Regular readers know that the so called newspaper of record, heavily biased towards strapping the struggling middle class with more expenses in order to pay for forcing the financially failing light rail into Clark County from Portland, is probably one of the least reliable sources of news in the Pacific Northwest.
Hence, they are labeled the Lazy C for not properly vetting or researching many subjects, primarily anything political in nature or critical of the Columbia River Crossing light rail project,
They spare no ink when it comes to maligning critics and in large part, is behind the current brouhaha over County Commissioners Mielke & Madore being blasted daily for over a week now for legally hiring much hated State Sen. Don Benton to head the County Dept of Environmental Services.
But they out do themselves in getting wrong in what seems like an attempt to smear a group critical of the current CRC design and calling themselves the I-5 Project Inc. as they run an article on lobbying efforts on behalf of both sides of the issue, CRC foes, supporters step up lobbying efforts
Of course, it’s a good thing that proponents have hired lobbyists to serve their interests. But, it’s not so good that critics have hired lobbyists to serve their interests.
We see a subtle effort to smear I-5 Project Inc. in the 13 paragraph from the top where it says, “The lobbyist registration forms fail to list the names of significant donors to the I-5 Project coalition, and the PDC is working with the group to file that required information, PDC spokeswoman Lori Anderson said last week.”
Drop down a few paragraphs and you will find, for the lobbying effort on behalf of proponents, “The Columbia River Crossing Coalition, a private group funded largely by business and labor interests, earlier this month paid for a radio ad designed to reach local commuters.”
They still don’t tell you just who funds the pro coalition, but giving you the vague “funded largely by business and labor interests,” they leave you with the impression it is all on the up and up and that the group critical is somehow in violation of PDC rules.
That is flat out wrong, as I will show.
The Lazy C makes sure to mention they received no call back when trying to contact the groups treasurer and quite frankly, given their heavy bias and many past efforts at smearing anybody critical of the CRC, I wouldn’t call them back either. All we need do is look over the 29 articles from this past week bashing, insulting, criticizing, ridiculing and hurling just mean words at Commissioners Madore & Mielke to ask why any honest hearted person in this community would want to talk to them.
Be that as it may, I had no problem discussing this with a group member and getting to the bottom of the allegation hinted at by the Lazy C.
As it turns out, according to attorneys for the I-5 Project Inc., “the group is not a member organization or a trade organization, therefore its funders do not have to be listed.”
Confirmation of this opinion was confirmed by the projects lawyers through the PDC.
So there is no effort by the PDC to “work with the group to file that required information” as there is no requirement that they file it.
This is the fact as laid out to me by a member of the I-5 Project Inc.
It should also be noted that we see in the article the words of rookie State Senator Annette Cleveland (D 40), entering her 4th month as State Senator and somehow already an expert, even though she has no practical experience in politics or engineering, claiming “The decision in front of us is a compromise. The special session is going to require everyone’s willingness to come together. … I’m still very hopeful that logic and reason will prevail.”
Really, Ms. Cleveland?
And just what “compromise” have you, Jim Moeller or Sharon Wylie been willing to offer?
Elimination of critical freeway interchanges so to preserve light rail that you constituents do not want? That’s your idea of a “compromise?”
Even as the newcomer, Cleveland has been unbending in supporting forcing Clark County to accept light rail at a cost that would build several bridges across the Columbia River and fully knowing that the struggling middle class, seeing over 4 straight years of double digit unemployment in the county, will carry the burden of increased taxes, tolls, even an extra toll Ms. Cleveland proposed to fund the $450 Million share, increased license fees, potentially an employee head tax and more.
She, like 49th Rep. Jim Moeller remain silent on the now known efforts of an Oregon Legislator to meet with and encourage businesses upriver of the proposed bridge to relocate 200 miles south in Oregon, once the bridge is constructed and will have inadequate bridge clearance to facilitate shipping their larger goods downriver to customers.
Cleveland asks for “logic and reason to prevail,” but where is the logic to establish a choke point on river commerce downriver of many businesses today and that will negatively affect creation of business upriver for the next 100 years?
Obviously, like others before her, the notion of “compromise” is we give up our positions for theirs while they give back nothing!!
Returning to the I-5 Project Inc., they advocate some real common sense alternatives, such as drop light rail and get the proposed bridge up to an adequate height to not hamper river commerce.
If mass transit is required in order for the feds to return some of our tax dollars to us that can easily be accomplished with buses or even a Rapid Bus Line on the bridge that will not require a low grade and will actually be flexible not restricted to hard rail.
If it is really “logic and reason” being sought, there you go.
Forcing light rail on a community that has repeatedly rejected in, both directly and by proxy and plunging a community Billions of dollars into debt that they do not have, while chasing established businesses away and discouraging new ones coming in is far from “logic and reason.”
Neither will logic and reason be found within the pages of the Lazy C as they continue to blindly support such a boondoggle while alienating the community they claim to serve.
