Clackistani rebels turn in signatures
They say they have the 9,378 signatures needed with nearly another 2,500 to spare, and so it appears that there will be a public vote in September on Clackamas County's participation in Tri-Met's badly misguided Mystery Train to Milwaukie project. Tri-Met continues to say that it will sue to force the county to pay $25 million toward the rail construction, even if the ballot measure passes and the county is barred by its voters from playing along. That ought to be tied up in the courts for many years.
But first, of course, the pushers of the train will do what they can to invalidate the signatures that the opponents have worked so hard to gather. The vote against the MAX will be another in a long string of embarrassments for the Portland transit agency, and it would like to avoid it if it can.
| Posted at 7:32 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (9)
According to the daily fishwrapper
"TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch said the petition effort -- and a similar one under way in Milwaukie -- would only apply to future rail projects and not to the $25 million contract Clackamas County already signed. "We have said many times that we believe this is a legally binding agreement," she said.
The petitions will have no effect on TriMet's $750 million federal funding agreement for the project, she said, because commitments for the required $750 million local match have already been secured".
Posted by phil | March 6, 2012 7:51 AM
When elected officials "commit" people to debilitating debt without their permission, against their will, and for things they don't want, how is that much different than being robbed at the ATM?
Posted by Mr. Grumpy | March 6, 2012 8:21 AM
"how is that much different than being robbed at the ATM?"
I don't know. Totally?
Posted by Allan L. | March 6, 2012 8:57 AM
It is too bad that the O headline reads "anti-lightrail". Many signed the petition for the right to vote of major expenditures regarding lightrail and not being "anti". That "right" has been circumvented by politicians and bureaucrats.
What's wrong with being able to vote on an expenditure of $1.2 Billion and rising? Maybe the citizens of Clackamas Co. will agree that lightrail is appropriate, and will pay their bill.
Posted by lw | March 6, 2012 10:37 AM
The vote against the MAX will be another in a long string of embarrassments for the Portland transit agency
Um, I'm sorry, but that's inaccurate.
Tri-Met long ago ceased being a transit agency.
A transit agency focuses upon cost-effective means of transiting people from where they are to where they want or need to go. Tri-Met doesn't do that.
Posted by Max | March 6, 2012 10:44 AM
Mary Fetsch's latest example of diarreha from the mouth just confirms what we've all known along.
TriMet does not exist to provide transit. It does not exist to serve the public.
It exists to build light rail. And damn it, if you get in the way they'll use legal action. And if that doesn't work, they'll just keep cutting bus service except for the one obligatory bus just to establish a transit route in order to continue to collect taxes from you (in reference to the sole bus out to Boring).
Posted by Erik H. | March 6, 2012 11:57 AM
Three of our esteemed county commissioners (Lehan, Lininger & Bernard) went to Washington DC last week to rattle some cages formore money for pet projects. Transportation was definitely one of them. Here is an interesting interview with the CCC done about a week ago:
http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-city/index.ssf/2012/02/clackamas_county_commissioners_2.html
And for all you Clackastanis (and everyone else), here is a link to a county survey. You can find the link on the CC website on the home page. Supposedly this survey is done every 2 years, but it is heavily loaded with questions about transportation.
Online poll measures public opinion on county services and initiatives. http://fmrsurvey.com/DHM/CCC1/CCC1logn.htm
Posted by Nolo | March 6, 2012 11:57 AM
...how is that much different than being robbed at the ATM?
Difference is a much larger stash, how many armored truckloads full?
Posted by clinamen | March 6, 2012 12:49 PM
RE: Posted by phil | March 6, 2012 7:51 AM
Ok so you quoted Mary Fetch. What was your point?
Fetch is paid with tax dollars to deliver TriMet's public deceit.
TriMet isn't expected to sign a full funding agreement with the Federal Transit Administration in until May
So the commitments required for the $750 million local match have NOT been secured.
Metro President Tom Hughes is worried about it too. He said that a U.S. House committee transit vote could threaten funding for the Portland-Milwaukie light rail line. Eroding the ongoing federal commitment to transit funding could make it impossible for the federal government to honor contracts it signed to fund projects like the Milwaukie light rail line,” Hughes said in a statement. “
According to Neil McFarlane that house bill that worries them may not be voted on until after the presidential election.
The Intergovernmental Agreement Fetch is calling a "legally binding agreement" has many weakness and a termination clause. The Clackamas County board of commissioners could notify TriMet and terminate the agreement.
The board should cite the reality of no funding source and overwhelming public opposition and let TriMet respond.
Who in their right mind thinks TriMet would then sue the county? s
These petitions can easily effect TriMet's $750 million federal funding agreement for the project. The full funding grant agreement has not been signed and the federal funding has not been approved.
Posted by INFO | March 6, 2012 5:51 PM