The entire debate has already played out on the previous story.
This guy richard2 predicted today’s editorial that’s not yet posted to oregonlive.com
Yesterday
richard2 December 21, 2010 at 8:37AM
“Don’t worry there is an Oregonian editorial coming with every bromide, canard and red herring the Clackamas County commissioners and their bike army have coughed up.”
The editorial board didn’t disappoint. Their added deceit is in today’s Oregonian.
Richard2 had already responded to the unethical misrepresentation of the debate.
And just like the Clackamas County commissioners and their commenters the editorial board avoids all of them.
Is this an ethical way to have a debate? Of course not. It is deliberate and conniving deceit. That’s how public policy and massive misspending is enacted around here.
richard2 December 20, 2010 at 7:40AM
It sure is amazing how this story gets twisted.
Over and over again the $5 dollars, or it’s near collapse, or the vital link, or who uses it, or that Multnomah County is stuck with a $19 fee obscures the real oppostion and problem.
Forget all of those. Here is why Clackamas County will not go along with this scheme.
1. Negligence. Portland and Multnomah County have neglected their bridge for decades as they diverted countless millions away from this “vital link” in the past.
2. Continued negligence. Nothing has changed. Portland, Multnomah County, Clackams County and the region are currently planning to divert 100s of millions more from other infrastructure needs to pay for Milwaukie Light Rail.
3. Conniving. Portland Mayor Sam Adams is planning on raiding $20 million from the Sellwood bridge funding for Milwaukie Light Rail.
4. Not a priority. Clackamas County residents do not want the $1.5 Billion Milwaukie Light Rail.
5. Commissioners wrong. Clackamas County commissioners are thumbing their noses at their own county as they misappropriate millions more.
6. The Sellwood Bridge replacement has never been dependent upon a Clackamas County fee. The bridge will get rebuilt without it while officials throw a tantrum.
7. Clackamas residents will pay a share anyway through the ODOT and fed shares.
8. Clackamas residents know the $5 fee will become permanent, increase to $40 and be misappropriated by their commissioners.
9. Portland can pay for their own design. They have selected a new bridge design with same 24 ft of travel lanes and 37 feet of ped/bike surface.
10.Clackamas County residents are rejecting their commissioner’s attempt to follow Multnomah County’s agenda.
The bridge will get rebuilt without this ginned up fee.
However if the bridge fell down tomorrow it would be the fault of those you support who diverted billions into boondoggles over decades.
However if the bridge fell down tomorrow it would be the fault of those you support who diverted billions into boondoggles over decades.
The Sellwood bridge replacement is long over due there is plenty of existing money to pay for it.
While claiming there is not, conniving politicians are working with TriMet and Metro to hijack 100s of millions from gas taxes meant for existing infrastructure, property taxes meant for schools and public safety & Lottery profits meant for essential priorities.
All of which feed existing jobs and payrolls.
$200 million from Metro flex funds alone are heading to the MLR instead of the Sellwood bridge and other priorities.
Sam Adams and Chair Lynn Peterson (former Metro employee) insist on spending 100s of millions on their agenda instead of the public’s priorities.
The press and everyone honest needs to know exactly what is going on here.
Starting with this recent poll the media is suppressing.
Nov. 22 Survey of Clackmas County residents
Pay for Sellwood Bridge No 76%
Car Tax No 84%
Milwaukie Light Rail No 71%
Chair Peterson has been working behind the scenes to subvert the will of the people. In the fee hearing process Peterson attempted to rig the process by stacking the deck with e-mail support from Portland bike groups masquerading as Clackamas residents. She got help from Portland resident and left wing activist Jonathan Nicholas. Her peer from the Metro bike committee they both serve on.
Their methods are only further angering Clackamas residents which is building towards recall efforts.
Instead of criticizing Clackamas County taxpayers, Multnomah County taxpayers should be grabbing their own pitch forks and fix their own county. Repeal your fee and demand the misappropriation stop.
But perhaps you are a lost cause? The bridge replacement design with 24 ft for road surface and 37 ft for ped/bike use suggests so.
It’s obvious what is going on here.
The portland/bike/trimet activists are stacking the comments.
Notice how none of them address the real core reasons for the Clackamas oposition?
That’s exactly what the county commissioners have been doing.
That’s exactly what the county commissioners have been doing.
I challenge any of you to respond to the 1-10 numbered reasons in my first post.
Guess who did the Sellwood bridge “Travel Forecasting” with all of the flawed assumptions and conclusions used to promote a two lane bridge replacement and north-south light rail?
Assumptions like a “four lane bridge would increase traffic 15% on the bridge. Followed by concluding that added traffic would “conflict with plans for more mixed use development on Tacoma Street”.
http://www.sellwoodbridge.org/ProjectLibrary/SouthWillametteRiverCrossingStudy-May1999.pdf
Travel Forecasting
Lynn Peterson, Transportation Modeling, Metro (Current Chair, Clackamas County Commission)
