Keeping up with the Dinsmore's

$10,700 paid to Seattle Chamber of Commerce for privilege of going to Japan – expenditure questioned by Port of Seattle Auditor.

By Christopher Cain

An investigation by the Port Observer of Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani's expense records for 2007 has revealed some startling expenditures of public money.

In April of 2007 Tay Yoshitani authorized payment to the Seattle Chamber of Commerce of $10,720 to take part in a “International study mission” to Fukuoka and Kobe Japan from May 11^th to the 19^th. Additionally, the Port already spends a whopping $35,000 annually for membership to the Seattle Chamber of Commerce a private business group.

Soon after the trip, Port staff began to raise questions regarding the costs. On June 29^th Port Auditor Debbi Browning wrote “We don't have the receipts scanned into our system yet so I wanted some more information on the seminar conference charge for $10,720 with the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Was this really some sort of class?”

On July 2^nd Charlene Jones wrote in an email back to Mrs Browning “Its for the 2007 International study mission to ...Japan.”

Mrs. Browning responded “ is the $10.7k for travel, food, lodging and seminars? And Mrs. Jones responded “ a portion is for food and hotel”

But by July 9^th Mrs. Browning inquired again “Charlene: I don't believe I heard back from you on this item yet”

Mrs. Jones then wrote an email to Anna Maria Jacobson at the chamber and asked for a break down of the charges. A hand written note appears in the file which says that Anna and Debbi spoke on the phone and that Debbi would take down some notes, which do not appear in the file.

So, I requested from the Port and Mrs. Browning an explanation of the expenses. I wrote “Hi this is Chris Cain of the Port Observer. I have been reviewing Tay Yoshitani's expense records for the last year and noticed that you had a line of inquiry regarding the expenditure of $10k for a Seattle Chamber of Commerce trip. The inquiry seems to end unanswered in the reports I have. Did you ever receive a breakdown of this expense? Please provide a detailed breakdown for this expenditure.”

They sent back the same documents I already had without explaining anything about the trip. So much for public disclosure. Which, by the way, is usually handled very well by port staff.

It's hard to believe that food and lodging for 8 days could run up to 10k especially in light of the fact that also in the file is a note from the Seattle Chamber of Commerce representative Anna Maria to Port staff that says “Hi Mark, I hope you are well. Below is a copy of the credit card transaction used to pay for Tay's participation in the International Study Mission to Fukuoka/Kitakyushu as well as the post trip to Kobe. I've reduced the rate by $705 to reflect the 3 nights less hotel that he will require and breakfast as well”

So the cost was already reduced by $705 and three days, indicating that each days expense for food and room would be about $235, which seems reasonable. Therefore, the remaining 5 days could not have cost 10k for food and rooms.

And what about the $35,000 the Port spent on membership dues? What does the public get for that? Should the public port of Seattle even belong to a private business group?

In 2006 Cristine Gregoire lead a delegation of Washington business executives to Seoul and Jeonju, South Korea, and Taipei, Taiwan. The purpose of the trip was to “provide opportunities to open doors for new investment into Washington.” On the list of attendees under the heading of Businesses was Port of Seattle Commissioner John Creighton, Port of Tacoma Commission President Connie Bacon and Delone D. Krueger, President, Board of Commissioners, Port of Moses Lake. During the trip Costco and Starbucks were “promoted”

Over twenty government officials went on the trade mission, under the heading of government. So why put the Ports under Business? They are not businesses. And why can't businesses have a trade mission to the far east without our elected officials being dragged along? Is to show that businesses in our state have our government officials on a leash?

Look, business is business, not government. For too many years now this state has acted as though business and government are partners when it is convenient. And we have been very successful in attracting new investment yada yada etc. etc. So, why not lead a state environmental mission to say Russia or China? How about a state sponsored human rights mission? Don't we have a duty to promote our labor laws and health care benefits around the world as well? Will our business “partners” support the governor when the time comes to make that trip? I doubt it.

So as young women and children in China and other parts of the far east toil long hours in sweat shops (oh yes they do exist - See life inside a Chinese sweatshop; A life of fines and beatings, Newsweek) to produce t-shirts and plastic trinkets for export to the US., we spend valuable tax dollars promoting super sized Costco and Starbucks products. Oh the shame of it all.