In a Sunday November 20, 2011 Op-Ed in our local version of Pravda, the Columbian, that should rightfully be filed away in the “have you no shame” column, C-TRAN Executive Director/CEO Jeff Hamm, still drooling over having successfully conned nearly 54% of Clark County voters begins laying out his next rip-off of taxpayers, in our third year of double digit unemployment.
Oddly enough, Hamm now informs us that C-Van will be expanded with the passage of Proposition 1. I don’t recall much, if any mention that part of Prop 1 was to “expand” C-Van, do you? I thought all along it was if they didn’t get deeper into our pockets, Granny and the handicapped were going to be left standing out in the cold with no way to get to the doctor.
Apparently gazing into some liberal prophetic crystal ball, Hamm says, “Someday soon, Clark County will return to times of economic prosperity and again grow its population and employment base.”
“Someday soon?” I thought the Clark County Pravda has been telling us how much better things are now, with 9% unemployment being a “new norm” Democrats speak of and supporters of Prop 1 telling us we are stingy and greedy if we don’t give up more of our dwindling paychecks to whatever the ruling class in Clark County tells us we must.
But, prosperity will return “soon?” Where? How? We are in our third year of double digit unemployment with no efforts apparent to cut the umbilical cord to Portland, Oregon. It appears as our elected rulers seem more determined than ever to be even more dependent upon Portland.
If you recall, it should still be fresh in your mind, Prop 1 had nothing to do with Portland’s ‘Loot Rail’ being brought into out county, even though forensic auditor Tiffany Couch exposed that C-TRAN was holding Millions of Dollars in reserve to fund ‘Loot Rail’ expansion and their ‘pie in the sky” Fourth Plain Bus Rapid Transit system. But now we read from Hamm, “
In 2012, the C-Tran Board of Directors will wrestle with two significant opportunities to step into that future: The Columbia River Crossing (CRC) light rail extension into Vancouver and a Fourth Plain Boulevard Transit Improvement Project. While the CRC project and light rail has generated an intense amount of interest and discussion throughout the region, it is important to understand C-Tran’s role in the project and what citizens may be asked for in order to fulfill that part of the agency’s adopted 20 Year Transit Development Plan. In 2008, the C-Tran Board of Directors voted to support the CRC project with two funding-related conditions:
That C-Tran would not have to ask its voters to fund any construction elements of Light Rail Transit (LRT); and …
That C-Tran would ask voters to fund only the Vancouver side’s share of the LRT operations and maintenance costs.”
Do you note there is no mention of replacing an antiquated bridge there, as we have been told time and again was the main reason for the CRC? Having successfully duped 54% of you voters, Hamm can begin being more honest in that the primary reason for a new bridge, ruled safe for at least another 50 years by structural analysts from both states, is to expand Tri-Met’s financially bankrupt ‘Loot Rail” to Clark County and having Clark County fund even more of Multnomah County’s ventures.
Hamm says, “less than a 0.1 percent C-Tran service-area-wide sales tax increase” would be needed to cover the estimated “$2.57 million per year” cost they claim expanding ‘Loot Rail’ to Clark County will cost.
When was the last time you heard of any “study” launched by government on costs associated with any of these legacy building, dreamy projects not greatly exceeding projected costs? They always estimate very low and project revenues very high, but when reality hits and the true costs come out, you, the hapless duped taxpayer and business owners must cough up even more, resulting in less to care for your family and higher unemployment as businesses struggle to keep costs down.
The single most ridiculous part of Hamm’s Op-Ed and in showing just how stupid he thinks you all are, says of the next planned taxpayer rip-off, “
It envisions a C-Tran willing to provide a palette of services to empower citizens with more and better mobility options and thereby contribute positively to the region’s sustainability, livability and economic vitality.”
How in the world, what with all of the efforts to “force you out of your car,” higher gas taxes, limited drilling and refining of oil into gas, increased license fees, higher parking fees and the higher cost of cars due to government regulations and onto the fixed routes, fixed schedules and total dependence upon costly public transportation, going where you are told, when you are told and how you are told, by the ruling class of Clark County “empower citizens with more and better mobility options?”
Many of us tried to warn you and tried to tell you this “small” tax increase was only the beginning.
And now, C-TRAN Executive Director/CEO Jeff Hamm is standing before you, drooling and grinning while telling you, BOHICA (Bend Over, Here It Comes Again).
