasance on Sims' part, noting that "every trip taken by Deputy Secretary Ron Sims was in response to a formal speech or forum participation request."
and provide service for parts of King and Snohomish counties. Since its proposal, Brightwater has been the subject of numerous lawsuits, including a lawsuit by King County against Snohomish County that was settled when King County agreed to pay $70 million for public safety, habitat protection, and parks in Snohomish County. The project has also had many cost overruns totaling over $272 million. In December 2006, the project had resolved all its lawsuits and only needed building permits from Snohomish County. However, concerns remain over the siting of the project, both from its future neighbors worried about the smells associated with sewage treatment and geologists due to at least one active fault line
running through the site, and concerns over whether a new plant was necessary when eliminating stormwater and wastewater from the sewage system. King County countered these concerns by stating the plant will feature advanced odor control, 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of wildlife habitat will be restored, the plant has been designed to withstand a 7.3 magnitude
earthquake, and that the project will be paid by new customers.
and gave the King County Council 90 days to determine a more permanent location within the county for the tent city to be located. Opponents of the plan filed a lawsuit that resulted in the move being cancelled. In May 2005, the council voted to have a one-year moratorium
prohibiting the siting of homeless encampments on public land pending a review of the availability, suitability, and appropriateness of using county-owned land. Sims never conducted this review, and the moratorium remains in place, but the homeless encampment is currently moving from church property to church property throughout east King County.
) and restrict development in hazardous areas (such as floodplains and landslide
prone steep slopes). The plan drew the ire of many property rights groups, rural landowners, and developers as the ordinance
prevented land owners from developing areas of their property that met the critical area definition. This included a requirement that landowners in rural areas that haven't already cleared their land to keep 50% to 65% of their property in its "natural state". Three referendums to repeal the ordinance gathered over 17,000 signatures each, far more than the 6,900 required to qualify to be on the ballot. However, a lawsuit filed by King County and a pro-growth management
group prevented the referendum from being put on the ballot and a ruling by the state Supreme Court decided that a state law requiring local governments to protect critical areas prevented local referendums to overturn critical area ordinances.
On July 7, 2008, a Washington State Appeals Court found that the portion of the CAO known as the clearing and grading ordinance is an indirect and illegal "tax, Fee, or charge", and that prior to restricting the clearing of land for lawn or pasture, King County must demonstrate how that act could cause harm.
and replace most of its track with a bicycle trail. Although there is support for purchasing the railroad in order to prevent its current owner, BNSF Railway
, from selling off the right of way piecemeal, the plan to remove the tracks has raised concerns from rail transportation advocates, environmental groups, and the owners, employees and customers of the popular Spirit of Washington dinner train (which ran on the tracks). It has also resulted in the formation of a grassroots
movement, Eastside Rail Now!, which is aimed at stopping the removal of the tracks and at using them to begin a rail transit service in addition to their current freight and dinner train functions. In 2007, the Port of Seattle
, King County, and BNSF signed a preliminary agreement in which the Port would purchase the rail line from BNSF and then exchange the line plus $66 million to pay for removal of the tracks and replacement by a bicycle trail for Boeing Field
formally proposed plans to spend $130 million on a passenger terminal and other facilities and move the airlines operation from Sea-Tac Airport
to Boeing Field after several months of negotiations with Sims. The proposal from Southwest prompted Alaska Airlines
to announce it would seek a similar agreement with the county. The proposals were met with opposition from residents of Georgetown
, the Seattle neighborhood north of Boeing field, many of Washington's state and federal legislators, and the Seattle Chamber of Commerce
. After months of pressure from the opposition, Sims killed Southwest's and Alaska's proposals in October 2005, stating that while the area around Boeing Field may have been able to support Southwest's bid with only minor road improvements, it could not support both the Southwest and Alaska proposals without major infrastructure improvements.
. It took Mr Sims's office nearly four years to provide Yousoufian with the documents. Yousoufian eventually sued to be given the documents, and was also awarded $5 dollars a day for the delay, plus $87,000 in attorneys’ fees. In 2005, after further appeal by Yousoufian, the amount was increased to $15 dollars a day bringing the total to $122,000, plus a further $171,000 in attorneys’ fees, which some claim to be the highest such fine ever assessed in state history. Yousoufian appealed further, and in January 2009 a divided Washington Supreme Court
agreed that the $15 a day fine was insufficient. Two justices recommended that the King County Superior Court
award $100 a day, the maximum provided for under the law.
neighborhood of Seattle. They have three sons: Douglas, Daniel, and Aaron. He has visited Redmond High School at least once.
United States Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
The Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in the United States government, is the chief operating officer of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Deputy Secretary . The Deputy Secretary is the first in line for the office of Secretary if the Secretary...
of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, is a Cabinet department in the Executive branch of the United States federal government...
