Export terminals mean jobs

The State of Washington has an opportunity right now to expand our ports and to secure the region's position as a global trade leader for decades.

The State of Washington has an opportunity right now to expand our ports and to secure the region’s position as a global trade leader for decades.

Private industry, using private capital, is ready right now to put people to work expanding our export facilities to allow us to export more bulk commodities including ores and minerals like iron, coal and potash, as well as agricultural products like wheat, rye and other grains.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of folks who want to stop these projects and in the end jobs won’t be created here and the exports will come from other countries.

In contrast there is bipartisan support to keep Boeing manufacturing in the state. Our governor is pitching in to help in that effort and has even asked for an expedited environmental review process. He could have asked for a review of the environmental implications of green house gas (GHG) emissions where the components for these planes are built. Many of which come from China where they use coal to power Boeing’s parts manufacturing.

Also to his credit the governor chooses not to consider the GHG emissions from the utilization of planes manufactured at Boeing by the world airline industry, which is among the highest carbon emitting activities in the world. We applaud him for these non-obstructionist decisions.

What we don’t applaud is his inconsistent approach to job creation. The governor takes a different approach when it comes to building trade and transportation jobs that would be created by the proposed new export facilities. There he wants a comprehensive review (read delay) of the effects the items being exported have on the world’s climate. His request caters to the those who want to not just delay, but kill these projects and deny thousands of people construction employment as well as the many hundreds of permanent good middle working class jobs they will create.

It’s time for the governor and his “save the world” contingent to quit being obstructionists and allow these projects to proceed. We are not even asking for his help in creating all these jobs, even though most of the blue collar folks who will be put to work voted for him.

All we are asking is that our governor allow the port expansions to proceed through the regular accepted environmental scoping and permitting processes.

– Herb Krohn, state legislative director, United Transportation Union/SMART


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in Letters to the Editor

Email editor@kentreporter.com
For every vote to count, Kent needs district-based elections | Guest column

By Mónica Mendoza-Castrejón Guest Column If you’re a community member here in… Continue reading

Email editor@kentreporter.com
Letters: Support King County Charter Amendment

Support King County Charter Amendment As a lifelong resident of King County,… Continue reading

Messes in Mill Creek Canyon

Thank you for your very informative article (“Cleaning up Mill Creek Canyon… Continue reading

Priced out of our homes

Priced out of our homes In the middle of everything that is… Continue reading

Kent School Board addresses death of George Floyd

The recent death of Mr. George Floyd at the hands of a… Continue reading

Some good advice in the fight against infection

School closings, sports event cancellations, food hoarding. … We live in a… Continue reading

City should focus on the real problem, a health crisis

It is time for the city officials of Kent to stop their… Continue reading

How much effect will virus have?

The situation regarding King County’s acquisition of the Econo Lodge in Kent… Continue reading

Coronavirus: County made hasty choice in Kent as a quarantine city
Coronavirus: County made hasty choice in Kent as a quarantine city

Like many Kent residents, I was blindsided when I heard, late Wednesday… Continue reading