Hopes have been high, since its formation in 2007, for the Puget Sound Partnership. Washingtonians have a special affinity for Sound, and the promise by then-Governor Christine Gregoire of a science-based approach to preserving its eco-system were well received. Unfortunately, as this column by environmental expert Todd Myers exposes the politically-motivated leadership of the PSP has undermined its ability achieve success. Will a new director return the PSP to its promised mission, or will Jay Inslee’s appointee follow the political path the agency has unfortunately been on?
From Washington Policy Center:
The signs of failure, however, have been building for a while. Daniel Jack Chasan, an environmental activist, writing in Crosscut in 2010, said the agency was facing a “crossroads” at that time. Later he wrote that the PSP had not achieved its goals and that “money, goals, and data remain elusive.”
The state agency has leadership problems and is already on its fifth executive director. The first, David Dicks, left following ethics questions and a critical report from the state Auditor’s office. In an interview with National Public Radio’s Seattle affiliate KUOW, the auditor in charge said of the Partnership, “there was just really no indication that they had ever made following state rules and regulations a priority.”
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