In spite of all of their boastful claims, anybody paying attention has come to realize that Democrats are actually the enemy of the middle class in America, not their guardian or friend. From restrictive taxes to job destroying policies, Democrats continue to burden the shrinking middle class as more and more, citizens fall below the poverty line.
Washington State far left Democrat Governor Jay Inslee provides a perfect example of how the Democrats are out to destroy the American Middle Class as he vetoes $81M for CRC yesterday, making the claim of “It’s all or nothing.”
On first look, given that our state once again faces a budget deficit exceeding $1 Billion, it may appear that he is actually cutting expenses. But the truth is far different. His ultimate goal in vetoing the $81 Million is an attempt to force the legislature into passing a measure to spend $450 Million to begin construction of the contentious Columbia River Crossing light rail project, forcing Clark County’s middle class taxpayers to not only accept the light rail they have repeatedly rejected, but pay for it too.
If approved, the $450 Million turns into $3.4 Billion to start. Cost overruns and interest on bonds, TIFA Loans and more would likely triple that amount, all on the backs of the middle class in Clark County who have seen over 4 straight years of double digit unemployment.
But that doesn’t seem to matter to Democrats like Governor Inslee or Jim Moeller (D Portland/49) as they blindly rush to burden taxpayers with a bridge too low that will likely see more tax dollars used to help relocate those upriver businesses negatively affected by the inadequate bridge height, designed solely to accommodate light rail, out of Clark County, likely to Oregon or another state.
Erik Smith at the Washington State Wire in Olympia provides insight missing in several reports with his article, Governor Takes Breathtaking Gamble on Columbia River Bridge Project where we see,
“By using his veto pen on the appropriation, the governor signaled that he believes there is no middle ground. But from the perspective of the project’s critics, he has created a self-fulfilling prophecy. The $81 million appropriation aimed to keep the project on life support until the Coast Guard can decide whether the low-hanging bridge design presents a hazard to navigation and places too significant a burden on existing and future industrial development upstream of Interstate 5.”
Senator Ann Rivers (R 18th) says of the Governor’s gamble,
“The Legislature gave the governor an option, and he just took it off the table. … It feels a lot like he just pulled the plug on the project.”
Senator Don Benton (R 17th), a long time opponent released a statement saying,
“While I didn’t anticipate his veto, I give him credit for sidelining a project that simply isn’t the right investment for Clark County and our state as a whole – which is why our Senate Majority Coalition Caucus has been united in its opposition.”
“I want a Coast Guard-approved crossing that meets the needs of Clark County commuters when it comes to reducing traffic congestion and the needs of our state concerning freight mobility, by road and by river. I’m willing to delay the funding until we have a design that reflects those priorities. The governor’s veto accomplishes that.”
Pulling the plug on the project as it is currently designed is precisely what should be done in order to save our struggling middle class who will bear the burden of this fiasco, both in paying Billions in extra taxes to pay for it, high tolls in perpetuity and the loss of future job growth due to the inadequate height of the bridge design to accommodate light rail.
Representative Jim Moeller (D Portland/Vancouver) on the other hand, is ecstatic over the Governor’s attempt at heavy-handedness saying,
“Thank you, Governor! It’s time to fish or cut bait! There is no ‘re-do’ option available. And to Sen. Ann River’s comment: of course it’s gamesmanship and the governor plays to win! Hello! The options have just been narrowed…”
Moeller, who not too long ago was channeling global warming guru Al Gore with his moronic “the debate is over” must not realize, in his blind allegiance to this fiasco, that his options are now gone! Not “narrowed,” but gone!
Moeller adds,
“This is to force a vote on the ENTIRE transportation revenue package – Regardless of the CRC. It all goes forward or none of it does!”
Moeller’s arrogance blinds him to the fact that “none of it going forward” is the likely outcome of this bluff of Inslee’s.
People don’t like being strong armed into accepting something as ridiculous as this doomed project that promises only to bankrupt the middle class as Portland, Oregon drains more precious tax dollars out of our local economy.
Clark County’s middle class can ill afford Inslee’s folly to fund these dream projects that might see a few local union members hired. In case he hasn’t been paying attention, the price of gasoline currently in and around Clark County ranges from $3.83 to $4.09 per gallon and he wishes to add another 10¢ per gallon in taxes.
Along with that it has been proposed that car tag license fees could increase by $20 apiece, adding a $25 fee on to purchases of bicycles costing $500 (on top of current sales tax), a potential employee head tax on businesses and of course, tolls on the already paid for bridge in anticipation of the faulty designed light rail project moving ahead.
Given the tenor seen in the Senate Coalition Majority earlier this year, this is likely a gamble Inslee will rightfully lose and his bluff is called as they kill the Transportation package. But, as we have seen too many times, many measures thought dead suddenly come alive again in Olympia.
To forestall that possibility, we need to turn to the U.S. Coast Guard who will be conducting meetings on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Red Lion Hotel on the River, 909 N Hayden Island Drive, Portland, Oregon and on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Hilton Vancouver, 301 West 6th St, Vancouver, Washington on the proposed application to approve the inadequate bridge height.
The Coast Guard is seeking input from the public on the potential affect this will have on our community and river navigation. Your input may be in person at one of the above listed meetings or you may submit them in writing through Regulations.gov by June 20, 2013.
It’s time we citizens in Clark County stood up to the likes of Democrats like Jay Inslee and Jim Moeller who see us ATM machines for repaying wealthy donors to their campaigns. It is not enough that we rely on the slim Coalition majority to kill this middle class destroying CRC light rail project, we must do our part too in calling Inslee’s bluff.
I urge you all to read the proposal at Regulations.gov and submit your comments, letting the Coast Guard know that the current proposal has no public support, will limit river navigation and future job growth, decimating the future of Clark County Washington.
It’s time to stop this madness, redesign the project into something we citizens who will pay for it want and can afford and tell Portland to bail themselves out of their folly of an ever intrusive light rail.
We don’t want it!
Fight back against the Democrats war on the middle class.
