This past Sunday, April 3, 2013 saw yet another insulting editorial written by soon to be retiring Columbian Editorial Page Editor, John Laird: We should all live as long as the Third Bridge Cockroach.
Laird, a strong supporter of the Columbia River Crossing has now added “cockroach” to his repertoire of derogatory titles assigned to taxpayers that dare actually look behind the shroud of secrecy long enveloping the CRC and stand against it.
BANANA (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything), Ankle Biters, Hounds of Whinerville, NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard), CAVE (Citizens Against Virtually Everything) and now Cockroaches to describe those who they also want to buy their newspaper.
What Laird misses is that term cockroach is better suited to those who blindly support this bloated plan to force Portland, Oregon’s financially troubled light rail onto Clark County Citizens as it is they who are now scurrying around like cockroaches when a light is turned on, preferring darkness. As opposition grows to the CRC, people seeing it for what it is, supporters are scurrying to silence critics, demean opponents and as Governor Jay Inslee called for “increase the decibels” while ignoring the why of citizen opposition skyrocketing.
As Washington State Legislators lean closer to citizen opposition, we see 49th Legislative District Rep. Jim Moeller claiming, “We are using everything in our bag of tricks to bring everything to bear,” as he too sees the likelihood of citizen opposition killing the project as designed, opting for a more transparent project that will actually serve the region.
One of those “tricks” seems to be bringing in the U.S. Transportation Secretary, former Illinois Congressman Ray LaHood to try to sell the faltering project to Washington State Legislators.
Relying on faulty logic, LaHood says,
“We need to have people with vision step up and say: ‘Those who have worked for 12 years on this project deserve to have this project move ahead, because they’ve done all the hard work’.”
Having spent 12 years ignoring the voices of the people, trying to silence critics, shrouding the project in secrecy and “using everything in our bag of tricks” is not a good justification for moving this bloated project forward against the will of the people.
LaHood continued,
“We are prepared to put millions of dollars into this project because it’s important to America.”
Unfortunately, America isn’t paying the lion’s share of the $5 to $10 Billion this boondoggle will end up costing after interest on the bonds, cost overruns and expense of constructing this monster. That will fall squarely on the backs of Clark County Washington’s struggling middle class as they attempt to recover from over 4 straight years of double digit unemployment.
18th Legislative District State Senator Don Benton released a statement today relating to LaHood’s efforts,
“I guess the governor thought he could strong-arm the Senate Majority Coalition into rolling over by bringing the D.C. folks in to give us the same ‘this bridge or no bridge’ lecture he’s been delivering. Instead, the transportation secretary had his hat handed to him, and I have to believe I will find even more support now for my efforts to force a redesign of the CRC project.”
“I was very proud of how our coalition joined me in standing up for the people of Clark County. The governor and the CRC supporters are obviously getting more desperate by the day; they see how time is running out to get the Legislature to go along with this boondoggle.”
Indicative of changing attitudes opposing this project, we see center left Democrat Mike Dalesandro, who has announced his intent to try to gain a seat on the Battle Ground, Washington City Council released the statement,
“We need a functional bridge that will serve the primary needs of communities. We need a project that places those needs, commuting, freight, and river commerce first, above all else. Look at I-205. Longer bridge, built without tolls, and much cheaper. Sure, inflation, costs of materials, labor, etc. have all increased, as well as environmental concerns, but we can do better than the current project.”
“It’s not responsible to have taxpayers buying the Cadillac when all they need and can afford is the Taurus. It’s not responsible for our region to be held hostage by Oregon’s “light rail or bust” philosophy. We don’t need light rail and a bridge project without a clear idea of what the tolling costs are going to be. The proposed CRC project just isn’t right for Battle Ground.”
Even though Battle Ground is several miles outside of the CRC Benefit Zone, Dalesandro can see that the project will negatively affect taxpayers in that city just as the Washougal, Washington City Council did recently when they voted in a resolution in opposition to the light rail project.
Also indicative of Clark County’s opposition to the CRC was last year’s County Commissioner Election where we saw a two-term incumbent who supported the CRC defeated by a very large margin by a novice political candidate opposing it.
We also saw another incumbent commissioner opposing the CRC retain his seat after facing a well-funded and experienced challenger who expressed support for the CRC.
Outside of the 49th Legislative District, we saw candidates winning their bid for office running against the CRC and pro-CRC candidates fall by the wayside with few exception.
Clearly where John Laird claims of opponents being like “the indefatigable insect that crawls out as the lone survivor of some nuclear holocaust” and refuses to die, his description of opponents and advocates of Third Bridge instead being “cockroaches” is much better suited to the CRC an supporters as it should be obvious to most ardent supporter that they are grossly outnumbered by opponents who see the project is not what it is being sold as.
Indeed, if it were even half of what proponents claim I would sell on its own merit and those like Jim Moeller would not need to rely on their “bag of tricks” to sell it.
Opponents haven’t had to rely on tricks, we’ve just relied in the truth of what is written in CRC documents, thanks to the many efforts of Forensic Accountant Tiffany LeMay Couch and her husband Rusty.
