The Columbia River Crossing freeway mega-expansion has been slayed, there should be little doubt about this fact. Recent media hype over a potential re-animation of the nightmare project is just that: hype. It’s been speculated the moment that governor John Kitzhaber declared dead the $4-10 billion dollar freeway & light rail mega-project, Oregon AFL-CIO president Tom Chamberlain was calling up the gov, screaming expletive laden protest against such a quick surrender. Oregon might look like a progressive Democrat stronghold, but the reality is elected Dems in our state often slide into home with only 2-3% voter margins. Oregon Dems rarely have a shot at winning without a strong Labor ground game and DNC state PAC funding.
According to sources familiar with inter-legislative chatter, this last-second Hail Mary for the CRC is nothing more than posturing, simply an obligatory effort to please trade unions that lust after the biggest, costliest projects – not the kinds of cheaper, jobs-rich projects like the Common Sense Alternative to the CRC or the new CSA 2.0 plan currently being vetted.
For now, there is little worry a new CRC plan funded solely by Oregon tax payers could ever fly. According to sources, no Republicans in the Oregon legislature support such a plan should a special session be called in September. There is also internal information indicating elected Democrats fear a voter revolt should they choose to go back on their promises that funding triggers in HB2800 (Oregon’s CRC bonding bill), were in fact binding.
We shall continue to celebrate this victory against wasteful bureaucratic spending and carbon-increasing freeway expansions. At the urging of a colleague, I thought it could be fun to post a round-up of photographs, charts, memes, and artwork from recent years and months created to help drive some wryly crafted nails into the CRC coffin. Sure, these were merely images posted online via OMG CRC WTF?! and STOP CRC among other media sources, yet they resonate as historical record and as testament to the power of logic and humor we wielded as weapons. Compared to the content created by paid pro-CRC lobbying groups, we blew them out of the water.
Scroll down, and enjoy.
See you in the streets.
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https://vimeo.com/60812404
You forgot the original memes! Check out: http://saypdx.wordpress.com/2009/04/12/an-air-of-protest/ (scroll down)
Thanks for the link!
Not surprisingly, Jonathan got some good photos of that rally and the various signs. The “I *heart* Mt. Hood Frwy” one was hanging in the old Mercury office until they moved and I think I’ve still got that “Pave the Columbia” one. Weirdest was the guy selling tshirts with giraffes on on them saying, “we don’t need 12 lanes.” 1st prize definitely goes to Yelton’s kids, though. They stole the show. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeportland/sets/72157616397088806/with/3416185742/
Love the ‘Pave the Columbia’ sign.