"Guilt by Association?" The wierdness zone, Jon Russell and Steve "Cold Hard Cash" Stuart.

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So, Steve "Unmarked Bills" Stuart was out and about today. And what was he doing?

He, Stuart, was PERSONALLY taking his 4x8'S off Russell's 4X8 frames, removing Russell's signs, and then replacing them with the signs he'd screwed on directly over the top Russell's as shown in the post below.

How weird.

Of course, I'm sure Stuart's had a few questions to answer just like Russell over his strange bed fellows.

How sad is it that Russell is so screwed up that he's given his locations and his wood to a fringe left democrat like Stuart, instead of Alan Svehaug, Stuart's GOP challenger?

And how sad is it for Stuart that he can't use his own wood and put up his own signs?

But to take Russell's signs down... and then put his own back up using Russell's wood, as if none of this had happened?

That is totally bizarre.

Note the Svehaug 4X8 attached to what had formerly been a Republican sign. Note the obvious signs of removal and re-attachment on Stuart's 4X8.

Why didn't Russell invite Svehaug instead of Stuart to use his sign locations and frames?

Inquiring minds want to know.

And Steve... Jon... I've got people everywhere.

Cross posted on Jon Russell Watch.
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Fascinating Reading in this month's Clark County Democrats Newsletter

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Actually, it was perhaps more fascinating for what WASN'T in it... and that seemed to be any mention of the mayoral election.

As we all know by now, Tim "The Liar" Leavitt won by lying his political ass off on the issue of tolls on the bridge.

Oddly, while most democrats supported the incumbent mayor, Royce "No choice" Pollard, the LEADERSHIP of the local democrats was doing everything they could to help titular REPUBLICAN "The Liar" Leavitt get elected.

Fassssssssinating.

Yup. Such democrat luminaries as Deena Horton, Clark County Democrat Chair; Commissioner Steve "Are those unmarked bills, Mr. Barnett?" Stuart and his newly minted democrat campaign consultant wife; not to mention democrat former Commissioner Betty Sue "Gunga Din for Barnett" Morris were sticking it to local unions and democrats, while they had $40,000 laundered from a New York City union fund to get The Liar elected. Yup.... they joined with the Downtown Mafia, showing the loyalty of my pet gold fish and while working to get a lying scumbag elected mayor of "America's Vancouver."

So, no mention of Pollard or Leavitt. They talked about every OTHER democrat running for the city council, but oddly, THE highest profile race? Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.,

Nope. No mention of that at all.

Gotta wonder why that is. Perhaps Ms. Horton is less than proud of her political perfidy?
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In My View, Dec. 4: Get rid of the bridge scam altogether.

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As it becomes increasingly clear, even to the most ardently delusional bridgeophile (and anyone supporting the destruction of our perfectly serviceable I-5 Bridge to waste billions to bring loot rail into a community that has repeatedly said they don't want it IS delusional) that there is no money for this massive crap pile, we get grudging acknowledgement of this known-for-years fact with columns like the bizarre effort in the paper today.

This same paper banged it's drum for the nonsensical plan to cap the freeway (You know.... JUST LIKE SEATTLE?) another feature that bridge fanciers fantasize about that would only toss a few hundred million more dollars onto the back of the 65,000 commuters to Portland expected to pay for this cow pie of wasteful spending. This same paper has REPEATEDLY told us that twelve lanes (when, in fact, it was NEVER more than SIX through lanes) was the ONLY acceptable way to go.

One would suppose that a grudging acceptance of reality is better than none at all. But in this instance, the factual reality is that the people of Clark County and environs who actually USE these bridges DON'T WANT TO PAY ANY EXTRA MONEY FOR UNNEEDED, UNNECESSARY BRIDGES WHEN THEIR ONLY PURPOSE IS TO GET LOOT RAIL, WHICH WE ALSO DON'T WANT, TO THIS SIDE OF THE RIVER.

As it is, we've wasted as much as $100,000,000 on this steaming pile. The new mayor of Vancouver lied his way into office when he continued to lie about tolls like Adams lied about having sex with a teenager.

So, I have a better idea: just..... stop.

