‘MIXED REACTIONS’ IN OLYMPIA THURSDAY: San Juans citizens lobbied for improved WSF inter-island service
Friday, February 7, 2025
by Jeff Noedel reporting from Olympia
Video by Jeremy Tyler
A SanJuans.Today VIDEO IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
A delegation of two County Council members, six other San Juans citizens, and one activist from Vashon Island met with nearly a dozen State Senators and State Representatives Thursday as part of a three-day lobbying blitz organized by the “Fix Our Ferries Coalition,” which is based on Vashon Island.
The San Juans delegation included:
- Jane Fuller, San Juan County Council district 3 (Lopez)
- Justin Paulsen, San Juan County Council district 2 (Orcas)
- Victoria Compton, Executive Director of the nonprofit San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC)
- Tom Starr, Chair of Friday Harbor-based Ferry Lovers of Washington (FLOW)
- Becki Day, Executive Director of the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce
- Ken Burtness, member of the WSF Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) for the San Juans, and a retired captain of WSF’s M/V Tillikum and other vessels, and
- David Robison, volunteer activist from San Juan Island
- Donald Kane, also a volunteer activist from San Juan Island
During the three days, approximately two dozen citizens and “electeds” from Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, Whidbey Island, Vashon Island, and the San Juans traversed the hallways of the state capitol building, and the Senate and House office buildings to state their case: WSF is still dangerously behind in the size and quality of its fleet. Crewing is obviously improved, but the improved crewing has not yet been stress-tested in a summer season, and the “silver tsunami” of WSF retirements still looms.
While each delegation brought its own list of priorities to the lawmakers, the San Juans delegation was focused on protecting several staffing improvements proposed by the outgoing Inslee Administration.
Paulsen said the responses of legislators was “a mixed bag…a lot of pessimism. Everything we’re asking for has a dollar amount tied to it. Even from the most supportive folks, there’s a degree of pessimism just about how big the hole they need to fill is.”
Day called the reactions from legislators “mixed,” but generally supportive among Democrats.
Starr said legislators are “struggling with the overall budget, because they’re being asked to reduce expenses, and we’re asking them to increase our help. So it’s a real problematical thing.”
Robinson said, “We’re getting a mixed reaction… due to the budget constraints.” But he added Democrat lawmakers were largely supportive.
Amy Drayer, the organizer behind “Fix Our Ferries,” had a message for the people of the San Juans. “Hang in there. Our hearts go out. We’re on Vashion. We understand what it means to be on an island. We get that core…what it means to be isolated. What it means to lose opportunity. What it means to lose access to health care. We are so incredibly proud to do what we can to make sure that the San Juans continues to be one of our most treasured communities on our marine highways.”
