If there ever was a marketing marriage made in heaven, it might Crocs and airports.

Leave it to the Transportation Security Administration to demonstrate the utility of the lightweight, plastic slip-on Crocs by requiring you to slip off your shoes before passing through security screening.

After you've balanced on one foot and grabbed your laptop, carry-on and your belt with your left hand and tried to tie your shoes with your right after passing through the airport security line, you'll understand why Crocs or their imitators are becoming standard attire for airline trips.

Now Crocs Inc. has exploited that travel connection by opening a shop at Sea-Tac Airport's Concourse C.

The shop opened about two weeks ago and apparently is doing well said Sea-Tac spokesman Perry Cooper.

It may be cold comfort to Boeing Co., but its chief European rival, European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS), today reported an annual loss of $685 million last year.

That loss was driven higher by a loss of $1.4 billion at its commercial airplane subsidiary, Airbus.

In contrast, Boeing racked up record earnings last year of $4.1 billion, up 84 percent over the previous year.

Airbus blamed its losses on a two-year delay in delivering its superjumbo A380 jetliner and problems with its A400M military transport, which has yet to fly.

Boeing is facing a delay in the delivery of its popular 787 Dreamliner of about nine months though some analysts are predicting a longer delay will be announced soon.

Boeing has said in the past that the loss of profits from the 787 delays will be relatively small, but further delays could magnify those losses.

Last year was the second year in a row that Airbus has lost money.

Both EADS and Airbus got a psychological boost last week when they won a U.S. Air Force competition to furnish the service with 179 new airborne tankers based on the Airbus A330 aircraft. Boeing had pitched a militarized version of its 767 airliner in that competition.

Boeing is appealing the award of the deal to Airbus.

The state Legislature Monday approved a bill aimed at making port contracting processes more transparent and accountable.

The bill is a response to the recent Port of Seattle construction audit, which revealed widespread problems with the port's contracting processes.

"I think the members of the Legislature took an emotional and complicated issues and turned it into a productive bill that benefits all ports," Pat Jones, executive director of the Washington Public Ports Association, said today.

The bill tweaks current public works law to make sure its applied to ports, strengthens port commissions' oversight of the contracting process and adds new provisions regarding contract work done by consultants.

The Port of Seattle audit included numerous recommendations to address the port's contracting issues.

"This responds to every one of the state auditor's concerns about what happened at the Port of Seattle and makes sure public dollars aren't wasted on sweetheart deals for political purposes," said Rep. Geoff Simpson, D-Covington, the bill's sponsor.

The bill was one of many born out of the Seattle port audit, but Simpson said his bill addressed the contract concerns without harming the port's economic contributions to the state.

Tara Mattina, the Tacoma port's spokeswoman, said the port is still reviewing how the bill is different from its current contract procedures.

But the port will likely need to show more of its competitive process for the hiring of "personal services," consultants contracted with the port for work ranging from freelance writing to overseas sales representatives.

Also included in the bill: A requirement that ports planning projects outside their jurisdiction make sure the public knows about their plans sooner rather than later.

Sound familiar?

The Port of Tacoma's controversial South Sound Logistic Center project proposed for Thurston County spurred this addition.

The Tacoma port surprised and angered many in Thurston County when it bought property in Maytown in 2006 and began initial planning for a rail logistics center in the rural area – with little notice to local residents.

The Tacoma and Olympia ports are jointly considering such a project.

"I was getting widespread input that people were having a hard time finding out what was being proposed," said Sen. Karen Fraser, D-Thurston County.

Fraser championed the Maytown amendment.

"I thought that this would be helpful for this project and future projects and the ports would have an outline of what’s expected of them," Fraser said.

The bill requires ports that buy property outside their jurisdiction prepare a communication plan within 60 days of contracting with a site planning consultant.

The communication plan must provide property owners and other interested parties with information about the type and scope of the project, proposed uses and environmental effects of the project.

Fraser said the release of the information early in the process is important.

"If you wait until an environmental impact statement is done – by that time the port's spent millions on planning and design," she said.

The general public can ask more informed questions and comment when they have that information, she added.

The Tacoma port has ramped up its public outreach efforts in Thurston County over the past several months, hosting two public meetings in Lacey about the SSLC and creating a Web site for the project.

Per the legislation, which still needs a signature from the governor, port generating more than $10 million in revenue are also required to create an online database of contracts by 2010.

Port staff will also be provided with training regarding contract management.

Count downtown Tacoma's historic former Elks Temple among the new casualties of the country's latest economic malaise.

