Lawmakers in Sea-Tac International Airport's home city are alarmed at the Port of Seattle's plans to possibly extend a runway into Des Moines Creek Park.

Port officials don't know what the fuss is about. The idea has been in the Port's master study for a while, it's the iffiest of their post-2010 plans and they say they would try to talk the Federal Aviation Administration out of it.

Besides, the buffer zone would extend only 50 feet south of 200th Street into the park and the creek's east fork would be only slightly diverted.

But SeaTac, the Port, Des Moines and others have been pouring money into environmental improvements to the park and creek "since Jesus was a little boy," according to the always-quotable Joe Brennan.

A SeaTac councilman since the city's incorporation, Brennan favored the agreement that made SeaTac the only neighboring city not to fight third runway construction.

After years of cooperation, what does the Port's ally think about the agency?

"If your word is as good as your bond, I wouldn't want to be your bonding agent," the excitable lawmaker told Port staffers last week.

The poor Port.

Just when they have made up with surrounding cities, another controversy flares up.

This on top of the dustup concerning ex-CEO Mic Dinsmore receiving severance pay of $261,416-after he retired.

As far as we know, Dinsmore wasn't forced out. He quickly landed another lucrative job with a hedge fund.

Dinsmore now says he doesn't want the money and Port commissioners rescinded it.

The three members of the commissioners' reform contingent claim they had never heard about the plan. Now they are going to tape themselves during private sessions.

Of course, this is not the only local retirement pay controversy.

The University of Washington has been paying its ex-interim president nearly $1 million during the three years he's been retired. In his leisure years, he's making almost as much as the football coach but having a better season.

Receiving less publicity is the North Highline Fire District, where Chief Russ Pritchard's salary was bumped up to $16,000 a month for the last three months of his career there.

The commissioners said they wanted "to go in a different direction," but refused to tell the public and press what it is.

They have received surprisingly little flack about it but commissioner elections are coming up.

Of course, Ralph Nichols will point out that these are all public agencies. I agree we should monitor government, lest it get too powerful.

We have certainly seen that trend on the national level with the assault on our civil liberties in the name of a war on terrorism.

But I should point out that these golden parachute problems also occur in big corporations where salaries are higher and there is less scrutiny.

Partisanship aside, Ralph and I agree that we want to know where we can get one of those jobs where they pay you so much to just go away.

ON ANOTHER matter related to airports, residents near Sea-Tac airport may have comments about a Snohomish County Business Journal opinion piece by the CEO of a commercial real estate and property management company.

He puts a positive spin on home values if Paine Field expands to passenger air service.

Marge sold real estate briefly so I know it's hard out there for realtors.

There's no steady weekly paycheck. You can't make reservations at a fancy restaurant when you are expecting a fat commission check because the deal can blow up at any time.

Besides, that check isn't so enormous after it's been split up between everybody who gets a piece of it.

And working with clients isn't always easy. "Buyers are liars" was the expression used more than once.

So I 'm willing to cut Tom Hoban some slack.

But his comments are interesting in light of our experiences down here in the south.

On possible noise, Hoban writes, "Many people just aren't bothered by it in the same way. Aircraft noise is real to those who are bothered by it, so they should not be marginalized for feeling that way."

My favorite quote from him:

"One thing we can control locally is expansion of the airport."

Eric Mathison can be reached at hteditor@robinsonnews.com or 206-388-1855.