As a former commissioner for the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, I learned about the corrosive influence of money in our political process. Tesoro wants to build the largest oil transfer facility in the country in Vancouver and they’re trying to grease the skids with political spending.
According to a recent report from the Sightline Institute, Tesoro has spent more than $500,000 in our state over the last two election cycles on candidates, PACs, lobbying and ballot measures. In addition they are sending out fact-challenged mailers and airing advertisements.
The public should pay close attention to who among Clark County’s Olympia delegation is taking Tesoro money. Visit www.pdc.wa.gov to search the database. We need our legislators to prioritize support for crude-oil safety laws that protect our communities, specifically HB 1449 and SB 5087, over profits for Texas-based Tesoro.
Dave Seabrook
BATTLE GROUND
