The wild and crazy east county bridge idea is still around, and it’s coming to a ballot near you.
Please note, I said the bridge “idea” is still around.
The bridge itself isn’t actually around. And no matter the outcome of the advisory vote in November, this is a bridge to nowhere going nowhere anytime soon.
Still, in a weird, twisted way, I’m glad the advisory vote is with us. It’s oozing with political theater, and this is the kind of stuff that could bring voters out.
Now, you might be asking, “Just why is it oozing?” Fair question.
Simple really. It involves my good buddy County Commissioner David Madore.
He’s one of my favorites. He’s also 90 percent of the M&M boys down at the county. Commissioner Tom Mielke is the other M&M piece.
Mielke fascinates me. If you could peer into his frontal lobe during commission meetings, he’s mostly thinking about his next free trip, courtesy of the coal industry, and when the lunch bell will ring. And he will always be Madore’s partner in
Pinocchioism.
But back to my buddy Madore. He’s not up for re-election this time, but his fingerprints will be all over this election. And this east county bridge thing is one of them.
o o o
This week, we had two candidates for state representative for 17th District, Position 1, come in to see our editorial board. They are incumbent Democrat Monica Stonier and challenger Republican Lynda Wilson. This district is a mix of liberals and conservatives, so elections are almost always a toss-up.
The east county bridge proposal is relevant in this race because Madore finally revealed how this bridge would be financed. The Washington and Oregon legislatures would have to cough up the dough.
That means it’s likely whoever gets elected in this race will see this proposal on their desk in the near future.
I should say — right about here — the idea of an east county bridge isn’t completely crazy. Someday — maybe a decade or two away — consideration should be given to this. The problem with this thing — now — is the priority should be solving the bridge issue on the Interstate 5 corridor between downtown Vancouver and Portland.
Yes, we all know there was a failed attempt to do that, primarily because it included light rail. But that doesn’t mean a proposal without an immediate light-rail component couldn’t work.
You see, life is about priorities, about choices. And that’s what Madore doesn’t get. For some reason, he’s fallen in love with his pet project and has bullied his way forward on it with no one else on board. And his advisory bridge vote doesn’t give us a choice. I’m all for advisory votes, but make them meaningful. Choices, commissioner, choices!
So I asked Wilson and Stonier about all this, since Madore is likely to put out his hand, begging for cash for his personal bridge project.
Me:Would the east county bridge be a priority for you?
Wilson:If someone hasn’t gone forward looking at revamping the I-5 Bridge, then you’re going to look at this one. That doesn’t mean that’s the right one, right? (But) I’m absolutely for another third transportation corridor.
Me:But is that a priority, then?
Wilson:Well, sure, I guess a priority if we want to have a third bridge.
Stonier:I don’t know that the third county bridge as proposed by the commissioner actually does much to solve the traffic problem. (And) there’s absolutely no way to fund that bridge. Now it’s going to go to an advisory vote in a very disingenuous manner.
As voters, you can decide which candidate you feel has the better handle on this issue.
o o o
Madore — as we all know — says he’s big on letting us serfs decide what we want. Thus his strange bridge advisory vote.
Hey, I’ve got an idea for my buddy Madore! Put an advisory vote on the ballot asking if everyone would like to have their mortgage paid off by the county. We the people want to be heard!
My guess is, you’re gonna get a big “yes” vote.
Then what? It’s just more stupid stuff from Madore.
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