So... why did Ron Paul vote for sex-based abortion?

Just wonderin'... and just sayin'.

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll299.xml

The "Unbearable Hypocrisy of Columbian."

A rip off of the title "Unbearable Lightness of Being," the disjointed situational ethics of our local daily is cause to shake one's head in utter disbelief.

Today's editorial?  In Our View: Don't ignore the voters.

Seriously?

Perhaps the fact that 71% of the people of this county are demanding the protections of I-1053 is a driver for this?

Ultimately, there's absolutely nothing unconstitutional about 1053; in King County, the fringe leftist neo-communist organizations like the WEA and the League of Socialist Voters went judge-shopping until they found the fringe-left whack job they needed.

Hey... we all know the drill: both sides do it.  I get that.  Leftist scum like Jim Moeller who, unfortunately, represents a district who's heavy dependence on the fiscal rape of others results in his "state representative for life" meme (At the congressional level, think whack-job Jimmy McDermott in the 7th; A Model Obama District of abysmal economic and educational outcomes that some 3rd world countries exceed) really do not care about the will of the people as long as they can bend us over and extract cash like a dentist extracting teeth.

All of that, for purposes of this post, is neither here nor there.

But for THIS newspaper to demand that the voters not be ignored?

That, from THIS newspaper, who so rabidly supports the CTran gerrymandered tax district which excludes 100,000 rural Clark County voters from having a say, but not from paying their tax?

That from THIS newspaper, which has REPEATEDLY supported Vancouver's multiple lawsuits to silence the voters on downtown redevelopment?

That from THIS newspaper, which has remained steadfastly opposed to any county-wide vote on the CRC.... AGAIN excluding and, therefore, "ignoring" 10's of thousands of voters?

The situational ethics of this rag are a joke.  the situational lack of consistency where one set of standards is applied to a given situation or; for purposes of endorsements, a given candidate; only to have a different set applied to another when that person or situation is put into the "do not like" category so favored by the bully pulpit of leftism.

"Don't ignore the voters?"  Of course, "don't ignore the voters."

But why are there so many times, places and situations where this very rag does... and demands... just that?

This has to hurt: the democrat who gave Obama's seconding speech at the DNC Convention switches parties and becomes a Republican.

Headline speaks for itself: details here.

Regardless.... Obama will have a lot of 'splainin' to do.

Zarelli out effective 31 May.

More to come.

For Release:                                                               For Interview Contact:

May 29, 2012                                                              Sen. Joseph Zarelli (360) 786-7634

                                                                                    Download a print quality photo of Sen. Zarelli

Zarelli to resign Senate seat May 31

OLYMPIA… Sen. Joseph Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, announced May 18 he would not seek reelection to the state Senate this fall. Today Zarelli announced he would resign his Senate seat effective May 31.

He issued this statement:

“Now that I’ve made the decision not to seek re-election, it’s time for me to start focusing on where I’m going next and to begin that journey. Moving forward now is the right decision for me and my family. It’s also the right decision for the people of the 18th District, who will be able to transition right away to a new state senator who can take a full and active role over this interim.

“It’s been a pleasure and an honor to serve the people of the 18th District and our state. I will always look fondly on my time in the Legislature and the friendships I formed here. Although my legislative service will end on Thursday, those friendships and the work many of us did together will remain.”

—30—

For more information contact Rebecca Japhet at (360) 786-7516 or Rebecca.Japhet@leg.wa.gov 
Please visit our Web site at www.SenateRepublicans.wa.gov and follow our updates on Twitter.

Questions for all candidates in the 18th Legislative District and Clark County

As a prospective constituent, I believe we should all know where the candidates stand on the issues WE want to know about.

So, I'm putting together a list of questions.  I will be sending them to all local candidates who are running to govern me.  None of these questions involve rocket science; each of these issues are items these candidates should be completely familiar with, all should have positions on each of them.

My guess is that arrogance and/or fear will keep many of them from responding.

Those receiving this will include all Clark County Commissioner candidates and all legislative candidates.  Their responses (or lack thereof) will be published here, in their entirety, unedited by me.

Question One:

Do you support replacing the I-5 Bridge in the same location?  If yes, why... if not, why not?

Question Two:

Do you support light rail?  If yes, why... if no, why not?

Question Three:

Do you support tolls?  If yes, why... if no, why not?

Question Four:
If you support any of these issues, what would it take for you to oppose them?

Question Five:

Are you aware of the Oregon Supreme Court ruling delineating the true motivations for this project?

Question Six:

Please describe the impacts on the 65,000 or so families who would have to pay these tolls.

Question Seven:

Please describe the impacts on the numerous small businesses who depend on this disposbale income to survive who will not be receiving it if this project is built.

Question Eight:

Describe what you intend to do about the CRC.  That is, what steps will you take legislatively if you support the project and what steps will you take if you oppose this project?  (Hint: attempting to con us by telling us there's nothing you can do one way or the other insults the intelligence of the average voter and is an unacceptable answer.  Further, if you cannot answer this question, then you're unfit for elective office anyway.)

Question Nine:

What are you intentions concerning public employee pay and benefits?  Are they too high, or too low?  Support your answer with an explanation as to the basis of your position.

Question Ten:

Do you support CTran's efforts to limit voter input to their tax increases?  Do you support the CTran tax district or support a county-wide vote since we all have to pay their taxes... even though we are frequently not allowed to vote?  If you support CTrans taxation efforts, please explain why.  If you oppose, please explain why as well and what you intend to do to address those policies.

Question Eleven:

Do you support the Cowlitz/Paskenta/Mohegan/Barnett megacasino?  If so, why.... if not, why not?

Question Twelve:

Do you support increasing taxes and/or fees?  If so, why... if not, why not?

Question Thirteen:

What Tim Eyman initiaitives have you supported?  Which have you opposed?  Why?

Question Fourteen:

Do you support or oppose the people's right to initiative and referendum?  Why?

Question Fifteen:

Do you support Jim Moeller and seven other democrat legislators suing the people to overturn their will at the polls?  If so, why... if not, why not?

Question Sixteen (Legislative candidates)

Do you support any version of a state income tax?  If yes, why?  If no, why not?

If there are any other questions you might want asked, feel free to add in comments.

I am not asking these questions on behalf of any other campaign or client.

Those candidates failing to answer, regardless of party, will forever be disqualified from my support... or vote.

I would urge the reader to ask their own candidates the same questions or types of questions.

As prospective constituents, we have a right to know... and we want to do all we can to weed out the Leavitts.

I will be sending these out on Friday.  Please provide any additional questions you may want before then.  I will keep you appraised of any responses I get.

But you know what?

I'm not holding my breath.

Brandon Vick getting manhandled by the media.

Earlier, I described my list of reasons to oppose Brandon Vick as my state representative.

Among those many reasons was Brandon's total inability to handle the media.

He cannot seem to understand that the media is not his friend, and, particularly when you have an "R" after your name, they're going to do what they can to make you look like an idiot.  Like they made him look like one today.

As a prospective constituent, one of the many things most likely don't want in their state representative is for them to act impulsively, emotionally, or without due deliberation.

The following quote indicates that Brandon engaged in all three, while putting his political hunger ahead of his own family.

Vick, 27, is making his second attempt at running for public office. Vick ran for the same House seat in 2010, when he lost to Rivers.

He said he wasn't expecting to run in this election until the last day of filing week, when state Rep. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver, called Vick at 4:30 p.m. to tell him to file for candidacy.

"Politics is about timing and opportunity, and obviously there was a situation here where a lot happened in a matter of a half-hour," Vick said.

Yeah.

What happened is that Vick acted so impetuously, I'm told that when he showed up to file he didn't have the money and someone else wrote the check for him.

What happened is that Vick, who had refused to run for the open seat that Pike is now running for, put all those objections he expressed to running aside in a moment, including his family and his job in an instant, because he heard what he believed to be the magic words: "open seat."

Around primary election time, Brandon will become a brand new daddy.  And instead of doing THAT, he'll be doing THIS, as he would be when being forced to spend months in Olympia if he were to somehow miraculously win.

Well, here's what I want.

I want a candidate who has studied the situation and knows the political terrain.

I want a candidate who can actually talk to the media in such a way they won't make him out to look like a child jumping on a banana split.

I want a candidate who thinks things through and who won't allow himself to be led down the garden path by virtue of what he WANTS to hear instead of the reality of what is.

Brandon will not win.  He's got enough luggage to open up a Samsonite factory.  He cannot deal with political reality.  And he runs the risk of two abysmal political campaigns in a row with the added burden of his disastrous handling of both the convention AND the Boldt debacle.

These kinds of things show that when he has duties and responsibilities... he has a heck of a time carrying them out... and it's an outcome based business.

Vick needs to quickly learn that the media is NOT his friend.  Politically, Brandon is a danger to himself and his party until he masters that fact.

And as a result, this article just serves to re-enforce my earlier position:  I cannot support Brandon Vick for state representative.

Why I won't be supporting David Madore.

As a county commissioner, there are a wide variety of realities that they must face: the realities of budget, the realities of policy, the realities of the demands of the people, and the realities of the people working for you or with you.

For well known reasons here, Marc Boldt has failed these tests.

And now, so has David Madore.

Jon Russell, whom I cordially despise, is a friend to David Madore. For whatever the reason, Madore is blinded to Russell's basic dishonesty and lack of integrity. Fortunately for us all, Russell is leaving.

Madore has never been concerned about Russell's faux-Christianity, his multiple false identities, false educational claims, false portrayals of his wife as a doctor, and the fact that Russell never believed Washougal to be anything but a brief stop on his way to political stardom.

Thankfully, I and others have managed to detour the Russell Express and shove it off into a ditch.

The Columbian put together a going-away type story since that sleaze has scammed a job in his version of Mecca, aka Sodom-on-Hudson, aka Washington, D.C.

According to Madore, the story made a mistake in descriptive term that in aggregate wasn't worth mentioning.

First, if it was all that big of a deal, Russell should have pulled up his big-boy pants and spoke for himself.

Second, the fawning terms used to describe Russell's exit actually sickened me. That led to this exchange between Madore and I on the facebook comments under the article:

David Madore

One correction to the story, rather than labeling Students for Life as anti-abortion, the proper term is ProLife. Coston’s quote is inappropriate. This is not the time to be so unkind. When someone has served the community faithfully so long, when they leave, it is time to set differences aside and remember the good that they did.

Ray Legendre, it would have been thoughtful to see you end your story on a positive note. Whatever your differences with Jon, he did his best and sacrificed to serve his community. He will be missed.

Reply • 2 • Like • Follow Post • about an hour ago

To which, I replied:

Kage McClued • Owner/Writer at Jon Russell Watch Blog

Sorry, but Russell's service was anything BUT "faithful." He never saw Washougal as anything more than a stepping stone to higher office and he lied repeatedly during his campaigns about who he was, what he'd done and even his education.

This area will be well-rid of him and it's frightening that, for whatever the reason, you cannot see the reality of that and the reality of Jon.

It makes me worry that you can't deal with political reality when those you see as "friend" are not even close to what you believe them to be... and that's a bad tenet in an office holder.

I take some pride in exposing Russell for what he really is. I was eagerly awaiting his next campaign when I would have educated everyone to the reality of the dishonesty and lack of integrity Russell actually lived.

He will never be more than a political footnote... and he'll never deserve to be. He won't be missed. And whatever set of blinders you wear?

You'd better take them off... and quickly.

To which, David provided the following rejoinder:

David Madore

Kage, we have enough divisiveness. There are more positive uses of our time and talents than having the gift of criticism. Learning[sic] to get along is a far better investment.

Reply • Like • 10 minutes ago

Which led, in turn to my reply:

Kage McClued • Owner/Writer at Jon Russell Watch Blog

Odd, isn't it, that you never direct this observation to Jon... at least publicly. How does Russell's record of lies, distortions, false identities and the like represents "learning to get along" on HIS part?

Where has Jon Russell EVER taken public responsibility for what he's done?

Nowhere. But he's your friend. You defend him and what seems to me is obviously the indefensible.

Your response is an example of the very thing that concerns me about you.

You MUST see people AS THEY ARE... not as you WISH THEM TO BE.

Those who we elect MUST be held to the highest standard.

Would you expect me to vote for you if I knew you were lying about your education? What if it came out that you had assumed the identities of others to criticize and attack your political opponents? What if you lied about any aspect of your business that you are so, quite rightfully, proud of? Or about your wife being a doctor?

How about lying about your faith? Would that be OK? If you were to do things like that, should we give you a pass? Should we not hold you accountable for those deliberate actions?

No?

Then how is it you give Russell a pass? How is it that you turn a blind eye to the dishonesty, the years-long lack of integrity; the complete failure, if you will, for Russell's actions to even remotely resemble the reality of what is supposed to be a genuine Christian life? Does becoming your friend slam blinders over your eyes?

To be a successful politician of any stripe... for any position, you MUST engage in REALITY; not things the way you would LIKE them to be... but things the way they actually ARE.

While I appreciate your sentiment above, the fact is this: had not Jon acted in the ways I have detailed... I would have nothing to criticize, would I?

My "gift" is holding people... including you... accountable for their political actions, party affiliation notwithstanding. If what I am saying about Russell isn't true... that's certainly one thing. But we both know that it is... much like we both know that evil triumphs when good men do nothing... and remaining silent is doing just that.

Madore's failure to acknowledge Russell's perfidy and act towards him like he's a decent, honorable individual who just served his community?

That doesn't come close to passing the straight face test.

And whoever becomes our county commissioner MUST pass that test.

Cross posted on Jon Russell Watch.

In honor of Memorial Day, no posting today.

For those reading this, please take a moment and think about those who've gone on before in defense of this Nation.

Think about what they believed they were dying for.

Look at a flag today... and remember: that was the last thing hundreds of thousands of us saw before they died.

And ask yourself: what have I done to make their sacrifice worth it?

If the answer is "nothing," realize that's not good enough.

My mistake: a FOUR way race in the 620 precinct.

Fist fights are breaking out all over as the Paulbots make a concerted effort to take over the state GOP... and the 6-20 is no exception.

(Note: there is a block viewing part of the text, I can't find the source of it but it is see-through if you use firefox.)

Initially, I was under the impression that only 3 of us were running for PCO here... and I was, accurately, the only Republican.

Democrat Marc Boldt had signed up; Paulistinian Gary Byers had signed up... and now, days later, I come to find out that Herb Maxey has made the trip.

Wow.  How weird is it that more people signed up, claiming to be Republican, for PCO... then signed up to run for state representative in Ed Orcutt's open seat.

Still going through the preliminaries of planning a local debate.  I think the 4 of us should hash this out.

Boldt can explain why, as a democrat, he'd want to run for PCO; Byers can fill us in on the Paulbot GOP takeover plan, Maxey can talk about cats and I can discuss drag racing.

More Scummery from the Columban and Leave-it: No Lie They Won't Tell.

(Note: there's block that's covering some text here and it's from Blogger software instead of this post. The text is visible through the block if you use firefox.) We are a community cursed.

We have a newspaper that lies... constantly... to get their agenda built.

We have a psychopathic liar as the mayor of the Socialist Republic of Vancouver.

They work together like a tag team in a wrestling match.  The lie off each other.  The two links provided here are a series of lies, exaggerations, distortions and deliberate misrepresentations.

It would be one thing if they did this out of ignorance.

But that's not the basis for their actions: the basis if two-fold.

First: their rampant arrogance.

The scum that take their view on these issues don't do so based on reality. 

They do so, as we've been repeatedly told, because they know all their is to know and everyone else is stupid. Those running the local rag, for example, particularly in the guise of Lou Brancaccio but ESPECIALLY in the person of his non-house broken Pit Yorkie, have berated, belittled and insulted the opposition to the Caponian rip-off from the beginning, completely buying into the Goebbellian plan of telling lies long enough, loud enough and often enough that they become "truths."

In fact, I must admit: I've patterned my writing style in this blog after a typical John Laird column.

Of course, those most upset with my writings here, either style, or content, have no problem with Laird's efforts to emulate a Hitler speech.  After all, that slimeball is just exercising HIS First Amendment right... none of them would submit that I have such a right, my 14 years service in the military notwithstanding.

For example, characterizing Tim Leavitt's mayoral campaign of lies and deceit as resulting in the "reluctant acceptance of tolls as a necessary evil" WHEN ANYONE WALKING UPRIGHT KNOWS THAT LYING LITTLE WORM WAS RUNNING A SCAM ALL ALONG, AND HE KNEW HE COULD NOT GET ELECTED IF HE CAME OUT IN SUPPORT OF TOLLS BECAUSE POLLARD WAS ALREADY THERE.

But, in all of that... the lies, deceit, misrepresentation; the failure to print ALL of the news; such as the ruling by the Oregon Supreme Court that this whole project is a rip off, all of that could be forgiven if... if... if...

These scum would put it to a county wide vote.

And when it comes to a vote on issues that may conflict with their agenda?

That ain't happening. So, what today's garbage from Brancaccio and Leave-it actually is was a campaign piece for the leftists who want to ram it in and break it off on these same tolls these slime love so much... even though.... even though... even THOUGH....

They won't have to pay them to go to work.

Weird, that, isn't it? So, in response to Brancaccio's editorial babble today, I offer this:

What a crock.

No reasonable solution, including taxes and tolls, should be implemented WITHOUT A COUNTY WIDE VOTE.

Leave-it was lying all along. I wrote as much MONTHS before the election. You people are either gullible, or calculatingly lying in an effort to continue your image rehab project of that scumbag.

"Reluctantly?"

THAT WAS LEAVE-IT'S PLAN ALL ALONG, AND YOU SLIME DAMNED WELL KNOW IT.

But because Leave-it is one of your rabid dogs, carrying your water like Gunga Din, that he's lying scum makes no difference... and the institutional double standard you slime operate under (By, for example, failing to publish the Oregon Supreme Court decision detailing how you morons are getting hosed... or, as far as that goes, protecting democrat former state representative Jim Jacks over his alcohol-fuel molestation of female legislative staff in Olympia.) that allows people to molest women and get away with it... or lie... or have their sheet-splitting girl friend lie for them... and none of that makes any difference to you.

Lying. It's what you people do.

It's what makes you the Cancer on Our Community.

And, in response to Leave-it's lies:

Wow. A scum convention.

Sure Congress must act.

They must kill this unbelievably wasteful rip off as soon as possible. We've wasted more than enough money on your incompetence and lies.

1. The I-5 Bridge does not need replacement.

2. You're bending us over and doing everything you can to get this built without asking us... when the Oregon Supreme Court has blown the lid off your rip off. You're raping us, and using OUR money to do it.

3. You work for a CRC contractor.

4. You lied to get elected. Repeatedly. And this Nazi propaganda sheet of a newspaper is covering for you.

5. You've done everything you can to keep the people of this county from voting on this rip off.

6. You're scum.

Let me know if you need any other questions answered, you slimeball.

It's problematic when those in authority demand from others what they, themselves won't provide.

That the newspaper leaves out truths like the Supreme Court decision, here, that details how we're getting scammed, isn't being done in the interests of truth or journalistic integrity.

But the fact is the scum at The Columbian have refused to print this because it blows so many holes in their lies that they won't be able to hold air.

And that's what makes them the Cancer on Our Community.

Defining the GOP "establishment."

I've been anti-establishment when it comes to candidates for years... over a decade, in fact.  So here's my definition:

In the old Soviet Union, they practiced a form of politics known as "democratic centralism."

"Credited" to Lenin, it is the organizational system in which policy is decided centrally and is binding on all members.

Democratic centralism is the name given to the principles of internal organization used by Leninist political parties, and the term is sometimes used as a synonym for any Leninist policy inside a political party. The democratic aspect of this organizational method describes the freedom of members of the political party to discuss and debate matters of policy and direction, but once the decision of the party is made by majority vote, all members are expected to uphold that decision. This latter aspect represents the centralism. As Lenin described it, democratic centralism consisted of "freedom of discussion, unity of action."^[1]

The problems here are obvious in our system.

The questions include: who died and left the people who make these decisions in charge?

Why do they pick who they pick?

How do they pick who they pick?

What about those who refuse to play along (You know... like me?)

In my experience, money determines who makes the informal selection committee.  In this state, for example, every state wide candidate of any import has to make it past what I refer to as the Bellevue Mafia.

The best examples include Dino Rossi and Jaime Herrera. And this year, it's McKenna and Reagan Dunn.

Locally, it's Marc Boldt, former Republican but now a wholly-owned subsidiary of our own local mafia, the Downtown/CRUDEC/Chamber of Horrors version.

The big money is primarily made up of King County/Puget Sound Republicans.  And we all know what a bastion of political success THAT'S been.

The only reason McKenna has a chance is because Jay Inslee is a dolt.  If it were Cantwell, for example, there's a likelihood McKenna would be clobbered.

Most people don't know that the German version of the Bellevue Mafia initially supported... and financed... Hitler, because they believed they  were smarter than he was and they could "control" him.

They couldn't, of course, but as near as I can tell, the motivations are remarkably similar.

No, I'm not comparing these candidates with Hitler.

But I am comparing the motivations with those supporting them and I find them to be remarkably similar and remarkably bereft of concern for the people.

That's why, for example, Boldt can support tolls, loot rail, the bridge while simultaneously laughing at the very idea of any type of county wide vote... and why he supports the gerrymandered CTran taxing district while forcing those of us who weren't allowed to vote to pay the taxes.

I've been attacked by other PCO's because of my positions.  And I could care less.  Tilting at windmills is my particular... and peculiar... specialty.

I despise the establishment because their version of compromise is limited to labels.  I believe they'd support Satan if he had an "R" after his name and they thought they could control him.

What *I* support is independent thought, thought that not only seeks out but is in no way frightened by the will of the people they would serve.

Boldt used to be very big on that "servant of the people" jazz.

Now, he's morphed into something else... something sinister... something uncaring about anything but getting elected so he can be fully vested in the retirement... whatever that takes... whatever principles that ignores... whatever Republican concepts have to be ditched to make that happen.

That and his supporters... all the money types... his fellow democrats... his admitted failure to even read the GOP platform locally... that sort of thing is what makes him an "establishment" candidate... and what makes me despise him, my own brother in law.

I will gladly provide further clarification if anyone wants it.

The lies from the Columbian continue on the bridge scam.

As regular readers know, even the Oregon State Supreme Court has ID'd the loot rail scam going on; our local cancer on SW Washington, The Columbian, continues to refuse to report those inconvenient truths because, well, in the interests of fairness, if ANY fact stands in the way of their agenda or strengthens the position of the opponents to this criminal rip off, why, instead of doing their duty and reporting it, they typically just ignore it.

Since this Supreme Court decision woukld be, essentially, fatal to their agenda if they were to publicize it... well, you know the rest.

So, when the rag spews this kind of garbage:

Jeers: To this spring's seemingly never-ending repairs to the Interstate 5 Bridge. A problem developed on the southbound span with the rollers that move the huge concrete counterweight up and down. Since April that has led the Oregon Department of Transportation to a series of nighttime closures, which are likely to persist into next week and perhaps longer. So far, the closures have been limited to overnight hours, but there have also been longer-than-usual bridge lifts during the daytime, further inconveniencing motorists. It's all the more proof that the nearly 100-year-old span has reached the end of its useful life and is ripe for replacement.

I had a problem with my torque converter on my dragster.  It's an old car (37, to be precise) but I discovered that, by fixing that one minor part, much like this issue involves fixing one minor part on the bridge, that didn't say ANYTHING about the car being "at the end of it's useful life" or that it's "ripe for replacement."

So, I voted, and my vote won.  Based on my vote, I secured the necessary replacement part (A really sweet Hughes TC with a 3000 stall) and fixed the problem myself.

I didn't feel the need to pull a gun and rob, say, the tard that wrote this jeer to take HIS money for MY dragster so I could enage in my non-existent "want" of an utterly unneccessary replacement... preciely what the lowlifes at the Columbian are demanding from us... except, of course, without a vote.

As someone who drives into Portland, I have always asked myself:

Is paying $50,000 or more in tolls over someone's work life worth replacing the bridge we have now that does not require tolls?

Of course not.

Did the fact that the bridge was closed at 3 a.m. for "repairs" inconvenience me in the least... or anyone else?

Nope.

Is ANY of this worth the practically incomprehensible waste of money this slimeball is advocating, particularly without asking us, worth it?

Not.
Even.
Close.

Here's the irony of all of this: when the moron who wrote this jeer spews this kind of garbage, I have to play "Give The Rag A Reality Check," that fun word game where their false complaints are turned against them.

It goes something like this:

Jeers: To this spring's seemingly never-ending series of lies and exaggerations the rag uses to shill their agenda on the Interstate 5 Bridge.

A problem developed on the southbound span with the rollers that move the huge concrete counterweight up and down. Since April that has led the Oregon Department of Transportation to a series of nighttime closures, which are likely to persist into next week and perhaps longer. (Or, perhaps not) The closures are limited to overnight hours, which means they really haven't impacted traffic and have caused no real concern or complaint, but there have also been longer-than-usual bridge lifts during the daytime, further inconveniencing motorists who would much rather face the very occasional "inconvenience" then go along with the Columbian's fiscal rape. It's all the more proof that the 112-year-old propaganda, swindle and democrat fiction sheet has reached the end of its useful life and is ripe for replacement.

As the weeks and months drag on while the Columbian continues to sit on the real reasons for this scam, the word is inevitably leaking out.

Their fear of the truth shows that they are not driven by the news any more than Hitler was driven by democracy.

When they finally, inevitably go under and these rats leave the journalistic sinking ship, we'll all be much better off for it.

Need another reason to despise teacher unions? Here's one.

Wanna bet the WEA runs similar scams?

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012

Bruce McCain: Teachers Pay Union Bosses $1.5 Million! And are They Really Paying a Guy $114K/Yr To Do...Nothing?

Larry Wolf, Past President $114K/year for?

Ever wonder where the OEA union dues go, paid by our local teachers, many of whom just want to do their jobs without bowing to the OEA overlords?

Take a look at the OEA's latest 2010 IRS filing showing SALARY plus BENEFITS = TOTAL COMPENSATION:

Jerry Carruthers, Executive Director: $174,755 + $104,842 = $279,597

Mark Toledo, General Counsel: $160,160 + 68,091 = $228,251

Courtney Vanderstek, Asst. Exec. Director: $153,224 + $60,937 = $214,161

Wilbert Box Bond, Asst. Exec Director: $145,607 + $68,440 = $214,047

Bethanne Darby, Asst. Exec. Director: $142,745 + $61,795 = $204,540

Robert Sande, Asst. Exec. Director: $141,973 + $58,157 = $200,130

Gail Rasmussen, President: $168,938 + $25,130 = $194,068

Larry Wolf, Past President: $114,978 in salary just for being a past president.