Walk away now.

If THE PEOPLE of this area want a new bridge in the same place, well, I'm sure we'll let you know.

Meanwhile, you know damned well we don't. So, the best thing to do at this point is dump the project altogether; end this charade of so-called (and fake) public involvement; cutoff the leeching consultants; fire all the unnecessary bureaucrats, wiz on the fire and call in the dogs.

Otherwise, 2010 is going to be the start of a great deal of elective pain.

Starting with Steve "Yeah, Barnett owns me, what about it" Stuart, wholly owned tribal subsidiary and bridge cheerleader extraordinaire; just one of the corrupt, non-responsive elected officials who'll be wearing that bridge around their collective necks come next November.
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Formula to solve Clark County's revenue problem.

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These are tough times for government. Not nearly as tough as they are for the governed, but tough times, nonetheless.

So, how do we get the local budget under control? How do we get those leading us understand that tax increases are not the way?

I've long advocated that those government employees that have budgetary input should be allowed to personally keep 10% of any monies they save.

Unfortunately, bureaucrats are not promoted or awarded bonuses for walking into their boss's office and telling them, "Boss, you know what? My budget is too big, and I've got too many people."

What's the incentive for them to reduce the size of their empire?

You want budget cuts? Then have the people using the equipment, offices, cars and so forth make the recommendations.

We're not getting the recommendations now because there's precisely zero incentive to provide them. So make an incentive. And make it substantial.

Each recommendation has to be reviewed for viability, of course, otherwise the budget would resemble a collapsing star, it would shrink so fast.

An additional step will be to cut the pay and benefits of all county employees.

Those cuts might get less drastic if some of the county's 11 labor bargaining units, eight of which are now negotiating with the county, agree to wage freezes or benefit cuts next year.

There's really noting TO negotiate, except for the size of the pay CUTS.

Yes, that sucks for them. But does unemployment suck even more? Is a reduced pay check with county benefits preferable to NO paycheck with ZERO benefits?

It would be to me. And like it or hate it, this is hardly a worker's market, with Clark County having the highest unemployment in the state.

Here's a clue: we're in a horrific recession. Things are bad enough for the people paying the bills; there can be no way for this county to make it worse. And to Commissioner Stuart, already indebted to David Barnett for buying him his office, you're coming up for reelection in 2010. As a new-bridge/loot rail maniac and a corrupt commissioner elected entirely because of the check your boss sent in for you, you're going to have it tough enough as it is. Don't make your re-election impossible by jacking up our taxes in the midst of a recession.

In short, a little of that American ingenuity and sacrifice that our president is calling for; sacrifice on EVERYONE'S part, including those in government, is called for.

So, allow the budget writers to cut and keep some of their cuts as an incentive while cutting the pay and benefits of everyone still employed by the county... or laying off enough employees to make up the shortfall.

This situation is NOT an "emergency." It is, instead, a reflection of the economy that surrounds us all. And if Commissioner Boldt "has to do what we say," then don't ignore us by raising our taxes without asking.

You can't have it both ways, Mr. Boldt.
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Tim "The Liar" Leavitt's emails: no lie he won't tell.

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I get the buzz every now and then from people asking me why, after hammering Pollard like a nail, I'm now blowing enough political holes into Tim "The Liar" Leavitt that he can't even drink without leaking.

Well, it's simple. Tim Leavitt is a liar. His campaign started with a cynical ploy to get an endorsement from the, relatively speaking, 15 or so voting hispanics in Clark County, and he illegally used his position as a city councilman to get that endorsement.

That did it for me.

I frequently disagree with Royce Pollard. But on policy, there's essentially no difference between the two candidates.

They both want the I-5 Bridge replaced; they both want light rail, and they both know tolls will be required to get it.

Tim "The Liar" knows this as well. So what's he doing to separate himself from being in lock step with Pollard?

He's lying about his position on tolls.

As I have frequently shown, Leavitt supports tolls; he knows tolls are required; he knows this bridge won't be replaced without tolls, and he will not oppose the bridge when tolls are required.

Of course, if he REALLY opposed tolls, he would tie his support of the bridge to that issue.

But he doesn't, because he clownishly tells us he doesn't want to be an "obstructionist."

It's not surprising that this little worm has confused principled opposition, supported by the facts, with being an "obstructionist."

Leavitt and his handlers, including Steve "Show me the $100,000, Mr. Barnett" Stuart, have signed on to the edicts of nazi propaganda minister Joesef Goebbels, that if you tell a lie long enough, loud enough and often enough, the more ignorant and uninformed will gradually accept it as truth.

All of his other lies notwithstanding, his latest whiny, sniveling, despicable effort involves an email the moron running his campaign sent out; where, once again, he refuses to take responsibility for HIS screw ups, and then includes the following blatant lie about Pollard:
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Royce Pollard, as the candidate, has the power and ability to stop this negative campaigning. Even those attacks that are coming from independent organizations -- he has the ability to stop them and he is choosing not to.
___________________________________________________

See, this why I don't want The Liar anywhere in government.

THE CANDIDATE HAS NO CONTROL.... NONE.... OVER "INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATIONS." AND THIS LYING SCUMBAG KNOWS THAT.

That's why I support Pollard.

I oppose many of Pollard's policies. but unlike The Liar, Pollard is HONEST about his positions, where the sniveling little punk running against him is one of THE most lying scumbags I have EVER seen.

So, I'm stuck between supporting an individual with the strength of his convictions, no matter how much pressure he undergoes... or supporting a lowlife, scumbag lying weasel who blew off his voting duty and then blamed POLLARD for HIS failures.

And for me, that's a choice that a blind man could see in a minute.

And with every lie, every exaggeration, every effort to shift blame and avoid responsibility by this scum-sucking slime merchant, my conclusion is re-enforced a thousand fold.

It's bad enough that some of our elected leaders BECOME lying scum (like, for example, the empty suit in the White House.)

But should they actually start out that way?

No. And Tim "The Liar" Leavitt is so co-opted by his political need to be a pathological liar that he wouldn't know the truth if it walked up and bit him in the ass.
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So... why would a New York City union be dumping $30,000 into Tim "The Liar" Leavitt's mayoral race?

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Politics can bring out the very best in people.

As Tim "The Liar" Leavitt has proven, it can also bring out the very worst.

Today's quiz question?

Why would a New York City Union PAC launder $30,000 in "independent expenditures" for "The Liar's" campaign?

I've got to admit, I've never heard of "Unite Here State and Local Fund."

But a few dots were connected when I saw this.

Dot Number One:

We have a Seattle megacasino developer with a history.

He has a history of twice trying to buy Pam Brokaw's elections... first in 2004 when he, well, laundered $20,000 or so through the Washington Conservation Voters, a fringe left democrat outfit masquerading as an environmental group... and most recently when someone bent him over for $78,000 when he managed to lose Brokaw's race for county commissioner for her.

He has a history of dropping a cool $100,000 to buy Commissioner Steve Stuart. He laundered that through Progressive Majority, yet another fringe-leftist democrat front that is, well, neither progressive, nor (thankfully) a majority.

This time, he was successful, and he owns Steve Stuart like the 13th Amendment was science fiction.

And NOW? NOW we have $30,000 from a union in New York City.

When the effort was made to buy Brokaw by buying her elections, he was caught because of reporting requirements.

The PDC reported his donation(s) to the democrat front group WCV AND his moronic, $78,000 play in the last few days of the commissioner race last year.

He got away with it when he bought Stuart, because out of state reporting rules were much more lax.

Now, however, we suddenly see $30,000 parachute in from New York, which certainly has different reporting requirements making it much more difficult to determine where that coin is coming from.

As a result, it's going to take time for me to get this information, since the NY version of the PDC wants hard (as opposed to Email) copies of everything and their campaign finance system is much less user-friendly. But get it, I will.

Dot Number Two:

That said, I don't know for sure WHO is behind this. But I DO know that Steve "Cold hard cash" Stuart. a past beneficiary of David Barnett's largess, is very heavily involved in Leavitt's campaign, along with fellow megacasino supporter Betty Sue Morris.

