Ten years ago today, the then GOP-controlled Senate sank the CRC scam... back when Rivers was an actual Republican.

It was 10 years ago today, when Ann Rivers (Now not only a senator, but enjoying her CRC scam payoff as Assistant City Manager of Longview in ADDITION to being a state senator so she can double dip AND bring home the bacon for her REAL employer) actually was a Republican, that the GOP Caucus in the state Senate ended the CRC Scam 21 YES to 26 NO.

It was a tremendous rush to have seen this victory secured for the people of Southwest Washington as the billion-dollar Light Rail Project masquerading as an unneeded, unwanted and unaffordable bridge replacement project... when every sentient being in Washington and Oregon knows, as the Oregon Supreme Court ruled, that the entire purpose for this project was to ram loot rail down the throats of people who have repeatedly voted against it... went down to defeat.

It was a tough, tough slog. The Democratian was rabidly in favor of this scam (Of course, it's always easy to be in favor of something that YOU won't have to pay for in taxes and./or tolls to use) and they would RABIDLY attack anyone opposed to this insanity (One does recall Brancaccio's Pit Yorkie, John Laird, referring to those of us opposed to this theft as "cockroaches," doesn't one?) and would repeatedly lie about the project's impacts and the utterly fake efforts for the CRC Scammers to get "public input" which, as it turned out there were, by policy, then going to ignore.

For years, Brancaccio made it his mission to lead the charge to destroy those smart enough to see this rip off for what it was, including yours truly. He'd use his fantasy columns to attack those who could not fight back for the most part. It became the typical litmus test for political support (or at least, acceptance) Light Rail Lou, with the usual exception of, you guessed it, Rivers.

His utter hatred and contempt for David Madore was on display for all to see, and it was the lede in literally dozens of his published screeds, week in and week out.

Any political figure could lie their collective ass off about the CRC scam in support of that insanity, and Lefty had no problem with it.

However, lie to get elected by claiming you opposed tolls and then magically CHANGE your position to SUPPORTING tolls AFTER you were elected? And Lefty didn't bat an eyelid. Right, Tim Leavitt?

Even in the end, when Lefty was forced to acknowledge that we'd been lied to and played by the low-life's pushing this horrific waste of money that they people opposed, it made no difference, and lies or no, that nimriod STILL wanted us to support this insanity.

"There have been so many missteps on this Columbia River Crossing project that if it was entered on "Dancing With The Stars," it would be voted off before Mike Tyson. It's just mess after mess. The tomfoolery is epic. Even its most ardent supporters would agree with this. For me, I hold my nose and close my eyes, and say we should move forward."

And local politicians who decided to become useful tools on an utterly worthless advisory committee... and then expressed amazement that having been figureheads, their "concerns" were dismissed. Why that was not right, or unfair or something when, oddly, anyone paying attention knew from the get KNEW they were merely figureheads getting played, and the importance of what they felt or wanted or believed was right up there with what my Spaniel felt or wanted or believed by the CRC Mafia.

In short, of zero importance.

How come *I* knew it from the start, but they didn't?

Because the sold us out for nothing. They DID know, and the "surprise" they showed was merely political cover. Why, they were as "shocked" as could be.

Bull.

And here’s the list of those who sold us out, which included Marko Liias, the legislative Dr. Mengele behind the Child Mutilation/Parental Removal bill, SB5599

Cleveland, Annette (D)
Fey, Jake (D)
Harris, Paul (R)
Liias, Marko (D)
Orcutt, Ed (R)
Rivers, Ann (R)
Wilson, Lynda (R)
Wylie, Sharon (D)

The question is, will it matter?

Everyone on this list who was a part of this insanity will be reelected in 2024 should they choose to run, and if their office is up.

In the 49th, Cleveland and Wylie won’t even have to lie about it. The 49th is so much Charlie’s Country that the left could run bricks with “D’s” after their names and they’d get elected. Just look at who they HAVE run. And yes, both Cleveland and Wylie voted for the Child Butchery Bill.

Those from Seattle don't care: they don't care about butchering our children, so why should they care about this?

Who knows if Wilson or Rivers, (who both also voted to screw us on our property taxes with their fantastical support of the McLeary Budget rip-off) or Harris and Orcutt will ever be held accountable for their stupidity?

I'm sorry it turned out this way. I'm sorry these scum ganged up on us to cost us hundreds of millions up front and then hundreds of millions in never-ending, always increasing tolls. I'm sorry that the voters who went along with this charade fail to hold these people accountable.

And what a sorry state this has become as a result... on this bridge scam... and dozens of other things that hurt us every day.