Quick reminder on the local CRC/IBR loot rail scam: By POLICY, they didn't WANT public input and completely ignored it on the CRC... just like they are now on the IBR loot rail scam.

Of course. The entire thing is a scam to infest Clark County with TriMet's loot rail.

Or so said the Oregon Supreme Court:

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: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/or-supreme-court/1608702.html

They didn't have to "persuade" the citizenry. And they never did.

In fact, they planned to IGNORE US ALTOGETHER, EXACTLY LIKE THEY ARE NOW:

Except from the CRC Memo: Columbia River Crossing: Project Sponsors Council Roles and Responsibilities

Two Money Quotes:

1. I assume that each PSC member would be briefed in advance of the decision meetings by senior staff of their organizations. Senior staff is responsible for providing requested information and responding to questions. It is expected that each of the PSC decision meetings would result in a decision with no need for extended deliberations in future meetings. This approach would require extensive coordination among PDT members prior to the meetings.

The decision meetings would be open to the public, but only minimum legal notices would be provided and no display advertising would be placed. We would not encourage public participation. The Task Force chairs would be expected to attend and respond to PSC questions concerning the Task Force recommendations. Task Force members would be made award of the meetings. Meeting notes would be prepared and posted on the website.

and:

2. Non-decision meetings should be treated as opportunities for the PSC members to advise the PDT on key issues. No “official” decisions should be made at the meetings. No public notice would be provided and Task Force participation would not be sought. Meeting notes would be prepared but not posted on the website (the same as RPG and working group meeting notes).

Rest assured, the scum ramming this garbage down our throats no more care about public input, or the public generally now, than they did then.

And they didn't THEN by ACTUAL, WRITTEN, POLICY.

Nope. There was no more persuasion on this scam, then nor now, than the Soviets persuaded women to be assaulted when they took Berlin in World War Eleven.

All they had to do was buy the scum in Washington State and local government.

The tariff issue: how did we get here?

The problem isn't the tariffs per se'. The problem is that, essentially, the Court indicated money was wrongfully taken under IEEPA and, the US now finds itself in a position that all of that money resulting from that application will have to be refunded.

No, the Court didn't say that. But if money was, effectively, taken from any of us, what would we do to recover that money?

My guess is by the end of next week, hundreds, if not more, of lawsuits will be filed to get that money back, which will have to be repaid, not to mention legal fees and interest.

Further, my question, unanswered, is if this solution is so easy, then why didn't the President use those laws instead of the IEEPA which does not have the word "tariff" anywhere in it?

Not to mention, where was all that high-priced legal talent when it came to finding ways to implement tariffs? Did ANY of them foresee this outcome? If they didn't, why didn't they? If they did, did they say anything to Trump about it? If not, why not?

Did the President ignore those warnings? Did he even see or hear them?

The devil is in the details, as this decision clearly shows.

But I seriously doubt it's as simple as many claim.

I would hope it is... but if it was all that simple, then why use an authority that was iffy at best to begin with?

Clark County is going to learn a horrific lesson on loot rail.

For readers not keeping up with the Sound Transit light rail insanity, a brief history:

Exclusive of the fact that Seattle's freeway congestion is among the worst in the entire country after wasting billions on loot rail as it is, (as is Portland's) nine years ago, without reading the fine print on HOW they were going to pay for it (massive increases in tab fees, mainly) voters in the Sound Transit district, apparently overcome by fentanyl smoke, voted to hand the district $54 billion for a promised expansion of 62 miles.

Not long ago, the Mafia chieftain running Sound Transit, former King County Executive Dow "I never met a tax increase I didn't love" Constantine came out publicly and finally spoke the heretofore obvious and well known, but never mentioned, truth.

An additional amount of money was going to be needed to complete the promised expansion project... as much as $30 billion more.

And how do they intend to do it?

At this point, the plan is to jack up a 1% property tax increase... with an actual result of a 3.8% increase, even though they're limited to 1%.

Having used the camel's-nose-under-the-tent-flap approach to get this rip off passed by the voters... this time, there will be no vote.

Governments typically don't seek voter approval for any tax increase for fear of voters saying "no."

Now, unlike the loot rail scam being rammed down our throats here locally, Sound Transit at least asked initially. No one is asking us if we want this insanity.

The reason I mention the Sound Transit debacle is simple.

