Everett, Wash.
Published: Sunday, July 27, 2008

Over-the-top rhetoric won't serve county well

 Opponents of Allegiant Air's bid to bring scheduled passenger service to Paine Field apparently have decided on a scorched-earth approach to fight it. That being the case, Snohomish County officials, including those who oppose scheduled passenger flights at the county-owned airport, need to distance themselves from that strategy.

It's one thing to oppose passenger service at Paine. Positions on the issue are strongly held. But an e-mail put out Wednesday by Strategies 360, the Seattle firm hired by the city of Mukilteo to fight Allegiant, made attacks on the carrier that bordered on hysteria. "Don't let Allegiant Airlines exploit Everett and South Snohomish County the way they do other communities!" blared one headline in the e-mail.

It went on to cite eight examples of Allegiant's "shabby treatment of communities they made promises to." In a rebuttal issued Friday, Allegiant Vice President Robert Ashcroft noted that several of Strategies 360's examples were inaccurate or misleading, and provided reasonable explanations for its decisions to cancel some routes.

Allegiant is a profitable carrier, a rare and remarkable achievement in a period of soaring fuel prices. Trashing its reputation in a desperate effort to keep passenger flights out of Snohomish County not only looks childish, it could backfire -- potentially damaging the county's reputation for having a welcoming business climate, especially among aerospace companies who are watching this situation closely.

Snohomish County Councilman Brian Sullivan, an ardent opponent of passenger service at Paine, forwarded the Strategies 360 e-mail to an unknown number of citizens on Thursday, along with a statement of support for its conclusions. In doing so, he crossed a line he and other county officials should be careful to avoid in the future.

Sullivan's opposition to passenger service is long-held, dating back to his days as an elected official in Mukilteo. But he's a county official now, and as such should stick to stating his opposition responsibly in official forums. The FAA has made clear that because the county has accepted millions of dollars in federal grants for airport improvements, it is obligated to negotiate with Allegiant in good faith. Sullivan's action threatens to undermine that, as would any action on the county's part to contribute -- financially or otherwise -- to organized efforts to fight Allegiant.

Whether a reasonable deal can be negotiated with Allegiant remains to be seen. In the meantime, county officials should separate themselves from emotional rhetoric that fails to make a constructive contribution.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA