The Way I See It - Port Reform
The Way I See It - Port Reform
It is time to change the guard at the Port Commission. Our two incumbents running for re-election just don’t get it. Commissioners Walker and Smith have been in office for 18 and 15 yea
It is time to change the guard at the Port Commission. Our two incumbents running for re-election just don’t get it. Commissioners Walker and Smith have been in office for 18 and 15 years respectively. What they don’t get is that economic realities are changing, our community has expressed a vision they are ignoring, and the public has grown intolerant of arrogant and disingenuous politicians. Both Commissioners believe their strategies and actions of the past are just fine…no changes are needed. In fact, they have refused to listen when the public tells them things aren’t just fine and need to be examined in the light of new realities. The challengers, John Blethen and Mike McAuley, will bring to the Port Commission a willingness to question outdated thinking. They understand service to the community is about gathering the ideas and energies of the community. They will create a force to implement the vision our community has worked so hard to develop. John and Mike are the visionaries. They are the new thinkers we need.
The Marina – Demand for future recreational boat moorage is a big uncertainty. To base marina planning on the demand curves of the past is insane. The current market is weak, very uncertain, and the rules for the future are unknown. Walker and Smith are inflexible and unwilling to question the obsolete demand analysis they authorized. If our auto industry can fail as it has, I suspect boats are right in there as well. The GP treatment lagoon, or ASB, is the site of the proposed new marina. Originally, it was designed and operated to treat industrial and storm wastewater for GP. Our city is very close to needing additional wastewater treatment facilities. These facilities are expensive as well as being critically important to the economic and environmental health of our community. The challengers, John and Mike, are willing to ask the question, “Is it in the highest and best interest to use the ASB as a marina, or should it be used for its original purpose, wastewater treatment?” Walker and Smith are not willing to ask that question. They insist the marina was always in the plan, ignoring the fact that they were never willing to let it come forward for public review or comment. Insanity.
The Cleanup – This is 'Beauty and the Beast.' A shining new city of gold (to the developers) sitting atop extremely toxic mud. What a thrill for a seismically active area. Experts assure us the Port’s proposed cover-up approach will work just fine, as long as their assumptions hold up. History should teach us to be skeptical of assumptions. But no worries, as the risk of failure will have been passed on to future property owners in the meantime. This approach is one example of bad judgment by Commissioners Walker and Smith. Fundamentally, because of their actions, our community and taxpayers have assumed a risk that rightfully belongs to GP. Again, Walker and Smith are sticking by their guns. I have one question about their approach: when the cover-up is complete, could we safely build a children’s daycare center anywhere on the site with no restrictions? If we expect people to live and work on that property, it’s a fair question. We may be stuck with this approach because of legal agreements and economics, but we need some new commissioners with new ideas and a caring approach to our community’s health and welfare.
The Economy – In short, Commissioners Walker and Smith have ignored the economic needs of marine and non-marine businesses within the Port’s charter. They have ignored their responsibility to the community and shown extreme favoritism in loan authorizations. They are out of touch with the economic realities of Whatcom County and have been for some time. It is quite possible the Port is overextended on the waterfront redevelopment, especially with the new economic environment, whatever that is. It also means long-ignored economic development activities will be further curtailed by the Port. The economics are not just about airport arrivals and boat moorage, but the entire agricultural and industrial infrastructure of the county. The Port can no longer operate in economic and political isolation. It needs to partner with businesses, industry and other government agencies of our community. John and Mike understand this.
The Attitude – 2008 was the year Port Commissioners told our community what they really thought of us. Between lawsuits, no-shows at a major public waterfront meeting, and sending an insane complaint letter to high-level government officials, their arrogance and self-centeredness became highly visible. 2009 isn’t much better, from the Commission’s refusal to recognize public calls to reexamine some Port’s assumptions and strategies, to their apparent oblivion to what is happening in our world.
Both our local and global communities are on the brink of tremendous change. We are constantly reminded we don’t control the institutions we have built, let alone the planetary systems we live within. Our community, as with our state and country, is trying to figure out the new priorities, values, rules and strategies. The Old Port Guard hasn’t hacked it. We have two qualified challengers in John Blethen and Mike McAuley. They have the vision and attitude to involve the public and ask the hard questions. I think they will be good leaders.
The Marina – Demand for future recreational boat moorage is a big uncertainty. To base marina planning on the demand curves of the past is insane. The current market is weak, very uncertain, and the rules for the future are unknown. Walker and Smith are inflexible and unwilling to question the obsolete demand analysis they authorized. If our auto industry can fail as it has, I suspect boats are right in there as well. The GP treatment lagoon, or ASB, is the site of the proposed new marina. Originally, it was designed and operated to treat industrial and storm wastewater for GP. Our city is very close to needing additional wastewater treatment facilities. These facilities are expensive as well as being critically important to the economic and environmental health of our community. The challengers, John and Mike, are willing to ask the question, “Is it in the highest and best interest to use the ASB as a marina, or should it be used for its original purpose, wastewater treatment?” Walker and Smith are not willing to ask that question. They insist the marina was always in the plan, ignoring the fact that they were never willing to let it come forward for public review or comment. Insanity.
The Cleanup – This is 'Beauty and the Beast.' A shining new city of gold (to the developers) sitting atop extremely toxic mud. What a thrill for a seismically active area. Experts assure us the Port’s proposed cover-up approach will work just fine, as long as their assumptions hold up. History should teach us to be skeptical of assumptions. But no worries, as the risk of failure will have been passed on to future property owners in the meantime. This approach is one example of bad judgment by Commissioners Walker and Smith. Fundamentally, because of their actions, our community and taxpayers have assumed a risk that rightfully belongs to GP. Again, Walker and Smith are sticking by their guns. I have one question about their approach: when the cover-up is complete, could we safely build a children’s daycare center anywhere on the site with no restrictions? If we expect people to live and work on that property, it’s a fair question. We may be stuck with this approach because of legal agreements and economics, but we need some new commissioners with new ideas and a caring approach to our community’s health and welfare.
The Economy – In short, Commissioners Walker and Smith have ignored the economic needs of marine and non-marine businesses within the Port’s charter. They have ignored their responsibility to the community and shown extreme favoritism in loan authorizations. They are out of touch with the economic realities of Whatcom County and have been for some time. It is quite possible the Port is overextended on the waterfront redevelopment, especially with the new economic environment, whatever that is. It also means long-ignored economic development activities will be further curtailed by the Port. The economics are not just about airport arrivals and boat moorage, but the entire agricultural and industrial infrastructure of the county. The Port can no longer operate in economic and political isolation. It needs to partner with businesses, industry and other government agencies of our community. John and Mike understand this.
The Attitude – 2008 was the year Port Commissioners told our community what they really thought of us. Between lawsuits, no-shows at a major public waterfront meeting, and sending an insane complaint letter to high-level government officials, their arrogance and self-centeredness became highly visible. 2009 isn’t much better, from the Commission’s refusal to recognize public calls to reexamine some Port’s assumptions and strategies, to their apparent oblivion to what is happening in our world.
Both our local and global communities are on the brink of tremendous change. We are constantly reminded we don’t control the institutions we have built, let alone the planetary systems we live within. Our community, as with our state and country, is trying to figure out the new priorities, values, rules and strategies. The Old Port Guard hasn’t hacked it. We have two qualified challengers in John Blethen and Mike McAuley. They have the vision and attitude to involve the public and ask the hard questions. I think they will be good leaders.
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