Did Port of Seattle CEO Mic Dinsmore violate election laws by using government facilities to recruit and support an anti-reform slate in the 2005 Port Commission election? The Seattle Weekly’s George Howland Jr., suggests yes, and at least two sitting commissioners agree:
But the two commissioners who are Dinsmore skeptics, midtermer Alec Fisken and newly elected Lloyd Hara, believe the CEO did violate the law prohibiting use of government facilities in political campaigns, based on evidence Seattle Weekly has collected. Says Fisken: “We could fire him. That would be good.” Hara, who was elected in November to an open seat, doesn’t support immediate termination but says Dinsmore should leave the Port at the end of his informal term of employment on Dec. 31, 2007. (Dinsmore does not have an employment contract.)
Commissioners Pat Davis and John Creighton, who prevailed in last November’s election with help from Dinsmore allies, say the evidence does not show that Dinsmore broke the law. Says Davis: “I don’t see anything wrong or illegal.”
Howland documents a campaign, at least partially run out of Dinsmore’s office, to influence the composition of the commission, and suggests the possibility of a quid pro quo between private companies that contributed $65,000 to the Davis and Creighton campaigns, and later received $120 million in public subsidies.
Curiously, in investigating this story, Howland never bothered to interview our friend, Richard Pope. Perhaps we can twist Richard’s arm into giving us a few comments in the thread.
Anyway, could be a scandal brewing, so read the whole thing.
first!
Second?
I must say, upon visiting Dicky Pope’s old campaign web site I was impressed by his stance on racism. His other manifest idiocyncracies are, well, shall go unremarked, and this bizzaro conspiracy stuff with the elections–coo-coo land stuff.
So, have at it Richard! The POS is a juicy target for all…liberals, and conservatives.
The biggest problem with the Port of Seattle is the totally unjustifiable taxpayer subsidy — $62.7 million per year in taxes from King County property owners. The Port of Seattle could easily be run at a profit — and there is no excuse for operating at a loss.
This outrageous taxpayer largess allows for profitable contracts to be cut with shipping companies, cruise lines and others, since the POS doesn’t need to charge them anything near fair market rates.
It also allows for a fat heavy administration — CEO Dinsmore makes $273,435 a year just from the Port of Seattle — almost as much as Christine Gregoire and Ron Sims put together. Dinsmore also has time for outside interests — I bet you he gets at least six figures from serving on the Federal Reserve Bank board of directors. In addition to a large overpaid staff, they are some fat consulting contracts, not to mention generous retainers to large local law firms.
I have a modest solution to all this — if the Port of Seattle is so unprofitable, they can simply quit-claim all their property to Richard Pope, Inc. My company can operate the port at a profit (and all profits will go to its shareholder). King County taxpayers can keep the $62.7 million tax subsidy, since I will not need this money if I run the port personally.
Or how about a more politically feasible solution?
Simply merge the Port of Seattle into King County government. The Port of Seattle commission is abolished, and all of its powers are taken over by the King County Executive and King County Council. The $62.7 million tax levy presently being used to subsidize the Port of Seattle becomes part of King County’s general taxing authority, and can be used for whatever government purpose King County sees fit.
Almost overnight, the Port of Seattle would stop operating at a loss. Ron Sims and the King County Council would not want to spend $62.7 million on an unnecessary subsidy, when there are so many other and better things King County could spend this money on. In fact, the POS would probably start to turn a modest profit, and actually start providing money to support other government operations.
And we can get rid of all the overpaid staff. Mic Dinsmore would be out the door, and replaced with someone earning in the $120,000 or so range that Sims’ other top administrators make. Same thing with all the other folks who make more than Sims and his administrators. Legal work can be handled primarily by the King County Prosecuting Attorney, with much less need for expensive private law firms.
The POS-King County merger would have lots of human interest benefits.
For example, the $62.7 million POS tax subsidy would provide health coverage to at least 16,000 uninsured children in King County. Ron Sims’ plan could be adopted without raising taxes, even if it proves to be significantly more expensive that is initially estimated.
