Portland resident Jim Karlock contacted area candidates and reports their positions on the Interstate Bridge replacement project
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
Two important issues, tolls and light rail have received little attention during this election. So I have prepared a guide to which candidates oppose tolls and oppose light rail and which ones support tolls and support light rail.
Who would vote to oppose tolls on a replacement Interstate Bridge (also light rail)?
Here is a guide to candidates that oppose (or support) tolls and light rail. Candidates were emailed a request to pledge to oppose tolls and to oppose light rail before the primary. After the primary, attempts were made to contact the winners that had not returned the pledges, in person at public events. A few ratings were based on answers given on television appearances.
Candidates that have promised to oppose both tolls and light rail:
CD 3 U.S. Representative, Joe Kent, R
LD 18 Pos 2, Greg Cheney, R
LD 20 Pos 2, Ed Orcutt, R
LD 49 Pos 1, Park Llafet, R
LD 49 Pos 2, Jeremy Baker, R
County Councilor No. 2, Michelle Belkot
County Councilor No. 5, Don Benton
Candidates that have said they support tolls or light rail:
CD 3 U.S. Representative, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D, Supports tolls & Light Rail
LD 17 Pos. 1, Terri Niles, D, Supports light rail
LD17 Pos 2, Joe Kear, D, Supports light rail & tolls if project killer
LD 18 Pos 1, John Zingale, D, Supports Tolls & Light Rail
LD 18 Pos 2, Duncan Camacho, D, Favors Tolls, Refused answer on light rail
Here are the candidates that ignored our email request or refused to take a stand on tolls and light rail:
LD17 Pos. 1, Kevin Waters, R
LD17 Pos 2, Paul Harris, R
LD 18 Pos 1, Stephanie McClintock, R
LD 20 Pos 1, Peter Abbarno, R
LD 49 Pos 1, Sharon Wylie, D
LD 49 Pos 2, Monica Jurado Stonier D
County Councilor No. 1, Hector Hinojosa & Glen Yung
County Councilor No. 2, Chartisha Roberts
County Councilor No. 5, Sue Marshall
More details are at http://www.no-tolls.com/pledge.html
Jim Karlock
Portland
Also read:
- Letter: For the public record and the Comprehensive PlanIn a July 12 letter to the Clark County Council, Clark County Citizens United President Susan Rasmussen shares that primary stakeholders were ignored in the Wetland and Habitat Ordinance Conservation Covenant.
- Opinion: Supreme Court gives Vancouver a new tool to use in its homelessness efforts, but will the city use it?Most Vancouver residents do not want homelessness to be criminalized but they do want a response when some in the homeless community commit crimes, and a new ruling by the United States Supreme court is a tool the city could use to help neighborhoods.
- Opinion: Has transit entered the “death spiral?”Transit ridership dropped sharply with the onset of the COVID pandemic in 2020. The slow rebound in the years that followed has prompted discussion, sometimes in hushed tones, as to whether transit had entered a “death spiral.”
- POLL: Should the city of Vancouver do more to protect citizens who have been victims of harassment, or worse, from those living homeless on the streets?Should the city of Vancouver do more to protect citizens who have been victims of harassment, or worse, from those living homeless on the streets?
- Opinion: How bad is freeway speeding?Target Zero Manager Doug Dahl answers a question about the commonplace of freeway speeding in Washington state.