On a Local Level

One of the many reasons we love living in Bellingham/Whatcom County is that it's small enough that we get to know many of our elected officials in person.

It's hard to think about fall elections in summer, but the upcoming one will be significant for our county, as the seven-member Whatcom County Council has one of the few votes on the proposed $500 million Gateway Pacific marine export terminal at Cherry Point, just north of Bellingham. SSA Marine, which has proposed this terminal, is 49% owned by Goldman Sachs and partnering with Peabody Energy.

If built, it will be the largest coal export terminal in North America, sending coal to China and acid rain back to us, and there would be at least nine additional full and nine empty mile-and-a-half long coal trains going through the heart of our city daily, transporting coal from strip mines in Wyoming and Montana. The economic, environmental, cultural, and social impacts would be considerable.

The upcoming election is not entirely about the coal trains -- there are other important causes, such as protecting Lake Whatcom, where our drinking water comes from, preventing sprawl into Whatcom farmlands, and much more. After yoga today, Phil and I went to a campaign kick-off event for Ken Mann, held at the Wild Buffalo Tavern downtown. It was great to see so many people we know there, and to hear Ken's speech -- brief and to the point.

I don't like to do door belling or phone bank volunteer work, preferring to try to persuade people with the written word, but I promised Ken that I'd make cookies for the volunteers who have those skills. The donation we gave him today will not be the last, nor will he be the only County Council incumbent or challenger we will support. I no longer feel that I have any impact on national politics, or much at the state level, but here in the county where I live, I do believe that what I do can make a difference.