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Posted on 04/13/2011 6:43:00 PM PDT by Bean Counter
Vancouver, WA-- In the last two two days, at two separate meetings, Vancouver City Councilors have made a point of asking two people testifying against light rail and tolls if they're "working for" David Madore, the man who started the group www.NoTolls.com.
At the City Council meeting on Monday night, Mayor Tim Leavitt asked one of the No Tolls workers, Josephine Wentzel, if she were there that night working for "Mr. Madore." As she registered her shock and sputtered that she was there speaking only for herself as she put on her comment card, Leavitt barreled on and asserted she received $3000/month as an activist. (Wentzel's reaction is at 22:26 and Leavitt's comments occur at 28:45 Here.) Then last night at the C-tran meeting the same thing happened to another anti tolls and light rail activist. The Columbian reported it this morning:
"By that time most of the crowd of almost 100 people had filtered out of the county’s Public Service Center. That included Wentzel, who had engaged in a heated exchange with Stuart earlier in the evening. The pair sparred after Stuart asked Vancouver resident Debbie Peterson whether she was representing herself or notoll.com founder David Madore when she testified against the crossing project."
I understand elected officials are beginning to feel like public pinatas on this issue. They're wrong on tolls and light rail, they're being rolled by Portland, and the people of Clark County are acutely aware and are pushing back. Pushing back is what we call democracy.
That elected officials are trying to justify short circuiting democracy by NOT LISTENING to the plebeians and questioning their sincere motives is contemptable and unworthy of them.
Leavitt, Stuart et al, are trying to silence their opposition by questioning their motives. Many of these people have been in the public eye for years. This cynical move is as misguided as it is shameful. If the Vancouver City Council members are getting pro-tolls and pro-light rail media advice there should be a public record pay stub around here. Or maybe they've just been reading Saul Alinsky.
Posted by Victoria Taft, 11am - 3pm KPAM 860 at 08:14
Oregon and Washington *ping*, please!
And I thought politics was contentious here in King County! ;-)
Yah....they are trying to shove light rail so far up our collective backsides here, all we will be able to taste is axle grease...
Didn’t Tim Leavitt run on a platform of a no-toll crossing?
Back when I lived in Florida, there was a local man in Lake Wales that was opposed to some of the practices of the local government. I seem to recall that he was trying to get the city government audited because of the awful spending. His efforts against it were proper and legitimate. So, the local government sued him and tried to bankrupt and destroy him. I don’t know the outcome, my local media (Lakeland Ledger, a NYT company) did not report on it through to the conclusion, no surprise there.
I was very angry. This was a case when the ACLU, if it was what it claims to be, should have leaped to the defense of this man and fought to the bitter end. The ACLU’s definition of “civil liberties” is extremely perverted.
I’ve placed some video segments of the conduct of Mayor Leavitt and Commissioner Stuart towards citizen here.
Yes he did. And almost as soon as he was sworn in he flipped.
And the tolls being proposed are to be a permanent variable traffic control device, meaning the toll will increase during peak rush hour in an effort to force people to cross at a different time when the toll will be (in theory) cheaper. It will also be an automatic tolling system with no need to stop; you will have to have a sensor in your car, and the tolls will be automatically debited out of your checking account.
What a bargain.
For a real eye opener on this boondoggle project, check out the video interview between David Madore and Plaid Pantry CEO, Chris Girard,
http://couv.com/clark-county-today/chris-girard-ceo-plaid-pantry
Say WA? Evergreen State ping
Quick link: WA State Board
FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this ping list.
Ping sionnsar if you see a Washington state related thread.
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