Oregonian Admits the Streetcar is not Dead

To all COLA LO members,

As the week goes by we begin to receive further insight into the details on the Streetcar decision and voters are seriously questioning the circumstances of the streetcar proposal and its "demise" after Councilor Tierney's disclosure last week.  

The Oregonian this week admitted that the Streetcar is not dead just suspended in its editorial page.   The link can be found at:   Derailed but not Dead

At the same time the online comments on an LOR article show that citizen concerns are very high and they are questioning the integrity of the recent disclosure and the position of at least one sitting City Councilor that revised their position:  Streetcar Really Hitting the Skids?

As one citizen posted online:

"If you believe that Tierney has suddenly gotten an epiphany and made the vote because of what the (vast majority of) LO citizens want, there is this bridge I want to sell you. This guy has not missed an opportunity to be a rubber stamp for Hoffman and his backers on projects and schemes that are against the wished and benefit of us citizens.

Nothing more than a cheesy campaign falsehood with hopes we will not remember all the damage he has done: News flash Bill – We will not forget and we will make very sure you do not sit on the Council next term."

The Oregonian presented the doubts:  Doubts on Streetcar

But Portland Mayor Sam Adams says the project is just "suspended" :   Streetcar in Suspense

That tells most LO citizens that this may be a 2012 election tactic and not a serious decision for the elected officials.    The blogs are buzzing with this view right now as many believe the decision, the surprise announcement, and the statements are all just a little too "rehearsed".

Unfortunately the cast of players doesn't lend itself to credibility these days as potential conflicts abound and public funds have been expended in the millions.  Citizens aren't very happy right now with their elected officials or the situation.  

The question now becomes will the Streetcar and its millions actually change our local government for years to come as citizens realize the consequences?  A revolt has already occurred in Clackamas County and will this now proceed to the local level?  

Please notify all members, contacts, and friends.

Streetcar is Still Alive! ( Rumors of its Demise Untrue?)

To All COLA LO Members,

Yes its true the project continues to be positioned for its resurrection post 2012.    This week the papers are quietly mentioning that Portland's mayor Sam Adams refused to kill the project and plans to position it with a terminus at the Sellwood Bridge.   Adams Keeps Local Streetcar

The same  infamous Bridge where Clackamas County voters overturned a vehicle registration Fee last year to pay for a bridge in Multnomah County which had not been maintained by its owners.   Many say due to excessive waste and spending on non vehicle related projects.    

A fee that proved not only to be unnecessary but also showed that our County Commissioners refuse to allow us to vote on fee/tax increases unless citizens start their own ballot initiatives.  

It is well known that LO Mayor Jack Hoffman coordinates and shares the same beliefs as Sam Adams.   His legacy now seems to be an attempt to bring Portland to Lake Oswego in all forms and the streetcar may prove to be the seminal example of that legacy to Portlandicate the small community of Lake Oswego with the policies of both Metro and Sam Adams.    

The question now is are Jack and Sam once again in closed door session, attempting to hide the long term intent form the voters on Streetcar, hoping the election and public resentment dies down in Lake Oswego?  

Only time will tell if the ongoing effort to Portlandicate Lake Oswego will continue in earnest with the same old or newer players within the halls of local government.  

This at a time when many are open in their comments and asking Mayor Adams to "just leave"  and counting down the days to the end of the administration as Sam Adams has decided (or was told by supporters) not to run for reelection.  

Talk has stirred over the past year about a similar situation with Mayor Hoffman.   

It seems the public may have had enough of the Portlandicate LO effort!

Blogger Provides Information on New Citizen Driven County Petition 3-392.

To All COLA LO Members,

This week a local blogger is providing additional details on the upcoming signature drive for a proposed ballot initiative preventing Clackamas County from spending on light rail without a vote of the people.    Its an interesting perspective with additional details on the measures title etc.  

The forces of the opposition including the County Commission will be out again trying to prevent the vote as they have for the past two ballot initiatives this  year.   

This includes Lake Oswego's own resident and county commissioner Ann Lininger who has consistently supported efforts to prevent a vote on major projects within the county.    The Oregonian actually ruled that her claims on the recently passed Urban Renewal Measure was blatantly false and stirred additional controversy.   Once again her efforts are stirring controversy according to a statement to the Oregonian this week. 

"I think at this point, it'd be appropriate for us to let the situation move forward with the petitioners taking the steps they choose to take, and TriMet, which has a strong interest in seeing this contract fulfilled, has steps it can take if this passes,"  Ann Lininger

She is effectively supporting a lawsuit should the measure pass and many claim she is remiss in her duties and obligation to the voters she represents.    It will be interesting to see how the process with the measure proceeds and the statements of individual commissioners.   