, having been confirmed by the Senate on May 6, 2009 and sworn in on May 8. He is also the former King County Executive
King County Executive
The King County Executive is the highest elected official representing the government of King County, Washington, USA. The post was established with the implementation of the Home Rule Charter for King County on November 5, 1968...
. Sims ran unsuccessfully for higher office twice: United States Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in 1994
United States Senate elections, 1994
The U.S. Senate election, 1994 was an election held on November 8, in which the Republican Party was able to take control of the Senate from the Democrats. In a midterm election, the opposition Republicans held the traditional advantage...
and for Governor of Washington in 2004
United States gubernatorial elections, 2004
The United States gubernatorial elections of 2004 were held on November 2, 2004. Eleven states voted to select a governor . There was no net gain in seats for either party.-Election results:...
.
Early life
Sims was born in Spokane, WashingtonSpokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
, to Reverend James C. Sims Sr. and Lydia T. Sims. He graduated from Lewis and Clark High School and attended Central Washington University
Central Washington University
Central Washington University, often abbreviated CWU, is a public university in Ellensburg, Washington in the United States.This location was selected by the state legislature as a consolation prize after Ellensburg lost its bid to be state capital...
in Ellensburg
Ellensburg, Washington
Ellensburg is a city in, and the county seat of, Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 18,174 at the 2010 census. The population was 18,250 at 2011 Estimate from Office of Financial Management. Ellensburg is located just east of the Cascade Range on I-90 and is known as the...
, where he earned a B.A.
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. Between graduation and his election to the King County Council he worked in the office of the Washington State Attorney General, for the Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
, for the juvenile offenders program of the city of Seattle, and as an aide in the state senate. He is an ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister
Minister of religion
In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community...
.
Political career
In 1985, Sims was first elected to the King County CouncilKing County Council
The Metropolitan King County Council, the legislative body of King County, Washington, consists of nine members elected by district. The Council adopts laws, sets policy, and holds final approval over the budget...
and was subsequently re-elected two more times, 1989 and 1993. During his first term, he and fellow Councilman Bruce Laing successfully led a campaign to have the county rededicate its name in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
(this change was not officially recognized by the state until July 25, 2005).
In 1994, he was defeated by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
incumbent Slade Gorton
Slade Gorton
Thomas Slade Gorton III is an American politician. A Republican, he was a U.S. senator from Washington state from 1981 to 1987, and from 1989 to 2001. He held both of the state's Senate seats in his career and was narrowly defeated for reelection twice as an incumbent: in 1986 by Brock Adams, and...
in an election for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
In 1996, he was appointed King County Executive after the previous holder of the office, Gary Locke
Gary Locke
Gary Locke may refer to:*Gary Locke , Chinese American politician; U.S. Secretary of Commerce and former Governor of Washington*Gary Locke *Gary Locke...
, was elected governor of Washington. He was re-elected by wide margins to the position in 1997, 2001 and 2005.
On July 29, 2003, he announced that he would seek the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nomination for Washington state governor in the 2004 elections. Sims made news in the campaign when he proposed replacing the state sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
and business and occupation tax
Business and occupation tax
The business and occupation tax is a type of tax levied by the U.S. states of Washington and West Virginia, and by municipal governments in West Virginia...
with a progressively graduated income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
. In the primary election held on September 14, 2004, Sims lost to state Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Christine Gregoire
Christine Gregoire
Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire is the 22nd and current Governor of the state of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party. Gregoire defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and again in 2008. She is the second female governor of Washington...
.
Sims is outspoken in his support of legalizing same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
in Washington state. Although he has refused to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples, stating that it was not the business of state officials to practice civil disobedience
Civil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
, he has encouraged same-sex couples to sue the county in order to have the courts decide.
On February 2, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Sims to become Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Sims' nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 6, 2009 and he was sworn in on May 8, 2009 As the second most senior official at HUD, Sims is charged with managing the Department's day-to-day operations, a nearly $39 billion annual operating budget, and the agency's 8,500 employees.
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan
Shaun Donovan
Shaun L.S. Donovan is the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, serving in the cabinet of President Barack Obama. Prior to this he headed the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development...
said, "The drive and vision Ron brings is critical to our efforts to not only transform the Agency but to help the nation's communities recover and to better position them for the future. Our leadership team is now coming together and we can now focus on systemic reform, policy innovation, and harnessing private sector capital and talent as well as new kinds of partnership and collaboration to respond to the nation's housing crisis."