THAT will be the blueprint for how we get screwed here.

WHATEVER number the scum running the IBR ultimately come up with?

Don't believe it.

There WILL be massive budget shortfalls for this scam, as even now, Oregon has loaded that garbage up like a Christmas Tree, major improvements such as new cars they'll be running through THEIR system, paid for by mainly the tolls Washington residents have to shell out to go to work and then return.

And when those shortfalls hit?

Guess who's going to pay for it? And how?

Sound Transit is showing us. $14 billion or $17 billion for the cross river, loot rail scam or whatever the final number they claim may be?

Don't believe it.

And even now, if you do the math?

Including the most recent cost scams for light rail in Seattle?

The idiots who voted for THEIR rip off are now being shown the INTERIM true cost of this expansion.
Expect that number to continue to skyrocket.

Divide 62 miles into $54 billion. That figure will get you the cost per mile promised to get that scam approved by the voters. In short, the promised cost even then was $871 million per mile.

Add the possible $30 billion to that number, billions voters will have zero say over, and what do you get? $1.355 billion. (a number that will go much high than even the $30 billion)

Per mile.

And we all already know that getting the deadly fungus of Portland loot rail across the river is just phase one. After that, the leftists will start demanding expansion in Clark County for a system we do not want, do not need and cannot afford.

And they will do their best to expand that scam without asking us. Or if they DO ask us?

They'll use the Washington State Supreme Court method of lying to get initial approval while they dramatically understate the costs; only to, again, like Sound Transit is now, jack up the costs later and force us to pay the increases.

It's worse now than it was two years ago: Public Schools continue to fail us

 It hasn't changed. We're cranking out semi-literate cretins and no one cares, least of all parents.

If a riot is ever called for, it's not at a Tesla dealership: It's at your nearest local school board.

Parents, however, have been numbed into the stupor that the fringe-left indoctrination centers known as a "public school" is actually educating their children.

Which is totally untrue.

In school districts standing up against the INSANE idea that it's OK for fake girls to compete against/use the locker rooms/shower with the real thing, the state of Washington will hammer on such a district like a drum while completely ignoring the horrific academic outcomes that are par for the course.

They'll spend more money punishing school districts standing up against state-imposed tyranny than they will insuring that high school graduates in this state are required to actually know how to read, write and do math.

And what a sad priority THAT is.

In Oregon, for example, you get a high school diploma as if you actually learned something when, in fact, you literally, as Bill says, don't have to know ANYTHING to graduate, or, for the matter, even show up to class.

Two years ago, I wrote:

For years now, I've been pounding the internet over how horrific our public schools actually are.

Any public school in this state will typically have nothing to brag about. Frequently, the end product of a high school diploma is awarded to kids failing in all areas and subjects, and in many schools, even to kids who fail to regularly show up for class.

But they get pushed through anyway and in spite of the billions the taxpayers of this state waste on the education plant, we suck... and suck HARD.... academically. Our academic outcomes are embarrassingly horrific. But we continue to indebt taxpayers to follow the pattern of shoveling cash into teacher's pockets when far too often, their final product, which they are never held accountable for producing, are abysmal academic failures.

But man, you CAN count on them having undergone social engineering instead of academic competency.

Woodland schools, for example:

Right now, 49% of kids aren't at grade level in English. 65% aren't at grade level in math. 55% aren't at grade level in science. And whole 80% attend school regularly... while 83% graduate (17% drop out rate aside) but graduate with what? A worthless piece of paper that shows no competence or academic achievement.

How is that OK?

Well, leave it to Bill Maher to point out our reality and maybe, just maybe, you can recall this the next time you're filling out a ballot to enable schools to steal MORE of your money and waste it on teacher pay and benefits that most of us can't even dream of.

And if you want to see how much YOUR kid's schools suck, just head on over to the OSPI (Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction's) report card, where you can look up how much we such statewide, districtwide or school wide.

Prepare to be sickened.

Meanwhile, here's Bill laying it out, the reality our kids... and our society... face every day.

Leavitt and Pollard

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I haven't written anything about the outcome of the primary. Until now.

I have always maintained that Pollard will win.

And, I believe, he will.

The facts ultimately remain the same. While both of these guys would probably deny it, close examination bears out the fact that they are, essentially, the same, differing only in veneer. As I have posted earlier, on the issues that really matter, there isn't a dime's worth of difference between Pollard and Leavitt.

