Head of state transportation’s firing leads to Democrat backlash
Published 3:30 pm Monday, February 8, 2016
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The Republican-led state Senate’s denial to confirm Lynn Peterson as secretary of transportation late last week has led to a flurry of remarks from the left side of the aisle.
Peterson served as secretary of transportation for three years, since Gov. Jay Inslee appointed her to the job shortly after he took office.
Republican lawmakers in Olympia — led by chair of the Senate Transportation Committee Sen. Curtis King (R-Yakima) — voted not to confirm her as secretary on Feb. 5, effectively firing her.
Republicans said the move was a result of wasting time and taxpayer money for unwanted projects. In her tenure as secretary, the Washington State Department of Transportation embarked on the costly Alaskan Way Viaduct project (being dug by “Bertha”), and experienced delays on State Route 520’s bridge and the Interstate 405 express toll lanes.
Sen. Steve Litzow (R-Bellevue) said the move was made to find the right person for the job.
“We lost confidence in Secretary Peterson’s ability to lead that agency,” he said. “We are looking for someone with experience managing the 2,000 people in that agency.”
But Democrats statewide have panned the move, claiming it is a way to score cheap political points in an election year rather than good policy making.
Peterson was at the helm during the Oso landslide of 2014, and was lauded for her quick response to the disaster. She took over the department as it was already underway on the Alaskan Way Viaduct tunnel and the new 520 floating bridge.
Claudia Balducci, former mayor of Bellevue and current King County commissioner, cited her own experience with Peterson as one reason she should be allowed to continue her work.
“Having served on the Sound Transit board, I witnessed firsthand the passion, dedication and skill that made Lynn Peterson the world class leader that she is. She deserves to keep working for the people of Washington,” Balducci said in a statement. “Erratic politics and our seeming inability to come together to tackle issues like transportation and education are consistently identified as the biggest risks to our future competitiveness. This kind of precipitous, partisan action is extremely disheartening. The Senate’s decision must be reversed swiftly; we deserve better than this.”
Seen as the figurehead for several controversial projects, Peterson was defended by Jaxon Ravens, Washington state Democrats chair.
“Lynn Peterson was appointed as the secretary of transportation nearly three years ago, and her nomination passed through Committee in an unanimous, bipartisan vote last year. The sole reason Republicans brought her nomination to a vote today is to build a political narrative for the 2016 election,” he said in a statement. “This shameful act impedes the state’s ability to do the people’s business and keep people safe. Less than a year after Democrats and Republicans came together to pass a $15 billion transportation package, this political maneuver only undermines the ability to deliver these much-needed transportation projects on-time and on-budget.”
King County Executive Dow Constantine took a moderate tack toward the firing.
“I want to thank Secretary Peterson for her service to the people of Washington state. Both WSDOT and the Sound Transit board of directors will greatly miss her analytical mind and collaborative spirit.”
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