Minutes Exhibit D
Port Commission Regular Meeting
of February 9, 2016
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Dressler, Amy

From:                Commission-Public-Records
Sent:                   Tuesday, February 9, 2016 3:25 PM
To:                    Albro, Thomas; Bellezza, DeAnna; Bowman, Stephanie; Creighton, John; Dressler, Amy;
Felleman, Fred; Gregoire, Courtney; Merritt, Mike; Schirato, LeeAnne
Subject:                 FW: Written Testimony on i-ZOO Motion

Commissioners:

Below is public comment received today regarding your motion on repeal of |-200. This email from
Henry Yates was not distributed in paper form during the meeting. All written comments for today's
testimony wili be incorporated into today's minutes as exhibits. Piease let me know if you have any
questions. Thank you.

Commission Records
Port of Seattle
206-787-3210 - commissionpublic"recordngoseatt/e. org


NOTICE: This message and related responses may be subject to disclosure under RCW 42.56, regardless of any claim of privilege or condentiality asserted by
an external party.

From: "Yates, Henry" 
Date: February 9, 2016 at 1:03:24 PM PST
To: "Merritt, Mike" 
Subject: Written Testimony 0n I200 Motion
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February 9, 2016                                                            i
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Dear Port of Seattle Commissioners:

My name is Henry Yates. I am a former Port of Seattle employee of 15 years. I very much
appreciate and urge you to vote in favor of the "Motion of the Port of Seattle Supporting State
Policy Proposals, including House Bill 2822 to Repeal RCW 49.60.400."

I am an African American who has lived in Washington state my entire life. I own a small
business and can personally attest to the fact that I-200 has kept me from numerous opportunities
that may have been available. In some instances, I and others have been informed that unless
there are requirements for "minority" participation, my business would not be needed.

It is a fact that most businesses owned by minorities are not equal to those of the majority
population. There are many reasons for this  capitalization, social issues and a host of other
factors, not to mention a legacy of discrimination that stretches back decades.

In this state and Oregon, there were many laws that did not allow most minorities to even own
land and weren't repealed until sometime in the 1900's. At the local level, there were many laws
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on the books that prohibited the advancement of minorities in business and elsewhere. For
instance, in some of our state's local communities, Jim Crow was openly practiced into the
1950s.

By 1998, minority businesses were beginning to see some progress, but in that year, [-200 was
enacted as another step toward a "coiorblind" society and a promise of equality of merit and the
limited role of government to make it so.,

What I-200 really did was to reduce the numbers of minority businesses and crimp education and
economic opportunities to communities that were already suffering.

We in minority communities are living with the presence of I-200 in our lives everyday. Even in
Seattle, likely the most prosperous and fastest-growing city in the nation, Black households
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specically are in stress. In 2000, about a year after passage of I-200, the median annual income
for Seattle's Black households was $32,000 or $44,800 in 2013 ination-adjusted
dollars. Today, after the law has been on the books for almost 20 years, that gure is
$25,700. The median annual income in Seattle overall is $70,200.

I want to end by emphasizing that income inequality is a huge issue that cannot be addressed just
through raising the minimum wage. In this country, business has led many to a much better
quality of life. Your support of the "Motion of the Port of Seattle Supporting State Policy
Proposals, including House Bill 2822. . .." is very much appreciated and passage of this
legislation will help create the sort of economic vitality you envision in the Century Agenda you
crafted in 2012.

Let me add that while I-200 has created many barriers for minority-owned businesses, there are
local governments in close proximity to the Port that have overcome many of these obstacles. I
urge the Port to not only call for the repeal of L200, but work to ensure that more opportunities
are available as have other local governments, within the connes of this law.

Sincerely,


Henry Yates