On the most significant issue facing this region, the unneeded and unwanted replacement iof the I-5 Bridge, a $4 to God Knows how many BILLION dollar project being done entirely to bring loot rail into this community, they are in lock step.

Both of them want this carbuncle on the community's butt. Both of them don't care that it will suck $100,000,000 out of the local economy in a way that will result in reduced revenue to the city for other projects.

Pollard is completely, brutally honest about this. He doesn't dress it up like Leavitt; he not only says "tolls," he wants them everywhere they can be collected.

Leavitt, on the other hand, lies about his position on tolls. His rant over on his blog is a piece of disingenuous work not unlike the scam he ran to get the 3 voting hispanics in this community to vote for him.

That is, he rails against tolls... expresses indignation and anger at the idea... but does absolutely nothing to pull the trigger on what he will do when tolls are imposed... and if this pig gets built, there WILL be tolls... huge tolls that will hurt tens of thousands of people in the city he would lead.

Leavitt writes:

What he (Pollard) and his big-name, big-money backers (Like, for example, the unions endorsing Leavitt) refuse to understand, however, is that a toll that charges Vancouver's working class for the "privilege" of crossing the river because the current administration has done next to nothing to grow jobs here in the last two decades, with the added burden of paying Oregon income tax without receiving representation, is unequitable[sic], undemocratic, and discriminatory.

What Leavitt is choosing to overlook is the fact that failing to get our permission to build this garbage heap is, by far, the most "unequitable[sic], undemocratic, and discriminatory" cut of all... and Leavitt knows this.

Leavitt's blathering like this is utterly worthless. It's political snake oil because he will not pledge to do what needs to be done:

That is, he needs to make this an either/or equation.

Simply stated, his bluster about tolls is all show. Clearly, some were and are drawn to Leavitt and his faux anti-toll stance.

What Leavitt needs to do to show some balls is take a "no tolls" or else stance.

But he won't do that.

Why?

Because he wants the bridge AND loot rail, and he knows that killing tolls kills both the bridge AND loot rail, the two things he wants the most.

Were he to come out and actually declare that he will do everything he can to oppose this bridge; were he to extend all that alleged yet non-existent trust he has in the people to allowing us to have a say in this debacle... then and only then would his fake anti-toll stance make any sense.

Were Pollard to hammer him over his lie on this issue, it would drown out all of the rest of Leavitt's phony platitudes and fake outrage and envy at Pollard's downtown support and Pollard would crush Leavitt.

So, the choice is clear: you can choose between a slick con job that wants the bridge, loot rail and tolls (Leavitt) or you can pick Pollard who wants the same... but is at least honest enough to say so, no matter how despicable their positions may be.
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More nonsensical, disingenuous loot rail coverage from the Columbian: Danny Westneat, July 31: Seattle's train a sign of big city progress

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In the Columbian's despicable, continuing effort of shilling for the multi-billion dollar waste that is loot rail, there is no lie they won't tell, no waste of taxpayer's money they won't demand, and no "leave out all the facts" shiller they won't print.

Danny Westneat is a left-leaning, Seattle Times columnist. In today's effort, he attempts to justify the unbelievable waste of money the people of the Sound Transit area were lied into voting for. Because Seattle's waste of billions has started to run (Only $17 billion more slated to be vaporized... so far... for this colossal waste) those who, to coin a phrase, acted stupidly in supporting this steam crap pile now are doing all they can to backfill their justifications... just like the excuse for a newspaper we're stuck with here locally.

Westneat's column effectively gives credit to loot rail for solving every problem known to mankind.

Of course, his column doesn't talk about the horrific subsidies required or the additional billions waiting to be wasted on extending this system... a system the Times admits matches a couple of the more popular, but geometrically cheaper, bus lines currently running in Metro.

And the catbox liner here locally never mentions that the voters were ASKED if they wanted loot rail, nor does it mention the horrific lies government told the voters in order to get this thing passed concerning costs... and what they were going to get for their money... precisely the same scam these scum are running on us down here.

I understand the Mussolini got his trains as well. And I'm fairly sure he used many of the same methods favored by the lowlifes that want to jam this thing down our throats without a vote so BILLIONS will be wasted... and NONE of it by those supporting this crock the most.