On June 14, 2011 - less than two years after accepting his HUD appointment - Sims announced his resignation and intent to return to Seattle, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. Sims' announcement followed the release of official travel records to Americans for Limited Government
Americans for Limited Government
Americans for Limited Government describes itself as a non-partisan, nationwide network committed to advancing free-market reforms, private property rights and core American liberties...
that showed Sims had spent 45 of 128 travel days during his tenure on trips to Seattle, a statistic that the group said raised "questions about the legitimacy of these trips." A HUD spokesperson denied the travel records indicated malfeasance on Sims' part, noting that "every trip taken by Deputy Secretary Ron Sims was in response to a formal speech or forum participation request."
Brightwater sewage treatment plant
In August 2002, Sims announced that a billion-dollar regional sewage-treatment plant named "Brightwater" would be built in neighboring Snohomish CountySnohomish County, Washington
Snohomish County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Snohomish tribe. Since 2000, the county's population has grown from 606,024 to 713,335 residents , making it one of the fastest-growing in the state, ranking third in overall population after King and...
and provide service for parts of King and Snohomish counties. Since its proposal, Brightwater has been the subject of numerous lawsuits, including a lawsuit by King County against Snohomish County that was settled when King County agreed to pay $70 million for public safety, habitat protection, and parks in Snohomish County. The project has also had many cost overruns totaling over $272 million. In December 2006, the project had resolved all its lawsuits and only needed building permits from Snohomish County. However, concerns remain over the siting of the project, both from its future neighbors worried about the smells associated with sewage treatment and geologists due to at least one active fault line
Fault line
In geology, fault line refers to the surface trace of a fault.Fault line, Fault Line, or faultline may also refer to:* "Faultline", a song from the 2008 studio album Versus by The Haunted...
running through the site, and concerns over whether a new plant was necessary when eliminating stormwater and wastewater from the sewage system. King County countered these concerns by stating the plant will feature advanced odor control, 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of wildlife habitat will be restored, the plant has been designed to withstand a 7.3 magnitude
Richter magnitude scale
The expression Richter magnitude scale refers to a number of ways to assign a single number to quantify the energy contained in an earthquake....
earthquake, and that the project will be paid by new customers.
Tent City 4
On April 29, 2004, Sims announced his intention to temporarily locate a tent city on county-owned land near Bothell, WashingtonBothell, Washington
Bothell is a city located in King and Snohomish Counties in the state of Washington. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The population was 33,505 as of the 2010 census...
and gave the King County Council 90 days to determine a more permanent location within the county for the tent city to be located. Opponents of the plan filed a lawsuit that resulted in the move being cancelled. In May 2005, the council voted to have a one-year moratorium
Moratorium (law)
A moratorium is a delay or suspension of an activity or a law. In a legal context, it may refer to the temporary suspension of a law to allow a legal challenge to be carried out....
prohibiting the siting of homeless encampments on public land pending a review of the availability, suitability, and appropriateness of using county-owned land. Sims never conducted this review, and the moratorium remains in place, but the homeless encampment is currently moving from church property to church property throughout east King County.
Critical Area Ordinance
On October 26, 2004, the King County Council passed the controversial Critical Area Ordinance (CAO) to protect environmentally sensitive areas (such as wetlands and streamsSTREAMS
In computer networking, STREAMS is the native framework in Unix System V for implementing character devices.STREAMS was designed as a modular architecture for implementing full-duplex I/O between kernel or user space processes and device drivers. Its most frequent uses have been in developing...
) and restrict development in hazardous areas (such as floodplains and landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
prone steep slopes). The plan drew the ire of many property rights groups, rural landowners, and developers as the ordinance
Local ordinance
A local ordinance is a law usually found in a municipal code.-United States:In the United States, these laws are enforced locally in addition to state law and federal law.-Japan:...
prevented land owners from developing areas of their property that met the critical area definition. This included a requirement that landowners in rural areas that haven't already cleared their land to keep 50% to 65% of their property in its "natural state". Three referendums to repeal the ordinance gathered over 17,000 signatures each, far more than the 6,900 required to qualify to be on the ballot. However, a lawsuit filed by King County and a pro-growth management
Growth management
Growth management is a set of techniques used by government to ensure that as the population grows that there are services available to meet their demands. These are not necessarily only government services...
group prevented the referendum from being put on the ballot and a ruling by the state Supreme Court decided that a state law requiring local governments to protect critical areas prevented local referendums to overturn critical area ordinances.
On July 7, 2008, a Washington State Appeals Court found that the portion of the CAO known as the clearing and grading ordinance is an indirect and illegal "tax, Fee, or charge", and that prior to restricting the clearing of land for lawn or pasture, King County must demonstrate how that act could cause harm.
