Rappin' with The Gubernor

[Stephan Michaels]

  This might seem incongruous with my previous writing on the subject, but I found it a great pleasure speaking with Governor Chris Gregoire at Taylor Shellfish Farms Wednesday. She was there to meet with members of the Puget Sound Partnership, which she formed in 2007 to help heal our severely polluted inland sea.

  I was there because the prospect of a coal train derailment along Samish Bay seemed an appropriate subject to broach with her. Five coal trains have derailed around the country in the past month, and that sooty scenario here could be devastating for the shellfish fishery. However, the Governor's Q & A session with agency leads and stakeholders was productive. Had I interjected my coal train question, it would have looked like a Geraldo Rivera-style ambush. So, instead, I simply introduced myself as she was leaving.

  "I can't imagine you're my biggest fan," I said, referring to my Seattle Times op-ed, in which I called on the governor to take action against the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal.

  She acknowledged having read the piece and defended her position on the pending coal ports. "I'm not going to shoot my mouth off and taint the process," she said bluntly. By contrast, she said Gov. Kitzhaber of Oregon could go ahead and shoot his mouth off, because Oregon does not have the same in-depth processes to study the proposed coal export facilities as does Washington.

  I offered my concern that "the process" was geared towards ultimately granting approval. "They call it a permitting process for a reason. It generally grants permits." Not so, she countered. The process could grant, deny or hinder a project by imposing costly mitigations to be borne by the applicant. In the latter instance, Gregoire said with a little smile, "they sometimes just walk away."

  The coal train issue was rumbling to the tip of my tongue, but the governor was being affable and engaging and we were surrounded by a number of important stakeholders who were wondering how the conversation had suddenly turned to coal. So, I chose to break with tradition... and not "shoot my mouth off."

  Though I did get a couple of decent shots.

  (click on link below)

 

TalkingClams.jpg

 

 

[Natano]

You'd never make it as a poperazi or how ever you spell that because of your restraint.  Good tactic and thanks for the balls to engage the governor and get the scoop.  I hope that last little indicator she gave you is indicative of things to come.  As a resident of the gorge, the thought of 10 more daily trains thru here everyday is a nightmare.  I'm sure most of the trains would actually roll thru at all hours including but not limited to 2:45am.  The 4:20 already wakes me up on occasion since the gorge geography acts like an amphitheater so you can hear every clank of the tracks if you're a light sleeper.  

It's great that people like you are not afraid to confront our reps who work for us and not the other way around.  People need to start speaking up and out and not be intimidated by the people we hire thru voting to speak for us.  Keep up the great work!