As the Sellwood Bridge crumbles slowly into the Willamette, Don McIntire, president of the Taxpayer Association of Oregon and perennial right wing petition-lover is kindly shrinking our government. His group is currently putting together a ballot measure that would require voter approval of all vehicle taxes passed since last June—an initiative that could very well mean the death of the current Sellwood Bridge replacement project.
An overwhelming majority of the bridge project’s funding comes from registration fees and gas taxes. The initiative would allow voters an up-or-down vote on each of these taxes, which means that a majority of voters would have to vote for being taxed four times (for the four different taxes slated for use for the project) in order for the current budget to remain. According to the Daily Journal of Commerce:
If McIntire’s group is able to gather 110,358 signatures by July 2, the November ballot would include a measure that would require voter approval of all new vehicle taxes. It also would effectively eliminate the majority of funding for the Sellwood Bridge project, according to Mike Pullen, public information officer with Multnomah County.
“The Don McIntire proposal would kill everything except for our federal funding,” Pullen said. “Every city and county in the state would be similarly impacted.”
Republican gubernatorial candidate Allen Alley is suggesting alternative sources of funding for the project, in particular, those already reserved for the Portland-to-Milwaukie light rail project.
“The Sellwood Bridge has been shrink-wrapped so the chunks that have been falling off of it won’t hurt anyone,” Alley said. “Why on earth would a government spend money on (new light rail) when the Sellwood Bridge is falling down? It should be moved to the top of the state’s priority list.”
Well, the light rail would get you from Sellwood (conveniently located right next to Milwaukie) to Portland without dumping you in the river. What do you think? How should we fund the replacement of the bridge? Or should we just… you know… go around?
I would like to comment on the announcement that Portland Mayor Sam Adams has accepted Rosie Sizer’s resignation and appointed a new police chief, while moving oversight of the police into his own purview. But maybe Blogtown has not checked Facebook to find out that news yet… tapping foot… waiting for the press…
Oh my goodness…Egg on my Facebook! You seem to have posted this so long ago that I missed it. All my apologies to the press. I’ll go follow the story there.
Stadler, you nitwit, that was three hours ago. Scroll down, genius.
We should just demolish the current bridge. Then, people would vote to build the new bridge.
Or we could just let the bridge stay until it collapses on its own, taking some cars that happen to be on top of it at the time, Killing 5-250 people in the process.
Stop the insanity. Rebuild the bridge (NOW)
It would be possible to replace the Sellwood for less than one-third of what ODOT and Multco intend to spend.
The current version is a down-market version of CRC, with ODOT calling the shots and Multco generating covering flak.
Both Sellwood and CRC are nothing more than good old Highway Commission fraud: our hard-earned dollars going to big money boys and girls in the construction business.
Let’s just replace it with a fleet of rafts.
Climb on my shoulders five at a time, give me a $50 and I won’t drop you in the water.
Interesting! I predict that if they do allow voters to decide on each tax, everyone will agree that the Sellwood desperately needs the money and must be replaced…and then vote against each tax.
Man, everyone knows, you pay the goddamn ferry toll. Ford the river? HA! Way to drown your oxen, you oxen drowner.
I would vote to keep Allen Alley away from any transportation policy decision ever.
Mr Lee is completely wrong and the Sellwood Bridge plans are public on the web for anyone to see. Specifically the bridge wasn’t expanded to more lanes. It’s still one lane in each direction.
The light rail has federal matching money, money Oregon sends to Washington, but gets a fraction back, unlike other states. If we spend the light rail money on the Sellwood bridge we loose the federal money and look like idiots for future federal transportation funds.
If we don;t fix the Sellwood, where will crazy people throw their kids off of?
Will someone please think of the children!!
I would most certainly donate to the Sellwood Bridge if it would prevent its collapse.
A retroactive re-approval of things that are already passed is ridiculous. I’m sure the signature gatherers make no mention of that.
Man, I love this writer!
“Well, the light rail would get you from Sellwood (conveniently located right next to Milwaukie)”
So, McLoughlin Blvd = Sellwood? Really?
Toll the bridge, and for good measure both McLoughlin and Macadam at the Multnomah-Clackamas County lines. The majority of Sellwood Bridge traffic originates in or is destined for Clackamas County. Those are the people who benefit the most from this bridge and therefore should have to foot an equitable share of the cost of this bridge.