Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, you did not do your job. Being a state senator is supposed to mean you are in a position of leadership. The new bridge will last the rest of this century and it has to be built to fill the needs of future constituents, not just today’s squeaky wheels. This means educating your constituents about our present needs and future realities. That is your job. If you are incapable, then get out of the way.
The world, our nation, our state, and this region are coming to the realization that we can no longer afford to build roads, parking, and infrastructure capable of carrying giant SUVs with only one person. That fact is abundantly clear in all major metropolitan areas and to the feds. Like it or not, Portland-Vancouver is fast becoming one, also. Future generations will applaud our foresight in building a bridge with mass transit capabilities.
I agree with Mayor Tim Leavitt and the quote from Abraham Lincoln that Leavitt used in closing his State of the City address, “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”
J. Marc Johnson
Vancouver