Dot Number Three:

Interesting series of factoids, these. Can you detect the pattern?

Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us four times, and, well... you get the drift.
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There's a certain level of irony in these so-called Bridge/loot rail workshops.

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So, the planners want to hear from us on light rail stations, etc... and presumably, they can continue to ignore us... but placate us with how "public" the process has been.

The utter nonsense of it all.... the irony, if you will, is that we, the people, don't want any of it.

It's not unlike the condemned man getting the privilege of picking out the rope that will be used to hang him.

The end result is the same: how he gets dead doesn't really matter.

The powers that be, ignoring the needs and want of the people they dominate and ignore, want us to believe we've actually had a say. Using another analogy, it's much like polling the passengers on the Titanic after everyone felt that little "bump" in the ice field as to what pattern of china goes best with the silverware.

It astounds me that we seem to have abrogated our ability to just say "no" to this massive, unneeded waste of billions of our hard-earned dollars. The monumental arrogance of our public servants, those who, allegedly, work for US seem to have become confused as to their station in life.

Are they, in facts, servants of the public? Or has the worm turned, so to speak, so we find ourselves working for, and paying for, those self-same servants? So far, we're a $100 million plus buried into this unbelievable heap of steaming crap, wasted on studies and consultants as they busily vacuum up the taxpayer's dollar.

We have a multi-billion dollar project that we have to pay for being rammed down our throats. Tim "The Liar" Leavitt tries to make political hay out of this situation by lying about his position on tolls... the unions stand to get paid off and we stand to see a $100,000,000 hole blown in our local economy for the next several decades as a result.

Man... I bet these scum are proud.
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Disturbing news about the County Commissioners: apparently, it really is who you know.

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If the Columbian is to be believed (and they by no means HAVE a high believability quotient) there's goin's ons down at the county that are way over the line of corruption.

The article states:

Saying they hope to respark the economy, county commissioners are letting a few well-connected developers push aside costly new environmental rules that others are forced to follow.

Oh, really?

This, if true, is the kind of thing that sickens me about politics and politicians.

In this era of massive budget cuts and reduced revenues, our political leaders must go out of their way to avoid even the appearance of corruption.

For example, the democrat-controlled legislature engaged in obvious corruption when they gave the democrat newsletter called the Columbian and the others of similar ilk a massive cut in their business and occupation tax in the midst of a $10 BILLION budget deficit, guaranteeing the continued "love" of the media... since they bought and paid for it with our money, fair and square.

It's far too easy to be seduced by money. If our commissioners are giving anything approaching "special consideration" to those who financed their campaigns, then that amounts to "pay for play."

It's bad enough that the commissioners have us subsidize the developers by charging outrageous permitting fees to private landowners for additions and car ports.

But there is absolutely no excuse for this kind of corruption. And that is precisely what this seems to be.

Today's quiz question: what are they going to do about it?
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Steve Stuart's bachelor party? I'm surprised it wasn't sponsored by David Barnett and the Paskenta/Mohegan/Cowlitz Mob.

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So, two of Tim the Liar Leavitt's biggest supporters are going to merge their operations.

Steve "$100,000 in cold hard cash" Stuart is getting married. And in keeping with their position as the local democrat newsletter, the local rag has to tell us about it.

Steve's a bright guy. Like that empty-suited, anti-American racist bigot in the White House, ol' Steve graduated from law school. Course, he never passed the Bar... but at least he graduated from a school.

Steve is a Clark County Commissioner. Now, the ONLY reason he's a Clark County Commissioner is because one David Barnett illegally laundered $100,000 through a fringe democrat front group, one Progressive Majority, who then illegally spent almost $90,000 of it getting Stuart elected back on 2005.

Now, I'm given to understand that Stuart knew that Barnett was going to be bundling this illegal cash for what is SUPPOSED to be an "independent expenditure" in August of that year. Barnett cheerfully gave up that, to him, minor amount of cash; because he, Barnett, knew that Stuart's then opponent, now Clark County Commissioner Tom Mielke, would do everything he could to keep the organized crime project then known as the Barnett/Mohegan/Cowlitz megacasino from being built and injuring our economy, overloading our infrastructure and screwing up our community.

