That's pretty funny you linked to an Oregonain-Dylan Rivera MLR hype story from 2010.

Since he is now "Senior Public Affairs Specialist at Metro".

See what good reporting gets a journalist.

A government job peddling the same crap.

For those of you who want to watch the nauseating MLR-bridge ground breaking speaches:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to2VtlVmaoE&feature=player_embedded#at=76

It all makes so much sense to the lunatics.

Meanwhile, Sellwood Bridge is falling down, falling down...

Hey Jack, O/T, sorry, but what's the name of that back-waxer you used to post about? Do you still recommend her? What'd it cost you?

Time to raise the speed limit on highways to 75 mph!

"We're sliding back," said Chris Brown, state police superintendent.

But here in Portland, we're building a shiny new bridge for light rail and bikes! And cars won't even be allowed on it! How can we be sliding back?!

If you've spent any time in the less populous regions of our fair State, you are aware of the already thin coverage of law enforcement resources out there. This really does put people at risk. Salem really needs to reconsider its priorities.

Oregon progressives: No need for state troopers and new patrol cars when the bridges will be off limits to cars.

Part of the problem lies in 1980's Measure 4 which banned the use of gas tax dollars to fund State Police.

As a result, there's plenty of money for frivolous transportation projects, but that money can't be used to backfill the OSP budget.

Of course, there's plenty of general fund revenue that is being wasted; while bond revenue is used for basic services...

I have no problem with user fees (fuel tax) being used for building / repairing what they are collected from.

However, that's not what this is. This is a mountain of debt for a toy train that planners and Bechtel Corporation want.

Meanwhile, less than three river miles south, the Sellwood Bridge, a very important connection to the local economy, crumbles to critical failure.

Anytime I have ever pointed out to someone when they talk "poor" that they have seem to have money for other things they pull some form of the "that is a different budget" card. 20 years ago my boss told us that the company could not afford to pay our healthcare costs but in the same breath said they were increasing the "Managers Meeting" (a week at a swanky resort)from once a year to once a quarter. When I pointed out that they seem to have money for that ... and why don't they take it and fund our healthcare, I was told it was a "different budget". Well, re-budget with better priorties. The state seems like the guy who never has money to pay his bills but always has money for cigarettes.

Oh please, it is well documented that these "trooper-less" times are almost invariably cooked up for the media to highlight what the police thinks are inadequate spending priorities. This is just plain fear mongering seeking to raise the collective paranoia in order to get more money.

Meanwhile, even in my rural county, not only are there adequate Oregon Troopers, but also a huge county police presence, as well as city police in every little town in the area. The police coverage in this area is truly overwhelming. More than enough to still see 3-4 cars sitting outside restaurants and bakeries. I usually see at least 2 or 3 cars during my 8 mile commute to work, from 3 different city departments, the county and OSP.

I have no problem with the funding levels. If there are really no troopers scheduled for a shift, then someone didn't schedule properly. If troopers are intentionally not showing up for shifts to exacerbate the problem and create media attention, they should be fired and not rehired by the next police department down the road.