Shelton, WA (11-3-18) — Terri Drexlar, FKA Terri Jeffrey, will soon be looking in instead of out as she leaves her post as Mason County Commissioner due to her recent marriage to a local area real estate tycoon. “I never expected to fall in love,” she explained as to why she chose not to run for office again.
Her passing from the public political arena is notable for the following reasons: Her brittle vanity, ignorance, and capacity to hold a grudge. When questioned years ago about her candidacy for one of the highest paying jobs ($75,000 + per diem benefits back then) her answers and subsequent style proved the merit of this characterization.
When asked if she was a protege’ (if not prodigy) of the 35th District State Senator Tim Sheldon, given her having interned for him in Olympia, she acerbically defended her independence. Plumbing her depths qualifying her for such an important position entailing protecting the health and welfare of County residents and their children. In retrospect, this is all the more ironic given the U.S. Supreme Court recent ruling giving children the right to sue the government for destroying their health and future through policies doing little or even exacerbating climate change and global warming. When asked what she knew about the dioxin contamination in Oakland bay and Shelton harbor (the highest in the Salish sea, 903 ppt in the harbor’s sediments) Ms. Jeffry claimed, “Oh. that’s all been cleaned up and taken care of.” She dusted off her credential of having worked in the local shellfish industry as a basis for her grossly inaccurate opinion. When this reporter attempted to enlighten her, she grew testy.
Fiber-One news radio reported Shelton residents may have recently noticed a large floating crane in the water at the Port of Shelton marina. This crane is part of the Washington Department of Ecology’s Shelton Harbor Cleanup project. The project is aimed at cleaning up sediment contamination in Shelton Harbor, including dioxin, excessive wood waste and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Dept. of Ecology Unit Supervisor Andrews Smith said the crane is pulling out old pilings, and laying down sandy gravel as a cap for contamination. Smith said around 20 people are working on the project. He expects work to continue on the floating crane for the next couple of months.”
Ms. Jeffrey appeared equally ignorant of the fact Mason County is the cancer capital of Washington Sate.
Terri’s disposition didn’t improve after she succeeded in her her race for the office. She ran as a political conservative, but to her credit, reached out to local Democratic activists such as Ms. Staley and Katherine Price, et ux, inviting them to a sit-down at a downtown Shelton restaurant to discus the politics and expectations of local residents.. As a result of this reporter’s independence covering local news in ways (e.g. Fiber-One news radio, the Journal, etc.) will not, he was asked to leave. Ms. Jeffry did nothing to intervene in this effort to blind one of the public’s eyes and ears…so much for transparency in government.
Some years later, behind closed doors, she rejected yours truly’s offer to volunteer to serve on the County’s Board of Equalization. It was revealed Ms. Drexler had a large capacity for holding a grudge since her failings had been reported in this publication previously. “Words have consequences,” I was told. “Some things are worth fighting for,” I replied.
This will be Mrs. Drexler’s legacy and I owe her a debt of gratitude for giving me the unintended opportunity to demonstrate opposition to it. Still, hopefully her replacement will be more informed…and more competent.
Mason County is a “Shellfish Mecca”?!
Notice how the ‘D’ word isn’t mentioned once in this interview…a word the local mainstream media is loathe to report. Dioxin is bio-accumulative (for all you shellfish gourmands), mutagenic, carcinogenic, immune suppressive, and cognition impairing–the most deadly chemical known to man dangerous in parts per quadrillion…so dangerous that if it can be measured, it’s a huge problem, causing worse birth defects in second generation children than in the first. Yet our local contamination levels are tens of thousands of times (903 ppt) that!
Terri Drexler did absolutely nothin during, or before, her years in office to help remedy or mitigate, or even acknowledge the contamination–or hold those accountable who created it. e.g. Simpson accountable. She remained a shill for the industry throughout her career, both while in politics and out…bought and paid for.
