Author Archives: TMW

The ferry system union has been uncovered as being dirty rotten scoundrels and wasting tax payer money and Gregoire is not interested.

Gregoire dismissed it all by saying she’s too busy to watch TV and hadn’t even seen any of the reports.

She then turned around and talked about how she has absolute faith in ferry system officials.

What?! How is that possible? She is the Governor and therefore should know and care about mismanagement of taxpayers’ dollars.

I find the governor’s arrogance incredible.

I find her lack of regard and respect for taxpayers offensive.

Why did she get voted in again? Oh, right, the Republic of Pugit Sound wanted her, no one else really had a say. Though I think the winds may change when the Governor seat is back on the chopping block.

By kissing off the work of a respected journalist the governor has kissed off the people of this state, who deserved answers to the questions of how their money is being wasted by ferry officials.

The governor doesn’t have time to keep up with the news?

Maybe the voters of this state don’t have time for her condescending attitude anymore.

This hits home for the husband as his dad was at ground zero working for the state on the Washington State Ferry scandal back in the 1980s against Marine Power and Electric. His dad served as a consultant for the counter suit after he quit Marine Power and Electric.  He quit MP&E when two supervisors approached him one night and requested him to place his Professional Engineering Seal on a design that not only did he not draw, but took no part in.  When he first refused, stating why he could not seal the documents, they threatened to fire him, at which point he quit.  The next morning he was in Olympia at the A.G.’s office.

Under orders from the Legislature, the Transportation Commission signed a $105.8 million state contract for six new ferries with a local company in 1977 while William Bulley headed the department. The new ferries delivered by Marine Power and Equipment Company, named the “Issaquah class,” had computer-operated steering and stopping mechanisms that failed repeatedly, causing many dock rammings and thousands of dollars in ferry and dock damages and repairs to the ferries’ operating systems. In 1981, Marine Power filed a $32 million lawsuit against the state, claiming that the State had required extra work, delayed or refused payments, and had meddled in the contract. Shortly afterward, the State filed a $28 million counter-suit, claiming the ferries were riddled with design faults and safety problems, which would cost $28 million to repair.

The State settled with Marine Power in 1985 for $8.4 million, but only after paying $6.4 million in legal fees. Marine Power declared bankruptcy in 1986, but the state received its settlement because the payments were covered by a bonding company. All the trouble with the new ferries and legal issues kept Berentson embroiled in WSF scandal from day one through his tenure as WDSOT department head. Marine Power was criticized for taking a $29.28 million profit, or 27 percent, when the going profit margin on other ship building companies was 2 to 4 percent, and WSDOT was criticized as mismanaging the contract and bowing to political pressure, allowing Marine Power to skirt contract specifications. Berentson said in 2005, “There were several incidents, but it all worked out — there was court action and settlements, but we came out all right. The boats delivered still function today” (Interview).

Note: Three of the ferry names the husband remembers his dad using.
Cathlamet: Can’t Land It
Skagit: Smash It,
Issaquah: It’s a crash

{H/T Mad Rocket Scientist at RNS}