Why has the Port of Seattle been having so many problems lately?”
A scathing report documenting fraud in the Port of Seattle’s contracting practices demonstrates the value of state performance audits, according to audit supporters. It was a state audit a little more than a year ago that paved the way for the independent confirmation of fraud occurring in several Port of Seattle contracts. “The Port of Seattle performance audit—in fact, all of our performance audits—show the results of a robust performance audit program,” said State Auditor Brian Sonntag. “We plan to continue to do the work citizens have asked of us.” The original audit conducted by the Washington State Auditor’s Office found the port wasted $97.2 million in taxpayer money during construction projects and contracts active from January 2004 to March 2007. After the state audit, the port hired former U.S. Attorney Mike McKay to look into its contracting practices.
A an ex-New Yorker with some knowledge of its “Port Authority” and as someone who is researching an in-depth story on the problems that the “Port of Seattle” is having, I could not but help notice your http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2002352465_piered30.html The thing that I find mind-boggling is that this entity, after all these years, continues to need tax subsidies from King County. No other port in the nation except that of Tacoma [!] does. The State Auditor says that they can collect more property taxes for airport construction; however their collections have sky-rocketed from $30 million to $75 million. If the Port of Seattle were privatized it would generate millions in new property taxes for King County while at the same time saving King County ever increasing tax subsidy for the Port – just one way of looking at the matter. The Port carries a hu
