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A u g u s t 12, 2 0 0 9
©bserumg
1-5 Bridge Tolls Debated
Divides mayoral
candidates
by J ake T homas
T he P ortland O bserver
A p rim a ry e le c tio n fo r
Mayor of Vancouver on Tues­
day, Aug. 18 might have im ­
plications for Portland and a
proposed new 1-5 bridge.
Mayor Royce Pollard faces a
serious challenge from Tim
Leavitt, a Vancouver City Coun­
cil member and environmental
engineer, over a controversial
stance the mayor has taken on
tolls to help pay a share of the
$4.2 billion project and serve as
a brake to expanding traffic on
the bridge.
Pollard has joined Portland
Mayor Sam Adams and most
other state and regional gov­
ernments in supporting tolls.
T h e is s u e h a s b e e n the
principle wedge defining the
m ayoral race, according to raked in $50,429 in contribu­
V a n c o u v e r C ity C o u n c il tions and spent $34,895.
The final details of the m as­
Member Larry Smith.
C u rren tly there has been siv e p u b lic w o rk s b rid g e
talk of charging drivers cross­ project are still being hashed
ing the bridge up to $8 during out, but whoever ends up as­
suming the reigns of power in
peak rush hours.
Leavitt, who opposes toll­ Vancouver will have signifi­
cant clout on the issue.
If funding doesn't trickle in
a n d a s o u rc e o f re v e n u e
doesn’t appear soon Pollard
worries that the project will be
delayed for years.
Leavitt did not respond to
a re q u e st for co m m ent by
press time.
Royce Pollard Tim Leavitt
Also running is a third can­
didate,
Charles Stemper who
ing, has drawn an increasing
has raised little m oney and
amount o f support.
to
p re s e rv e
According to campaign fi­ w a n ts
nance records, Leavitt is run­ V ancouver’s status as a “bed­
ning a serious campaign. The room com m unity.” Only the
la te st fig u re s show he has top tw o candidates in the pri­
co llected $51,424 in d o n a ­ mary election will advance to
tions for the cam paign and the general election in N o­
spent $42,425. P ollard has vember.
Congressman Avoids Face Time
care reform. Such meet­
The potential of hav­
ings have become in­
ing a town hall forum
creasingly explosive,
collapse into violence
with health care oppo­
has p ro m p ted C o n ­
nents disrupting them
gressman Brian Baird, D-
and in at least one case,
V ancouver, to c o m ­
a fist fight broke out.
p letely forgo hav in g
Brian Baird
B aird
told
the
such a meeting, instead
opting for a "telephone town Columbian newspaper that op­
ponents of health care reform
hall."
Across the country members who disrupt town hall forums
of Congress have been hold­ were using tactics akin to those
ing town hall forums during of the Nazis, and was concerned
their August recess to engage something similar would hap­
their constituents on health pen if he held a public forum.
Telephone town halls allow
constituents to listen in and ask
their member of congress ques­
tions if they are selected.
Neighboring Congressman
Earl Blumenauer, D-Portland,
also has no face-to-face town
halls scheduled, according to
spokesperson Erin Allweiss,
who wouldn't directly address
whether or not the decision was
rooted in concerns over poten­
tial disruptions.
"He w ants to engage his
constituents more, and get a
better diversity of questions,"
said Allweiss.
C o u n ty F a ir in R id g efield
through Sunday, Aug. 16.
The special service begins
after 12:30 p.m. with the last bus
departing the fairgrounds at 11
p.m. each evening. The round­
trip cost is $2 per person or $4
for groups up to six . Free for
age six and under. TriMet tick­
ets and passes also accepted.
Opts for telephone ‘town hall’
Transit to Fair
Vancouver’s mass transit bus
system is providing special
shuttle service to the Clark
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