Article by WashingtonStateWire. Published on Friday, July 29, 2011 EST.

Connecting Washington: Everyone’s on the board except…the people.

We are hoping you aware that our state, our governor, has appointed a “board”. In the 1980’s this would be a Blue Ribbon Committee. They are…well, blue ribbon people, meaning first place I guess. And this board is yet another that will spend all summer watching their own turf and then issue a watered down report to the legislature, which, in the end will simply say, “We need more money, our boats and roads are falling apart. And, oh, many of our half-full bus routes will have to be cut. And there are not enough pathways for bikes.” They will whine about I-695 in the executive summary. The report will move on to a condemnation of I-1053, whisper about a tolling initiative, and then suggest “additional revenue.”

Cynical? Not really. What do we expect when out of the thirty-one people only six are from the private sector, and there is no at-large real person on the committee? Excuse me, BOARD.???

Twenty-five of Blue Ribbon folks are from various sections of the public sector. You know, electeds, appointed, and cup and a half of non-profits. And, they each have their own agenda: buses, roads, environment, labor, you know the drill.

I think we should appoint a transportation group made up of people who are real. Half of them would have to be employers and otherwise actually contribute to the gross domestic product of the state, the other half would have to be people who have a hard time getting home by 6PM, and have to make their own dinner. If any of them work two jobs they get two votes.

That, my friends would get us some honest input about transportation in the state.

But this group?

• Gov. Chris Gregoire, Chair 

• Bob Adams, Vice President, Guy F. Atkinson Construction

• Rep. Mike Armstrong, Ranking Minority Member, House Transportation Committee

• Leo Bowman, Benton County Commissioner

• Terry Brewer, Executive Director, Grant County Economic Development Council

• Rodney Brown, Board Chair, Washington Environmental Council

• Bill Bryant, Port of Seattle Commissioner

• Rep. Judy Clibborn, Chair, House Transportation Committee

• Richard Ford, Chair, Transportation Commission

• Mike Fredrickson, Port of Walla Walla Commissioner

• Charlotte Garrido, Kitsap County Commissioner

• Paula Hammond, Secretary, Department of Transportation

• Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee

• Fred Jarrett, Deputy King County Executive

• David Johnson, Executive Secretary, Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council

• Jeff Johnson, President, Washington State Labor Council 

• Sen. Curtis King, Ranking Minority Member, Senate Transportation Committee

• Alex McGregor, President, The McGregor Company

• Don Meyer, Port of Tacoma Commissioner

• E. Susan Meyer, CEO, Spokane Transit/Incoming President of the Washington Transit Association

• Kirk Nelson, President and CEO, AAA Washington

• Laura Peterson, Vice President of State and Local Government Relations, Northwest Region, The Boeing Company

• Tom Rasmussen, Seattle City Councilmember

• Paul Roberts, Everett City Councilmember

• Nick Rocchi, Managing Director Pacific Northwest District, Federal Express

• Tim Schauer, Chair-Elect, Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce

• Mel Sheldon, Chairman, The Tulalip Tribes

• DeLee Shoemaker, State Government Affairs Director, Microsoft Corporation 

• Tom Trulove, Mayor of Cheney

• Stan Vander Pol, President and CEO, Peninsula Truck Lines

• Barbara Wright, Board Member, Transportation Choices Coalition

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