A band-aid for the Sellwood Bridge
They'll be closing the Sellwood Bridge in Portland for evening and night work starting Friday -- 6:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. weeknights, for six nights, they say. It won't save the rotting span, but in theory it will slow down the inevitable. I dunno -- sometimes these minor projects reveal scarier stuff. Maybe it's the beginning of the end.
| Posted at 10:19 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (9)
While the state government and local governments like Multnomah county spend tens of millions of dollars on $21,000 solar power installations with no actual pay back (per Oregonian August 8, 2008), paying more than 10 times the going rate for power, basic services like fixing the sellwood bridge or keeping mental facilities like Cascadia from going under are seriously neglected. What's even more galling is even after each of these solar power units is given a $14,000 tax credit by state and federal governments, the only folks who can afford these things are typically people making six figure incomes. Meanwhile folks with serious mental disorders are swamping hospital emergency rooms because of the closure of treatment centers like Cascadia helping drive up insurance premiums for all. Good job of prioritizing government spending, democratic leaders of Oregon. NOT!
Posted by Bob Clark | August 13, 2008 1:16 PM
Bob:
Well said. I would like to stand up and applaud you.
Posted by John Benton | August 13, 2008 1:27 PM
I would add the wasted money spent on Eco roofs for the Library, the County building and the Portland Building.
Posted by John Benton | August 13, 2008 1:57 PM
Bob, infrastructure, crazy people and other uncool issues will *not* help us attract the millions of creatives that are needed to grow this economy.
Posted by John Thomas | August 13, 2008 7:21 PM
Get that moth balled Sauvie Island bridge and put it next to the Sellwood. Tie them together and voila.
Posted by Lil Sparky | August 13, 2008 9:05 PM
Sparky, too late on the Sauvie Island bridge, the center span is already made into scrap by Schnitzers. The east and west steel ramps are coming down right at this moment and will be scrapped next week.
Posted by Jerry | August 13, 2008 9:47 PM
And while we're at it, the obviously reasonable Peterson's gets a public keel hauling that goes on for weeks, apparently just for having unattractive patrons, but the six or eight alcohol outlets near me that generate authentic noisy mayhem five nights out of seven are always below the radar screen. Don't you just love how that works?
Think I'm going to write in "Sellwood Bridge" for every local elected office until they figure it out. Maybe we should stand out in traffic with tin cans and hand lettered signs that say, "No leaders. Bridge falling down. Bless you."
Posted by equal time | August 13, 2008 11:35 PM
For the amount every politican wants to spend on the new Milwaukie light rail and bridge we could build 7 new Sellwood bridges.
Or 4 new Sellwood bridges and 6 new ped/bike bridges.
Or 3 new Sellwood bridges, 4 new ped/bike bridges and get 100 new nat gas buses w/ full operating revenue.
Posted by Hal | August 14, 2008 8:09 AM
And let's not forget the Wapato Jail that STILL Sits unused after how many years?
Posted by Dave A. | August 14, 2008 9:18 AM