My interest in the success of the Port is the same as every other citizen of the county - a strong Port of Seattle brings jobs and economic opportunity to our region. As an ordinary citizen, I have no financial tie to the Port and never have. I will make sure the Port is run for the benefit of all and not just the vested interests of terminal operators, airlines, longshore workers, or cruise ships. I will energetically and effectively apply my experience to drive accountability, transparency, and public-interest-focused decision making into every corner of Port operations and bureaucracy.
There's a bottom line that all taxpayers agree with - the better the Port performs financially, the less it will need our tax dollars. The Port of Seattle is about a Billion Dollar a year public enterprise (roughly half operating expenditures and half capital investments). $75 Million of this - about 8% of the total - comes from property taxes paid to the Port by King County property owners, the remainder is "earned" by the Port through rents paid by tenants. I will apply my skill as a business owner to improve the Port's performance and reduce its operating dependence on the tax. I will see that property tax dollars are used in a focused way to underwrite investments that improve our competitiveness or mitigate our impacts.
The potential flooding of the Green River has immediate impacts on jobs and businesses throughout our region. If we act now, we help prevent and reduce the economic losses of a potential flood – in fact, I’ve already asked the Port to do their part by offering vacant properties to valley businesses on short-term lease to help them stay moving this winter. Here’s the letter that I submitted to the Seattle Port Commission during public testimony on October 6th.
Almost every cab providing service to our airport runs empty in one direction or the other because the City of Seattle, King County, and the Port of Seattle each license taxi cabs and don't fully recognize the licenses granted by the others. This almost doubles the number of cab trips necessary to serve SeaTac Airport, pumps out unnecessary carbon emissions, clogs our roads, hurts driver earnings, and drives up cab fares. I will work to end this practice.
Around 70% of the cargo that comes into the Port of Seattle's terminals originates in Asia and is bound for Chicago and other mid-west cities. This volume is considered "discretionary" because our Port serves as a transfer point, not the end destination. We vigorously compete with ports in Canada, California, and yes, Tacoma to serve as the point of entry for this cargo. Competition will be even stiffer when the widened Panama Canal opens in a few years. Our winning strategy will be to hone SPEED, RELIABILITY, and COST by working with terminal operators and labor to see that time saving technologies and work methods are adopted and by continuing to make targeted investments to improve freight mobility. I'll apply my experience - competing and winning - as a small business owner to help our port come out on top.
The Port’s facilities host massive operations that carry with them effects on our communities and our environment. Neighborhoods around the airport deal with noise, traffic, and pollution on a daily basis. Similarly, areas around the cargo terminals experience heavy traffic and emissions from ships and trucks. These activities affect our air quality and the health of Puget Sound. Even when idle, these facilities - due to their sheer size - shape the lives of the people that live around them. As a Port Commissioner I will make sure the Port is a good neighbor, a wise ecological steward, and a leader in environmental cleanup.