OEA reported $22.6 million in total revenue in 2010, but requires one Executive Director, four Assistant Executive Directors, a General Counsel, a President and a Past President with a combined compensation of $1,435,725 to run the outfit.

By comparison, Reynolds hired a new superintendent at just over $140,000 in salary to run a $100 million operation with nearly 11,000 students and 1,000 employees. What are the odds these OEA fat cats are chipping into the REA strike fund out of their own quarter million paychecks?

Bruce McCain is an attorney in private practice, retired Multnomah County Sheriff's Captain and current Reynolds School Board Member

POSTED BY VICTORIA TAFT, 11AM - 3PM KPAM 860 AT 06:24

Think about this the next time you hear about those slimeballs going on strike.

HT to Victoria Taft.

Just sayin'.

Memorial Day will be here in a bit.

My guess is that most people don't even know what it's for.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed annually in the United States on the last Monday of May.^[1] Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War. (Southern ladies organizations and southern schoolchildren had decorated Confederate graves in Richmond and other cities during the Civil War, but each region had its own date. Most dates were in May.) By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.^[2] As a marker it typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.

But here's the point.

How many Americans will stop... for even a moment... and remember?

This is one of the times I go to see my brother, resting in the Willamette National Cemetary.

He did not die in service... he is an Era Vet... and he died many, many years after he served.

But served he did.

And to all who've served and their families... to all who've sacrificed in causes noble and ignominious with brilliant leadership and the anything-but kind we're stuck with now...

God bless you.

And on Memorial Day... you will be remembered.

At least by some.

The closing of Jamie Herrera Watch.

There comes a time when all good things come to an end.

I was talking with a friend today... one of the few politicians I actually respect (and their are a few) and she asked me, "Isn't it time?"

"Jaime is our congresswoman.  She is likely to BE our congresswoman for quite some time to come.  You don't have to be a cheerleader.  But it no longer serves any purpose."

The friend is Ann Rivers.  She is the first elected official in any capacity to ever suggest that I take the blog down... that it's time was past.

Other electeds have claimed to discuss it with me (Right, Marc?) with a view towards shutting it down but they never have.

Ever.

I thought about what Ann told me.

I had no real response to fault her logic... so I told her I would do it.

That does not mean that I'm happy with Jaime.  I'm not.

But I acknowledge that at times, I was over the top.  At times, I may have written things that hurt Jaime or her family and for that, I apologize.

Ann suggested that as well... and it made sense.

This is, then, my final post here on Jaime Herrera Watch.  I assure the reader that I made this decision on my own, that no one forced me or pressured me or threatened me in any way.

To the 20,000 plus visitors that blog had this year, I will continue to write here.

When I disagree with Jaime, I will let her know here.

But there will be no further positing on Jaime Herrera Watch.

As I suspected, Obama's gay marriage pandering was a bad mistake for him.

Somebody (yeah, it was me) pointed out that Obama was making a terrible mistake:

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Obama goes gay.

When you're losing, you might as well flame out like a comet.

Mr. Decisive, Mr. "Gutsy Call," Mr. "I don't think marriage is a civil right" Obama who would have you believe HE is responsible for taking out OBL, FINALLY pulled the trigger on gay marriage.

That's surprising to me... not that he hasn't supported the concept all of his life or that he lied about it when he ran for president last time... but that he had the guts to take a stand at all.

This was a political mistake for him.  And he'll come to regret it.

Well, let's see how that's working out for him, shall we?

Florida poll: Quarter of voters less inclined to back Obama over gay marriage issue

• Comments (99)

By BYRON TAU |

5/23/12 6:34 AM EDT

President Obama's same-sex marriage endorsement makes a full quarter of Florida voters less likely to cast their ballots for him, according to a poll released Monday.

Quinnipac's latest poll of the Sunshine State finds that 25 percent of voters say Obama's endorsement of gay marriage makes them less likely to vote for him. On the other hand, 11 percent say that it makes them more likely to vote for him.

(Also on POLITICO: Poll: Gay marriage opposition drops)

Among independents, 23 percent say that they're less likely to vote for Obama over same sex marriage. Older voters (55 and older), born-again evangelical Christians, lower income voters and military veterans are all more likely than other demographic groups to say that Obama's backing of same-sex marriage will sway them towards Romney.

On the whole, Romney beats President Obama by six points in Florida, leading 47 to 41 percent over the incumbent president.

More:

This is a net loss of 14% in Florida.  And if Obama losses Florida...

It's starting to look like he doesn't know any more about getting re-elected than he does the economy, or jobs, or telling the truth, or foreign policy, or the military, or.... or... or....

"Liz supports a district wide vote." Why not a COUNTY-wide vote?

As we all know, the CTran taxing district was a scam put together by the downtown mafia/Chamber of Horrors/CRUDEC types who really didn't want to here the word "no" from 100,000 voters... they just wanted to extort their tax increase from us by including every retail center of any size in the county as a point to pay the tax while excluding tens of thousands of us from being allowed to have a say.

Democrat Commissioner and PCO candidate Marc Boldt, (Who, in the interests of full disclosure, is my brother-in-law and my former boss in the Washington State House) voted for this massive rip off, along with every other democrat involved in the scam which was implemented after yet another horrific CTran defeat back in 2005.

The result?

A gerrymandered district that would have put Boss Hogg to shame... a district where every possible precinct that voted "no" was eliminated from the vote while every possible location that collects sales tax was included... disenfranchising most of rural Clark County, enabling the few in Vancouver proper to slam the residents of the rest of the county with a tax increase we were not allowed to vote on.

So, when you hear from Jaime Herrera, or any candidate like Liz Pike, that they want a "district-wide vote" that phrase, in effect, means they "want to silences 100,000+ voters from being allowed to participate in the vote... they don't want us to have any say.you've got to wonder: why do they support disenfranchising tens of thousands of voters from having a say... but not from paying the tax?

This is currently displayed on her campaign web site: 

By "supporting a district wide vote," instead of a COUNTY WIDE VOTE, Pike is emulating Leavitt, Stuart, Boldt, Miller and many other supporters who are not interested in the will of the people.

Settling for a pre-ordained faux vote of the variety those supporting this gerrymandering advocate provides, essentially, a pre-ordained outcome.

Courage requires something much more.

It requires standing up for those of us denied a voice by those who view us as an unfortunate impediment to their agenda.

Pike is, apparently, one of those.

Where's a Republican when you need one?

So... ya getting it yet about Jaime Herrera?

There should be much more to calling yourself a "Republican."

Jaime Herrera is an example where it's all too frequently just that: a label she uses and abuses... nothing more.

How Tea Party is Congresswoman Herrera Beutler?


Blog: Political Beat

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By Stevie Mathieu (Columbian Staff)

May 22, 2012

A shift of power fueled in part by the Tea Party movement placed 87 new Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2010 elections. This month, Club for Growth released a report on how well those new Republicans were living up to Tea Party expectations.

