Sims is annoyed by the suggestion. "Tim Hatley hasn't worked for me in almost two years," he told The Stranger. "He is a free man and can exercise his rights of free speech and political association."
While Hatley is certainly a "free man," Sims--in his capacity as county exec--is not. Sims is not allowed to use his office to campaign for or against initiatives. But a Stranger public-records request shows that Sims' office might have been involved in an anti-monorail campaign move initiated by Hatley.
In a July 16 e-mail from Hatley to Metropolitan King County Council Member Dwight Pelz (a Sound Transit champion and monorail detractor) discussing an anti-monorail campaign, Hatley wrote: "I suggested to [Sims staffer] Ethan [Raup] last week that King County Department of Transportation do a formal review of the ETC's Draft Environmental Impact Statement. I understand Ron bought off on the notion. I have a call in to Ethan to see where they are in that process.... I'm sure Ron will give the green light to [Metro General Manager] Rick Walsh to give a full and complete report."
Surprise, surprise: Sims must have given the green light because Walsh did the study, and on July 18, Metro released a letter questioning the ETC's revenue and readership numbers.
ETC Executive Director Harold Robertson was jarred by Metro's last-minute critique. "Given that we worked extremely well with Metro staff for a year and a half," Robertson says, "I was surprised to get Metro's letter on July 18. I was surprised at the extent and nature of the questions at such a late point."
Indeed, ETC Technical Project Manager Mike Mariano had been working closely with Metro transit planner Bill Bryant for months. The sudden change in tone seemed curious to Robertson. Monorail advocates think the orders came from Bryant's higher-ups to challenge the monorail.
Did government officials such as Ron Sims and Rick Walsh execute Hatley's anti-monorail ambush?
Not according to folks at the county.
"The [study] had been in progress for at least a few weeks before the June 18 letter," says Bryant, Metro transit planner and liaison to the ETC.
"It's true that Ron [Sims] bought off on the idea," adds Ethan Raup, Sims' deputy chief of staff, "but it was in play before Hatley suggested it."
The county's benevolent spin on Sims' apparent ethical lapse--its assertion that Hatley's suggestion was already in play--doesn't jibe with the clear statements in Hatley's e-mail. Hatley writes that he "suggested" and "Ron bought off on the idea." If the plan was already in play, why didn't Hatley say so in his e-mail? Furthermore, if the question was "in play" before Hatley suggested it, Sims' office should have proof, i.e., documents, e-mails, memos. If Sims wanted to take a hard look at ETC ridership as it related to Metro before Hatley brought it up, then Sims should produce documents. Cough 'em up, Ron.
Raup also asserts that, whoever raised the issue, "public officials raising questions about big policy issues is what they're paid to do."
No argument there. Sims has the right to ask questions, but when Sims directs an agency under his control (Metro) to raise questions on behalf of a friend running a political campaign--Hatley had been organizing meetings with lobbyists at public-relations firm Gogerty Stark Marriott to strategize against the pro-monorail campaign--that does call Sims' ethics into question.
For his part, Hatley insists everything is aboveboard. "Since ETC ridership was based on potential Metro service, it seemed to me that it was a fair question [for Metro to ask]," Hatley says. "I'm just a citizen trying to raise issues. I have the same access that anyone else has to Ethan [Raup] or Ron."
Really? Hatley was not simply trying to raise issues! He was actively organizing a political campaign. Raup and Sims knew this. As for access, Hatley worked for Sims for five years. It's absurd to suggest that Hatley has no more access to Sims than an average citizen. There's one way to find out: E-mail Sims your suggestions about running Metro (exec.sims@metrokc.gov) and see if he "buys off" on them.
Political shenanigans aside, there's still the issue of Metro's critique--that the monorail folks had overestimated revenues. In an August 12 ETC letter to Metro, Robertson explains that the ETC ridership and revenue model does incorporate Metro fare options, and continues to estimate revenues between $24 million and $42 million.
