Let's hope it is MLR is stopped. But Andy's article stating over 600 groups are opposing the federal bill is scary in just the number. I hope there are 600 groups in favor.

No chance, these are zombie projects like the Conv Center Hotel - They never die.

Besides, the poor govt types have no alternative without our money to spend on any damn thing they want.

Terrible reporting by Andy.
He made no mention of any opposition.

E-mail him
agiegerich@bizjournals.com

Initiatives will provide public votes in Miwaukie and Clackamas County on this boondoggle and it will go down in flames.
Hughes knows this.
The public does not want it and neither the city or county have the money for it.
The idea that it is being forced upon them and their general funds must be raided to pay for it is outrageous.

Hopefully congress will wise up.

The suicide pact financing scheme this boondoggle is relying upon
should be halted immediatley.

Hughes and company are despicable and deserve to be removed (opted out) from office.

Now that he got himself elected, Tom Hughes has become Rex Burkholder in a Waylon Jennings costume.

Seriously, how can one take a person sporting that kind of facial hair seriously?

Like the infamously hideous deer baby statue, Milwaukie Light Rail--and Metro--need to be put out to pasture.

I had slightly higher hopes for Hughes, being (seemingly) the lesser of three evils, but alas, he seems to like the taste of that Kool-Aid way too much. At this point, he may as well burst through a brick wall and go "oh, yeeaaah" to whatever nonsense boondoggles the planning-industrial complex wants.

Now that he got himself elected, Tom Hughes has become Rex Burkholder in a Waylon Jennings costume.

He also bears considerable resemblance to Kenny Rogers. He certainly doesn't know when to fold them, however.

Much more important than E mailing Andy with a complaint about his reflex regurgitation of Tom Hughes lobbying letter is to E mail your local US House rep and the house committee if you oppose the funding for the Mystery Train ti Nowhere.

Or go to JPACT tomorrow morning and tell them the only acceptable strategy is cancelling the Mystery Train

"Metro’s Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation will mull strategies about how to address Congress’s funding decisions Thursday morning."

Metro Regional Center
600 NE Grand Ave., Portland, OR 97232-2736
Thursday, Feb 9
7:30 am - 9:00 am
Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation

Watch out:

Capitol Assets: Some legislators send millions to groups connected to their relatives
By Scott Higham, Kimberly Kindy and David S. Fallis, Published: February 7 | Washington Post

Some members of Congress send tax dollars to companies, colleges and community groups where their spouses, children and parents work as salaried employees, lobbyists or board members, according to an examination of federal disclosure forms and local public records by The Washington Post.

A U.S. senator from South Dakota helped add millions to a Pentagon program his wife evaluated as a contract employee. A Washington congressman boosted the budget of an environmental group that his son ran as executive director. A Texas congresswoman guided millions to a university where her husband served as a vice president.

Con't at http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congress/capitol-assets-some-legislators-send-millions-to-groups-connected-to-their-relatives/2012/01/10/gIQAyrzdxQ_story.html?wpisrc=al_comboNP

View the full results of the Post investigation
http://www.washingtonpost.com/capitolassets

Where public projects meet private interests
David S. Fallis, Scott Higham and Kimberly Kindy FEB 6

EXCLUSIVE | Thirty-three members of Congress have steered more than $300 million in earmarks and other spending provisions to dozens of public projects that are next to or within about two miles of the lawmakers’ own property, according to a Washington Post investigation.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/congressional-earmarks-sometimes-used-to-fund-projects-near-lawmakers-properties/2012/01/12/gIQA97HGvQ_story.html

I had slightly higher hopes for Hughes, being (seemingly) the lesser of three evils, but alas, he seems to like the taste of that Kool-Aid way too much.

I voted for him, naively thinking he was the better of the alternatives. Boy, was that ever wrong!

So wait... the CRC and the southern expansion of the crime train might both get the axe?

That would get me to vote to re-elect some congress critters, since I don't currently live in Oregon...

I would LOVE to see a state and/or federal investigation of every person that is employed at TriMet, Metro, or any other government that has financial ties to any developer or light rail contractor.

It's bad enough that it was known that Lake Oswego's City Council had several members who had ties and yet failed to recuse themselves from key votes despite making it aware that they had a conflict of interest.

Milwaukie's Mayor is a TriMet employee and though he's recused himself sometimes...he's still used his position as a Mayor and as a TriMet employee to sway public opinion and votes towards what would personally benefit him.

Many former city/Metro/TriMet staffers have immediately found work with contractors and other businesses...

It's corruption at its finest...except that it's out in the open, and nobody seems to give a damn.