Port’s marine terminal is a money pit

Retired Mayor Bob Jacobs made some good points in his letter why the Port of Olympia's marine terminal should close.

Another reason is, the cost to the taxpayers of the constant passage of log trucks through our streets. This winter the trucks tore up Henderson and Plum streets, and it is our tax dollars that make the repairs.

Then there is the problem of how the terminal area is impacted by storm water. The thousands of waiting logs shed products into the storm water that is toxic to fish once it washes into Budd Inlet. And even with over a million paid into repair, the system doesn't work. So we taxpayers pay for that, too.

All so Weyerhaeuser can take this local resource, logs, and put them on ships and take them to China, where Chinese workers will get jobs in lumber mills.

I fail to see the logic for using the port property in this manner. That land belongs to the people: we could have parks, or ball fields or more housing or something that would benefit our community.

It is a wonder to me, as Olympia comes alive with new residents, why we can't shed this old and costly marine terminal.

This story was originally published May 11, 2016 at 8:45 AM with the headline "Port’s marine terminal is a money pit."