CANDIDATES, please.
Two positions on the Port of Seattle commission are on the ballot this fall.
If tradition holds, incumbents Gary Grant and Clare Nordquist will seek re-election and face minor opposition from unknowns who are driven more by a generalized beef with the Port than an informed set of ideas.
The point here is not to declare dissatisfaction with Grant or Nordquist necessarily, but to bemoan the missed opportunity if both run essentially unopposed. Nordquist says he’s running; Grant has not decided.
The Port is one of the region’s most important institutions. Commissioners see the world, meet international business leaders, vote on big-money projects, influence land development, and bless or ignore investment opportunities.
There are always controversies and decisions: How much should the Port spend on attracting cruise-ship companies? What’s a sensible return on investment in glamour projects at Pier 66? If Asia doesn’t see much of a difference in Tacoma or Seattle, does it make sense to continue separate ports? What role should the Port have in financing a hotel at the airport?
As candidates, the incumbents will make appearances explaining what they do – itself a useful task – rather than face legitimate challenges to Port thinking. Voters, in short, get one side of the story and no meaningful choice.
When Commissioner-for-life Jack Block ran for re-election two years ago, he needed a healthy challenge. But instead, he faced
environmentalist David Ortman, who didn’t know much about the Port.
Perhaps Ortman has done enough homework to mount a serious challenge this year, but certainly some of the 20 finalists for the appointment filled by Nordquist ought to consider running, as well as others who might bring new perspectives and dynamism.
This is a great job. Any takers?