Rails to trails proposal
On May 16, 2005, Sims announced a controversial plan to purchase the 47 miles (75.6 km) Woodinville Subdivision railroad that runs through the east King County roughly parallel to Interstate 405Interstate 405 (Washington)
Interstate 405 in Washington is a stretch of freeway that bypasses Seattle east of Lake Washington. The northern terminus is in Lynnwood and the southern terminus is in Tukwila...
and replace most of its track with a bicycle trail. Although there is support for purchasing the railroad in order to prevent its current owner, BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
, from selling off the right of way piecemeal, the plan to remove the tracks has raised concerns from rail transportation advocates, environmental groups, and the owners, employees and customers of the popular Spirit of Washington dinner train (which ran on the tracks). It has also resulted in the formation of a grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
movement, Eastside Rail Now!, which is aimed at stopping the removal of the tracks and at using them to begin a rail transit service in addition to their current freight and dinner train functions. In 2007, the Port of Seattle
Port of Seattle
The Port of Seattle is a port district that runs Seattle's seaport and airport. Its creation was approved by the voters of King County, Washington, on September 5, 1911, authorized by the Port District Act. It is run by a five-member commission. The commissioners' terms run four years...
, King County, and BNSF signed a preliminary agreement in which the Port would purchase the rail line from BNSF and then exchange the line plus $66 million to pay for removal of the tracks and replacement by a bicycle trail for Boeing Field
Boeing Field
Boeing Field, officially King County International Airport , is a two-runway airport owned and run by King County, Washington, USA. In promotional literature, the airport is frequently referred to as KCIA, but this is not the airport identifier. The airport has some passenger service, but is mostly...
Boeing Field airlines proposal
In July 2005, Southwest AirlinesSouthwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
formally proposed plans to spend $130 million on a passenger terminal and other facilities and move the airlines operation from Sea-Tac Airport
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
The Seattle–Tacoma International Airport , also known as Sea–Tac Airport or Sea–Tac , is an American airport located in SeaTac, Washington, at the intersections of State Routes 99 and 509 and 518, about west of Interstate 5...
to Boeing Field after several months of negotiations with Sims. The proposal from Southwest prompted Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is an airline based in the Seattle suburb of SeaTac, Washington in the United States. The airline originated in 1932 as McGee Airways. After many mergers with and acquisitions of other airlines, including Star Air Service, it became known as Alaska Airlines in 1944...
to announce it would seek a similar agreement with the county. The proposals were met with opposition from residents of Georgetown
Georgetown, Seattle, Washington
Georgetown is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, USA. It is bounded on the north by the mainlines of the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad, beyond which is the Industrial District; on the west by the Duwamish River, across which is South Park; on the east by Interstate 5, beyond which is...
, the Seattle neighborhood north of Boeing field, many of Washington's state and federal legislators, and the Seattle Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
. After months of pressure from the opposition, Sims killed Southwest's and Alaska's proposals in October 2005, stating that while the area around Boeing Field may have been able to support Southwest's bid with only minor road improvements, it could not support both the Southwest and Alaska proposals without major infrastructure improvements.
Armen Yousoufian and Qwest Field
On May 30, 1997 Armen Yousoufian, the owner of the University Plaza Hotel in Seattle, requested documents from Mr. Sims’ office concerning the upcoming election (June 17, 1997) about and financing documents for Seattle’s Qwest FieldQwest Field
CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer...
. It took Mr Sims's office nearly four years to provide Yousoufian with the documents. Yousoufian eventually sued to be given the documents, and was also awarded $5 dollars a day for the delay, plus $87,000 in attorneys’ fees. In 2005, after further appeal by Yousoufian, the amount was increased to $15 dollars a day bringing the total to $122,000, plus a further $171,000 in attorneys’ fees, which some claim to be the highest such fine ever assessed in state history. Yousoufian appealed further, and in January 2009 a divided Washington Supreme Court
Washington Supreme Court
The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Justices. of the Court are elected to six-year terms...
agreed that the $15 a day fine was insufficient. Two justices recommended that the King County Superior Court
King County Superior Court
King County Superior Court, the largest trial court in Washington state, is based at the King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue, in downtown Seattle, Washington. It also operates a juvenile facility and a Regional Justice Center in Kent, southeast of Seattle....
award $100 a day, the maximum provided for under the law.
Personal
Sims and his wife, Cayan Topacio, live in the Mount BakerMount Baker, Seattle, Washington
Mount Baker is a neighborhood in southeast Seattle. The neighborhood's name comes from the view of Mount Baker in Whatcom County, that is seen by looking north over Lake Washington. It is bounded by Lake Washington to the east, Interstate 90 and then Leschi to the north, Rainier Valley to the west,...
neighborhood of Seattle. They have three sons: Douglas, Daniel, and Aaron. He has visited Redmond High School at least once.