Category : News Stories(276)
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2025-06-01The Gift of Public Funds Bogeyman
★ 32The authors, including Washington’s Solicitor General, Noah Purcell, reveal how the “gift of public funds” doctrine has become a false barrier for government assistance to communities. For decades, agencies like the Port of Seattle have wrongly claimed that matching requirements, narrow purposes, and small amounts are requirements of the State Constitution although there is absolutely -
2026-06-23Port of Seattle Glacier Middle School Open House
Attending a Port of Seattle open house can feel like going through the motions — and that's exactly the point. After visiting the first of four SAMP open houses at Glacier Middle School, we're giving you an honest preview of what to expect: low turnout, recycled poster boards, and out-of-town consultants who fly in, answer questions, and fly right back out. But here's what matters most: if you're frustrated about airport expansion, noise, and public health impacts, you're likely directing your anger at the wrong people. Port staff don't set policy. The real accountability gap lies with your elected officials — city councilmembers and Port Commissioners — who have had decades to monitor and respond to expansion plans that were effectively decided before the Third Runway even opened. We'll tell you exactly who deserves your attention, why these open houses primarily serve the Port's FAA checkbox requirements, and what a more effective strategy for community advocacy actually looks like. -
2026-06-17
Burien City Council Meeting June 15, 2026
No experts in the room Port government relations manager Dave Kaplan gave the city council background on the SAMP SEPA/EIS process and then took some sharp questions. He would be the first to say that he is not an airport expert. He is paid to take flack for the Empire. But he said some things -
2026-06-14Ep #35 Emergency! Try something different… (Part 1/3 Keep Sleepy Time Sacred!)
As the 2026 Sustainable Airport Master Plan public comment period moves ahead, focus more on the worst aspects of opens, activists face the same challenges tackled in 2018, but with less preparation and smaller budgets. Rather than drowning in thousands of SAMP pages, this episode reveals a powerful shortcut: use the extensive work already completed by hundreds of concerned residents and professionals. This isn't just about avoiding wheel reinvention; it's about standing on the shoulders of previous advocates to make stronger, more informed public comments that actually address systemic community impacts. -
2026-06-12Bellevue residents say new cross-lake rail line violates noise limits
By Chris Daniels,KOMO News Senior Reporter BELLEVUE, Wash. — A group of Bellevue homeowners says Sound Transit’s new 2 Line trains crossing Lake Washington are keeping residents awake at night and may be violating local noise ordinances. Residents in Bellevue’s Enatai neighborhood say a loud, low-frequency rumble generated by trains crossing the East Channel Bridge -
2026-06-11
Ep #34 Emergency! Do This… (Part 3/3 Don’t reinvent the wheel!)
Don't start from scratch—the 2026 comment period is a do-over from 2018! As the 2026 Sustainable Airport Master Plan public comment period opens, activists face the same challenges tackled in 2018, but with less preparation and smaller budgets. Rather than drowning in thousands of SAMP pages, this episode reveals a powerful shortcut: use the extensive work already completed by hundreds of concerned residents and professionals. This isn't just about avoiding wheel reinvention; it's about standing on the shoulders of previous advocates to make stronger, more informed public comments that actually address systemic community impacts. -
2026-06-09
Ep #33 Emergency! Do This… (Part 2/3 Appendix K-Socioeconomics)
The Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan promises community benefits, but decades of evidence suggest otherwise. The FAA and Port have systematically underestimated airport impacts on nearby communities—particularly affecting public health, children's wellbeing, and local socioeconomic stability. Appendix K's socioeconomic analysis is merely copied from flawed earlier documents, and how you can challenge this in the public comment period. The stakes are real: while the airport claims to boost the region, surrounding communities face declining municipal services and ongoing budget crises. Understand the disconnect between promised prosperity and lived reality, and find out exactly what your comments should address to make them count during this crucial 60-day window. -
2026-06-08Proposed Seattle Tacoma airport expansion will be good for region
By Angela Birney and Dana Ralph Special to The Seattle Times As elected officials, we are committed to serving the public good. That requires us not only to think beyond what’s needed for our communities to thrive today but also to focus on long-term planning for current and future residents. That is why we both -
2026-06-08KIRO7: Public weighs in on Port of Seattle Sustainable Airport Master Plan
It’s no secret that the Puget Sound region is growing. To keep up with the increasing demands, The Port of Seattle created the Sustainable Airport Master Plan, a blueprint for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to address the increasing volume of passengers and cargo. The public can now comment on the draft environmental impact statement, available here. -
2026-06-08
Ep #32 Emergency! Do This… (Part 1/3 Mind The Gaps)
**Discover why environmental progress stalled for airport communities while cars got cleaner** Ever wonder why your car's emissions have dramatically improved over decades, but aviation seems stuck in the past? In this eye-opening episode of The Airport Communities Podcast, we explore the fascinating tale of two environmental paths that diverged after 1970. While Washington Senator Scoop Jackson spearheaded NEPA—one of the largest expansions of environmental policy in American history—and California secured game-changing carve-outs in the Clean Air Act that led to massive air quality improvements, aviation somehow got left behind. Despite Boeing being headquartered in Washington, aviation environmental standards never caught up. UW Meteorologist Cliff Mass delivers some stark perspective: those two annual flights to Europe generate more greenhouse gases than most people produce in their entire homes over a year. Meanwhile, Boeing's monopoly status has eliminated market incentives for cleaner technology. This wasn't an oversight—it was intentional. Today, every airport community continues paying the price for decisions made decades ago that exempted aviation from automotive-level engineering standards.