First-term U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, received a 53 percent rating from Club for Growth, a conservative group registered as a 527 organization. That means she voted in alignment with Tea Party values 53 percent of the time, according to the group's analysis.

“What we found was that while some freshmen have lived up to the promises they made to the tea party movement, dozens of them are big-spenders and are no different from many of the veteran Republicans they serve with,” according to the report.

Their report is titled: “Just how Tea Party Are They?: How Freshman Republicans of the Class of 2010 Rate on Economic Freedom.” It rates lawmakers based on limited government and pro-growth policies.

More:

Herrera is but one example of Romney's hypocrisy: Romney blasted Rick Santorum for multiple votes to raise the debt ceiling... and then turned around and endorsed Herrera who has, you guessed it, voted to raise the debt ceiling multiple times.

She reminds me of my brother-in-law, democrat Commissioner Marc Boldt.

I'm stunned... STUNNED, I tell ya... about her low rating.

But then, that can happen to RINO's.

Cross posted at Jaime Herrera Watch.

Thankfully, Jon Russell has finally resigned.

The wonderful news that Jon Russell is not only no longer in government but moving to the other side of the country was greeted across CCP and JRW lands with joy and acclimation.

Russell's political behavior and actions are so egregious that I devoted a blog to his hi jinks... a blog that will stay up in perpetuity for generations to come.

It's unfortunate that someone of Russell's proven lack of character and integrity has managed to fool people who should presumably, know better.

For details, search both this blog and Jon Russell Watch.

His absence will neither be noticed or missed.

Hopefully, he will never come back... and I am thankful that I've never had to suffer under his "representation."

In that, I appreciate the fact that his influence failed to extend beyond the city limits of Washougal, and soon, he will become a distant memory.

Like Lew Waters, I wish his employer luck.

With him working for them...

...They're gonna need it.

Cross posted at Jon Russell Watch.

Fascinating blog post from Carolyn Crain on Marc Boldt: Boldt continues to oppose the Second Amendment and our right to bear arms.

(Full disclosure: Commissioner Marc Boldt is my brother-in-law and I worked as his Legislative Aide for 6 years in Olympia)

We all know that Boldt is under hack from the local GOP; that's the kind of thing tat can happen when you vote more like Jim Moeller and less like Tom Mielke.


A reader sent me this tidbit from Carolyn Crain, GOP candidate in the 49th against that self-same Moeller.

One comment on the county commissioners this month. I asked Marc Boldt about his voting to confiscate lawfully abiding citizen’s weapons during times of eemergency and he said he had voted for it. I responded that I had not expected that from him, a republican, it seemed unthinkable. He and the other commissioners agreed and voted to strike that language out of the ordinance the next week. Thus your second amendment right to bear arms is now restored in Clark County. At least I think it is since the feds are supposed to operate only with the co-operation of local jurisdictional authority approval. 

OK, Marc claims that he was for confiscating our weapons before he was against it.

There's nothing in the record I can find to substantiate Boldt's recollection of events:  The county's own ordinance list and disposition table doesn't appear to back Boldt's sequence of events:

Ord. 2005-08-17
Amends § 9.14.010(6), public disturbance noises (9.14)

Ord. 2005-10-03
Repeals Chs. 2.48 and 2.50; adds new Ch. 2.48A, emergency management (2.48A)


Ord. 2005-10-04
Amends §§ 2.51.160, 40.510.020 and 40.510.030, hearing examiner decisions (40.510)


Ord. 2005-10-14
Volunteer reserve deputy sheriff retirement and relief benefits (2.78)


Ord. 2005-12-01
Amends §§ 6.110A.010, 6.110A.020, 6.110A.030, 6.120.040 and 6.140.030, fees (6.110A, 6.120, 6.140)


(The boldface line, above, was the adoption of the ordinance in question)


Note: through December 1, there's nothing to indicate that the confiscation provision Boldt supported was repealed.The CURRENT ordinance that keeps us from carrying weapons during a declared emergency (When we would arguably need them most)


2.48A.090 Authorized emergency orders.

(1)(i)    An order prohibiting the carrying or possession of firearms or any instrument which is capable of producing bodily harm and which is carried or possessed with intent to use the same to cause such harm; provided, that any such order shall not apply to peace officers or military personnel engaged in the performance of their official duties;

What this says is that the county can keep us from carrying firearms.

NOW what the ordinance in question says is that if they declare an emergency, then we can't CARRY our weapons... not that they can confiscate them... although, of course, under this ordinance if we DO carry our weapons, then, well, by golly, carrying those weapons during a declared emergency is what?

Illegal.

Which means they can do what?

Confiscate them.

Unfortunately, Candidate Crain's assertion that our "second amendment right to bear arms is now restored in Clark County" doesn't appear to be the case, as Boldt supported this unconstitutional infringement on that very Amendment.

Just sayin'.

What price for a gay marriage vote? Appointment to the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board.

Political turn-coat and RINO Republican State Senator Cheryl Pflug (5th District) got her 30 pieces of silver today with her appointment by the Governor to the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board.

I guess, like Reagan Dunn, nobody "turns Gay" for nothing.

More to follow.

Fascinating: a 3 way fight for PCO here in my little district.

So now, there are 3 people filed for my little precinct, both redistricted into this little section of Heaven.

We have me... we have a Paulistinian named Gary A. Byers... and we have non-Republican Marc Boldt.

Yes, that's my brother-in-law COMMISSIONER Marc Boldt, kicked out of the GOP for all intents and purposes... Boldt filing for PCO makes as much sense as Steve Stuart filing for it...

I look forward to a "spirited" contest.

I'll be putting this to bed for now... and, after all, the reasons to reject Boldt as PCO are even more relevant as a series of reasons to vote against Boldt for Commissioner.

I wonder if the other two opponents would agree to a debate?

More... much more... later. Think mid-July.

And then it's going to be a fist fight.

Why I will not be supporting Brandon Vick in the 18th.

Interesting times here in the 1-8. 

Everyone knows that Sen Zarelli has dumped water on the fire and called in the dogs; in the natural course of things, the senior representative generally moves up to the senate, leaving an open seat behind them.

That seems to have happened here, hasn't it?  Rep. Ann Rivers announced for Senator Zarelli's seat; the end result is that her House seat is up for grabs.

I don't know much about Adrian Cortes.  I know he has a varied background of service on a number of local boards and commissions.

I know he took out an entrenched incumbent city councilman to win his election.

And I don't know if I'm going to endorse him (FWIW) or not... but I should know, soon, since I live in this district and either Cortes or Vick will be MY state representative... the democrats having screwed up and overloaded the other seat... which is, I guess, the risk you run when you decide to run a 19 year old.

But what I do know is that I cannot support Brandon.

