“I welcome the Gateway Terminal as our new neighbor.” -Mayor Gary Jensen, December 2012, current candidate for Bellingham Port Commissioner,
As we head into the primary elections, I decided to re-visit some of my older articles and comment posts to remind people why Gary Jensen should not be elected for Bellingham Port Commissioner. . .or for any other elected office.
Today’s reason: In December 2012, during the scoping period for the EIS for Gateway Pacific Terminal, Mayor Jensen was spoon-fed a pre-written Op-Ed for his approval by SSA Marine’s consultant Craig Cole, and Smith & Stark, a Seattle-based public affairs and strategic communications firm hired by SSA, to submit to The Bellingham Herald for publication. 
Smith & Stark partner Gary Smith, sent a December 18, 2012 email to Craig Cole (and copied SSA Marine Sr. VP Bob Watters and SSA Marine VP of Business Development Joe Ritzman) with the Op-Ed ready for Jensen’s review. Cole then forwarded it to Mayor Jensen a few minutes later, for the mayor to review and approve, as the supposed author of the opinion piece. The Op-Ed, entitled, “Gateway Pacific Terminal will make a great neighbor,” was published in the Herald on December 21, 2012, and the author listed was Mayor Gary Jensen.
Mayor Gary Jensen’s Op-Ed said “I welcome the Gateway Terminal as our new neighbor.” Mayor Jensen has rolled out the welcome mat for a 48 million ton per year coal terminal and he let the permit applicant, SSA Marine/Pacific International Terminals, and its PR experts write their own welcome message which he was perfectly willing to deliver.
Here is a link to my full article in which this was mentioned:
noisy waters northwest 