Why do CTrans and the Columbian insist on lying about Light Rail?

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While it has been awhile since the Columbian ran one of their many fictional articles concerning what the people here want when it comes to the massive waste and corruption surrounding the unnecessary replacement of the I-5 Bridge so we can have loot rail stuffed down our throat, they apparently haven't forgotten how it's done.

There is, of course, only one way to determine what the people of Clark County want, and that is to ask us. Oddly, this cancer on our community has yet to begin pursuing that effort as they continue to beat the drum in their Goebbelian campaign to get this multi-billion dollar waste of our money built.

Their most recent embarrassment, "C-Tran survey suggests voter support for light rail" is not the exception that proves the rule.

There is, as you might expect, absolutely nothing in the study that suggests any such thing; the questions were utter nonsense, failing to address the costs or impacts of the $100,000,000 a year the people of Clark County will have to suffer every year to pay for the Columbian's pet project, failing to ask any in the opposition what their positions might be on their babble... all par for their course for the embarrassment to journalism that this paper represents.

Clearly, their financial bankruptcy did nothing to address their intellectual and ethical bankruptcy.
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The epilogue of Luke Jensen: Steve Jensen's father died this morning.

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This came from the "Support for the Jensen Family" facebook page.

To members of Support for the Jensen Family

Shannon Smith Dow May 10 at 11:08am

Steve's dad, Paul passed away. The amazing thing is that even in this the family is able to see God's provision. As I said in the earlier request, Paul lived in Texas and his health had already been an issue. Because Paul was here for the family after Luke's passing...he was with his family for his. The family...Steve and his sisters were all together with their dad at the hospital. Had Paul been in Texas his children would have not been together and with him.

Please continue to pray. Pray not only for the the Steve Jensen family....but for the extended Jensen family that has suffered another great loss.

There is just something horrifically wrong about all of this. I simply cannot find the words to even begin to describe it.

I just... can't find them.
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The sheer, unadulterated idiocy of unions: Vancouver steel workers strike? Are you KIDDING me?

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Imagine having a full time job. Imagine having that full time job in a county with almost 15% unemployment (closer to 22% in real terms) and then, imagine a group of morons who go on strike in the midst of a horrific recession... and that's what you've got here.

I can't speak for the folks who own this mill.... but I would shut it down before I would give into their demands.

These morons turned down a pay raise because there were benefit cuts.

One has to wonder: if they lose their jobs altogether, how would THOSE benefit cuts look?

I sincerely hope that this company hires strike breakers immediately. These people obviously lack the common sense of a board fence and are to dangerous to have around heavy equipment.
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Interesting goin's ons on the 18th.

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Two candidates have announced their withdrawal from the 18th District race; one a total surprise, the other more or less expected. The question is this: what does it all mean?

Shannon Barnett has discovered that Jaime Herrera has no coat tails and carrying her water like the 13th Amendment hadn't been ratified gets you precisely no where. Hatred by itself cannot be a motivation to run for office.

Robert Dean has apparently discovered that Ann Rivers shares many of his views, concerns and experiences and has left the race, endorsing Ann Rivers on the way out.

That leaves Rivers, Bittner, Russell, and Vick.

Ann Rivers appears to have run a technically and strategically flawless campaign. She's put together an endorsement list that reads like a "Who's Who" of political and business leaders from the area. She has a history of fighting for conservative causes, and has elected conservative candidates in the past. Well connected, pragmatic, an experienced grasp of the issues with an openness and understanding of the issues unmatched in the 18th. Her fund-raising has been astounding: she has amassed $30,000 plus.

Anthony Bittner is an interesting case. He just turned 18, but he lacks most anything you would expect in the successful candidate: experience, education, understanding, situational awareness and money raising skills. He shows no endorsements.

Giving credit where it's due, however, Bittner has raised more money than two older candidates during the short time of his candidacy, including a failed former congressional candidate. Even though much of his money is from family members and none of it appears to be from within the district except for that, it's still spendable and it's $3850. But there has to be much more to a candidate than criticizing the Constitution.

Brandon Vick has difficulty raising money to date; though the updates are due tomorrow, Brandon shows that he's put together $2450 so far. Vick was the "beneficiary" of Barnett's departure; surely that stung Jon Russell the most. But Vick's positions are pie in the sky, lacking the pragmatic understanding of the reality of Olympia... a pandering set of concepts that will appeal to the far right.

He shows impractical idealism with impossible goals that no freshman can achieve or hope to achieve. Jumping up and down and yelling "we need to do A,B, and C" won't get it done. And new members of the House provide zero leadership... in anything. You've got to pay your dues to get there, and you've got o pay your dues once you show up. He shows no endorsements.

That leaves us with Russell.

Jon Russell Watch covers him, but the Cliff's Notes version is that Russell has done an abysmal job as a Washougal City councilman; he did an abysmal job in a congressional campaign, and he's doing an abysmal job running a campaign for state representative. His records indicate that he's put together $3127.

