All this from SUV driver that pretends to be a bike rider. http://www.portlandfacts.com/Earl/EarlInSUV.htm

It is all about money.

Thanks
JK

And if Earl would simply work to repeal many of the laws that make it difficult if not impossible to own a private transportation business then many of these expenditures would not be needed.

You forgot his landmark legislation to stop interstate transport of primates.

Between him and Adams we must look like geniuses to the rest of the country. We really need some term limits on all of Congress - they have no idea of what the real world is like after a few years.

Interesting info about the SUV he's driving. I have one, albeit an older one from 2001 w/a 4-cylinder (same one found in the Scions and Camry's). According to http://www.fueleconomy.gov, my Highlander gets 19 city and 25 hwy (actually more like 22 city and 30 hwy)

Now, the Hybrid version from 2007 (same body style as in the picture) gets 27 city and 25 hwy (with people reporting a best of 31mpg and a low of 21 mpg)

Now we're getting a little lopsided in my opinion since the extra weight of the batteries forces the need for a V6, while my lighter weight 4-cylinder posts nearly similar numbers. Speaking of batteries, where do those batteries come from? How are they produced? Any chance they are made using fluffy clouds and sugar-plum fairies? Nope: http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Nickel+mining&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=nP2rSbyDJIm4sAP9nYziDw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title

Stefan,

Have you ever seen this?:

http://clubs.ccsu.edu/recorder/editorial/editorial_item.asp?NewsID=188

Butch,

That report is old, and has been thoroughly debunked as crank science. See: http://www.slate.com/id/2186786/pagenum/all/

I thought Obama said he is going to eliminate pork. That lasted for a month. You get what you vote for.

"shift of the transportation tax structure so that individuals and businesses will pay based on miles driven, rather than gas consumed."

Yet another attempt to simply increase taxation while monitoring and controling behavior under the ruse of some loftier goal of fairness.

Currently we pay more for using more fuel.

But without the goverment knowing how, where or how much we drive.

Earl, who thinks that bikes play a significant role in our transportation systems wants to know more, control more and tax more in perpetual pursuit of the fantasy where bikes are significant.

Nothing wrong with supporting public transit per se.

There is something wrong with supporting a NON SUSTAINABLE public transport system, which is apparently what is happening here in the greater Portland area.

(sustainability? sustainability? aren't we supposed to know about that here in PORTLANDIA?)

From Blumenauer's webpage- We have a government spending package that reflects the priorities of Oregonians.

Yeah, right. I wonder what the "Oregonians" outside Portland have to say about that?

I guess by "Oregonians" he really means "Portland developers."

If Blumenauer is so "green" and "environmentally-minded", why on earth does he support the Mileage Tax? It basically gives a tax incentive to people who drive stretch Hummer limos at the expense of folks who drive Priuses. Not to mention the Orwellian undertones with all that GPS crap.

Of course, he's probably looking to give himself a tax advantage with that big fat SUV of his that Jim posted.

What a giant hypocrite. I'd like to see him get recalled, too, when the Adams countdown hits zero. Thank God Obama didn't appoint him Secretary of Transportation, as had been rumored.

"From Blumenauer's webpage- We have a government spending package that reflects the priorities of Oregonians."

Hey, Blumenauer made several million off investing in Portland real estate, so at least he's not leaning no capital gains.

Hey, Blumenauer made several million off investing in Portland real estate, so at least he's not leaning no capital gains.

JK: Got proof of that? I'd love to put it on PortlandFacts.com

Thanks
JK

"Got proof of that?"

"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/congress/fin_dis/2007/b000574.pdf"

His good buddy Rick Gusatfson is on the board of Portland Streetcar, so each streetcar deal makes more money for his firm. He's done deals with him and Ron Beltz for 20+ years.

http://wweek.com/editorial/3345/9589/

When are the voters in Portland going to wake up and toss this do-nothing jerk into the street?

Dave,

We can't even kick out the mayor who admitted to inappropriate contact with a minor at a city event, votes to spend $4.2B on essentially a re-build of the Interstate Bridge, and continues to pad the wallets of those same developer buddies that Earl is involved with. That congressional seat is unfortunately going to be is his hands as long as he wants it.

Alex -- you might want to check the post and commentary on "bad blog comments" from today. At first blush, a mileage tax does seem to subsidize gasoline consumption. But if you assume that in a relatively few years most cars will be using less or no fuel, you can see the prospect for a decline in tax revenues that the mileage tax would easily replace.

Allan, you are correct on that front--a mileage tax, in theory, makes some sense, but I think there's too many factors in play for it to really work. The gas tax already is effectively a mileage tax in and of itself. One that has very high compliance and rewards people who drive environmentally-friendly vehicles. And one that doesn't involve invasive means of being levied. (No GPS devices.)

I think the best solution is just to raise the gas tax. Also, I think other tax money needs to be shifted over to funding transportation. Or perhaps even corporate sponsorship for roadways could become a viable alternative.

We also need to stop subsidizing light rail and streetcars with gas tax money. The road users right now are paying for infrastructure they're not using (well, not using when they're driving and buying gasoline).