While it pains me to throw barbs at my friends on the Seattle Times editorial board, I have to echo Josh Feit on Slog this morning in saying that their editorial defending Port Commissioner Pat Davis is wildly off the mark. I mean, what the fuck?
Davis singlehandedly approved a $261,000 severance package for retiring Port of Seattle CEO Mic Dinsmore, claiming that the other commissioners had approved the payments during a closed-door executive session. But at least three commissioners have refuted Davis, with one more refusing to comment out of fear of litigation.
“Pat claims it was authorized, and that she prepared it based on, well, whatever, I don’t know,” [Lloyd] Hara said.
Fisken said it made no sense for the commissioners to be discussing Dinsmore’s severance so far in advance of knowing his plans.
“This is outrageous, and I can’t imagine where it came from,” [Alec] Fisken said. “Pat said we had approved this, but I have no recollection of it at any meeting — it would still have to come to a formal vote for payments to be made.”
But dismissing the severance agreement as a “dead letter” without the approval of a majority of commissioners, the Times not only wants to sweep a potential investigation under the rug, but actually has the gall to demand that the other commissioners apologize and “get back to the people’s business.”
The fact that Davis apparently lied about the circumstances regarding the memo, and then refused to talk further to press, that’s not important to Times. The fact that Dinsmore sought to collect on this “dead letter,” I suppose that’s inconsequential. The fact that everybody involved seems to believe that Davis’ unilateral actions may end up dragging the Port into expensive litigation, well… um… there’s nothing to see here folks, so just move along.
What we have here is a story that broke in the competing Seattle P-I that calls into question the integrity of a commissioner the Times shilled for before the last election, praising her “strong institutional view.”
When the editorial board of our region’s largest paper attempts to stifle an ethics investigation of a commissioner responsible for spending hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money, it makes one wonder what institution the Times was referring to?
You all had the chance to vote for Richard Pope for Port Commissioner. Now look what you’ve got.
Mr. Pope may be as nutty as a bedbug, but he would never do this!
@ 1: Dickie Pope is a CONservative. He would do “this” in a heartbeat. CONservatives believe an elite (religious, political, economic, etc.) is entitled to govern, and that government exists only to advance the welfare of said elite.
It has always been thus, and thus it shall always be.
So cut off their oxygen, eliminate the port property tax assessment. If Dinsmore was so damn great, why did he need $68 million in public funding to keep the port afloat?
OK, here’s the question. Why would a commissioner who gets paid the measly sum of $500 a month be so eager to extend such further largesse to someone who’s already the highest-paid public official in the state?
Don’t buy into the misleading framing, Goldy. Irrespective of its stench, the Dinsmore-Davis deal did not involve “severance”.
Employees who are laid off, executives who are replaced by the company before the completion of their employment agreements, people who are RIFed (“reduction in force”) — that’s who might receive severance pay. In the Port Commission situation, Mic Dinsmore chose to resign or retire of his own accord.
Whatever one might call the pile of cash that Pat Davis wants to throw at him, it cannot be characterized as severance pay. The term golden parachute, as in these odious examples (Cheney, McGavick), comes to mind.
N @ 5 — But that’s just the point. The language of the Davis memo clearly does treat it as severance … which it can’t be.
Here’s another question: Why did the PR apparatus of the Port leap to defend the Davis position in this swearing contest, when they can’t possibly have any direct knowledge, Pat’s position is not endorsed by the Commission, and Pat isn’t even chair/president of the Commission this term?
Yes, RonK, I agree that that’s what Davis calls it. But that doesn’t make it such.
We don’t have to use her terminology, except to mock it — is Pat Davis too dumb to understand this simple concept? Or is she intentionally muddying the waters to cover her misdeeds?
The answer to that dichotomy, one suspects, is YES.
Goldy, you are 100% correct on this one. I see COVER-UP in the Seattle Times editorial. It completely whitewashes and minimizes the outrageous misappropriation that Pat Davis attempted. And attempts to have credibility by saying that giving Mic Dinsmore $261,000 would have been a mistake. And to suggest that the entire port commission apologize? Priceless!
“While it pains me to throw barbs at my friends on the Seattle Times editorial board”
This is a joke, right? Sort of like Rove doing hip-hop, or the fandango, or peeing in his pants, or trying to hide a hard-on, or whatever the fuck he was doing …
Stealing $261,000 from taxpayers is not “the people’s business”? But the real story here may be the sweetheart payment boosts Dinsmore’s “average final compensation.” If he’s PERS 1, as I suspect he is, his pension will be 60% of his average monthly pay during his 24 highest consecutive months. A big pay boost from the employer on your way out the door (I sure didn’t get one of those — guess I didn’t ass-kiss enough) kicks your monthly pension check way the hell upstairs … at the expense of the cubicle slaves who bit their lips and labored without reward for 30 years. Davis and Dinsmore just may have pulled off a huge ripoff of the state pension system. I’m curious about that.
Where’s the “severance” I shoulda got when I voluntarily retired?
Why should Dinsmore get $261,000 for losing money for the taxpayers when I didn’t get a measly cent of severance for bringing in money for the taxpayers?
I want my port taxes refunded. Now!
For those who are playing catch-up, here’s the memo stating “you will be provided benefits to assist you in your own transition away from the organization. These benefits will be modeled on the HR-10 Reduction in Force Policy and Procedure.”
Translation: Dinsmore is to be treated as if he’s on the job market because his position has been eliminated. Further, “Based on your length of service … your actual termination date is projected to be mid-March 2008”.
