Activism must not cross line to harassment

The Olympian | • Published March 09, 2008

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Legal costs at the Port of Olympia have skyrocketed from $90,000 in 2003 to an average of $410,582 in 2006 and 2007. Those dollars, spent in defense of multiple — mostly unsuccessful — lawsuits come directly out of the pockets of Thurston County taxpayers.

Port Commissioner Paul Telford calls the legal maneuvering “harassment.”

A Supreme Court commissioner recently fined two litigants $500 each for what the commissioner said were frivolous complaints that lacked merit. “Petitioners make numerous assertions in their complaint that have no grounding in fact,” the commissioner wrote. Not surprisingly, the two litigants have appealed.

And therein is the cautionary tale that is playing out at the Port of Olympia. The question is this: At what point do residents cross the line from citizen activists holding government officials and agencies accountable into an arena of obstructionists and harassers?

It’s a tough question to answer, but Thurston County taxpayers need to pay attention to what’s going on because their tax dollars are involved — whether it’s paying attorney fees or suffering the consequences of lost business at the port because of endless legal wrangling.

Cautionary tale

The cautionary tale unfolding at the port is, at its core, a First Amendment issue.

Every citizen of this country has a constitutional right to speak freely and petition the government for grievances. Those are the rights all of us enjoy. But all of us suffer when individuals abuse those rights.

In this state, citizens are backed up by a strong Public Records Act that recognizes that public records belong to the public, not the keepers of those records. The laws calling for an open and transparent government are in place for every single person, not just members of the media who use them frequently to pry open the doors of government and shine the light of day on government actions and documents.

An engaged public is a cornerstone of a well-functioning democracy. We have checks and balances at all levels of government and citizens are key players in holding government entities accountable. We want, and encourage, citizen activism. Let’s not forget that it was citizen activists who successfully sued the port to pry open public records.