A light at the end of the... bridge? Bridge backers go online.

Oregon's social engineers have been ripping off tax-paying citizens from Clark County for decades. They shaft the citizenry here on so many levels, it oft-times defies believe.

And one of their most egregious efforts at social engineering out of their state is their steadfast position against increasing the number of bridges across the Columbia River.

It's OK, you see, for Portland to have ELEVEN bridges crossing the Willamette. But if Clark County wants to add a THIRD bridge across the Columbian... a bridge that would both increase freight mobility AND decrease commute times.... well, they simply can't have that.

Many local politicians (Like a certain mayor, whose initials are "Royce Pollard") will do any bidding on the part of those in Oregon pulling our strings just on the SLIGHT chance they will ever get off their collective ass and DO something about traffic congestion effecting Clark County citizens coming to work in Multnomah, et al.

That's why we still have the unnecessary HOV lanes that accomplish nothing running through downtown Vancouver. Because a certain mayor whose initials are "Royce Pollard" has bought into the tiny little carrot the Oregon Mob has been holding out of us that if we keep they HOV lane.... they MIGHT (and I emphasize MIGHT... no PROMISES to the non-voting in Oregon suckers that work there) do something about the Delta Park Bottleneck.

And, of course, with enough propulsion, pigs actually can fly.

The light at the end of the "bridge" tunnel, however, appears to have been lit. The Oregonian (Notice how this even seems to have escaped the attention of the Columbian? "If it's important to the citizens of Clark County, you'll read about it in the Oregonian)) reports on a bi-state organization devoted to addressing the bridge issue... to which this humble scribe says: "About time."

Bridge backers go online
A bistate team considering a new Columbia River crossing activate a Web site to keep the public advised

Monday, March 07, 2005
BILL STEWART

A bistate team responsible for a new Columbia River crossing between Portland and Vancouver has established an Internet site to inform and involve area residents.

The Web site, www.columbiarivercrossing.org, was activated late last week.

A team from each state, working as a unit, was formed during the summer to look into a new river crossing. Its first task, now under way, was to select a consulting team for a federal study to see whether a bridge can be built without serious environmental damage. If the consultant opens an office near the existing Interstate Bridge, the two teams hope to work in the same building, said Rob DeGraff, Oregon's project leader.

The states' teams "talk daily, almost hourly," DeGraff said. "We hope that by summer we are sharing the same office."

More...

It's a start. Now, let's get this show on the road.