I have watched with dismay as the Port of Port Townsend administration and commissioners have delayed, ignored and obfuscated the ongoing financial problems of the port to the point of our current economic crisis.  

The port was given a viable five-year economic plan by Charley and Liz Kanieski, which was ignored while more money was spent on outside consultants and Sam Gibboney’s annual salary was raised by $10,000.  

The port commissioners and administrators are also trying to force through a completely untenable plan to create a breakwater with steel – a construction which is known to have a lifespan of possibly 10 years. Breakwaters that last for 100 years are made of rubble, as the current one is.  

Why is it that the City Council members and county commissioners don’t represent their constituency’s best interest by objecting to the destructive behavior and plans of the port? 

People who have lived and worked at the port for decades are having their lives and the lives of their families ruined.

Boat Haven has been the economic and cultural hub of Port Townsend and has contributed to the central identity of Port Townsend as a maritime community for decades. In my opinion, it is now being systematically gutted for a classic land grab. 

Why are the elected officials of Port Townsend not working to protect what is ours from outside investors?