The local blog summer can be found at:   Bull By the Horns

Please notify all members, contacts and friends.  

Blogger Gives Advice to LO Residents on Streetcar & City Council

To all COLA LO Members,

This week Jack Bog's blog posted the news about the changing view of city councilors on the Streetcar and Foothills projects.    Throughout the debate on these issues hes provided insight into the relationships involved when light rail and property development come to the community through Urban Renewal tools.  


Its been an interesting period as LO deals with an effort to bring Portland style projects to our unique community.    For two years now the community has been up in arms and a recent survey conducted by the city showed little support for the project with 82% saying streetcar is not a priority.  

This had lead to growing calls for a recall petition to remove the mayor and the three councilors that voted to spend funds on streetcar and Foothills projects over the past two years.   Budget amounts have exceeded $2.7 million during this period on the projects.   

The online comments and advice include:

"You need some candidates who agree with you. Make a big deal of how much money has been wasted for Homer and Dike already. If you allow the condo pushers to hang around on the council, you'll be sleeping with one eye open for a long time."

That provides and interesting perspective for voters in 2012.


The actual blog post and comments can be found at:   LO Streetcar in Critical Condition?

Councilor Tierney Switches his Vote (Streetcar Round Two?)

To All COLA LO Members,

Last night at the council meeting Councilor Bill Tierney informed the public that he has decided to change his position on the streetcar in the near term.    He was very careful to state that he still supports streetcar and foothills but not right now.    This is after he has voted to spend city funds on both projects over the past 3 years with total costs in the millions.   

 Councilor Tierney stated:

"I now believe that both of these can contribute enormously to a healthy, vital Lake Oswego. Neither of these potential opportunities should be abandoned. Now is just not the time. I kept getting more and more information and I finally came to the tipping point."

Online bloggers are interpreting this decision as a political tactic to assist Councilor Tierney in his reelection campaign this fall.    They believe Streetcar will come back after the election. 

Many have accused councilor Tierney of saying one thing and voting another during his tenure.  Only time will tell if this is a political ploy or a serious consideration of the desires within the community.  

Here is a direct quote of one resident from the blogs:  

"I so very much want to believe that Tierney is being sincere. My eternal skeptic is waiting for the other shoe to drop because it sounds too good to be true. I like Mr. T, and I hope that his and Moncrieff's reversal isn't a political move to save their council seats and then resurrect the streetcar next year when Hoffman has been replaced with a streetcar-sympathetic council member (Donna Jordan's position is not up for reelection this year). "

Related articles can be found at the following:  Derail Streetcar?  and Tierney Removes Support.   

The question the community is asking now is when does Streetcar Round Two begin?  Please notify all members, contacts, and friends.    

New Candidate For Clackamas County Chair

To All COLA LO Members,

The Blogs are buzzing this week with the announcement by former Wilsonville Mayor Ludlow that he will run for chair of the clackamas county commission.   The announcement article can be found at:  Mayor Enters Race for County Chair

In a statement Ludlow says:  

"Clackamas County has an opportunity to lead Oregon out of this recession, but only if we stay focused on fiscal discipline and encourage more job growth," Ludlow said in a press release announcing his candidacy. "As the people of Clackamas County work to create more jobs and opportunity for each other, I intend to give them a county government that streamlines the processes and then gets out of their way."

One blogger says "Clackastani Rebels find a candidate" in their recent post.  :  Candidate
Another article discussed the candidate's participation in a recent URD drive:  Wilsonville Group

This will certainly be an interesting election given that there are now FOUR candidates running for the Chair of the County Commission.  

Clackamas Light Rail in Peril?

To all COLA LO Members this week the Oregonian published another article on the ballot initiative effort by Clackamas County residents to require a vote on all expenditures for light rail within the county.    

They call the ongoing efforts a "perilous rail crossing"  because if the ballot measure passes it will not allow the county to expend the $25 million in funds it designated for the project.   

Residents are up in arms over ongoing commitments by the county commission which are approved without a county wide vote.  Its been an issue for several years and now is coming to a flash point.    This is the third citizen driven ballot initiative in the county in the past year.    

The Oregonian states : 

"The question for Clackamas County's elected leaders, meanwhile, is how to read constituent sentiments well enough so they don't find themselves dragged to the woodshed following consequential votes. To fall so out of touch with voters would be to defect from democracy, undercutting governance for the greater good. "

The article can be found at: Perilous Crossing

 

Many would argue that commissioners have already lost touch with voter sentiments by consistently voting against providing for voter approval of major projects and expenditures.   

 Its a continuous discussion throughout the county and a cause of many of the resident driven ballot initiatives.