Stuart, on the other hand.... not so much.

Now, Barnett has a history of attempting to buy politicians. In his ignorance (and for a guy with so much money, his political ignorance is frightening) Barnett gets hosed by consultants, has no sense of timing, and is dramatically unconcerned about a few mundane issues like election laws.

The first effort Barnett made to buy an election was with our own, inimitable, Pam Brokaw, back in the 2004 cycle.

Richard Curtis was running against Brokaw in the 18th District. Brokaw had no experience or qualification to be a state representative... just like she had none to be a county commissioner... but she was running for an open seat and the local newspaper only endorses democrats in open seats.

It's their history and an editorial policy or something.

Curtis was, at the time, strongly opposed to the criminal enterprise on the drawing board for the LaCenter exit of I-5. Brokaw never stood a chance, since in addition to her myriad of other talents, she supported gay marriage and partial birth abortion, two non-starters in the heavily conservative 18th.

Towards the end of her inevitable political demise, David Barnett swoopes in and dumps a cool $25,000 or so into an "independent expenditure" through Washington Conservation Voters, of all people, who then did a rather pathetic mailer accusing Curtis of supporting I-892, an initiative that would have started the process of ending the tribal gambling monopoly had it passed.

Washington Conservation Voters, like Progressive Majority, is a leftist front group that can be bought when the price is right... like Barnett bought them here.

Barnett has a LOT of money... so, he likes to "buy" things... "things" like politicians and groups, typically portrayed by media (How many times as our local stain on journalism relied on the WCV for quotes, positions and bulletins?) as having some level of worth or stature that they are wholly undeserving of.

Barnett's political ignorance showed. This time, he left an easily discovered paper trail, and his efforts to buy Brokaw blew up in his face, and Brokaw was blown out in the general.

But for Barnett, it was a teaching moment. He knew he had compromised his effectiveness in buying a candidate by doing it in such a way that his paper trail could be discovered and used both as proof of his efforts to corrupt OUR election, and that a politician had been bought.

So, in 2005, Stuart was up in a special election. Stuart had been appointed to replace Craig Pridemore who, in a stunningly moronic move, gave up his commissioner's seat to become a state senator... a position that earned half the money and ten times the frustration.

Stuart, the democrat, ran against Mielke, the Republican. Tom ran a solid campaign, and was ahead on points... when Barnett's $100,000 hit... $100,000 that Stuart KNEW was going to hit, months before.

Barnett knew that Mielke was a threat to his plan to screw our community, so $100,000 was chump change to buy a commissioner and eliminate an enemy. And it worked like a charm, THIS time, because he laundered his money through an out of state organization, with completely different reporting requirements. In fact, it wasn't until December of that year that it could be proved that Barnett had bought and paid for Stuart by laundering tens of thousands through Progressive Majority.

The $100,000 bought Stuart a series of mailers full of lies, half truths and exaggerations... and Stuart barely won.

Had Barnett not corrupted our election, Stuart would be pumping gas in Oregon, or something, instead of raping us on the unneeded and unwanted I-5 Bridge replacement/loot rail scam.

He also wouldn't be doing all he could to get that casino in here, like he did with that bogus rescission resolution that made the Cowlitz thug squad so positively giddy.

Barnett, not having learned his lesson the first time, tried to stop the bleeding again with Brokaw; a candidate who went around saying that she would kick Mielke's ass since she had it all her way.

She had a HUGE fund raising edge (something like 4 to 1) and a leftist tide sweeping the land as Obama easily won Clark County.

What she DIDN'T have was an anti-bridge/tolls/loot rail/casino position. She was owned by the unions and by the casino.

Fortunately for our community, Mielke had all of those things, so thousands who voted for Obama then turned around and voted for Mielke.

And they voted for Mileke in spite of Brokaw arranging to have Barnett dump almost $80,000 into the last 72 hours or so of the election.

You would have thought Barnett would have known better.

But then, it had worked with Stuart... so why wouldn't it work with Brokaw?

