Endorsement time, cont'd: the city and Tri-Met measures
Our ballots are here, and so it's time to make up our minds about the many, many ballot measures that we Oregonians get to vote on. Here are some easy ones, from the City of Portland and Tri-Met:
26-108: "Clean money" elections. An enormous waste of money, doing nothing but (a) guaranteeing lifetime tenure for incumbents, (b) enabling unelectable clowns to run for office on the public dime, and (c) blowing inordinate hundreds of thousands to elect somebody like Amanda Fritz, who could have and should have raised her own money for lawn signs and junk mail. No.
26-117: Property tax increase for fire trucks. If the city would stop wasting money on streetcars, bioswales, bicycle boxes, soccer stadiums, and aerial trams, it would have enough money in its budget for fire trucks. No.
26-119: Property tax extension for buses. If Tri-Met would stop wasting money on streetcars and insane rail projects like WES and now Milwaukie MAX, it would have enough money in its budget for buses. No.
On to the state and county measures shortly.
| Posted at 5:26 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (13)
Isn't that 26-119? Anyway, you got that one right. Do not reward TriMet for fiscal mismanagement.
Posted by Ann N. Mouse | October 18, 2010 6:58 PM
Fixed. Thanks.
Posted by Jack Bog | October 18, 2010 7:29 PM
Too bad you didn't have this up before I filled out my ballot.
I woulda changed at least one of my votes!
(Not the Trimet however, I decided to vote YES!
Posted by AL M | October 18, 2010 7:38 PM
Couldn't agree more.
I hope enough voters here can break out of the Portland Echo Chamber, to vote with some common sense, but I'm prepared to be disappointed across the board.
Posted by Snards | October 18, 2010 8:03 PM
Absolutely correct on all counts.
Posted by John Benton | October 18, 2010 8:31 PM
Jack, it is a miracle. I concur once again with every position you state on each measure. Common sense must be prevailing.
I especially agree on "clean money" elections. Amanda had organizational abilities and creed already in the typical Portland political theater. She even had some left-over monies from her previous run. When studies and polls show that lawn signs and junk mail only affects less than 3% of voters; and Amanda's debates, one-on-ones, and media/interviews effectively helped Amanda win, then why should we spend over $350 thousand to get her elected?
When you add in Sten's clean money dollars for an already elected official who had a war chest and two terms of creed, then he resigns, then again, what a waste of taxpayer money.
Posted by Jerry | October 18, 2010 8:41 PM
Correction-Amanda Fritz spent over $500,000 of "clean money".
Posted by Jerry | October 18, 2010 9:23 PM
You are batting 1.000. Keep it up.
Posted by pdxmick | October 18, 2010 9:44 PM
How does Amanda's clean money explain her endorsement of Sam taking over $20 Million just from SoWhat for Milwaukie Light Rail? She never said a word. That money goes to Stacey/Witbeck, Hoffman Construction, and all the rest of Goldie's friends. I guess nothing has changed, has it? Amanda could of at least spoke up after her clean money settled. That is just one example.
Add in her support of the TriMet Bus Property Tax increase. That goes to support TriMet's shell game to help come up with the $$85 Million shortfall for MLR.
Posted by Lee | October 18, 2010 11:22 PM
WOW...it's nice to see someone who almost completly agrees with the way I voted.
Good for you!!!
Posted by Bob S | October 19, 2010 1:40 AM
The thing I really like about you Jack is your logical and well thought out positions. Even if we disagree, I can always expect sound, factual reasoning rather than emotion.
"Too bad you didn't have this up before I filled out my ballot.
I woulda changed at least one of my votes!
(Not the Trimet however, I decided to vote YES!"
From the blog linked:
"Yes I know the company is screwing us and Macfarlane is using storm trooper tactics, but the fiscal crisis is not completely Trimet's fault, there are extenuating circumstances. And yes Trimet management is not exactly a exemplary guardian of our tax money. But the fact remains that this measure will help drivers and passengers, even if they do skim some for other things. So I say vote yes, don't let emotions guide us on this important measure!"
Not completely Tri-Met's fault? What BS! Tri-Met had 100% control of this bed they've made for themselves simply by choosing which projects to pursue. Just as people must practice personal responsibility and owning up to their actions, businesses and government must do the same.
Posted by Joey Link | October 19, 2010 9:24 AM
I am also urging readers to vote no on 26-119 on my TriMetiquette blog. Nice to see another join this camp.
Posted by Christian | October 19, 2010 11:23 AM
I'm a YES! For Transit guy.
And that's exactly why I voted no on Measure 26-119.
The measure has nothing to do with improving bus service. TriMet is using the measure as a referendum on the bus system as a whole. And that's wrong, misleading, and TriMet should not get away with it.
TriMet will severely cut bus service if you vote "NO" and that's misleading.
If you vote "YES", then TriMet will only improve bus service after a popular vote, rather than through its regular tax authority. TriMet will at the same time continue to build out light rail, subsidize the City of Portland Streetcar, and WES, without voter approval.
Do you think WES would have been built at a cost of $161.7 million had the voters had a say in the matter? TriMet could sell off WES, give the feds back their money, and then use the remaining proceeds to buy buses.
TriMet needs to stop empire building and start fixing itself. Get its finances back in order. Repair the bus system. There is no harm done by shutting down Milwaukie and Vancouver MAX, and telling the City of Portland that there is no more TriMet subsidy for the Streetcar. There is no harm done by shutting down WES and telling its 1,200 daily riders to use the 76 bus. But there is plenty of harm done if we continue building MAX lines that require more bus service cuts.
Posted by Erik H. | October 19, 2010 1:07 PM