Vote Zita and Fishburn for Port of Olympia

It’s been a vigorous local political season, a rainbow of multi-colored signs all around us. Some campaigns adhere more or less to “permitted” areas, some do not.

One campaign sticks out like a sore thumb in public thoroughfares and obviously unpermitted areas: the bright red Bill McGregor signs. (Gigi McClure’s are often found close by, as if the campaigns are joined at the hip.)

I’m reminded how metaphorical this seems to McGregor’s tenure as Port Commissioner, the “I’ll do as I like” ethic, which has cost our county millions lost on the embarrassing crane boondoggle, over $50 million in general debt, largely through Marine Terminal losses and lack of robust viable cargo.

We also recognize this cavalier attitude when it comes to disregard for the will of our residents who’ve spoken clearly -- from Chief of Police and City Council members, to our active and engaged populace -- when it comes to port cargo. Devastating fracking sands, questionably “organic” corn shipments from phantom supply chains, urban-choking log exports run through sweetheart deals given to buoy up some 30 part-time longshore jobs, military shipments to and from nearly endless wars -- these are our cargoes.

We sit at the dead-end terminal of a dying, hard-to-reach Puget Sound Port. It’s time to get REAL.

Vote for a vibrant waterfront we could ALL one day have access to, support a larger diversity of jobs and purpose, sustainable operations, and the will of the people. Commissioner EJ Zita and candidate Bill Fishburn are our best and brightest chances for that.

This story was originally published November 3, 2017 at 2:22 PM with the headline "Vote Zita and Fishburn for Port of Olympia."