Ricardo Popay running the Port of Seattle is like Merv Griffin trying to run Atlantic City.
Maybe Merv and Ricardo could pool their talents and brainstorm a way out of this mess?
Damn Richard – you’re all right! I don’t care what everyone else is saying about you…
Those saying no conflict of interest are part of the old boy-girl network that also didn’t see any ethics violation in sending their taxpayer paid lobbyist to Olympia to oppose campaign contribution limitations to their campaigns. Fortunately they lost when the Legislature voted to include port commission races under the recently passed campaign limits.
You’re right Richard, the Port of Seattle (King County) show not be receiving taxpayer subsidies of $62 million a year. My understanding is that most, if not all, of the other west coast ports do not.
Hey, Richard. You a successful small time lawyer, right? You actually make a living at it? I’ll bet you take down more than $120k/yr. Right? Your office have revenue in the billions? Didn’t think so.
The staff at the POS may well be bloated, but overpaid? I doubt it. If that were the case why not rake CEO’s over the coals running comparable size companies making WAAAAAAY more money than Dinsmore. Oh, you’ll make the specious claim about their running “market\investment risk”. We all know that’s a real laugher.
@4: Richard!!!! I see you read those stupid get rich in real estate with “nothing down” books!!! Just like them–get rich by lowballing the price. Or in your case, just give you the property for nothing.
You are priceless. Insane, but priceless.
“If that were the case why not rake CEO’s over the coals running comparable size companies making WAAAAAAY more money than Dinsmore.”
Commentby Proud To Be An Ass— 5/24/06@ 2:11 pm
I don’t have to pay property taxes, for example, to support Safeco. So if they want to pay McGavick a lot more than Dinsmore, that isn’t nearly so offensive.
In addition, Safeco gets its revenues from a much more reasonable source — its business activities. The POS gets lots of money from an unrelated source — property tax revenues.
And at least I have a choice who to buy my insurance from. And it isn’t Safeco!
If tax revenues are a reasonable basis to set public CEO salaries, then Ron Sims should be making $500,000 a year, Gregoire at least $1,000,000 a year, and Bush at least $5,000,000 a year, since their operations raise a lot more tax revenues than do Dinsmore’s.
Richard @ 12: “And at least I have a choice who to buy my insurance from.”
You do have a choice, Richard. It’s called voting. That old “choice” canard is rubbish. But using wingnut reasoning, if we paid big time politicos like the KC Executive or the Governor a whole lot MORE money, we’d get the BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST, right? Yeah, right.
And yes, you do pay taxes that indirectly support the ongoing operations of SAFECO. Just a reality reminder.
Is Proud to be an Ass really Mic Dinsmore????
Seems like it!
I rarely agree with Pope, but frankly I have no problem with his solutions to the Port of Seattle issues. It is a bloated POS (Piece of Shit) and folding it into King County or even private, non Dubai-based ownership would be fine.
Out of curiousity, what is the assessed value of the POS’s holdings?
@15: You agree with Pope’s idea to just give hundreds of millions of dollars in real estate and associated improvements to him for free?
Folding it into King County may be fine, but there are trade-offs. It would immensely enhance the power of the County Executive. You fine with that? There would still be the Port’s “bloated bureauocracy” to deal with–you don’t just turn over the POS to Ron Simms’ secretary.
Privately owned monopoly? Please. Don’t be stupid. I do work at the Port. I know they can be kinda wierd. But if you give them a chance, they can usually explain why they do stuff the way they do. That’s at the low level. We elect Port Commissioners to impliment the big vision stuff.
As far as I can see, the Commission hasn’t done its job.
@14. Your surmise is incorrect. From what I can see, most of your guesses are far out to right field, and thus usually wrong.
But I may be mistaken. Feel free to correct me.
Personally–I think Marc Dinsmore should be set adrift on a raft in Elliot Bay so he can admire all the bullshit waste he has overseen.