Williams & Dame, the Portland developer that bought the monumental building at 565 Broadway a year ago with the idea of returning it to its former glory, acknowledged today it's putting the building on the sales block.

"There's no market," said Williams & Dame principal Homer Williams. "That pretty much sums it all up."

Williams said his company explored a variety of adaptive reuses for the four-story former fraternal gathering place and lot north of the building, but found no use that made economic sense under present market conditions.

"We looked at condos, apartments, offices, you name it," he said. "Nothing could be financed in the current market."

"It's too bad," said Williams. "We like Tacoma. But I don't think things are going to get better for a couple of more years. When it does, we'll be back."

During the little more than a year that Williams & Dame owned the 1915-vintage building, the company removed a concrete-block kitchen annex that was not part of the original structure and whose low roof had provided an entry path for transients and vandals.

The company patched up holes in the roof that allowed rain to flood the third floor ballroom and cleaned up debris from years of neglect.

Commercial realtor NAI Puget Sound properties will market the building, said Bob Levin, manager of Tacoma Community and Economic Development Department's private capital division. No asking price has been set pending an appraisal, said Williams.

The city had fought in court with the building's prior owner, a California investor, since 2000 over the building's deteriorating condition. When he died in 2005, the city brokered a sale of the structure with his family.

Tacoma Mayor Bill Baarsma was surprised and disappointed to hear the news of the sale. Along with the historic Winthrop Hotel and the Luzon Building on Pacific Avenue, the Elks was among the landmark buildings the city had hoped to see rehabilitated.

"We always knew this would be challenging," said the mayor. "I remain optimistic that the building will find a new use once the market recovers."

I’m working on a story for Thursday’s paper – it’s a preview of an event Thursday evening at Pacific Lutheran University featuring economist Dr. Arthur Laffer.

Laffer, above, will speak as part of the Dale E. Benson Lecture Series in Business and Economic History. The event is open to the public, free, and begins with an formal reception at 6 p.m. at Chris Knutzen Hall – with a speech to follow at 7 p.m. Knutzen Hall is located in the University Center at Park Avenue South and 122nd Street.

I spoke with Dr. Laffer this morning, and he did not disappoint. For those of you who may not know or remember him, he’s best known for the Laffer Curve and his work on supply-side economics.

A few quotes from our conversation:

(Are we in a recession?) “Probably. Bottom line – we’re in a very big slowdown. This recession may not last 10 years, but this decline will last 10 years. We are in a very significant downward spiral of no-growth policies.”

(The current campaign:) “This is the most significant election in my lifetime...I’ve been an optimist for 35 years. The world has changed. It’s very sad and it’s very serious.”

(On Ben Bernanke, head of the Fed:) “A deer in the headlights. He’s a very good man, and a fine academic, and a fine person – who doesn't understand that in the real world, you don’t go doing experiments.”

(He won’t be receiving a stimulus check, but what would he do if he did?) “I would probably give it to some guy whose taxes were raised to pay for it.”

The Small Business Administration has begun offering a free online training course for businesses that want to win government contracts.

The course, “Business Opportunities: A Guide to Winning Federal Contracts” is available at the SBA Web site at www.sba.gov/training. From the training site, click on the menu of free online courses and then select the first course listed under Government Contracting.

The course is designed for all small businesses – especially for women entrepreneurs and small firms in underserved markets that have historically had difficulty in tapping into federal contract markets. It comprises both script and audio to provide information about the $400 billion federal market, contract rules, and most importantly, says the SBA, it offers tips on where to find contract opportunities and how to sell to the government.

After completing the 30-minute tutorial, business owners can earn a certificate of completion from the SBA.

If you're headed out-of-town by air and are planning to park at Sea-Tac Airport, allow yourself 20 to 30 minutes more to find a parking space.

End of the quarter, mid-week business trips and spring vacations are making parking at Sea-Tac Airport's huge garage tight this month.

Wednesday will be among the seven days this month when finding a vacant spot in the garage may be something of a vehicular treasure hunt, the airport advises. The airport has published a calendar noting the busiest days. You can find it on the Web here.

Attendants will be on hand to direct you to available spaces during the busiest hours.

Ordinarily, if you're in a hurry head to the garage's higher floors and southward in the garage to find available parking spots, but when parking becomes this tight even the uncovered spaces on the garage roof are often full.

Of course, there are thousands of more distant and less expensive spots in parking lots along International Boulevard near the airport. But even these too get clogged when business at the airport is brisk.