Nick Licata (politician)

Licata founded and published the People’s Yellow Pages (1973 and 1976), which listed community and political groups, and social and public services in Seattle. He later published the Seattle Sun alt-weekly which was published from 1974 to 1982. Licata is the author of Princess Bianca and the Vandals, a children’s fantasy/adventure book dealing with environmental issues.[3] In 2016, he authored "Becoming A Citizen Activist - Stories, Strategies and Advice for Changing Our World". Published by Sasquatch Books ISBN 978-1632170446.

Licata helped found the anti-redlining organization Coalition Against Redlining in Seattle and testified before Congress on the Community Reinvestment Act. In 1983 Licata co-founded Give Peace a Dance which, for 6 years, held 24-hour dance marathons to raise funds for TV ads promoting nuclear disarmament. Licata was Co-Chair of Citizens for More Important Things, a group opposed to excessive public funding for professional sports stadiums.[4] It wrote King County Initiative 16, collecting over 73,000 signatures to be placed on the ballot. It won but was voided by the State Legislature a week later. Licata later testified before Congress at the request of Congressman Dennis Kucinich on the financial drain that public funding of professional sport teams placed on municipal governments. Licata is founding chair of Local Progress, a nationwide organization of progressive local officials.[4] The Nation's "Progressive Honor Roll of 2012" chose Licata as its "Most Valuable Local Official" in the United States.[4]