Earlier this week, Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark attacked Attorney General Rob McKennafor McKenna's decision not to appeal a case involving state trust lands and the Okanogan PUD. The PUD wanted to lease a corridor on state lands for a new power line. Through press releases and media interviews, Goldmark was quick to argue McKenna's decision was about politics. He has yet to explain what politics he thinks are involved.
Interestingly, he also has yet to explain why he thinks this case is worth appealing. When asked key questions about the case, Goldmark's and his spokesman's consistent answers are "I don't know."
After Goldmark sent out his press release on Tuesday, his spokesman was asked about McKenna's legal reasoning for deciding not to appeal. The Wenatchee World reported Goldmark's office "said he doesn’t know why the agency refused to appeal. 'I haven’t seen the letter yet,' he said." In other words, Goldmark launched his attack before he had read the letter and knew the facts.
Earlier this week, Goldmark's office also admitted they didn't know how much it would cost the school trusts, despite arguing that protection of the trust is their motivation for the lawsuit. In response to our piece on Tuesday, Goldmark's spokesman wrote on our blog that "no one knows that answer in totality because the costs will unfold over generations."
Ironically, Goldmark actually turned down school revenue being offered by the Okanogan PUD. The PUD offered to pay $31,000 a year in lease revenue for using the right of way. Currently, the state receives $3,500 a year from a grazing lease on the land. The PUD would even allow the grazing to continue. Goldmark turned down funding for schools while admitting he doesn't know what other revenue might be availablein the future. Apparently Goldmark's Department of Natural Resources biologists haven't told him that a bird in the hand is worth two (imaginary birds) in the bush.
When an elected official consistently answers "I don't know" to questions about why they are advocating a particular policy, there is something else going on. Goldmark's accusations that McKenna is playing politics sound a lot like transference -- claiming others are doing what you are actually doing yourself.
Until Goldmark can answer the key questions about this case with something other than "I don't know," the public should be skeptical of what they are hearing from his office.