He's made misrepresentations about others, and he has refused to address the issues brought to his attention... because, well, they're problematic.

Bittner will naturally appeal to the very young voter as sort of a boutique candidate... but the young voter won't be turning out, particularly in a primary. Russell and Vick will be fighting over and split the same universe of voters. Rivers will get the majority of the women's vote, independents and all but the far right.

As the natural winnowing process continues, for a variety of personal and realistic reasons, one wonders: when will more drop out?

Realistically, do candidates who've raised less then $4000 of donor cash have any chance in this race?

Is their purpose to get elected... or to keep others from getting elected?

We see Dino Rossi supporters here locally throwing a fit over other candidates having the temerity to stay in in the event the Great Dino deigns to announce. One wonders: have these same people made any effort to reduce the number of candidates in the 18th?

Yup. One wonders.
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An open letter to my Brother In Law, Commissioner Marc Boldt.

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You told me that you would make sure there was an advisory vote on the bridge and light rail this November. You looked me in the eye and told me that during the GOP Convention at Prairie High School on the 20th of February.

Well? Where is it?

I get why Steve Stuart doesn't want a vote. He's a leftist democrat, owned by the unions. HE doesn't want anything to stand in the way of the billions of dollars of our taxes to go to his union buds. He doesn't care about blowing a $100,000,000 hole in our local economy every year to pay for tolls.

But you should. And you promised me.

To my face.

So, instead of finding all the reasons why you CAN'T, I think you'd better start focusing on ways that you CAN.

Here's Marvin Case's take on it.

Answers would be nice. But the vote would be even better.

Why not?

Clark County commissioner Tom Mielke has suggested that an advisory ballot be
presented to county residents to gauge public opinion on a multi-billion dollar
plan to replace the I-5 bridge. What could it hurt?

Mielke floated his idea in recent weeks during public meetings. He said an “advisory vote” would help elected officials and project planners better determine what the public thinks about a new bridge. Mielke and others support the idea of a third bridge and corridor connecting Washington and Oregon, and believe the public would get
behind that idea rather than a new I-5 bridge located more or less in the same place as the existing bridge.

On the one hand, such an advisory vote would cost money. The county auditor estimated the cost of such a ballot measure, in conjunction with a primary or general election, would cost about $3,000. Mielke says he can raise that money from private sources so that taxpayers don’t have to foot the bill. He points out that, even if taxpayers paid for the election, the cost would pale in comparison to the $80 million in planning money spent so far on the Columbia River Crossing project.

The cost of such an advisory vote would seem to be the only downside.

On the upside, such a vote would give planners a much better idea of what the public
thinks. They wouldn’t have to rely on computer models and sampling to collect
public opinion. One would think planners would welcome the idea of an advisory
vote because they would be able to collect opinions virtually without any cost.
Of course the exact wording of a ballot title would be important. Maybe two or
three ballots titles wouldn’t cost any more than one.

While an advisory vote on the new bridge plan is not likely, some area residents will be able to vote on a tax increase to fund light rail. That vote, offered by C-TRAN, will
probably appear on a ballot next year.

The C-TRAN vote to pay for the operation of light rail will be combined as one ballot measure with other C-TRAN needs. Voters will need to carefully examine the ballot issue when it is put before them to identify the light rail element and then vote as they see fit.

Politicians dating back several years have affirmed that voters will have a say in the bridge and light rail topic. The current commissioners have said the same thing, that a vote will be needed to make the new bridge and light rail a reality.

Too often elected officials are reluctant to ask the public to decide important issues. Why is that? What is wrong with asking voters to approve important matters such as tax increases? True, the public elects representatives to study and act on an array of matters without constant referral to the public. But the public should weigh in on important and/or highly controversial matters. Replacing the I-5 bridge is one of those important matters.

Mielke only wants an advisory vote, meaning that planners and elected officials would not be bound by the result and could still do whatever they want whether that coincides with public opinion or not. A lopsided vote against a replacement bridge, however, would likely slow the planning process.

This writer supports the bridge replacement idea although light rail seems like a colossal waste of money. A dedicated bus lane would be much less costly and would get travelers to and from downtown Portland much faster.

This writer also believes that the time has not yet come for a new I-5 bridge. While the area is congested during rush hours, that is not the case for most hours of the day. Some level of congestion is a fact of life in larger metropolitan areas. A truly independent analysis might show that a third corridor and bridge would prove to be a better short-term action, followed some years later with an I-5 bridge replacement project.

Despite all that, Mielke’s idea of an advisory vote should not be so easily dismissed by other elected officials and transportation planners. It would apparently cost nothing
to the taxpayer. It would provide useful information. It would keep the public involved and engaged during what would likely be a spirited educational campaign.

So, why not?

Marvin F. Case

Publisher

Why not indeed, especially after YOU promised ME?

I need to know. And so will everyone else.
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