Port of Seattle Faces Actual Problem: A Crappy Economic Outlook
This year's Port of Seattle Commission races have been the gift that keeps on giving. First, real estate developer David Doud tried to link his opponent Rob Holland to supposedly disgraced voting rights group ACORN. Then, unopposed Commissioner John Creighton was accused of stalking an ex-girlfriend and paying her $5,000 in hush money. 
If trends continue, expect this bad boy to be idle for a while.
The only problem: Amidst all the hoopla, someone forgot to tell these guys that they're running to head an organization that's getting its ass handed to it by competitors.
That was the gist of a presentation given to port officials from both Tacoma and Seattle by expert John Martin. According to Martin, the surge in imports to the Puget Sound region over the past decade was an anomaly. The side effect of congestion in California. Now that the side effect is fading, the region faces greater competition from "all-water" ports like the expanded Panama Canal and a decreased demand thanks to the recession. The result: Containers are down 20% in Seattle.
It's never a good idea when the guys in charge say that a presentation is "depressing." But hey, look at the bright side: With less containers coming in and less containers coming out, maybe this means less sick folk in Georgetown!
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