SeaTac Citizens,

Last night’s “performance” at the SeaTac Council Meeting was yet another example that some of our Council Members are NOT taking care of City business at our Council Meetings. We need to hold the offenders’ feet to the fire … they supposedly are working for us, and we are paying them to do so.

Firstly, once again Council Member Tony Anderson participated in the meeting via telephone. He has not physically attended a Council Meeting for many weeks, but he continues to create a technology distraction for those who do attend with irritating microphone squeals, audible background noises and poorly timed comments. He stated last night that his repeated absences have been a result of him having to fill in as an instructor for some class that one of his colleagues has been unable to lead. This suggests that Mr. Anderson is an employee elsewhere and is being paid to perform this conflicting duty while he concurrently is being paid to attend our regularly scheduled Council Meetings. If he is unable to perform his latter obligation for an extended time, he should terminate his duties with the City of SeaTac.

Secondly, Mia Gregerson, one of our 33rd Legislative Representatives in Olympia also is concurrently our unelected City Mayor (and yes, she receives “extra” pay for being appointed to this position while also receiving the full pay, per diem and expense reimbursements of a full-time legislator in Olympia). It was no coincidence last night that Council Member Ladenburg was used as a shill to introduce an initiative stating that our SeaTac Council Members oppose a bill in our State Senate that conflicts with SeaTac’s $15/hr. law. This is a WASHINGTON STATE bill. Citizens should let their representatives in Olympia know how they think on such issues, but these state issues have nothing to do with the City of SeaTac’s business.

So, you may wonder why I called Mr. Ladenburg a shill. He knew almost nothing about the Senate bill when he proposed his initiative, and looked to Ms. Gregerson for clarification on both its name and content. It was obvious that his move was a last minute request that he agreed to perform. All Ms. Gregerson has to do if she opposes this conflicting legislation as one of our 33rd Representatives is to vote “no” if this bill makes it to the House for a vote. In addition, our City pays for a lobbyist in Olympia whose job it is to try to get other lawmakers to vote in our best interest. So why were we discussing this at a City Council Meeting? I believe the ulterior motive for this “surprise new business” last night was so Ms. Gregerson, a junior legislator, could validate to her peers in Olympia that she is more powerful and influential than the other junior legislators and that the veterans had better pay more attention to her and treat her with more respect. I believe the impetus for the initiative was solely to pad Ms. Gregerson’s political resume in her attempt to get on the fast track of her political ladder.

I beg you fellow citizens of SeaTac to hold these Council Members accountable for their actions (or lack thereof). They work for you!

Vick Lockwood