Clark County voters resoundingly rejected extending Portland’s light rail line to Vancouver in 1995 by a 2 to 1 margin. Twice more, in 2002 and 2004, voters in Clark County defeated measures perceived to be a back door for extending light rail to Vancouver, Resolution 51 being a statewide measure in 2002 defeated statewide and a C-Tran Proposition 1 defeated in 2004.
In spite of that, a small handful of elected officials decided amongst themselves to give the go ahead for extending light rail with their “locally preferred alternative,” ignoring and bypassing voters’ intent in 2008.
Then city council member, Tim Leavitt spoke of the need of “consideration should be given when it comes to looking at the cost of this project for that economic value that we provide to the state of Oregon and businesses in Oregon. So, that’s kind of the line in the sand I am drawing when it comes to high capacity transit.”
Since becoming Mayor, though, just as with his stance on strongly opposing tolling Clark County citizens for the bridge, he seems to not really desire giving consideration to what this is going to cost us in Clark County. Instead, after several promises from more than one candidate that would receive a vote on operations & maintenance of light rail, he has supported slapping yet another sales tax increase on us for some time now to pay for it.
Ever the one for political expediency, Mayor Leavitt has erected a smoke screen masking his desire to stick citizens with paying for something they do not want.
The Sunday, April 8, 2012 edition of the Columbian contained a ‘letter to the editors’ from Mayor Leavitt titled, Stop wasting taxes and time.
The Mayor states, “With a little bit of work and creativity, we might enjoy this regional transit system without any new taxes,” and “Rather than work harder to find other means to pay for operational costs of Vancouver’s light rail, some people want a ‘vote’ that really would do nothing but waste more public money, waste more public time, and could raise taxes” in his letter.
The smoke screen amounts to mere semantics, misleading some to believe this extension of light rail from Portland into Vancouver will not cost taxpayers as well as it being promoted as inevitable, “like it or not” as was expressed by Port of Vancouver Director, Larry Paulson at the March 26, 2012 City Council Meeting.
It is largely recognized that even though the delayed vote on operations & maintenance of light rail will be seen by voters as a referendum on light rail itself and if defeated, could jeopardize any federal funding for the project, given that the CRC is already high on the ‘at risk projects’ list.
In late February of 2012, the Mayor began sowing the seeds of his subterfuge telling the community, “I’m hearing: ‘Why the hell would you be asking for a tax increase if there are methods to cover operations and maintenance that don’t require a tax increase?’”
Vancouver resident and owner of the former Clark Blog website, Bob Koski informs all of just what Mayor Leavitt means in his “creative” methods to avoid a tax increase in a post at Oregonlive, Voters are the stone in Leavitt’s shoe.
Koski reasons, “What Mayor Leavitt is talking about when he mentions being creative in his letter to the Columbian on Sunday, is that he thinks he has found a way around the voters all together. A couple of years ago, the State Legislature gave Cities in Washington the authority to impose a $20 fee on every vehicle license tab in that City for transportation projects. The fee can go as high as $100 per tab, but anything higher than that initial $20 fee has to be voter approved.”
He also says, “Imposing a ‘fee’ on every license plate in town is not, technically, a ‘tax’, and Vancouver City Council already has the authority to raise over $2 Million a year based on the number of tabs in town right now. In addition the US Congress has clearly telegraphed that any further funds for transportation projects will most likely be paid for with a substantial increase in the Federal gasoline tax, at least, and that money is likely to be targeted toward fixing actual roads cars drive on, instead of taxing those cars to operate a light rail line that almost no one will be riding.”
I couldn’t agree more and have raised the same concern myself. Whether it is from a sales tax in a gerrymandered sub-district, that just so happens to contain most of the major shopping outlets that those outside the district would also have to pay, or if increases gasoline taxes or increasing license tab fees, taxpayers will carry the full burden of paying for this project, “like it or not!”
Leavitt would have you believe otherwise with his game of semantics by claiming alternatives to the sales tax if “creative.”
In reality, the only “creative” effort to date is how to deny voters a voice in the project by circumventing us and sticking us with full payment anyway.
Koski calls for a recall effort of all city council members who support this move and I cannot disagree. Although I cannot disagree, as I recall, a recall of an elected official in our state can be very difficult as it is assigned to a superior court judge to review and determine if the allegations are sufficient to proceed.
Still, it might be well worth looking into.
Ultimately though, it is we voters who are going to have to get “creative” ourselves and “work” to raise our voices against this project that will leave future generations paying for an expensive bridge and bailing out Portland’s financially failing light rail system.
We cannot sit back and remain quiet, hoping someone will step up to stop it. Their voices are not loud enough lone, yours too must be added.
With the primary and general election coming this year, acquaint yourselves with the candidates and incumbents. Vote against those, like alleged Republican Marc Boldt who has long supported this project and tax increases to pay for it.
You are the government in America. Those like Leavitt are just temporary elected representatives that can and must be replaced.
Be it at city council meetings, neighborhood association meetings, rallies or even protests, speak out and speak out loudly.
Your attention and voice will blow away the smoke screen Leavitt is placing before you.
