Misleading petition calls for port manager's firing

and editor

All petition information appears false

MOSES LAKE - An unconfirmed petition circulating the Columbia Basin calls for the termination of Port of Moses Lake Manager Craig Baldwin.

The petition bears false information about Baldwin joining the Port of Moses Lake and Japan Airlines leaving, in addition to numerous unconfirmed signatures and a contact phone number leading to a Moses Lake pay phone.

"Since Mr. Baldwin became manager in 2001, the Port of Moses Lake has lost its passenger air service and now more recently Japan Airlines has announced it is also leaving the Port of Moses Lake," the survey states. "As such, it is time for a change of leadership at the Port of Moses Lake."

Baldwin was not available for comment.

The petition incorrectly claims he joined the staff of the port district in 2001 but he began his employment in 2004.

The information printed on the petition insinuates Baldwin was responsible for Big Sky Air and Japan Airlines ending their use of the Grant County International Airport.

Big Sky Air left Moses Lake when federal regulators ended the Essential Air Services program, which provided subsidies to pay for passenger flights. The U.S. Department of Transportation told the Columbia Basin Herald high subsidy rates and low passenger numbers were the reasons for ending commercial airline flights from the airport.

Japan Airlines Executive Assistant administrator Brenda Martinez told the Columbia Basin Herald the company is leaving Moses Lake due to high fuel costs of bringing jets from Japan. The training at the airport was for four-engine 747s, which Japan Airlines is phasing out of their passenger fleet.

An e-mail circulating the petition was attributed to chairperson Patti King. The telephone number provided connected to a pay telephone on Patton Boulevard outside of the Exxon gas station. The pay phone is operated buy an Atlanta, Ga.-based company, according to Qwest media contact Dana Dyksterhuis.

Port of Moses Lake Commissioner Mike Conley said he only saw one page of the petition, and he assumes there is more than one page.

"We're a public entity, and we have to take all of these things serious," Conley said. "However, that particular petition, it's hard to identify who signed it since there is not a printed name along with an address, so it's hard for me to tell if those are valid signatures or not."

The Columbia Basin Herald was unable to confirm the names on the petition using the phone book and Internet searches.

Conley said he does not know King, nor had he called her, adding he believes that's the job of the port district's attorney.

Attorney Harold Moberg said his advice to the port district would be to give an open invitation to the petition signers to come to the public meeting, and he expects the port district would not react beyond such an action.

"I think the commissioners are elected officials and the citizens have a right to inquire of the commissioners," Moberg said. "I do not think individuals have a right to attack policies or aspects of management, and Mr. Baldwin serves at the leisure of the commissioners. I think it's unfortunate that individuals would publicly degrade any manager of the Port of Moses Lake by petition."

Moberg believes it is more appropriate to express concerns to the commissioners, who then should address those concerns, he said.

"It's really unfair to do this in the form they have," he said. "Whether the content is off the wall or reasonable, the process is wrong. We just shouldn't allow public opinion to direct our management. We have to let the commissioners run the port and let our manager manage. I don't think it deserves comment much more than that. I find it disappointing."

Moberg said he does not know King or any of the people who have signed the petition.

"I don't think that's an issue with me," he said. "I think the process ought to be dignified and they ought to show up at a port meeting, express their concerns and allow the commissioners and the manager to respond about port business."

Port of Moses Lake Commissioner Delone Krueger said he saw a copy and that it was not a legal petition, but declined to comment until he found out more about it.

"It's premature to make any comments about this situation," Krueger said.

Conley said he does not believe Baldwin had any control over the loss of commercial air service or Japan Airlines' departure.

"I think there must be something more to this than just those two, and I don't know what that is," he said.

Conley said he was unaware of Baldwin's contract with the port district in terms of dissolution, but said Baldwin is an at-will employee.

A member of the port district board of commissioners for six months, Conley said any complaints he's heard against Baldwin have been "minimal."

"You can't keep everybody happy all of the time," Conley said.

Any time people go to such an effort, Conley said, there must be some concerns, and he does not believe the commission should ignore them, but he doesn't know what will come of the petition.

"They're going to have to have a more legitimate petition than what I've seen," he said. "But any negative publicity we have is not good for the port."