Chief
07-11-2008, 07:10 AM
http://columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/07/07112008_Commission-candidates-address-bridge-issue.cfm
Friday, July 11, 2008
By MICHAEL ANDERSEN, Columbian staff writer
It was the question of the hour — a $4 billion one.
For the first time, the seven candidates to succeed Clark County Commissioner Betty Sue Morris all met in one forum Thursday night.
And even though it was up at the Fairgrounds Neighborhood Association’s monthly meeting, the topic that had kept them jawboning was the proposed Interstate 5 bridge.
On Page C7 is a guide to their positions on the bridge and mass transit across it, stated Thursday night.
Interested in a different issue? Catch their debate at 7 p.m. next Thursday in the Clark Public Utilities community room, 1200 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver.
The primary is Aug. 19; the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will advance to the Nov. 3 countywide election.
Pam Brokaw
Home: Ridgefield.
Party: Democrat.
Position: Pro-bridge, agnostic on rail.
Says: “I support light rail. But I also support something else. What we can afford? Right now, we’ve got a really shiny car in the corner of the car lot, but we don’t have the contract in front of us. We don’t know what it’s going to cost.”
Tom Mielke
Home: Battle Ground.
Party: Republican.
Position: Anti-bridge.
Says: “Do we have a problem? No. Get across the bridge — poof! 65 miles an hour. We have a right to vote on the bridge, and we have a right to vote on light rail. When we painted that bridge, it was inspected and given an A grade.”
Brad Lothspeich
Home: Hazel Dell.
Party: Republican.
Position: Pro-bridge, anti-rail.
Says: “It serves commerce up and down the West Coast. It’s not just Clark and Multnomah counties. I think we ought to sit right where we are and wait for the federal government to blink. Wait for the city of Portland to blink.”
Matt Swindell
Home: Ridgefield.
Party: Republican.
Position: Pro-bridge, anti-rail.
Says: “Why are we trying to figure out better ways to ship our greatest commodity to Portland? I believe light rail someday for Clark County, it will be the future — 25, 50 years down the road, I don’t know.”
Robert Nichols
Home: Barberton.
Party: Independent.
Position: Anti-bridge unless financed without tolls or light rail.
Says: “We may be marching into a financial quagmire, and it’ll take decades to get our way out. There won’t be a tax increase passed for 20 years when people find out the magnitude of what has happened here. We have to support Dino Rossi’s plan to finance this thing without tolls, which is going to require major federal participation.”
Craig Williams
Home: Salmon Creek.
Party: Republican.
Position: Pro-bridge, pro-rail.
Says: “I hear a lot of people say we can’t afford this bridge. You’re already paying for it. Run the numbers. About 2.5 hours a day of avoidable congestion. You’re already paying $100 million more than you need to for a bridge you’re not getting. Every area that has light rail would keep it. There’s opposition up front, but in the end they all want it.”
Bridget Schwarz
Home: Fairgrounds area.
Party: Independent.
Position: Pro-bridge, anti-rail.
Says: “With light rail, you’re talking about a fixed route. And I don’t think our community is at the point where we want to be stuck with a fixed route.
“Look 50 feet to the east and you will find a huge underutilized piece of transportation infrastructure known as I-5 northbound.”
Friday, July 11, 2008
By MICHAEL ANDERSEN, Columbian staff writer
It was the question of the hour — a $4 billion one.
For the first time, the seven candidates to succeed Clark County Commissioner Betty Sue Morris all met in one forum Thursday night.
And even though it was up at the Fairgrounds Neighborhood Association’s monthly meeting, the topic that had kept them jawboning was the proposed Interstate 5 bridge.
On Page C7 is a guide to their positions on the bridge and mass transit across it, stated Thursday night.
Interested in a different issue? Catch their debate at 7 p.m. next Thursday in the Clark Public Utilities community room, 1200 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver.
The primary is Aug. 19; the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will advance to the Nov. 3 countywide election.
Pam Brokaw
Home: Ridgefield.
Party: Democrat.
Position: Pro-bridge, agnostic on rail.
Says: “I support light rail. But I also support something else. What we can afford? Right now, we’ve got a really shiny car in the corner of the car lot, but we don’t have the contract in front of us. We don’t know what it’s going to cost.”
Tom Mielke
Home: Battle Ground.
Party: Republican.
Position: Anti-bridge.
Says: “Do we have a problem? No. Get across the bridge — poof! 65 miles an hour. We have a right to vote on the bridge, and we have a right to vote on light rail. When we painted that bridge, it was inspected and given an A grade.”
Brad Lothspeich
Home: Hazel Dell.
Party: Republican.
Position: Pro-bridge, anti-rail.
Says: “It serves commerce up and down the West Coast. It’s not just Clark and Multnomah counties. I think we ought to sit right where we are and wait for the federal government to blink. Wait for the city of Portland to blink.”
Matt Swindell
Home: Ridgefield.
Party: Republican.
Position: Pro-bridge, anti-rail.
Says: “Why are we trying to figure out better ways to ship our greatest commodity to Portland? I believe light rail someday for Clark County, it will be the future — 25, 50 years down the road, I don’t know.”
Robert Nichols
Home: Barberton.
Party: Independent.
Position: Anti-bridge unless financed without tolls or light rail.
Says: “We may be marching into a financial quagmire, and it’ll take decades to get our way out. There won’t be a tax increase passed for 20 years when people find out the magnitude of what has happened here. We have to support Dino Rossi’s plan to finance this thing without tolls, which is going to require major federal participation.”
Craig Williams
Home: Salmon Creek.
Party: Republican.
Position: Pro-bridge, pro-rail.
Says: “I hear a lot of people say we can’t afford this bridge. You’re already paying for it. Run the numbers. About 2.5 hours a day of avoidable congestion. You’re already paying $100 million more than you need to for a bridge you’re not getting. Every area that has light rail would keep it. There’s opposition up front, but in the end they all want it.”
Bridget Schwarz
Home: Fairgrounds area.
Party: Independent.
Position: Pro-bridge, anti-rail.
Says: “With light rail, you’re talking about a fixed route. And I don’t think our community is at the point where we want to be stuck with a fixed route.
“Look 50 feet to the east and you will find a huge underutilized piece of transportation infrastructure known as I-5 northbound.”