U.S. may pay some of area's WTO tab

After months of wrangling, the federal government today is expected to take a significant step toward paying some of the $12 million the city and other governments were stuck with after the conference.

A Senate Committee is expected to order the State Department to pay a share of the costs incurred during the protests against last fall's conference.

Under a provision written into the Senate's agriculture spending bill by Washington Republican Sen. Slade Gorton, the State Department would have to provide as much as $5 million to Seattle and its neighbors. In reality, that would yield another $3.8 million, because the State Department has already contributed $1.2 million.

The bill still has a ways to go before Seattle sees the money, but Washington's congressional delegation considers the move significant.

"Everybody's breathing a little easier," said Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Seattle.

And Seattle officials, who are staring at a $9 million WTO tab, hailed the news.

"Hey, that's a hunk of change," said City Council Finance Committee Chairwoman Jan Drago. "That's a lot of money for plenty of important things."

Just how much Seattle would receive is unclear. The city's head lobbyist, Clifford Traisman, said the city would share the money with other police agencies that helped out during the WTO and have a $3 million bill of their own. Traisman said the city would get about three-fourths of the money because it took on about three-fourths of the cost.

"This is the first time the federal government has shown any sign of stepping up to reimburse Seattle's taxpayers for hosting an international meeting that was fraught with controversy," Traisman said. "It's not fair for local government to be handed this situation," he said, noting the Clinton administration invited the WTO to meet in the United States and then picked Seattle to host the conference.

Congress last year directed the State Department to provide up to $5 million for the conference, but the department hasn't paid, claiming the requirement is not legally binding.

Gorton's proviso would explicitly direct the payment to be made.

"Fine. I told them if they need a statute, they'll get a statute," said Gorton, who is running for re-election.

The Senate Appropriations Committee is to consider the agriculture bill today, and Gorton said he expects the committee to approve it. If all goes well, the city should get its money by July.

"This is the first opportunity we have had in Congress to direct the State Department to provide additional monies to Seattle and other local governments," Washington Sen. Patty Murray said in explaining why the cost of police overtime and tear gas was linked to the agriculture bill.

A similar effort is being undertaken by McDermott and Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Bremerton, in the House.

Also helping matters is that Washington, D.C., wants to be reimbursed for costs absorbed during last month's World Bank and International Monetary Fund protests, which were inspired by the WTO protests. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas, has asked for $4.4 million in federal money to offset Washington D.C.'s costs.

P-I reporter Charles Pope can be reached at 202-943-9229 or charliepope@seattle-pi.com