After years and years of endless studies and well over $100 Million in taxpayer money wasted, the likelihood of a wasteful, overly expensive new bridge across the Columbia River, including extending Portland’s Loot Rail into Vancouver, seems to be building to a fever pitch as the fatcats who stand to increase their personal wealth on the backs of struggling taxpayers apparently have lined up the troops to begin attacking through the Columbian those who are concerned with bankrupting our community with this boondoggle.
Vancouver city government is falling in line and taking measures to squelch dissent to the project, shortly after Washington State Senator Patty Murray visited Vancouver, leaving behind her instructions to local business and political leaders to get behind the project.
The latest assault against citizens of Clark County was launched just this morning, Sunday February 20, 2011 by John Laird, the acerbic, rabid pit bull editorial page editor in his screed, Local ankle biters are filing their fangs. In the past, Laird has labeled citizens with concerns as “Hounds of Whinerville,” “Toll Haters United Must Protest! (THUMP)” and “torch lighters and pitchfork pounders” to name a few.
Laird begins with the lie that we that oppose this fiasco want “absolutely nothing built anywhere near anything,” as even he shows is a lie deeper into his haranguing tirade when he states, “A third bridge is fantasy for many reasons.” Chief amongst those reasons? Portland would never allow it. Unexplained is why do we in Vancouver, Washington, a city in our own right in a sovereign state have to continue knuckling under to a city of leftwing lunatics across the river in another state?
After boasts of how much Texans love Loot Rail and tolls, we see that Ridership is falling fast there. We also see that Dallas County, Texas has a population of over 2.5 million people, compared to Clark County’s 430,000 and Multnomah County’s 725,000. The combined metropolitan area of the two counties’ doesn’t even equal half of what Dallas County has and they have troubles with it down there.
Ignored, as usual, is the increased crime rate associated with Loot Rail. The Portland Tribune recently ran an article addressing increased crime, specifically drug dealers in the Old Town area of Portland. A glaring admission is made by Portland Police officer Daryl Turner as he states, “when TriMet’s new MAX line began operation in 2009, the drug trade became worse. The trains, he says, provide quick transportation in and out of the neighborhood and an inconspicuous place to make deals.”
Earlier, The Clackamas County sheriff let it be known, “In the five months since the MAX Green line first arrived at the Clackamas Town Center, crime in the surrounding area is up 32 percent this year and calls for service are up 56 percent compared to 2009.”
I encourage all that can to attend Rep. Mica’s “listening session,” Monday, February 21, 2011, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Vancouver Service Center (PUD Building) located at 1200 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA. and let them know that we are broke, we can’t afford this boondoggle and more over, we didn’t want it when we could afford it. Come early – 7:00 to 7:30AM, before the bused-in supporters have a chance to take all of the seats.
For those who still have a job and can’t attend, please send or call in your concerns over this project to:
Geoffrey Strobeck
Geoffrey.Strobeck@mail.house.gov
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
U.S. House of Representatives
(202)225-6715