Here is how you can find out who Proud Ass is:
http://lbloom.net/xptsea04.html
This is a list of Port of Seattle employees as of 2004, their job titles, and salaries. Simply “Find” for the string $1 and you will get all employees making between $100,000 and $199,999 per year.
If Proud Ass isn’t Mic Dinsmore, chances are that he/she falls into the overpaid category you will find with the above search.
Dear Richard,
You sir, are a fucking idiot. I said I do work “at” the Port. I did not say I worked “for” or was an employee “of” the Port. If you haven’t noticed, it’s a fairly large operation.
Since you’re wasting your time, perhaps you can inform us of some particular examples of “overpaid” employees.
Since you’re wasting your time, perhaps you can inform us of some particular examples of “overpaid” employees.
Commentby Proud To Be An Ass— 5/24/06@ 8:49 pm
I would say that everyone who makes more than Ron Sims’ top appointees is overpaid. Like anyone who got more in 2004 than what Ron Sims top folks got in 2004:
TANAKA, PAUL H DIRECTOR, EXEC SVCS/CO ADM OFF 138941.04
Taniguchi,Harold S Director, Transportation 138941.09
http://lbloom.net/xking04.html
Mic Dinsmore should perhaps get something close to Ron Sims salary, which in 2004 dollars was:
SIMS, RONALD CORDELL COUNTY EXECUTIVE 160489.68
Perhaps less, since Sims had to run for his position, while Dinsmore was merely hired without having to campaign, etc.
I think the Port should be able to run at a profit. How can an airport like Sea-Tac with millions of passengers running through it, not operate at a profit. Although it may be in the red right now, King County International Airport had only one major tax-levy once, and that was in the 1920s to build it.
The cruise terminals should make money, and the one at Pier 30 needs to be relocated. Sunday I was on a ferry bound for Bainbridge(the once a month or two visit to Clearwater), and we were held at Colman Dock for awhile so a Princess Cruise and Holland America Line ship could each get underway. I do not know how fast the MV Westerdam(the Holland America ship) or the Princess Cruise ship goes, but the MV Tacoma(WSF) gets about 18, and cannot easily make up time. The same thing with the Bremerton-bound boats, as it is already an hour-long run. The cruise ships are basically a leisure run, the Ferries are the extension of the highway. To hold up traffic on two gateways to the Olympic Peninsula so these mammoth cruise ships can get underway, and the Port is not making a profit out of it? Good thing they are not running weekday excursions at least up the Inside Passage, they would be shutting down the commuter traffic of WSF as well.
Now we’re getting down to brass tacks, Richard. On what basis did you make that judgement? I’m sure Mr. Tanaka and Mr. Taniguchi don’t feel they are overpaid. Have you asked them? Do you even have any idea of their duties or responsibilities? Have you conducted a survey of comparable pay in the private sector?
No? None of these? Indeed, you have just shown yourself to be an irresponsible jerk.
I love it. Donks run the PoS. Donks run King Kounty. Donks run Seattle. Now we see the local waste. And you all think donks running the House of Representatives will do better? If you can’t get it together in the local arena, how can you claim to do better globally?
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh !
NUFF SAID!!!
ProudYourAnASS: Do you feel you are overpaid? I’d say a massive pay cut is in order if you were paid for your commentary! But I digress. No one thinks they are overpaid, but ERFan above does deliver a scathing review of ferry traffic during cruise ship excursions. If cruise ships leave at a specific scheduled time, why do you hold up ferry traffic? YOU DON’T SCHEDULE FERRIES (FAIRIES for you ProudYourAnASS) DURING THOSE TIMES! DUH!
Sounds like Pope is showing us some sour grapes? Pissed that the good people of this area had the common sense to keep a moronic, homophobic, cowardly, liar such as yourself from getting to live off the public tit as Port Commish? Dickie, that’s so distasteful.
