In The Columbian’s March 30 Cheers & Jeers, the Washougal City Council was jeered for “wasting time” on discussing a resolution opposing the Columbia River Crossing plan that includes light rail. The editorial also called the resolution “inaccurate.” In my April 2 Camas-Washougal Post Record op-ed, “Take a Stand!” (Available on the News Page of http://dave-shoemaker.com/news ), I identified such objections to discussion as a tactic for defeating proposals that council minorities oppose by shutting down discussion. If it never comes to a vote, the minority will not lose that vote.
The question of accuracy is more difficult. Suffice to say that neither side of the CRC question has a monopoly on truth. As a Washougal city councilor, I know that each of us must sort out that question for ourself. Openly discussing issues helps!
Why, then, should Washougal council members not publicly debate and register their concerns over this profligate misuse of public funds, some of which come from Washougal residents in the form of federal, state, and local taxes — to say nothing of the inevitable tolls? We would be remiss if we did not!
See my website, http://dave-shoemaker.com/news for a more detailed discussion of these issues.
