So, what, exactly, did Tim Probst say at the town hall meeting? I report, you figure it out.

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Seems to be just the tiniest bit of uncertainty as to what went on at the town hall meeting:

Lawmakers advocate a public vote on new I-5 bridge

Confusion over light rail arises following meeting

Steven Lane

The three state lawmakers from the 17th Legislative District this week will draft a letter asking for a public vote this year on whether light rail should be included in a new Interstate 5 bridge across the Columbia River.

By Dave Kern
Columbian Assistant Metro Editor

Originally published March 13, 2011 at 8:07 p.m., updated March 13, 2011 at 10:46 p.m.

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On TV

The 17th District town hall meeting, 2 p.m. Tuesday, CVTV, Channel 23

The three state lawmakers from the 17th Legislative District this week will draft a letter asking for a countywide vote concerning a new Interstate 5 bridge across the Columbia River, Rep. Paul Harris said Sunday.

Harris said he and Sen. Don Benton, another Republican, and Rep. Tim Probst, a Democrat, agreed at a district town hall meeting Saturday morning to send such a letter.

But there is confusion over what the letter would say.

Harris said he thought the agreement was for a vote on light rail to happen this year.

Probst said he did not agree to that timeline. He also said, “I said nothing about light rail.”

Benton could not be reached Sunday.

Harris said questions on light rail were the first ones asked at the town hall at Mountain View High School.

“We all agreed that the citizens of Vancouver should have an opportunity to vote on light rail, as promised,” Harris said.

“The concern of a lot of the citizens (at the town hall) … is they want to vote on it this November. We will say (in a letter) we feel the same way,” Harris said.

But Probst had a different perspective.

“My position on the bridge has always been the public should have a vote on it when we know how much the bridge is going to cost, how much the tolls would be and how many thousands of jobs would be created.”

As for a vote this year, Probst said, “I didn’t put a timeline on it.”

“The citizens should have the opportunity to vote. ... We’ll draft this letter and get it out to the Vancouver council and the county commissioners,” Harris said.

“CVTV was there, it’s all recorded,” Harris said of the town hall.

Last week, at a C-Tran meeting, there was discussion that a vote on funding the operation of light rail could not be arranged until 2012.

That's the controversy.

Here's what was actually said:

7:30 or so mark of the meeting.

Yes or no, do you support tolls (how would you vote on tolls)

And do you support replacing the I-5 Bridge or a 3rd Bridge

And do you support a county wide vote.

Probst: “Thank you senator, There’s what you say and what you do. I’ve taken four votes on tolls in the legislature, can everybody hear me all right? I guess I have to hold this up. Can you hear me now?

This is on. OK.

10:34

There have been four votes on tolls since I’ve been there, I’ve voted no every time.

And my, uh, position on tolls in Clark County has always been clear.

If people want to put tolls on us, they need to bring forward what the project is, how much it costs, how many thousands of new jobs it produces; in the short term from construction; how many thousands of new jobs it produces in the long term from additional commerce, and how much the toll is going to be.

Bring those specifics to the people and give the people an up or down vote, I trust the people.

14:00

Harris - I guess to answer your question, I would be more than happy to send a letter to the city and to the county regarding my position on voting on the bridge or light rail.

Probst - The frustration in our community is very real on this, and uh, there’s no reason we can’t, uh, I’ve already made my positions clear to everybody, repeatedly, in closed rooms and in open rooms, but, uh, there’s no reason we can’t all get together and everybody in Clark County together on this, or at least everyone in the 17th District and follow that advice.

Benton - I think you’ve heard all three of us say that we’re strongly supportive of a public vote on the issue… and I just mentioned to Tim here and certainly Paul will sign on but the 3 of us will make our positions known in a letter to the county commissioners; they are the ones who can decide and I would strongly that all of you let your county commissioners know that you demand a public vote on a project of this magnitude. We will fire off a letter to the county commissioners and put our joint support behind that effort as well.

They then moved on to the next question.

There you have it: now you know what was said.
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