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Thursday, January 12, 2012

Transportation Conservatives and Enviros Join Forces to Criticize CRC Spending

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Thu, Jan 12, 2012 at 12:39 PM

Plaid Pantry Prez Chris Girard pans the CRC, along with (from left) State Rep Lew Frederick, economist Joe Cortright, accountant Tiffany Couch, Cascade Policy Institutes John Charles, Rep Mitch Greenlick, and Metro Councilor Carl Hosticka
  • Plaid Pantry Prez Chris Girard pans the CRC, along with (from left) State Rep Lew Frederick, economist Joe Cortright, accountant Tiffany Couch, Cascade Policy Institute's John Charles, Rep Mitch Greenlick, and Metro Councilor Carl Hosticka

Influential individuals across the political spectrum met this morning on the sunny, frigid banks of the Columbia near the Vancouver base of the hulking I-5 bridge to discuss the one thing they can all agree on: The Columbia River Crossing (CRC) plan to replace the bridge is flawed and should not be funded.

The Oregon legislature's oversight committee begins meeting next week and people ranging from Metro Councilor Carl Hosticka to State Representative Lew Frederick to free-market think tank Cascade Policy Institute's John Charles all say the committee should not authorize spending more money on the bridge plan until more alternatives are examined and a solid funding plan is secured.

"Please stop the bleeding," said Councilor Hosticka. "At a time when the state highway department is laying people off, it's a bad idea to keep spending over a million dollars a month on a project that may never get built. After six years of trying, there is not yet any assured funding from any source."

"The current finance plan is a disaster waiting to happen for the taxpayers of Oregon," said Plaid Pantry President Chris Girard.

Feds have given the green light to bridge funding, but the money is not yet in the bag. Locally, Vancouver residents rejected a tax that was supposed to pay for light rail and this week, Washington governor Christine Gregoire said the CRC is her top priority—but didn't propose a way to pay for it.

The project critics disagree on potential fixes for the I-5 corridor—a representative for "Third Bridge Now" wants a new freeway bypass for freight, Jim Howell of AORTA wants upgrades to the nearby railroad bridge that could make it fit for high speed rail—but the mutual desire to take a step back and examine alternatives was clear. "Let's not spend money we don't have on a project that will tie our hands for a generation," said Metro candidate Bob Stacey. State Rep Mitch Greenlick was more blunt: "This is a bridge project to nowhere, a steamroller headed off a cliff."

 

Comments (7) RSS

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1
I don't think saying 'Criticize CRC Spending' is accurate as 'Criticize CRC Waste'.

If this was your bank or insurance company wasting tens of millions on a project, PM would be going ballistic. Before you go off with an ad hominem attack, why don't you watch a detailed presentation of the waste happening? It is your money being wasted after all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ci8h8R0Nz4
Let's see if the view count goes above 163, I doubt it.
Posted by Andy from Beaverton on January 12, 2012 at 1:04 PM · Report
2
When did the president of Plaid Pantry become some kind of authority on anything other than the cost of Slim Jims?
Posted by Chuck Garabedian on January 12, 2012 at 1:32 PM · Report
3
Have you heard his testimony? Girard's actually quite knowledgable about the CRC, as it's directly affecting his business.
Posted by Evan Manvel on January 12, 2012 at 4:45 PM · Report
4
This isn't just a bridge, it's a 12 lane, 9 mile long freeway expansion into the heart of downtown Portland.
Posted by Casual Sex T-Rex on January 12, 2012 at 5:04 PM · Report
5
Yeah, how does this thing help Portland? Kill the bridge, and spend the money in Portland, it does absolutely nothing for us.
Posted by Ardennes on January 12, 2012 at 7:53 PM · Report
6
"Kill the bridge, and spend the money in Portland, it does absolutely nothing for us."

It's not Portland's money to spend. It's state and federal money. The city of Portland isn't kicking in much.

And that's what people fail to understand: this is a multi-state issue. It's not all about Portland.
Posted by Chuck Garabedian on January 13, 2012 at 7:18 AM · Report
7
Chuck, the money isn't all about Portland, but the impact, the downstream repercussions of widening that flow of freeway traffic into the heart of Portland... That's all about Portland.
Posted by anylandingisagoodlanding on January 13, 2012 at 2:15 PM · Report

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