Monday, August 06, 2007

Port Chair Bullies Lora Lake Supporter

Here’s what we’re up against as we work with Port of Seattle.  Port Commission chair John Creighton wrote this e-mail (on his Port e-mail account no less) to Port Commissioner Bob Edwards after Edwards came out in support of preserving the Lora Lake Apartments:

From: “Creighton, John” Creighton.J@portseattle.org
To: “Edwards, Bob” Edwards.B@portseattle.org
Sent: 7/27/2007 5:13pm
Subject: Lora Lake motion
Bob,
I want to touch base on our next meeting. I agree with Lloyd that your actions in bringing up the Lora Lake matter without notifying your colleagues (even Alec who supports your position) were disrespectful and contrary to any sense of collegiality or building trust with your fellow commissioners.

In the last two years, you have at different points criticized each one of your fellow commissioners for allegedly keeping information from you or blindsiding you. In my opinion, your actions are of an exponential magnitude worse than anything any other commissioner has done to blindside the commission in the last two years. Unlike other instances, your actions were blatantly premeditated to embarrass the Port and to embarrass your colleagues, all for selfish personal gain at our expense. If you truly had cared about building a coalition to save the Lora Lake apartments, you would have gone about it in a much different way.

Lloyd is a very patient, forgiving and tolerant soul, much more than I am. I want to assure you that I will be back in town on 8/9 and very much in full control of commission meetings. I am the chair of the commission, and will remain chair until replaced by a majority vote of my colleagues. Until that time, I am in charge of the meetings and will not tolerate any bullshit, neither from you or any other commissioner.

It will be my perogative as chair (1) whether we hear any sort of motion on Lora Lake, (2) in what form and language any such motion will take, and (3) whether or not we have any public testimony. If you object to any of that, you are free to form a coalition with 2 of your fellow commissioners to replace me as chair. If you are disruptive in the meeting, I will not be afraid to either gavel you down or take other action.

I hope that I am making myself crystal clear, but if not, I am happy to follow up with you in person.

I believe that your blatant political grandstanding has done a huge amount of damage to the Port at a time when we were moving beyond all the bullshit and scandal of the last half year. I am looking forward to January, when I hope that we will have a new commissioner in position 2 who has the maturity and the integrity to help move the port forward on the important issues of competitiveness that we really need to be focusing on. But, alas, that is the subject for a separate email.

Sincerely, John

Creighton certainly tests the limits of the word “sincerely” in this e-mail, obtained by Josh Feit of The Stranger. See how Josh interprets it.  It’s sad to think that this kind of bullying and intimidation would be used in a professional, public setting.  Shame on Mr. Creighton for embarrassing himself and the Port!

3 Comments:

At 2:40 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have actually testified to the Port on behalf of Lora Lake years ago. Bob Edwards has a long history of supporting this project. I think folks are right to be cynical about his recent change of heart.

 
At 4:55 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

That is certainly one angle Sandy. Looks like Josh Feit doesn't really support your take on events. Also, David Postman has some commentary on the letter in his blog:


http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/davidpostman/

According to Postman, Creighton told the Times:

While my emotion perhaps got the better of me in my email to Commissioner Edwards, I was not the only commissioner who felt that Edwards's actions -- in calling a press conference and presenting a motion without any prior notice to his fellow commissioners at a meeting that he knew two commissioners would be absent due to longstanding travel plans -- were neither respectful to his colleagues nor productive in moving forward full and fair policy debate on port issues.

 
At 9:06 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

While I agree with you on most things Sandy, I unfortunately have to say that you've made the wrong call on this one, my friend.

As you know, a basic principle of Just War theory and Christian teaching is that "the ends do not justify the means."

Name calling is never very productive, but if anyone should be tagged a "shameless bully" it is the King County Housing Authority.

The KCHA signed a written agreement with Burien and the port seven years ago that the port would buy the market rate apartments and let the KCHA use them as a temporary solution to the housing crisis, and torn down upon completion of the third runway.

The KCHA said nothing for the last seven years, and now, mere weeks before the demolition is to take place, the KCHA is now trying to backtrack on their agreement through the use of threats and bullying.

First, the County threatens Burien that it will withhold County transit funding slated for Burien for the sole reason that Burien is following long standing land use planning originally approved by the County.

Then the County threatens to slap the port, use taxpayers' money for a baseless lawsuit.

Sorry Sandy, but if anyone is being a bully here, it is the County, my friend.

 

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