In the Aug. 6 story “Feds decline to take over grain inspections at Vancouver port,” covering the U.S. Department of Agriculture failing to provide inspection resources at the Port of Vancouver, the reporter outlines the risks posed by union picketers. Specifically, neither the state of Washington nor the Department of Agriculture will provide the government-required inspections to the grain terminal due to physical threats of violence by union picketers. The federal government and the state should be addressing this obvious, known and illegal intimidation. Instead the very entities that require the inspections and control law enforcement powers act as bystanders, unable to fulfill their duties due to threats of intimidation and violence.
This failure has shuttered a legitimate business affecting jobs and commerce for the region and calls into question this region’s ability to provide reliable port services.
These government entities are either failing to provide sufficient law enforcement to reduce a known threat, or they are collaborating with the unions. Both actions facilitate illegal activity and render state and federal governments complicit in this activity.
Andrew Geisler
Vancouver
