Over at Coal Stop, Sandy Robson has posted a well researched article, Consider the $ource, showing just how fake the letters from local mayors and politicians often are.  Craig Cole and his coal port clients do the writing and the locals simply put their good names on them. Thus, it was not mayor Gary Jensen who wrote the article in the Bellingham Herald in December 2012 - it was Cole or one of his partners in the coal industry.  It was not Lynden mayor Scott Korthuis who wrote the letter in reply to a student's questions, but Craig Cole.  Scott just put his name on it and passed it on as his own writing.

Sandy, through careful citing of emails via public disclosure requests, paints a clear picture of Cole playing the tune and local mayors dancing to it. This picture is vital for our community to assess what is real opinion and what is paid propaganda.  

One point that should jump out to us is how The Bellingham Herald apparently prints "articles" that are professional PR pieces. Thus, a public relations consultant can be paid well to write a letter that a mayor will submit and it will garner quality space on the newspaper's editorial page.  The Herald, the mayor, and the coal company PR folks intend for readers to think the local leader is providing his wisdom and guidance for citizens.  In fact, the mayor is just lending his name to a large corporation's PR efforts.  The local paper is easily duped.  We are not reading news or local expert opinion. We are reading corporate press releases.

There are several examples of Craig Cole orchestrating local leaders, and even his feeling of indebteness to them.  After mayor Jensen agreed to a radio interview promoting the coal port, Cole wrote him an email that ended, "Boy, do I owe you!" 

Check out Sandy's article.  Tis good to start the new year with a solid reality check on just how fake things can be on this coal port issue.