U.S. Sen. Patty Murray purchases an Ogden Nash record with the help of Bop Street Records' Bob Jacobson during her Oct. 28 tour of Market Street businesses. CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE PHOTOS.
While campaigning for reelection on a platform of bringing help to Main Street, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray did her best to single-handedly save Ballard's main street, leaving her Oct. 28 tour of Market Street businesses with a SeafoodFest tote bulging with books, records, cupcakes and more.
Murray, who is running for reelection against challenger Dino Rossi, said Wall Street was bailed out in the past year but more needs to be done to protect Main Street, where lines of credit for small businesses have been cut off by banks.
"I really believe that these small businesses like we have visited today are the key to our economic recovery," she said.
After getting underway at La Tienda, Murray's tour of Market Street rolled on to Bop Street Records while Ballard Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Beth Miller and Cupcake Royale owner Jody Hall explained Ballard's annual Syttende Mai celebration.
At Great Harvest Bread Company, owner Crystal Carlson said she appreciates the work Murray is doing to open up credit for small businesses.
"It's been a rough two years, but we are hanging tough," said Crystal's husband Bob Carlson.
Christy McDanold, owner of Secret Garden Books, told Murray that she was only able to buy the store in 1995 when one banker believe in her and gave her a Small Business Administration loan after she was turned down by many other banks.
Hall said she wanted to tell President Barrack Obama, when she met with him earlier this year, that neighborhood businesses are the new moral compasses while big businesses are letting down their communities and not giving back when.
"People are afraid of big government," said McDanold. "But, they don't seem to be very afraid of big businesses."
After the tour, Murray, who used to be familiar with the neighborhood because her husband is a Ballard High School graduate, said she loves what is happening on Market Street.
"This is a vital, amazing community," she said. "It's wonderful to know it's still here and still going strong."
Click the image above to view more photos from the event.