So, congratulations to Steve Stuart and what's her face. May Stuart's corrupt political career end as soon as possible, and may you both find happiness in whatever Stuart's next career is going to be... pumping gas in Oregon, or whatever.
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Leavitt the Liar: He DOES support tolls!

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All along, Tim Leavitt has been lying.

Leavitt, best known for manipulating the few eligible-to-vote hispanics in Vancouver into endorsing him by manipulating their politically ignorant leadership, has been a militant supporter of both the unneeded, unwanted and moronically wasteful I-5 bridge replacement AND the EQUALLY unneeded, unwanted and moronically wasteful loot rail that is the entire reason behind replacing the I-5 bridge in the first place, since there IS no other reason to do so.

Well, today, it was put to him.

Leavitt, who serves on the project sponsors council with Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard, has made his opposition to bridge tolls a centerpiece of his mayoral campaign.

In an interview afterward, Leavitt said he intends to press the federal government to pick up the cost of the $3.2 billion project. "Tolls are still not on the table for me," he said. When pressed to say whether he’d rule out supporting a new bridge if a toll became unavoidable, Leavitt indicated he wouldn’t go that far.

"I’m not an obstructionist," he said.

So, if he's "not an obstructionist," then what he ABSOLUTELY IS is a LIAR. Taking the correct, principled stand against this moronic idiocy if people will have to pay an additional $1300 a year tax to work in Oregon has nothing to do with "obstructionism." What it has to do with is common sense. And this one statement by Leavitt proves that he not only supports the bridge and loot rail... but he ASLO supports tolls as well, since there is precisely NO way this pig will be built without tolls.

I know it; Pollard knows it, and Leavitt damned well knows it.

To claim you won't accept tolls ("Tolls are not on the table for me") and then refuse to oppose the bridge replacement loot rail scam if tolls are required ("I'm not an obstructionist") is to admit you ARE a lying scumbag.

And yes, Tim... that means you.

As I've said many times before, neither Pollard nor Leavitt should be in government in any capacity. But at least Pollard has the guts to unabashedly stand by what he says.

Leavitt, on the other hand, is a total weasel. He's TRYING to get people to believe he's against tolls when anyone paying attention knows that's a lie. What he's TRYING (and clearly succeeding to a degree) to do is to scam people into thinking he's principled and has integrity and that he means what he says.

But that's a lie, because if he actually MEANT what he said, then he'd pull the trigger and tell the scum ramming this garbage down our throats the fact of the matter: if this pig has to have tolls, then I will oppose it with everything I have.

FAILING to do this, as Tim has FAILED to do this just means that he's TRYING to have his cake and eat it to. Gutless little worm.

God, I am so sick of scumbag manipulators like Leavitt I just want to blow chunks. I hate them and everything they represent.

Is it any wonder that Commissioner Steve "Yeah, Barnett bought me for $100,000... what about it?" Stuart supports this scumbag?

Sickening. Absolutely sickening.
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Meanwhile, why is it that Leavitt is surrounded by Megacasino supporters... and what is his position on that?

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So, as I look at the Pollard-Leavitt issue, and I have to ask myself: Why are the Barmett/Paskenta/Mohegan/Cowlitz megacasino slime coalescing around Leavitt?

We all know Clark County Commissioner Steve "I can be bought for $100,000 from David Barnett" Stuart's take on the megacasino: he has always been a supporter, and almost got away with scamming us on that bogus "recision" agreement that the criminal types found so exciting.

We're all familiar with former Clark County Commissioner Betty Sue Morris, a commissioner who sold us out to Barnett and screwed us with an MOU that she should be ashamed of.

And Heather Melton, Commissioner Steve "Yeah, Barnett Owns Me" Stuart's fiance'.

These three seem to be working double overtime to get Leavitt elected. Why?

Neither Pollard nor Leavitt should be in elective office. But Pollard, after initially getting hosed by the Barnetts, at least has taken the right position to fight this monstrosity that Stuart, Morris and Melton are doing their best to sell us out over.

What's Leavitt's position? Are these 3 supporting this casket salesman because he'll do what he can to get the megacasino in here?

The whole world's watching, Tim. Where are you on the megacasino?
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So far, they've only wasted $2.3 BILLION on loot rail in Seattle: BILLIONS more to go!

