8 hrs July 14, 2015 Sandy Robson
As we head into the primary elections, I decided to re-visit some of my older articles, Facebook comment posts, and public records I obtained to remind people why Gary Jensen should not be elected for Bellingham Port Commissioner. . .or for any other elected office. Today’s reason:
Ferndale City Council member Mel Hansen had sent a February 14, 2011 email to Mayor Gary Jensen, four Ferndale City Council members, and the City Administrator. The email related to the anticipated rail traffic from transporting Powder River Basin coal to and from Gateway Pacific Terminal if it were to be permitted and built. Hansen asked if it was possible to get some more information from the city’s standpoint as to which rail line BNSF would use. (Screenshot photo attached)
Shortly after receiving that email, Mayor Jensen then forwarded Hansen’s email to Craig Cole, SSA Marine’s paid spokesman for the GPT project. (Screenshot photo attached)
Mayor Jensen wrote:
“Having answers for all of them both small and large is the key.”
The key to what? I would imagine Gary Jensen meant “the key” to be the key to getting the public to support the idea of a 48 million ton per year coal export terminal, and winning permit approval for it.
Jensen also wrote, “An informed citizen is still the best citizen [ of course that is assuming they will listen].” Jensen has done nothing to help inform Ferndale citizens about the impacts that would occur from GPT if it were built and operating. Instead, he has made an enormous effort to help SSA Marine try and sell its shiny version of GPT to the public. Mayor Jensen probably should have said “propagandized citizen” rather than “informed citizen.”
Helping a corporation disseminate its propaganda is public relations, and I think that arena would be a more appropriate next step for Mayor Jensen, instead of another political office. He has done enough damage.
I don’t want Mayor Gary Jensen and the corporation/s that he has been going to bat for to have a key to our Bellingham Port Commission.
Vote for Lloyd Zimmerman!
noisy waters northwest 