I like Brandon as an individual.  He has a small business background, works on the family landscaping business. 

In 2010, when Brandon ran for the seat ultimately won in a hard-fought battle by Rep. Ann Rivers, Brandon had a difficult time working the campaign.  It was difficult, as I understand it, because of family concerns related to business; he had to work very hard during the day and then campaign when he could.

He had a difficult time raising money, putting just over $4400 together for his effort,  and received 5.9% of the vote in the primary, coming in fifth in a field of eight.

He went on to become Chair of the Clark County GOP in December of 2010.

That night, I asked Brandon if he could do something that other chairs had apparently found impossible:

Address the pre-packaged, looks-like-it-was-slammed-together-by-an-8th-grader-for-a-class-project GOP website that utterly pales in comparison to the democrat website, and:

Restart the newsletter... which hasn't been published in years... also handled neatly by the democrats.

SIX years, to be precise.

I've asked him about it a time or two.  I was told something was being done.... but... well...

No change.

Strike One.

The Clark County Convention was a disaster of epic proportions... for which Brandon both IS responsible, and to his credit, took responsibility.

Nevertheless, it showed a pattern of failure, a pattern of inability to anticipate the issues confronting arguably the largest Convention in this county's political history, save for the state convention.

It was a total failure.

Strike Two.

The mishandling of the Boldt debacle and the subsequent publicity.

Brandon was quoted repeatedly by the Columbian.

The Columbian is not our friend.  As a result, Brandon's ONLY comment to the Columbian about the Boldt matter should have been "no comment."

The GOP is not a public organization.  The more Brandon talked, the more the cancer on our community was able, since they were already most willing, to poke our party's entrails with a stick.

Brandon failed to recognize he was being played.  He failed to understand that the Columbian is not interested in accuracy or facts; they're only interested in protecting their token, for their agenda alleged Republican.

Strike Three.

You're out.

In the past, party chairmanships have been a launching pad for political careers.

It's also been a wrecking yard for some.

When added to the fact that Brandon is about to become a brand new father for the first time... and to campaign, by definition, will take every waking moment... as will the next legislative session, as far as that goes... one wonders:  Why would he leave his wife and baby home alone?  How can he discharge his family responsibilities and obligations sitting in interminable meetings in Olympia with his family... his wife... his newborn baby... home... alone.... day after day.... night after night?

This is a tough situation for Brandon... very tough.  He wants to be a politician and a legislator so bad that he'll do almost anything to achieve it.

Except in this case, the cost is just too high... he loves his wife and baby too much... and his vision is clouded by those with an ulterior motive who don't care what the cost is to Brandon personally.

I care.

There will be other opportunities... other elections.

But likely not for Brandon if he screws this up.

And I cannot support someone who would.

A courageous democrat who tells the truth: Meet Newark Mayor Cory Booker.

I've written about Booker before, a mayor that has assumed almost mythical stature as a political super-hero; a mayor who has shoveled snow, changed flats, and saved a woman from a burning house... all within the last year.

Mayor Booker commands respect, unlike our own Leave-it.  He tells the truth, it would seem, even when it will cost him big time... and my guess is THIS is going to cost him HUGE.

Cory Booker: ‘Stop attacking private equity’

Newark mayor praises the record of Bain Capital on Meet the Press

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BY: Washington Free Beacon Staff - May 20, 2012 11:19 am

Newark Mayor Cory Booker credited Bain Capital with growing businesses and said attacks on private equity must stop, during “Meet the Press” Sunday.

As far as that stuff, I have to say from a very personal level, I’m not about to sit here and indict private equity. It’s—to me, we’re just getting to a ridiculous point in America. Especially, I know, I live in a state where pension funds, unions and other people are investing in companies like Bain Capital. If you look at the totality of Bain Capital’s record, they’ve done a lot to support businesses, to grow businesses; this to me, I’m very uncomfortable.

Booker went on to compare the private equity attacks to attacks on Rev. Jeremiah Wright, calling them a “distraction” and “crap.”

But the last point I’ll make is, this kind of stuff is nauseating to me on both sides. It’s nauseating to the American public. Enough is enough—stop attacking private equity, stop attacking Jeremiah Wright. This stuff has got to stop. Because what it does is it undermines to me what this country should be focused on. It’s a distraction from the real issues. This is either going to be a small campaign about this crap, or it’s going to be a big campaign about the issues that the American public cares about.

Former Obama administration auto czar Steve Rattner also defended the record of Bain Capital last week, during a “Morning Joe” segment.
“So, yeah, I do think to pick out an example of somebody who lost their job unfortunately, this is part of capitalism. This is part of life,” Rattner said. “And I don’t think there’s anything Bain Capital did that they need to be embarrassed about.”

This entry was posted in Video and tagged Bain Capital, Cory Booker. Bookmark the permalink.

I don't agree with everything he says... but I can't imagine the kind of flack he's going to take for saying this about Bain Capital... which the fringe left has turned into yet another boogieman.

No, I have not and will not be a Romney supporter.  But Romney's involvement in Bain is not a reason to oppose the man... as democrat Mayor Cory Booker has just stated.

I hope he increases his security detail.  The "big tent" left ain't gonna take too kindly to a democrat leaving the plantation.

Early impressions on local legislative elections.

So, filing is over... and here's my calls:

14th will remain all GOP

17th will become all GOP

18th will remain all GOP

20th will be all GOP (since only R's are running)

49th will remain all democrat.

Clark County will be represented by 15 legislators: 12 GOP and 3 democrats.

These are relatively easy calls to make; the democratian, however, will savage most of the Republicans in their efforts to work for the fringe left; no democrat will be intelligent enough to oppose the CRC scam; all will support an income tax, all will demand more spending, higher taxes, higher fees, higher pay and benefits for their democrat masters and all will naturally support gay marriage.

Because it's not illegal to lie and because the tide is definitely anti-democrat thanks to Obama's miserable failures and the joke of governance democrats have visited upon both our state and our country, there will be no lie the left won't tell, no misinterpretation, no exaggeration no effort they won't engage in to out-Laird Laird and out-Brancaccio Brancaccio.

Hopefully, this outcome will be enough to finally kill the massive CRC rip off.

Time, of course, will tell.

More Laird Lies: There are no benefits to the CRC Scam, except to Laird's buddies.

The Pit Yorkie of the Columbian yaps again.

The problem is that the man is an almost compulsive liar on the issue.

He lies by omission... and lies by COmission.

Lie One:  The Pit Yorkie lies about costs:
Actually, when you add interest and the inevitable cost overruns, $10 billion is a more likely figure.

Any way you slice it, $3.1 billion is a lot of money. That's the projected cost of the Columbia River Crossing, replacing the Interstate 5 Bridge and extending light rail two miles from the Expo Center in Portland to Clark College in Vancouver. Add the estimated annual upkeep of light rail in Vancouver (about $2 million or more), and the overall financial burden intensifies. It's easy to see why some people insist the CRC is just too expensive.