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With all the fanfare of a visiting fireman, the loot rail system in Seattle finally got off the ground when it opened up a few days ago, and the results have been... well, what *I* expected, but surprisingly sparse to the idiots shilling this obsolete, massive waste of money.

This blog is rife with reference to the massive waste, fraud and abuse of loot rail; the government lies that were used to persuade the ignorant it was a good idea, the hundreds of millions.... billions of dollars added to what the voters agreed to without their permission.

And the result?

The 600-space lot at Tukwila International Boulevard Station was about half-full around 1 p.m., compared to about a quarter-full mid-way through the morning commute.

THIS is the result of $2.3 BILLION in taxes, expenditures and lies?

THIS?

And there's only $19.6 BILLION (before cost over-runs and delays) left to go.

This is what WE face HERE. The expenditure of 4, 6, 8 or more BILLIONS of dollars to implement a system that will NOT move ANYTHING CLOSE to the number of people required to justify it's absurd, obsolete costs.

And one wonders: since Sound Transit admitted, several years ago, that a COMPLETED LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM WILL HAVE NO IMPACT ON TRAFFIC CONGESTION....WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS?

For the same reason they're doing it down here... except the people in the Sound Transit area at least had the4 courtesy of a vote before their governments raped them... and we don't even get that.

Imagine what we could have done with that money to actually make a difference, instead of enriching the unions and a select few contractor/suppliers. The schools, the hospitals, the health care, the housing that we COULD have built instead of this nonsense.

And the arrogant asses here... the Pollards, Stuarts, Leavitts, Columbian Newspapers WHO WILL NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS UNIMAGINABLE WASTE will have this to look forward to... this utterly abysmal failure of policy and waste.

Despicable.

Originally published July 20, 2009 at 9:00 AM Page modified July 20, 2009 at 1:22 PM

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Light commute on light rail so far

On the first day of regular light-rail service, ridership on Sound Transit's new Link train system is, well, rather light. Trains are arriving from downtown Seattle to Tukwila with fewer than 10 passengers aboard.

By Mike Lindblom

Seattle Times staff reporter

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ELLEN M. BANNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES

A lone traveler waits for the link light rail train to pull into the Tukwila International Blvd. station in Tukwila early Monday morning.

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Light-rail ridership appears to be picking up a bit mid-day, on this first day of regular service.

The 600-space lot at Tukwila International Boulevard Station was about half-full around 1 p.m., compared to about a quarter-full mid-way through the morning commute.

Around 8 a.m., trains were arriving at Tukwila from downtown Seattle with fewer than 10 passengers aboard.

Sound Transit's $2.3 billion line was getting better use near downtown this morning, where a train entered International District/Chinatown Station with just over 100 people aboard at 7:30 a.m., said Martin Young, a commuter-rail manager helping with Monday's light-rail start.

The Times counted 39 riders aboard the 9:30 a.m. northbound train into Chinatown. Beacon Hill Station appeared the busiest.

The few people who riding the train were enjoying the trip.

Giorgio Umali, 23, was heading from Tukwila to a receptionist job at Virginia Mason Medical Center, fiddling with his tie and looking toward the mountains.

If he weren't taking the train, Umali said, he'd be driving downtown and hunting for a parking space — a risky venture after getting a $35 parking ticket only last week.

"I thought there would be more people here today," Umali said. "I think it will be definitely worth it in the long run. I-5 can be horrible sometimes."

"I like it," he added. "It's nice, clean, spacious. Good views."

The train glided through Tukwila at 55 miles per hour, but on one curve, it rocked slightly side to side. Otherwise, the ride was smooth.

Eden Bossom tried the southbound train today as part of her commute from Capitol Hill to Southcenter. Bossom supports the light-rail system, saying people need to change their mindset about commuting. She plans to test the system throughout the week, timing it against her typical Metro bus commute.

She rode her bike one mile to Westlake and one mile from Tukwila to Southcenter, bringing it aboard the train. Bossom's bicycle swung on its rack, with its seat protruding into the aisle because of where the train's bike rack is positioned. On Friday, a swinging bicycle whacked Sound Transit CEO Joni Earl during a dignitary ride, as first reported by The Stranger.

