Thursday a federal court rejected a permit to build a 305 foot dock in an environmentally sensitive area on Maury Island, essentially halting Glacier Northwest’s controversial gravel and sand mine for years to come, and State Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark deserves a huge “thank you” for helping to realize a key campaign promise:
Last year, the company gave $50,000 to a political action committee that supported former Republican State Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland’s re-election bid. Sutherland lost, but signed a lease for the project days before leaving office. His successor, Democrat Peter Goldmark, who’s campaigned on a promise to try and stop the project, immediately announced plans to more thoroughly scrutinize the lease. In early July, he ordered the company to do no work until it could prove to him Puget Sound would see no harm. Earlier this week, the company responded with a 17-page letter — and a promise that it still planned to start work next week.
Now, the project is on indefinite hold, and a protest scheduled for Saturday on Maury Island instead will become a victory party.
I started writing this post while sitting in the audience of a health care forum with Gov. Howard Dean at Netroots Nation (just reasoned, rational discusion, FYI… no angry, disruptive teabaggers thus far), and was feeling a little nostalgic at this particular turn of events.
It was at last year’s Netroots Nation that I celebrated my biggest blogging accomplishment of the year, my success at forcing the Seattle Times and other media outlets to front-page then-incumbent State Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland’s embarrassing sexual harassment scandal… a scandal I broke.
As a blogger, I know that I have made a difference over the past few years, but this was one of the few times that I could really quantify it. Despite being snugly in the pocket of mining and timber interests, Sutherland was a personable guy and a self-proclaimed moderate who appeared to be well liked by members of the press, and up until this point in the election cycle the Lands Commissioner race and the challenge from Goldmark had received very little media attention.
All that changed after the scandal, as journalists and voters started paying closer attention to both the candidates and the issues, with Goldmark eventually squeaking out a one percentage point victory… close enough for me to almost confidently say that my coverage likely helped swing the election.
Of course, one of the main issues in that election was the Maury Island gravel mine, and it’s tremendously gratifying to see Goldmark living up to his campaign promise to block it. This past legislative session notwithstanding, elections do matter, and thus what we all do to influence elections matters too. Yes, it’s hard to quantify, and so much easier just to be cynical, and no individual should pat themselves too hard on the back for the outcome of any election, as it’s the voters in the end who deserve most of the credit for making the right choice. But for those of us who devote ourselves to such things, there’s nothing wrong with a little self-congratulation if that’s what keeps us going.
How long that alone can keep me going, I don’t know. But I might as well enjoy the moment.
Congratulations on saving Maury Island, Goldy!
@1 On saving Puget Sound, you mean. The environmental threat was to the water, not the gravel on the island. Puget Sound is in serious trouble, but isn’t a basket case yet, and this project would never have gotten the time of day in a reasonable world.
Next up: The fight to save Bristol Bay and the world’s most important salmon spawning area from the proposed gigantic Pebble Mine.
DEMOCRATS care about the planet’s long-term health, our renewable natural resources (trees, fish, etc.) and the long-term jobs they support, and human health (toxic pollution, air and water quality, etc.),
REPUBLICANS only care about short-term corporate profits without regard to long-term damage to the environment or harm to the health of workers and residents of surrounding communities.
Remember that when you vote.
Thanks to contributing to rid us of Sutherland. Having Goldmark as our Lands Commissioner is huge. The second half of this 1-2 win on Maury Island is entirely due to having a sane Lands Commissioner.
Shit that was some disgusting behavior on Sutherland’s part. The guy was truly sick.
I mean you’d be kicked out of a lap-dance bar and banned for that kind of behavior.
And why is this always happening with Republicans?
http://www.republicansexoffenders.com/
Note: there’s a new Republican fiend at the top of that website’s list.
Elections have consequences. Awww, yeah.
Everyone knows that gravel for roadbeds comes from the sky. A dock on Maury Island wouldn’t hurt a fucking thing. Democrats are against any job creation or business venture. I finally figured out that progressive means “Slowly and methodically becoming more retarded.” Puget Sound is in fantastic shape, I know because I’m out on my boat and I see how clean the water is.
I hate to bring this thing down to the banal … but, guys, what the judge did was to determine that the agency evaluations didn’t quite meet the legal standard … so he sent the entire matter back to the agencies for further consideration. I know that isn’t nearly as sexy as a wonderful victory or an agonizing defeat …
But ours is a nation of laws, thank God, and it’s working as we would hope … with deliberation and attention to detail.
Anyone who thinks Peter Goldmark has kept his campaign promises is clearly ignorant of what is really going on. Government Transparency doesn’t include secret plans for expensive sound proof walls in an already private office. That’s just the tip of the Peter Goldmark iceberg of lies.
This is great win for the Puget Sound. However, a single action like this is a far cry from Goldmark living up to his campaign promises.
Job creation? Transparency? Open government? Decisions based on sound science? Not even close.
I maintain a blog dedicated to the issues at the Department of Natural Resources. I’m glad my girlfriend left the previous comment but I think it needs to be elaborated on.
http://www.chromedocs.net
Goldmark laid off a significant portion of the DNR (job cuts were apparently only necessary for those below the management level), took credit for positions already eliminated under the former commissioner, immediately went to work to renovate his personal office so it was soundproof, and sent a whopper of a story to Governor Gregoire exaggerating the use of the DNR’s King Air for fire fighting purposes. This small list represents the first 7 months of his tenure.
You might not like Sutherland but Goldmark is not a good guy. He’s a politician looking for every opportunity to get some good press.
Yes, I remember too Goldy! IIRC, the sexual harassment info on Sutherland’s behavior towards a brand new female employee, had already been supplied and slid under the carpet by about Four major news sources – MONTHS before.
Goldy, you lanced the boil and helped clear out the sickness. Otherwise, it would have been business as usual. I’ve been watching Goldmark since he won election. Great to have science & intelligence steering the boat, rather than political payouts.
Thanks, well done HA! Puget Sound won this round.
Josh, is this a personal bone against Peter or is Peter just another Dummocrapt in “change” only? You see the other drooling comments of the HA Libtardo faithful. Yours sticks out like a reed in water.
“like a reed in water”
Or like a black man at a Republican picnic.
Was that supposed to be funny Steve?
@14 Funny? For you, eh, not so much. For those who actually have a sense of humor, yes.
Too bad we can’t turn back the clock. As he loves to play the corporate shill, we could have read Puddy’s arguments for the ASARCO smelter dumping tons of arsenic on the children living on Maury and Vashon islands.
Wrong again Steve.
@17 From a black Republican, “Mr. 50% + 1”, no less, who thinks Mr. Klynical’s racist jokes are funny. Yeah, you’re the one to judge humor around here, Puddy.
“Marvin Stamn on Thought…”
Now that’s fucking funny, Puddy, wouldn’t you say?
Good work, Goldy. Keep on keepin’ on.