You read it here first, cont'd
It's going just as our reader predicted on the CRoCk: "Hearing Monday and following Monday, then vote on both floors and Gov signs. $450MM to be bonded based on $35MM per year slice of federal transportation funds Oregon gets each year." Today was the "following Monday" that he was referring to, and sure enough, the hearings are over -- now it's time for some quickie votes. Between this and the Nike tax scam, the people we send to Salem have shown themselves to be a lumbering political machine straight outta back east -- shoveling public money to insiders without even a semblance of orderly process. It's pathetic.
| Posted at 8:23 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (12)
Senate Pres. Peter Courtney (D-Salem) and House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) - two people who don't give a damn about how many families get bankrupted by their bridge tolls of up to $2000/yr. BTW, commuters will be paying over $100/hr for saving a few minutes per day.
Next it will be a carbon tax to further screw working people.
How perfectly progressive.
Thanks
JK
Posted by jim karlock | February 18, 2013 9:21 PM
Just arrived home from watching the show down in Salem. Pathetic is nice term for what's going on with this project.
Posted by jimbo | February 18, 2013 9:32 PM
What a perfect crescendo for the despicable racket called Oregon governance.
Even with the essentially the entire voting public (who are paying attention) opposed to what has been shown to be the most unscrupulous, contemptible & costly boondoggle in state history our reprehensible elected officials are once again choosing their
festering sore of dysfunction and corruption.
This grand mal group of thugs, idiots and sell outs represents every boneheaded fallacy that has been crippling Oregon for 30 years.
They will be celebrating if this gets full approval.
Just like the creeps did when the SoloPower deal was sealed.
Posted by I'm not nice | February 18, 2013 10:11 PM
The interesting fact is not that 14 of the stacked committee voted "yes," but that two of them voted "no."
Posted by Isaac Laquedem | February 18, 2013 10:14 PM
Any suggestion that Federal dollars are paying for a portion of the CRC is all smoke and mirrors. The $850 million ($935M with interest) is for light rail only. You can thank Washington Senator Patty Murray and her tennis shoes for that one. With the exception of the separated deck the trains will run on, the bridge that holds up that deck will be paid for by tolling the highway users and various other taxes and fees assessed motorists so the states of Oregon and Washington can each chip in $450 million (plus interest) for the bonds. For Oregon the payment is $28m for 30 years. But wait, the scam doesn’t end there. The 75 percent subsidy needed to operate light rail must also come from locally paid taxes, not fares, and those New Starts Federal Transit Dollars, they are actually siphoned off from the Federal Highway Trust Fund which is supported by the Federal gas tax that motorists pay. Oh yes, the Fed is also expected to kick in another $400M also from the Federal Highway Trust Fund (Projects of Regional Significance). However, most of that money will undoubtedly pay for a separated super wide bicycle along with a maze of surplus extra width bicycle infrastructure – you know, for those young freeloader young creative types that since leaving the nest, expect taxpayers to fund their lifestyle choices. One wonders what will happen to the economy and all the small businesses and their employees that depend on discretionary income when the commuter motorists are sucked dry because transit service simply doesn’t work for their commutes.
Posted by TR | February 19, 2013 12:20 AM
People, I guess we can always hope the WA senate (a bunch of Rs) does the right thing like say no, maybe ask a couple of questions or even not go at lightning speed.
Oregon is getting to be a real joke, heck they oughta bring Neil back as guv.
Posted by Steve | February 19, 2013 5:47 AM
There's a strong odor of Neil around both this deal and the Nike tax deal.
Posted by Jack Bog | February 19, 2013 6:01 AM
IMHO, this is all about Portland politics wanting to extend its tentacles into a neighboring state with a light rail bridge, everyone else be damned.
Posted by Mr. Grumpy | February 19, 2013 6:59 AM
"There's a strong odor of Neil"
Methinks it is more than just a whiff, his influence peddling is just operating without a physical address now. Kitz is just as beholden as Teddy was to Neil.
How the heck does such a low life get such a grip on an entire state govt?
Posted by Steve | February 19, 2013 7:33 AM
This was a great comment from 'Graham' on the willy week site:
"The legislation, House Bill 2800, has moved at lightning speed this session"
It swooshed through committee. They just did it.
Posted by Concordbridge | February 19, 2013 11:31 AM
Sure they can push things through at a lightening speed when the D's here appear to be lock-step and in their place!!
Posted by clinamen | February 19, 2013 9:01 PM
How the heck does such a low life get such a grip on an entire state govt?
It may be that being complicit in underhanded matters has kept a sort of grip . . .
that is why some thought Pelosi kept impeachment off the table.
Is it that Statesman/Stateswomen have ended on a list of old fashioned words?
Posted by clinamen | February 20, 2013 12:21 AM