News - Elections

POSTED: Monday, Nov. 02, 2009

Whatcom County interest groups are target of candidate rhetoric from left and right

Some candidates this season want you to believe the local construction industry intends to pave rural Whatcom County.

Others want you to think that environmental groups are trying to take away your property rights.

Are they right?

Not according to the groups that have been the target of candidates. They say they're misunderstood and that their groups don't deserve such treatment.

Attacking local interest groups, especially at election time, is nothing new and it's just as common at the state and federal level.

This year, the Building Industry Association of Whatcom County and the land-use advocacy group Futurewise Whatcom have been the main target of attacks from progressives and conservatives, respectively.

Environmentalists and progressives accuse the BIAWC and the Whatcom County Association of Realtors of seeking to pave over rural parts of the county and to increase sprawl, all for the sake of profit.

Conservatives accuse Futurewise and the Washington Conservation Voters of holding the puppet strings of candidates they support while they try to take away the right of rural property owners to control how they build and live on their land.

Cathy Lehman, director of Futurewise's Whatcom chapter, said the nonprofit group can't and doesn't participate in local elections, and doesn't support candidates. No matter who's in office, Lehman said she'll be in front of them advocating for the organization's mission.

For his part, Perry Eskridge, government affairs director at the Whatcom County Association of Realtors, said he's frustrated when he reads that builders and real estate interests want to pave the hinterlands.

"That just absolutely infuriates me to no end," he said. "Nothing could be further from the truth."

Eskridge said one of the main goals of the organization's "quality of life" pledge is environmental stewardship, and any candidate the association supports - they haven't made official endorsements this year, but have given money to some candidates - must sign a pledge with that promise.

He acknowledged the association seeks candidates "willing to honor property rights," but said property rights aren't absolute.

"If they were," he said, "we've be in a world of hurt."

Eskridge said perhaps 60 percent of local Realtors lean toward progressive and Democratic Party causes, and that the era of the group being fully Republican is over.

Those progressive Realtors have sought a "green" designation offered by the national Realtors association, he said, while some local agents specialize in rural land transactions and the group supports their interests, too.

Eskridge said his concern was largely that some officials simply don't listen to people, depending on what group the person represents. He said eyes sometime roll when he approaches the podium at public meetings.

Bill Quehrn, executive officer of the BIAWC, said nobody has been able to prove his organization wants to pave over the county.

"The first thing I would ask them is to find anywhere in the public record where the Building Industry Association of Whatcom County has made any kind of suggestion that paving the county would be the appropriate thing to do," he said. "You ain't gonna find it."

The association doesn't endorse candidates, but individuals affiliated with the group do contribute to candidates. That goes for other interest groups, too, who say they don't control how members spend their money, or vote.

Quehrn acknowledged the BIAWC is based partly in supporting the financial interests of its members, and more opportunities for building could help. But members try to be responsible, he said, and the association doesn't have many members the public would define as large developers.

Most members are small construction companies, or work in construction-related trades such as plumbers and electricians, he said.

Frances Badgett, chairwoman of the local chapter of Washington Conservation Voters, said the group supports candidates who favor environmental preservation, but members don't consider themselves a special interest because their goals aren't profit-motivated.

Badgett also is campaign manager for County Council candidate Dan McShane, and while she was allowed to vote for group' endorsements - McShane received one - she couldn't participate in the interview process.

"I don't think we've actually gotten into a direct debate about property rights or that kind of thing," Badgett said. "We tend to advocate for, rather than fight against."

Still, Badgett and Quehrn both expressed some concern about the other side. Quehrn criticized environmentalists he said are trying to stop local residents from having more places to live, work and play, and Badgett said she's concerned about the BIAWC's political activity.

"I do think they're not land-protective people," she said.