Good Afternoon,
Below is another opinion that thinks we need to vote on the Operations and Maintence of Light Rail the Gravy Train. What is your Opinion? Let me Know.
We may need to gather petition signatures to obtain our promised and constitutional rights.
L. M. Patella
CDR USN (ret)
NuVoice
For the Overburdened Taxpayers of Vancouver Washington
March 9, 2010
Stop the Assumptions of Light Rail
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. Albert Einstein
There have been a lot of assumptions that light rail in Clark County is a foregone conclusion. Wouldn't it be a good idea to put it on the ballot to see if people are willing to pay more taxes to subsidize it before we have any further discussion? If people don’t want it would it be dead or is it the intention for our government to shove it down our throats. Where have I heard this most recently? Oh, I know...Health care.
The myth promoted by the politicians is that the bridge cannot be built without light rail. Horse feathers! It can be built with a form of Rapid Transit which would be a cost effective bus system. With buses if the need is a different destination you don’t have to build an extension of tracks.
People love their cars. No matter how glamorous you make light rail appear, I’d rather drive my own clean car and be with people I choose. I don’t fear crime in my car. I do feel uneasy on a train of strangers trying to convert me to Christianity or worst being obnoxious because they are high on drugs.
So wasting time and money, by debating when and where light rail will be placed assumes that the taxpayer/voter who will be paying for it has already made their approval. They have not!
Place it on the next ballot for all of Clark County. Be honest with the voter as to the true cost of light rail. Look at the financial record of Tri-Met and their deficit involving their operating of light rail and ask the voter if they want them to control the extension into Vancouver.
Eighty million taxpayer dollars have been spent on the study of the Columbia River Crossing and the people who will be paying for this entire project have yet to be asked what they want concerning light rail. It’s sort of like giving your girlfriend a surprise gift that doesn’t work and asking her to pay for it for an indefinite period of time.
Let’s have a vote first before we talk further on something not voter approved. Save the overburdened taxpayer his time and money. We deserve to be represented not dictated to.
Charlie Stemper of Vancouver USA You may unsubscribe to this list at any time by sending a message to the following: unsubscribe@nuvoice.com and type unsubscribe in the subject line.