Community members in South King County can question Port of Seattle Commission candidates at a Candidate Forum this Wednesday, Sept. 13 at Highline College.
Sponsored by the 33rd District Democrats, this forum will run from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. in the Student Union Bldg. 8 Mt. Townsend Room.
“None of the Port Commission members or candidates live in South King County, where the Port’s impacts are felt the most,” said SeaTac resident Shaunie Wheeler. “While we’d prefer district elections to make sure our concerns are represented, this Candidate Forum will help give the communities most affected by airport policies a voice.”
Residents of the cities directly surrounding SeaTac Airport, and people who work in and around the airport, are eager for the opportunity to share their concerns with the candidates. Questions submitted to event organizers in advance have ranged from issues of carbon and microparticle emissions to workforce policies that provide more job opportunities for local high school and college graduates.
“We need Port Commissioners who understand their economic development mission is about raising up the workers and communities the Port touches. It’s not about getting more resources for powerful corporations who have a history of standing in the way of our progress. We need commissioners who push back against an economy rigged against us and invest in us, ” said Abeba Zemou, a SEIU6 member working at Sea-Tac Airport.
The event is co-sponsored by Laborers Local 242, M.L. King County Labor Council, SEIU Local 6, the Seattle/King County Building and Construction Trades Council, and Highline College.
The event is open to the public, and the audience will have an opportunity to submit questions for the candidates at the event.
It is unfortunate that this forum was so lightly attended. The Port Commission is the most powerful institution in King County that no one’s ever heard of. I would argue that a Port Commissioner is as powerful as any SKC mayor or State Rep.
Each candidate showed a good understanding of the issues of airport pollution and noise. They have all clearly heard about our pain. That said, NONE of the candidates had any good answers as to what should be done to help us, other than that tired saw ‘We need a second airport’.
Of -course- we need a 2nd airport. But that is at least a DECADE away. None of the candidates had the guts to talk about reducing the number of flights over our area–which is literally the ONLY way to reduce pollution and noise.
All we heard were vague appeals for ‘bio-fuels’ and ‘deep concerns’. Bio-fuels are a non-starter–they don’t help all that much and they are so expensive that no airline will pay for them. And concern? I don’t need any more concern. I need less pollution over our kids heads every day.
I suggest that all incumbents be replaced. Clearly the existing Port Commission cannot conceive of making the hard decisions to save our community. They showed their allegiance to growth, Growth, GROWTH! And it is that growth which is slowly killing Des Moines.