But like a democrat budget writer, the actual inconvenient truths of the matter don't make it to Laird's word processor.  The actual cost is likely to be in excess of $10 billion with life-long, intergenerational tolls to suck hundreds of millions out of those least able to afford it... and the local small business depending on that money.

Lie Two:

THE most inconvenient truth of all: that the morons cheerleading for this scam have been totally hosed:

As I have been saying for almost a decade, loot rail is the driver for the CRC/Bridge Replacement program.

In its entirety, the massive, multi-billion scam known as the CRC was never driven by any "need" to replace the I-5 Bridge for reasons of freight mobility or to relieve congestion.

As I have been saying, quite literally for years, the ENTIRE reason to replace the bridge was to get the camel's nose of light rail under the Clark County tent flap, and to do it without asking us.

Now, it seems, no less then the Supreme Court of Oregon agrees.... with me.

The Oregon Supreme Court has succeeded in doing what scores of public meetings, thousands of pages of reports, and endless public relations spin could not: Give us the original rationale behind the proposed $3.5 billion Columbia River Crossing.

The answer, according to the court: The massive Interstate 5 bridge and freeway project is a “political necessity” to persuade Clark County residents to accept something they previously didn’t want—a MAX light-rail line from Portland to Vancouver. (To read the Feb. 16, 2012 Oregon Supreme Court decision regarding the Columbia River Crossing Project, click here (PDF, 18 pages))

The Columbian knows this: the Pit Yorkie knows this, Brancaccio, Leave-it, Stuart, Boldt, Smith, Moeller, the entire Taliban City Council of Vancouver and every member of the CRC knows this.

AND THEY DON'T CARE.

These clowns are all about committing suicide with OUR money.

And yet, not ONE of them has acknowledged the FACT that we're getting screwed, and PORTLAND is screwing us.

You see, to a liar like Laird, no objection is "rational."  No one who opposes any aspect of the rag's agenda can possibly be more intelligent than a rock, you see.  We're cursed with a paper and with government leaders who in their massive ego-driven arrogance think us stupid.

Lie Three:

Others take a more rational approach, through the prism of a cost-benefit analysis. We hear so much about the cost of the CRC, but hardly anything about the financial benefits of a new bridge and light rail. That's unfortunate, because ignoring the potential economic gains of the CRC keeps the debate dry and barren.

Cost-benefit analysis?  Here's a "cost-benefit analysis" Laird never seems to talk about:

In Portland, for example, MAX light rail carries 0.5% capacity of adjacent freeways during operation.(14) MAX light costs about $60 per passenger, but collects only $2.50 per rider in fares.(15) This results in an annual subsidy of nearly $15,000 per passenger.

14. Cox, Wendell. Newgeography.com, “Atlanta: Ground Zero for the American Dream,” Feb. 12, 2010.

15. Id.

That's right: around $57.50 per passenger, 1/2 of one percent of the adjacent freeway capacity and a taxpayer cost of $15,000 per passenger, per year.

There's MY "cost benefit analysis."  And it makes me sick that anyone could support this crap when the numbers speak for themselves.

And this doesn't even include the other aspects... the ones Laird and his ilk don't give a damn about:

The people who will have to pay the tolls.

Let's ask the right questions, shall we?

What's the benefit to 65,000 commuters to suddenly have to pay in excess of $1300 a year in addition to Oregon State Income Tax, with an amount that will only increase every year for the rest of their lives to cross a bridge... when we already HAVE a bridge that's paid for?

What's the benefit to the small businesses around here that depend on that $100,000,000 or so in disposable income this rip off is scamming from us... that they will now no longer get?

What's the benefit to the lower income commuters, already struggling to get by? 

What's the benefit of taking food out of the mouths of their kids, clothes off their backs, increasing our social service rolls and taxpayer burdens as a result?

Why, we really don't know.

And you know WHY we don't know?

Because not a single bridger/looter/toller has asked.

And do you know WHY they haven't asked?

Because they don't... want... to... know.

They haven't asked for the same reason the Lairds, Brancaccios and the other cheerleading idiots haven't talked about the Chief Justice's ruling:

They will bode no opposition of any kind for any reason.

Stalin would be so proud.

Laird goes on with the other CRC talking point lies:

Lie Four: "Reduced congestion." 

Studies have already shown that a newly completed bridge (that, after all, has the same number of through-lanes the current bridge has) will do absolutely nothing to address congestion.

Lie Five:  Portland Max: "41 million rides" 

If Portland had 41 BILLION rides, that would be completely irrelevant: we ain't Portland.  Further, I missed Laird's discussion of per rider subsidy, above and the slow speeds these trains average. (doubling commuter time)

There's a bunch of the usual, time-worn garbage they spew, like this:

How many Trail Blazers and Timbers fans take light rail to the games? What about commuters? How much do they save on parking and gas? Doesn't that matter?

Compared to the costs we'd be paying if this steaming pile is built?

No.  It DOESN'T matter.  Since you asked... moron.  And swell.  Let the Blazers and Timbers pay for it... since, like us, no one is asking them, EITHER.

Lie Six:

Then again, I don't think money is all that matters. Many CRC benefits have nothing to do with finances. For example, to a commuter, what's the financial value of getting home to the family 15 to 30 minutes earlier each evening? Hard to say, but for those people, this benefit is crucial.

Sigh.

Yet another lie.

You see, if THAT nonsense was "crucial," THEY WOULDN'T FRICKING LIVE OVER HERE.

The hole that slime like Laird want to blast into their wallet will frequently be even MORE "crucial" then the provably non-existent "15 to 30 minutes" he's babling about.  But since the Lairds of the world won't have to pay it to go to work... why, well, that's NOTHING to him... or them.

The rest of Laird's column is all the usual lies, half truths and exaggerations, all designed to do two things:

Provide political cover for the leftist slime they support who want to ram this down our throats,

And continue their jihad to get this thing built without putting it to a vote.

When you start with lies, like those of the Pit Yorkie's, nothing falls into place.  And while I have been railing against those who would harm us by their dictatorial edicts where they will enrich themselves or their friends or their employers by extorting billions from us over decades, all without asking us, I would cheerfully pack my tent and go away on this issue if they would just put it to a county-wide vote.

Our gutless congresswoman, who is in a position to force that to happen, is doing nothing (as I knew she wouldn't) because she supports this project, including the bridge replacement, loot rail AND tolls.

Our gutless democrat legislators who whine about a "toothless vote" (You listening, Moeller?) are doing nothing to put teeth IN such a vote because they don't want ANY vote that even remotely COULD show or prove the public doesn't want this scam to be built...

And my own brother-in-law, alleged Republican and Commissioner Marc Boldt is lying to my face about a vote...

And all the Brancaccios and Lairds of the world can do is lie... over and over again.