Lest we forget — Mrs. Christine Gregoire endorsed Pat Davis for re-election last time in November 2005, as did Governor Gary Locke, and Senator Patty Murray:
http://www.metrokc.gov/electio.....1209#c3425
16 …and the question remains: Why??? Oh, I know, the conservative claim would be something like “oh, they’re just a bunch of goddam liberals and they get their rocks off taking money away from the public and squandering it”. It remains, though, that this particular piece of squandery (Is that a word? Well, it ought to be.) is particularly bizarre. More like some of the cronyism that, frankly, the current national administration has been noted for. (“Brownie, you’re doing a heckuva job.”) When and if the entire story behind this comes out, it’s probably going to make for some lively cocktail party banter for some time to come.
ArtFart: You crack me up.
This is Donks voting in Donks supported by Donks who now see the public is donkified and the donks in the MSM crying foul!
Yes it does stink and it’s POX on your house. FUWA run by donks. Last November you all bragged how great it is to be a Donk nation here in the NW. Now the donkiness is coming home to roost and you are crying fowl?
Waaaaaa haaaaaa haaaaaa HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR!
Nuff Said!
“[I]t makes one wonder what institution the Times was referring to?”
Oh, that’s easy. It’s The Institution of King Frank Blethen and Whatever He Thinks. That’s the only thing that matters down on Fairview.
Huh!?! What are they smoking over there at the Times?
I’ve been watching (& voting AGAINST) Ms. Davis since I saw the scams she laid on this city with the Good Will Games & WTO. Couldn’t figure out WHY people kept voting for her, since she’s just scamming for her travel plans. Maybe commissioners don’t make much, but heck! Free vacations anywhere in the world, on the taxpayers’ dime, with deferential treatment to the ‘Great Public Official’ at every stop – must be a heady experience! 1st Class all the way.
Figured it was all Name Recognition that kept Pat Davis getting reelected, also figured this little dirty scam job with Dinsmore (who campaigned on Davis’ OWN behalf) would just get her more name recognition so they would keep voting her in some more.
Disgusted in Seattle, I tell ya!
The P.I. has done a fantastic job of detailing the shenanigans going on at the Port. Bet the Times is miffed for missing the opportunity for good dirt to pluck and being out-sleuthed!
I’m not at all surprised the other commissioners have NO remembrance of this Davis/Dinsmore scam where she signed the letter without a vote & without authority. Right around the same time as this memo, at least two of the commissioners voted AGAINST Dinsmore receiving a payraise (intended to boost his retirement). THEN they were overruled by one vote, as I recall, and not too happy about that.
If they didn’t want to give the dude the payraise, WHY would they willingly agree to toss a free year of pay at the guy within that same week or two time period? Why would they have no memories of any “discussion” regarding the year’s so-called “severance” pay, a discussion that would have perked up their ears? (Convenient, with no Minutes, no staffers present.)
Lloyd Hara was the well regarded City of Seattle Auditor/Comptroller for years, he doesn’t overlook bull-sh!t like this. I wasn’t surprised to see the other commissioners looking chagrined in the P.I. I don’t know if Pat Davis may be suffering from early Alzheimers, but they’ve just got to figure out a way to put a cork in her abilities to further screw the taxpayers.
Wish we could figure out how to yank back the property taxes. The Port obviously has little respect for $money$ and can raise taxes without so much as a vote by us smucks required to pay! I could sure find more worthy uses for those taxes, maybe pay a morsel of my monthly medical insurance.
In the morning news, we learn that:
1. Mic Dinsmore says he gave a lot of people severance in non-severance situations.
2. A recall petition against Pat Davis HAS been filed. (Details?)
3. The Seattle Times still thinks it’s no big whoop. C’mon, you kids go back to the sandbox and play nice this time, m’kay? Nothing to see here, folks, go on about your business. (Brodeur, “Boardroom bickering”).
I’m TRYING to find when/where the Public Meeting (I thought on Channel 22) is supposed to happen? They don’t say which of the items concerns the Port. Maybe I have the wrong channel. Anyone know?
http://www.metrokc.gov/CTV/schedule/Schedule.asp
FricknFrack @ 23 — Ch 22 (County TV on Comcast) or 72/80 on Millennium replays it 1pm Sundays. and at other unpredictable times. County TV has a schedule on the web, I’m too gassed to look it up right now.
Meetings stream live on the Port website,
http://portseattle.org
and stream from archives a day or two later.
(Click on Commission on the main page.)
Hey, Thanks RonK @ 24! I will go in search of it.
Checked around about the:
“2. A recall petition against Pat Davis HAS been filed. (Details?)”
But so far, I have found nothing but will keep checking. Hope someone posts the details as soon as they appear. I WANT at least a couple of copies to haul around, collecting signatures myself!
Hope you’re having a pleasant evening!
It’s not taking my submissions, maybe this one will fly. Maybe HA put the site out of order so that the trolls don’t run amok while the liberals are drinking liberally.
Thanx RonK @ 24! Checked Chan22 out and Sunday I’m watching – hadn’t considered that it was likely delayed programming.
Looks like now it’s accepting, bet you libs got back from the local watering holes by now!
Like I tried to say before, I Checked around about the:
“2. A recall petition against Pat Davis HAS been filed. (Details?)”
But so far, I have found nothing but will keep checking. Hope someone posts the details as soon as they appear. I WANT at least a few copies to haul around, collecting signatures myself!