Jim Compton

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox Officeholder Jim Compton (April 2, 1941 – March 17, 2014) was a member of the Seattle City Council,<ref name="HowittLeonard2009">Template:Cite book</ref> first elected in 1999. He announced his resignation in December 2005 to teach at American University in Cairo as well as Romania.<ref name="Compton quitting">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Early life and education

Born in Klamath Falls, Oregon,<ref>Jim Compton, former KING reporter and Seattle City Council member, dies Template:Webarchive</ref> Compton earned his bachelor's degree in history at Reed College in 1964 and his master's degree at the Columbia University School of Journalism in 1969.<ref name="Archives West">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

He was a Fulbright Scholar and studied in Romania between 1969 and 1970.<ref name=" UW Romania">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His studies focused on Romanian political dissidents,<ref name="Compton quitting"/> which included interviewing Romanian writers, artists, and filmmakers about their work and how they define Romanian identity.<ref name="Archives West"/>

Journalism career

Compton started his journalism career in 1964 as a radio reporter for KGW-AM in Portland.<ref name="Seattle Times Obit">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Compton then went to Italy as an assistant managing editor for the Rome Daily American.<ref name="Reed Obit">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He would interview significant world figures such as Anwar Sadat, Moammar Gadhafi, Orson Welles and Jimmy Carter. <ref name="Seattle Times Obit"/><ref name="Reed Obit"/>

In 1984, he joined KING-TV and produced dozens of docuseries, which would garner him the duPont-Columbia Silver Baton and the National Janus Award.<ref name="Reed Obit"/> In 1987, Compton would host The Compton Report which would run for ten years.<ref name="Seattle Times Obit"/><ref name="Reed Obit"/> He also served as a correspondent for The News Hour with Jim Lehrer.<ref name="Reed Obit"/>

Seattle City Council (1999-2006)

In 1999, Seattle city council member Martha Choe decided to resign her seat to become the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development Director. Compton joined the race to replace Choe, with his primary opponent being WA state representative Dawn Mason.<ref name="Dawn Mason">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Compton would defeat Mason in the General Election 57% to 43%.<ref name="General Election Results">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

During his time in office, he chaired the Public Safety and Technology Committee, the Utilities & Technology Committee, the Energy & Environmental Policy Committee vice chair, and a Government Affairs & Labor Committee member.<ref name="Archives West"/> While in office, Compton was one of the councilmembers who blocked the reconfirmation of Seattle City Light director Gary Zacker.<ref name="Archives West"/> Compton accused Zacker of being unresponsive to City Light audits. <ref name="Zarker article">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2003, Compton ran for reelection and his primary challenger was former city council member and police Sergeant John Manning.<ref name=" John Manning">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the general election, Compton defeated Manning 56% to 44%.<ref name="General Election Results"/>

In December 2005, Compton announced that he planned to resign from the city council effective January 6 to teach in Egypt and Romania.<ref name="Compton quitting"/> The city council appointed Sally J. Clark to fill Compton's seat for the remainder of the term.

Controversies

Strippergate

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

Former Washington state governor Albert Rosellini assisted the Colacurcios family by lobbying six members of the Seattle City Council and raising funds for three of the politicians.<ref name="Seattle Weekly Stripper">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In June 2003, James Bush, a reporter for the North Seattle Sun, reported city council members Judy Nicastro, Jim Compton and Heidi Wills received large amounts of campaign donations from the Colacurcio family and their business associates.<ref name=" NYT Stripper">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On June 16, 2003, in a 5–4 vote, the council approved the parking zoning changes, allowing them to use their existing land for parking requested by the Colacurcios.[10] Nicastro, Compton, and Wills would all vote in favor of the expansion.<ref name=" NYT Stripper"/>

The Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission investigated the claims, and all the council members returned their donations.<ref name="Archives West"/>

Paul Allen's private jet

Compton agreed to a $3,000 settlement with Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission after it was revealed that Compton took a trip on a private jet owned by Paul Allen and also received tickets to Portland Trail Blazers games.<ref name="Archives West"/>

Personal life

Compton was married to Seattle lawyer Carol Arnold and had two stepchildren.<ref name=" Reed Obit"/>

In March 2014, Compton was found dead of an apparent heart attack in his car after having dinner with friends the previous night. He was 72.<ref>Journalist, former Seattle City Councilman Jim Compton dies Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>Jim Compton: A life in the arena</ref>