Pope;
A couple of things you might have overlooked in your “reform” plan for the Port of Seattle:
(a) One of the difficulties faced by the Port of Seattle is that it is constantly competing for shipping with other Puget Sound Ports, such as Tacoma and Olympia. Shipping companies are constantly threatening to move their shipping to other (nearby) ports unless the port invests in significant capital improvements which benefit the shipping company. Even then, rates are a primary motivator for which port gets the traffic. Now add in competition from other west coast ports: San Francisco, Oakland, Long Beach, etc., and you see its not the typical government enterprise it is sometimes made out to be. Rather than have it taken over by the county, perhaps we should at least have a state-wide port operation, so that the shipping companies cannot use one port against the other? That way there would be less expense to all the ports due to uneccessary duplication of specialized facilities and equipment.
(b) Have you factored in the environmental liabilities? You may not want to take title to the properties, a good portion of the Duwamish waterway is designated as a federal Superfund site. Kind of like inheriting Dad’s old gas station, and then finding out that due to underground tank leaks that occurred 20+ years ago the property has a negative net worth in the tens of millions of dollars. But in the case of the Port, it might be tens of BILLIONS of dollars worth of potential liability and clean-up costs. King County may want nothing to do with that.
(c) I’m really not that familiar with the Port’s budget or its current administration, but I’m not sure the usual Republican cry that any deficit can be cured by “cutting out the fat” will apply here. You’ve talked about reducing salaries of top management and retainers to law firms, but can that really offset the 62 million subsidy? (I hope I got that number right).
(d) If you are willing to pay in excess of 120K to port administrators, will you hire me if you get control of the port? I could use that kind of money right now, and I promise to restrict debates over politics to lunch hour.
@25: “(FAIRIES for you ProudYourAnASS)”
Good to see your so-called intellect is as shallow as ever, Pudster.
@25: “(FAIRIES for you ProudYourAnASS)”
I take this to mean you claim to be a heterosexual. Why not just admit it? Your ilk are so fond of bragging how you are “straight shooters”, be a man (or woman as the case may be) and say so.
@29: “Straight Shooters”. Get it?
(sigh) Didn’t think so.
ProudYourAreAnASS: I attended a conference today so Internet coverage was spotty. Yes I am hetero and PROUD OF IT! You still didn’t answer the premise of being overpaid P-ASS!
As chief head hunter for Tsingtao Shipping LTD I wanted to let you know that we are planning to offer your invaluable chief Mic Dinsmore a multi-million dollar contract to head our organisation. However, we wanted to know whether we also needed to “buy” Mr Dinsmore from the Port of Seattle, say the way we might have to if he were the heaviest hitter for the Seattle Mariners. We think that Mr. Dinsmore, despite his fealty to the Northwest, might just accept, if only for not having the 5 albatrosses around his neck and being bugged by the cheap runs deep likes of Joe Connelly, Geov Parrish, Rick Anderson, et al.
Respectfully,
Rhp6033 is spot on.
It is scary how clueless Richard Pope really is. He wants to give the administration of the Port over to someone who cannot even manage to run a simple election department?! Whether the state’s ports should be administered through the governor’s office is a worthwhile debate, but letting the county run it, are you serious?
And any lawyer I know worth his or her salt has a salary that dwarfs any top executive at the Port, including Dinsmore. The same goes for longshoremen and port pilots, many of who make salaries in excess of $200,000, a lot more than either Sims or Dinsmore for a lot less time on the job. Sounds like simple sour grapes to me from an Eastside lawyer who has not met with much success since graduating from law school.
The simple fact is, maritime industrial in Seattle is critical to providing residents with good paying family wage jobs, and any tax levy we pay is dwarfed by the economic multiplier effect of economic development benefit to our state. Anyone who did any serious analysis of the Port’s leases could see that neither the container ship terminals nor the cruise ship terminals are subsidized by the taxpayers. Sure the payback is structured over 25-30 years, but so are most long-term capital investments. And if that’s what we need to do to keep maritime industrial in Seattle, so be it.