The meeting to plan the first "better bridge" rally since city council approved the 12-lane Columbia River Crossing bridge was held in the living room of Joe Kurmaskie last Wednesday, March 11th. Seven veteran activists showed up and, sipping Hefewizens, discussed the best options for messaging, speakers and the protest goals. "This is the opening salvo to say, 'Hey, this is a long-term plan to kill this thing,'" said Kurmaskie, who is pulling together the April 5th rally in Waterfront Park.
As I wrote about after the city council vote, no major green group has stepped forward to continue leading the opposition against the 12-lane CRC after Mayor "Sustainable Sam" Adams put forward and approved the $4.1 billion bridge plan at the end of February. As a result, the most vocal part of the campaign against the largest single transit project in our region's history is currently running from Joe K.'s living room, with no budget and a home video camera.
Confirmed to speak at the rally are former Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, City Commissioner Amanda Fritz, Metro Councilor Robert Liberty and Bicycle Transportation Alliance advocate/educator Michelle Poyourow.
At the March 11th meeting, the small group of transit nerds and activists decided one essential messaging point to rally opposition for a smaller, greener bridge is to link the current debate with the hugely successful movement that killed Mt. Hood freeway. Kurmaskie also decided the best way to publicize the rally is humor. After the meeting, he and a friend shot a series of short satirical Home Shopping Network spoofs about trying to sell the 12-lane CRC. The first one was released today, check it out:
Kurmaskie ran into Adams at the Bicycle Transportation Alliance's Alice Awards just a week after the bridge vote. They shook hands and Kurmaskie says he told Adams, "This is just about policy. It's a policy difference and we're coming at you with everything we've got."
