2005 GENERAL ENDORSEMENTS: SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION
Every year, the Northwest Progressive Institute teams with its Permanent Defense division to produce an endorsements guide for members and supporters.
Among Democratic and nonpartisan candidates, we endorse candidates that we believe best reflect our progressive values. If we endorse Republicans, we look for candidates that are closest to our beliefs, giving the nod to moderates and rejecting extremists, while recognizing that such candidates may not share many of our values, vision, or ideals.
We ask three general questions when evaluating every candidate for endorsement:
- What are the candidate’s qualifications and why is he or she the best candidate?
- What is the candidate’s vision, plan, and agenda for the office they are seeking?
- What other endorsements or support does the candidate have?
With that introduction, here's our 2005 general election endorsements for the Seattle Port Commission. >> Return to the Elections Center
Seattle Port Commission Position #1: LAWRENCE MOLLOY
Our Statement: This is the year that we can take back the Port of Seattle from the control of conservatives. But with that in mind, we also need to return progressive members of the Commission back to office. Lawrence Molloy was first elected to the Port Commission in 2001 and is now finishing his first term. He's an independent voice for integrity at the port - perhaps the strongest voice we have there. He's a fighter for labor, the envronment, and the GLBT community. Lawrence has also fought to defend the Port and the Port's properties from being taken over by condominium developers. While on the commission, he voted against the port tax and defeated the reinvestment plan in Bellevue's Meydenbauer Convention Center. The Port of Seattle shouldn't be involved in these kind of development schemes, and Molloy recognizes that. He has repeatedly questioned and challenged cruise lines about dumping in Puget Sound. His opponent, John Creighton, was on GOP gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi's transition team and is the business establishment 's hand-picked candidate. Keep Lawrence Molloy on the Port Commission fighting for us.
Other Endorsements: Notable endorsements include King County Labor Council, Executive Ron Sims, Washington Conservation Voters, Progressive Majority, and the Sierra Club
Seattle Port Commission Position #3: LLOYD HARA
Our Statement: The incumbent in Position 3, Paige Miller, has chosen to leave the Seattle Port Commission to run for city council. Five candidates ran in the primary election vying to replace her. The winners of the primary included one of the candidates we endorsed - Lloyd Hara - and one we did not endorse. We are giving Lloyd Hara our sole endorsement for Position 3 in the general election. While we dislike some of his positions, (he wants Seattle to build another viaduct) we admire his fiery enthusiasm for making the Port of Seattle more accountable and responsible to taxpayers. Hara attacks the current conservative, pro-business majority for holding meetings in the afternoon when few people can come and holding them in a location that's hard to find. And frequently, he says, the Port Commission is in "executive session", not doing business in public. Hara promises to change this, and we like to see that. He is an experienced candidate, having served as Treasurer for the City of Seattle, Auditor for King County, and the regional director of FEMA (appointed by former President Clinton). Hara's opponent, Rich Berkowitz, is another handpicked candidate from the business interests. He is also a proponent of drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge, which we strongly disapprove of. Hara is the better choice for Pos. #3.
Other Endorsements: Hara's endorsements include the King County Democrats, King County Police Officers Guild, former Gov. Gary Locke, King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, the Honorable Phil Talmadge, and many state legislators.
Seattle Port Commission Position #4: JACK JOLLEY
Our Statement: Position #4 of the Seattle Port Commission is currently held by 20 year incumbent Pat Davis, a defender of the status quo at the Port. Davis has received sizable thousand dollar contributions from "Citizens for a Healthy Economy", a group of port-oriented businesses that has raised a campaign fund to elect or reelect a crop of handpicked candidates. Davis claims that we can "count on her", but we can't. She is a complete disappointment as a commissioner and needs to be replaced. Her chief opponent, Jack Jolley, has an impressive record of 20 years of experience in trade and financial governance. Jack spent a decade managing investments at Microsoft and is a successful entrepreneur. His priorities are improving security at the seaport, modernizing business practices, and, like Lawrence Molloy, ending development schemes that have nothing to do with the Port's mission. Like us, Jack got tired of seeing Port leaders trying to hold Sound Transit's light rail line hostage during the recent Southwest move controversy and will instead address the real problems at Sea Tac. Davis was elected to the Port Commission twenty years ago as a reformer, but now she's a business insider. It's time for a breath of fresh air. Vote for the true progressive in this race - Jack Jolley.
Other Endorsements: Notable endorsements include the Sierra Club, King County Democrats, Executive Ron Sims, Port Commissioners Lawrence Molloy and Alec Fisken, the Cascade Bicycle Club, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, The Seattle Weekly, The Stranger, King County Labor Council, State Treasurer Michael J. Murphy, numerous state legislators and unions.
© 2005 Northwest Progressive Institute.
ELECTIONS COVERAGE
NPI's Elections Center provides the latest news and analysis on local, state, and federal races across the Pacific Northwest.
LIVE ELECTIONS COVERAGE TONIGHT
RESULTS, ANALYSIS, AND SPECIAL COVERAGE