I'm from Seattle. And Seattle is a great place to be FROM. If I wanted to live there, I'd pick up and move. For Vancouver to want to be Seattle is as moronic as shilling this crap in the name of "journalism."

Now, of course, in the interest of fairness, I'm sure that TOMORROW, we'll see a column in this propaganda sheet from someone opposed to loot rail.

But I ain't gonna hold my breath.

Jim Jacks hasn't been there long and he's a liar already: Light rail gerrymander bill approved: SB 5540

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Rep. Jim Jacks is new to the legislature. So, when he says that the measure “gives Clark County voters the final decision on the idea of creating a High Capacity Transportation Corridor area,” I can only think he's a liar... or he's stupid. If he's the former, that's too bad for the people of the 49th District, of Clark County and of this state.

Actually, if it's the latter, it's the same thing.

Rep. Jacks knows damned well that tens of thousands of Clark County voters who will be forced to pay this tax will have absolutely no say in whether or not it's implemented. To suggest that "Clark County voters" will make this decision is disingenuous at best.

So, when his seatmate, Rep. Jim "Hussein" Moeller, says the bill as an essential piece of the plan to build a new freeway bridge over the Columbia River, actually, what it is, is an essential piece of their scummy plan to ram an unwanted, monstrously wasteful bridge down the throats of 65,000 commuters and 400,000 residents of this county without a vote.

"The legislators said the project is essential to the economic recovery of Southwest Washington."

The legislators are liars.

Sucking $100,000,000 a year out of this county for tolls will do absolutely nothing to recover our economy. In fact, it will provide substantial damage to that already caused by the President with his multi-trillion dolar debt that he's hammered us with.

What it will do is reward Moeller and Jacks' political allies in the unions while they strive to waste $4 BILLION of our money so they can get light rail into Vancopuver... which is the entirety, begining to end, of the reason for this project.

These two make me ashamed of our Legislature... and the local government officials going along with this program equal a stain on democracy that will live forever on the local political scene.

Allow us a vote. Otherwise, democracy will have failed utterly in our local corner of this state.



House, Senate OK light rail tax bill
Several differences remain to be worked out

Monday, April 20 1:29 p.m.

BY KATHIE DURBIN
COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER

Legislation that would let C-Tran ask voters whether they want to create a taxing district to support the operation of light rail in Clark County has now passed both the House and Senate.

But differences between the original Senate bill and the version passed by the House remain to be worked out, including a House amendment sponsored by Rep. Jim Moeller that would delay a vote on such a measure until July 2012.

Moeller and Rep. Jim Jacks, both Vancouver Democrats, hailed the bill as an essential piece of the plan to build a new freeway bridge over the Columbia River.

“The federal government has made it abundantly clear that any new bridge will not be built unless the plan incudes a high-capacity transit component,” Moeller said in a statement. “This legislation helps our county meet that requirement.”

Jacks stressed that the measure “gives Clark County voters the final decision on the idea of creating a High Capacity Transportation Corridor area.”

The legislators said the project is essential to the economic recovery of Southwest Washington.

More:
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Update: So, light rail fans... you see what a joke the system is in this kind of weather?

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From the fine folks over at oregoncatalyst.com.

Terrible 24 hours for Tri-met

by In the news Monday, December 15. 2008

First, the Sunday Oregonian reported that Tri-met is $33 million over-budget on their Westside commuter rail for which the agency knowingly dumped millions into a one-bid company that has a stark history of problems. Instead of clamping down on the failed business Tri-met kept sending more advanced funds ahead of schedule.

Second, during the snow yesterday Tri-met’s light rail switches froze causing big delays with some passengers waiting three hours for it to move. Another light rail failure happened this morning as well. Everyone understands bad weather creates problems, but light rail’s inflexible structure means they have to depend on flexible buses to bail them out.

Posted by In the news at 10:06 | Comments (11)

Karma for this article: ++ | + | 0 | - | --
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So, light rail fans... you see what a joke the system is in this kind of weather?

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Max trains at a stand-still in Portland. Hundreds of millions spent... and what are they doing?

Bringing in busses and evacuating the light rail trains because of frozen switches.

People have been stuck in the same place for, in some case, 2.5 hours.

Billions of dollars for this?

I think not.
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