One would think that since there is a relatively new bike path that connects Milwaukie with Portland, that instead of building a light rail line one ought to encourage more bicycle use on the Springwater Trail to combat obesity instead of encouraging the lazy light rail trip?

Not to mention; doesn't extending light rail to Milwaukie encourage urban sprawl? Isn't Metro against that?

Eliminating PE makes a lot of sense. Just how stupid are these PPS people? I guess we'll find out soon.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Milwaukie rail is part of a long-range plan to shut down 99E to motor vehicles and convert it the world's first 'bicycle highway'.

The legislature sent another $110 million to SoWa/OHSU at the end of the last session

http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/print_story.php?story_id=124708714354965800

"This funding was encompassed in an end-of-session capital construction bill that legislators received the same day they voted on it.
There are very few people who actually read the bills, and those that would read them, they have a hard time understanding what they say. They are very complicated."

People are not realizing how vulnerable the Milwaukie light rail project is.
It would take very little additional pressure to get it suspended.
Last week the Sheriff of Clackamas County and the the Chief of the Clackmas Fire District attended the TriMet board meeting and opposed the funding for Milwaukie Light Rail.
It is a big deal to have this occur. If the board gets pounded with e-mails it may trigger a tsunami of objection that is insurmountable.
There are many people oppsed to this MAX project and/or its shady financing scheme.

Every dime for this $1.4 Billion ($200 million/mile) boondoggle will be borrowed against future operating and basic services revenue at every level.

Email the board your demands to stop the madness.

Washington County Richard Van Beveren, Pres.
N, NW and portions of SW Portland Tiffany Sweitzer
Westside Steve Clark
SE Portland Consuelo Saragoza
NE Portland Dr. T. Allen Bethel
E Multnomah County Lynn Lehrbach
Clackamas County Hakeem Olanrewaju

Send them your thoughts.

olanrewh@trimet.org lehrbacl@trimet.org bethelt@trimet.org sweitzet@trimet.org vanbever@trimet.org sclark@commnewspapers.com
consuelo.c.saragoza@co.multnomah.or.us

Look on the postiive side, once the 3-day school year is out, the kids'll have something to do when they take the light rail to Milwaukie.

Teenagers don't write checks to politicians; trade unions and construction companies do.

Why isn't the OEA opposed to the $250 million going to the Milwaukie Light Rail?
It's really going be closer to $400 million drained from the lottery by the time the bonds are paid.
But then there's also millions that will be taken directly from the common school fund to help pay for Milwaukie Light Rail.

Where's all the champions of public schools?

"The line will offer quicker mass transit service to downtown. But it will do more than that. New stations will create neighborhood landmarks, potentially spurring revitalization. And new bridges will provide safer bike and pedestrian crossings, linking homes and businesses."

The local media are so uncritical of this planning bull. That's basically just stenography.

It's better that way. When the O tries to write something original they come up with "Kyron's home a close-knit, blended family." A week later, his father takes out a restraining order on the stepmom and divorces her. They don't give those orders out unless there's been a previous incident, or an imminent threat of harm to someone.

The O is a parody of itself. And on the "urban renewal" ripoffs, WW couldn't give a damn.

Kitz has been our governor before.

There's no need for him to mince words. He's too old for that and so are we. So black or white, what's he think of this?

All or nothing. School PE or light rail?

Teachers union versus construction union. Who gets the money, let's hear it.

"They don't give those orders out unless there's been a previous incident, or an imminent threat of harm to someone."

Eh, in many jurisdictions, restraining orders are handed out like candy anymore, usually to guarantee child custody in divorce actions. They're probably being more careful here due to the publicity but who knows since they've sealed the records. Our family courts are a bastion of insanity so I don't take this as a sign of much. Wake me up if they arrest stepmom.

I mean, a judge in New Mexico gave a woman a restraining order against David Letterman a few years ago because she claimed he was sending her messages via the airwaves. Took Letterman a week and several lawyers to get it recinded.

Obviously you've never been through the process of getting - or attempting to get - a restraining order JS, if you think it's easy. Go sit in the Victims' Assistance office for just one day and report back to us what a piece of cake it is, why don't you?

"What an utterly ridiculous state we live in."

No, it's a state run and controlled by socialists, er, progressives, er, democrats, which in an of itself completely explains it. Remember it's for the children (no matter WHAT the it is).

"What an utterly ridiculous state we live in."

It looks like I won't be living here long. I've accepted a new position in Cincinnati, OH.

You can notch up one more $80+k/year salary that Oregon won't be getting taxes from.

The bike lanes don't make you want to stay here?

when moving your machineshed to Ohio, Fred, don't forget to budget 7% of your projected spending for state, county and local district sales tax as well as the income tax of about 5%. You should be OK if you don't spend much.