Ticket machines have been freezing up sporadically during customer use. Technicians were installing software patches. A standard two-car train can hold 400 people packed, and more than 300 people comfortably. Over the weekend, an estimated 92,000 people took free rides, Sound Transit reported.

Normal use is projected at 26,600 per weekday next year — far more than today's trend.

"It's a Monday morning, on a brand new system, on a really nice sunny summer day in July," said spokeswoman Linda Robson.

Metro bus routes will change this fall to feed more riders to the stations, the new school year should add hundreds of riders, and on Dec. 31, the train line will grow two miles to reach Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. (A free shuttle bus goes from Tukwila to the airport until Dec. 31.)

Skeptics have complained for years ridership will be weak, because the Link corridor serves a limited area, compared to buses that go multiple places.

This is a starter line. Ridership should grow because of population increases, as well as a new $1.9 billion line in 2016 to Capitol Hill and Husky Stadium, followed by $18 billion in lines to Lynnwood, north Federal Way, and the Overlake Transit Center, near Micrsoft in the early 2020s.

Mike Lindblom: 206-515-5361, or mlinblom@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2009 The Seattle Times Company

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I flew into SEA-TAC on Sunday. Landing at 9:58 am. Nobody at the airport had any clue as to how to getto the light rail. There were no noticable... Posted on July 20, 2009 at 9:54 AM by Transconjohn. Jump to comment

I hopped on at Columbia City around 8 AM, heading into town, did a quick head count and it looked to be a little less than half full. Seems... Posted on July 20, 2009 at 9:23 AM by hishma. Jump to comment

"Trains are arriving from downtown Seattle to Tukwila with fewer than 10 passengers aboard." Who the hell wants to go to Tukwila? How... Posted on July 20, 2009 at 9:19 AM by Old Skool Sea. Jump to comment

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Here's our future if the idiots get their uneeded and unwanted I-5 bridge replacement with loot rail.

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Our so-called government, run by indifferent morons who could care less about what we want and who have no intention of asking us (You listening Tim Leavitt? You listening Royce Pollard?) are doing their very best o ram a $4, 6, 8 or $10 BILLION project down our collective throats for one reason and one reason only:


To get loot rail into Clark County.


Well, here's our future if they manage to pull it off.


$33 subsidy PER RIDER, PER TRIP.


What a HUGE, MASSIVE waste of OUR MONEY!


And the idiots (Leavitt, Pollard, Stuart, et al) DON'T CARE.




omments 36 Recommend 1
WES train service costs TriMet $33 per commuter
10:59 AM PDT on Friday, July 17, 2009
By Kgw.com Staff

BEAVERTON, Ore. – A new train is a time saver for some, but not everyone is onboard with TriMet's Westside Express Service.


WES train costing big

Cascade policy Research group President John Charles says the system is a financial train wreck that translates into TriMet losing about a half million dollars a month on the service.

"It's not heavily travelled, with fewer than 600 passengers a day,” Charles said. “The costs in the last three months have skyrocketed and ridership has gone down. In a city that prides itself on sustainability, how is that a sustainable model?"

Conductors told KGW that on an average weekday, the morning trains had about 30 riders on them.

"I take it two or three times a week, at least sometimes twice a day," rider Allana Morgan said.

"I really like it - it shaves a whole lot of time off of my day."

TriMet says a lot of it has to do with the state of the economy.

"With fewer people working, double digit unemployment and in this recession - we think ridership is going just slower than we had anticiapated but this is a line for our future," TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch said.

According to TriMet's own data on WES’ performance for the month of May, the operating cost is almost $33 per passenger on average. The average fare was $1.15.

"Obviously, this is an expensive transit option - but it's an investment in our future," Fetsch said.

"That's what all the apologists for rural transit say and there's no evidence to support that that's true,” according to Charles.

TriMet said since WES is regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration and that it operates on tracks that were already in place makes it more costly to operate than the MAX light rail or the bus.

KGW Reporter Erica Heartquist contributed to this report.
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