Hi! I'm Robert Walker, former candidate for Port of Seattle Commission Position #4.

General Election Endorsements

September 24, 2009 - Those of you who followed my campaign know my perspective on endorsements--I think they carry far more weight than they should in political discourse. Voters who invest the effort in becoming well-informed are in the best position to make good decisions. As an independent candidate, free of influence from special interests, I'm also concerned about this influence again carrying the day in the primary. Nonetheless, two of the four people running for Port Commission will be our next Commissioners. Taxpayers should get to know them as I have, and I hope they'll consider my endorsements as part of their voting decision.

Endorsements are usually decided after a short interview, if even that. In my case, they reflect considerable research and thought, along with a lot of time spent with the candidates. I personally interviewed each of the candidates for Position 3 and Position 4, all of whom I talked to for several hours (and multiple phone calls). On what topics, you may ask? Well, I wrote a twelve-page position paper and policy framework for the candidates and organizations to review, and walked through every single point on the agenda to determine where the candidates stood. When you consider how busy a campaign can get, all of the candidates made an extraordinary time investment in seeking my endorsement, and I appreciate the time they spent with me.

I also spoke with organizations backing the various candidates, because--like it or not--this is a big-money campaign. The money behind campaigns will have a substantial degree of influence on the direction of this campaign, and the issues the candidates bring forth.

My endorsement is not passive: I'm willing to campaign with the folks I'm endorsing (although it's up to them whether they accept my offer) and I'll be leaning on them to make their campaigns (and the issues) more transparent to voters. Both of these candidates' Web sites need a lot of work!

Position 3: Rob Holland

I have to admit, I'm very surprised by the fact that I'm endorsing Rob Holland in this race. During the campaign, I felt a lot closer on the issues to David Doud. This is because, on the campaign trail, Rob emphasizes the issues that matter to his constituency--primarily jobs and the environment. In addition, he is backed by Port Reform, which is a shell group for Change to Win, which itself is mostly a front group for the Teamsters union, who wants to organize short-haul truck drivers at the Port of Seattle (whew, that's a lot--and it's really more complicated than that, this is just the 50,000 foot view). To listen to him speak in public--and he's unabashedly a left-leaning Democrat--you'd think that he was a one-issue candidate.

Then I talked to Rob in person. He's incredibly well-versed on the issues that matter, has given them considerable thought, and--on a few key issues--agrees with me where David disagrees. And, unlike most left-leaning Democrats, I find him both to be pragmatic and willing to compromise (traits that are sadly lacking in most politicians). He agrees with me that the best way to assure good jobs and wages is through a robust maritime and industrial base. And, like me, he opposes the Port getting financially involved in boondoggles like the eastside rail corridor.

While Rob works in private industry (and is surprisingly attuned to the concerns of business), he also has the political connections needed to make things happen at the state and federal level. Bottom line, King County is a Democratic district and Rob knows how to get things done in this environment.

Don't get me wrong--David Doud is a good candidate. His extensive real estate background would be exceedingly valuable on the Commission. He's also a heck of a nice guy (although you might think otherwise from his recently negative campaign direction, which I hope he changes--this race is simply too important to waste time on manufactured controversies). However, Rob Holland is the better candidate for Position 3 and deserves your vote.

Position 4: Tom Albro

Tom Albro and I don't agree on every issue--for example, we differ sharply on a Port financial subsidy for the deep bore tunnel (which I strongly oppose). However, we have many more areas of agreement than disagreement. Tom thinks about issues in the right way; like me, he quickly zeroes in on both problems and opportunities. Where he has subject matter expertise, he applies it; where he doesn't, he seeks it.

I believe that competitiveness is the most timely and vital issue in this campaign, and I'm convinced that Tom agrees. He has given a great deal of thought to this, and has an action agenda ready to go on Day 1 if he's elected. What's more, Tom genuinely and sincerely believes in maintaining a maritime and industrial "working waterfront," and I'm convinced he will keep California-style condos out of Interbay. His commitment to the environment is--despite "greenwashing" charges by critics--both practical and real. And Tom is on top of issues that other candidates don't even have on their radar, such as the Howard Hanson Dam (I'll be writing more about this in the coming days).

Tom doesn't have political experience, and hasn't worked in the industry. His opponent Max Vekich, a former state legislator and longshore "supercargo," has both legislative and seaport experience. However, many people forget that the Port of Seattle owns the airport, seaport, and a sprawling array of other businesses. Tom's well-rounded skill set--as a small business owner, civil engineer, former union member, and community volunteer--gives him an edge on the business side, and his experience managing a public-private partnership gives him enough experience working with local government.

I believe that if elected, Tom Albro will be highly effective on the Commission. He clearly knows what needs to be done and is ready to do it. I personally like Max a lot--he cares deeply about the issues, and was nothing but courteous to me on the campaign trail. Many of you know I'm a big supporter of culture and the arts, and Max gave me the strongest answer on this topic of any candidate: "I like fun!" I'm not entirely convinced that Tom does; his idea of fun is tonnage equivalent units and freight mobility corridors. Nonetheless, I do think he is the better candidate. In the next four years, there will be a lot of really tough, painful decisions. Commissioners will need strong business acumen to navigate these rough waters, and I think Tom Albro will make good, thoughtful, and well-considered decisions.

One of the luxuries of no longer being a candidate is having free time again. Nonetheless, I continue to care deeply about Port issues. At the risk of being called a "perennial candidate," I am considering my options for a future campaign.