American faith in capitalism is declining, the headlines blared this past week.

It’s a sign of the times: Only 54% of adults hold positive views of the nation’s dominant economic system. That’s the lowest since the Gallup polling firm started asking the question 15 years ago.

Some area political candidates are seizing on it.

“By now we all know the S-word,” says Mike Westgaard, a candidate for Renton City Council. “Whether you love it, fear it, or are confused by it, it’s happening.”

That S-word is, of course, socialism. Westgaard is running for office as an out and proud “sewer socialist,” a branding he features in his campaign. “Sewer socialism” was a movement a century ago promising something deeply pragmatic that capitalism failed to deliver: Sewer lines with inside flush toilets f

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