Well, Steve Stuart has come out of the closet.
As the ready already knows, Clark County Commissioner Steve Stuart is a wholley-owned subsidiary of David Barnett and the Cowlitz Tribe. In fact, Stuart is SO bought that he should invoke the 13th Amendment and the Emancipation Proclamation.
David Barnett paid $100,000 cash on the barrel head by laundering that huge and corruptive amount through Progressive Majority back in 2005 in his successful effort to buy a then friendly government for his massive, community-destroying economic vacuum of a casino.
Stuart embodies election corruption. And now, he's finally shown his hand in betraying this community again by shilling for a bridge replacement and loot rail that few outside the corrupt Downtown Mafia want.
Stuart's support for this colossal waste of billions of dollars dooms 60,000 commuters to Portland every day with yet the additional inequity of paying at least $1200 per year for the privilege.
As the Pravda Columbian with their typically lying, one sided article pointed out; Stuart, who obviously doesn't give a damn about the working-poor forced to drive to work every day, joins with arrogant scum like Pollard, Leavitt and WSU Chancellor Hal Dengerink in not only demanding this unconscionable, utter and complete waste of money; but that this unbelievable vaporization of badly needed transportation funds that will achieve ABSOLUTELY NOTHING except the payoff of the union shills supporting Stuart's candidacy should only go to THE most expensive option possible: a 6 lane bridge with 6 unneeded additional exist lanes that will have precisely ZERO impact on the two most important transportation issues facing us: congestion and freight mobility.
Stuart is brazenly lying when he said this:
Stuart said he believes the incremental cost of going from 10 to 12 lanes can be justified by the reduction in congestion and accidents.The observation is based on two blatant fallacies:
First, this bridge replacement cannot be justified under any circumstances... incrementally or otherwise.
Second, this bridge will do absolutely nothing to reduce congestion or accidents.
Let's remember, the ONLY reason for this bridge replacement scam is to get loot rail into Vancouver.
With that in mind, when Stuart talks about these sorts of things, he's, well, lying. Experts have already concluded that this bridge will make no difference, just like they've quoted officials as saying that while they know that this is a waste, it's "better then doing nothing."
It isn't, of course, but what's the waste of four billion dollars between friends?
He moronically goes on to say:
An eight-lane bridge would have a projected seven to nine hours of daily congestion in the year 2030, he said, adding that he can't see himself knocking on the windows of motorists stuck in traffic and asking them to pay tolls.Guess what, Mr. Stuart: your support of this massive waste of money is GOING to get you "unelected" anyway, because hatred of this massive waste of money crosses party lines, demographics and age.
"I would get beat up or shot or certainly unelected," he said.
Clearly, he's ignoring what the experts are saying about his own preferred choice:
Congestion on new I-5 bridge back to today's level by 2030, study findsPlanners and elected officials who back the project are aware of the shortcomings, but say it's better than doing nothing
12-lane bridge garners support
Option gets most votes from project sponsors; final decision due March 6
Friday, February 6 | 6:34 p.m.
BY JEFFREY MIZE
COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER
A driver’s view of a 12-lane Interstate 5 bridge, with six lanes in each direction and freeway shoulders. This sketch features a series of center arches with wind turbines, which is one of several design themes under consideration. (Touchstone Architects and Columbia River Crossing)
PORTLAND — For anyone keeping score, there were four votes Friday to build a new Interstate 5 bridge with 12 lanes, one vote for an eight- or 10-lane crossing and five votes for "stay tuned."
That unofficial poll, where each member of the Columbia River Crossing project sponsors council had the opportunity to speak and voice an opinion, might provide the best indication to date as to where the group is heading.
The council's next meeting, March 6 in Vancouver, should be decision time, when the group makes a recommendation on the lane issue that has been kicked around for several months.
Four council members — Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard, Clark County Commissioner Steve Stuart, Washington State University Vancouver Chancellor Hal Dengerink and Oregon Department of Transportation Director Matthew Garrett — advocated for a 12-lane option.
Projections indicate a 12-lane bridge and associated freeway improvements would cost the most, an estimated $100 million to $150 million more than a 10-lane alternative. But it also would have the least amount of congestion, the fewest number of accidents and the smallest number of cars diverting to the Interstate 205 Bridge.
"On the face of it, I'm at 12," Garrett said. "Doesn't mean I will stay there."
Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond said the Washington State Department of Transportation is not stuck on the number of lanes, but it does want to see a significant improvement in safety.
Transportation officials in Washington and Oregon, she said pointedly, do not automatically want to build the biggest project possible.
"Our DOTs (departments of transportation) are not just about adding concrete," she said.
Metro Council President David Bragdon was the only one of the council's 10 members to back a smaller alternative Friday. Bragdon has persistently questioned if building a bigger bridge will induce sprawl miles away from a new crossing.
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