Advisory vote smackdown!
Clark County commissioners Steve Stuart and Marc Boldt didn’t mince words in response to a suggestion by 18th District lawmakers about how to stage an advisory vote on the Columbia River Crossing project.
To read the letter from lawmakers, click here
Stuart also outlined his stance, based on previous calls for an advisory vote, in this opinion piece.
The most recent email is listed first:
“Orcutt, Rep. Ed” Ed.Orcutt@leg.wa.gov 3/31/2011 4:55 PM >>>
And the advisory vote was not a vote for a taxing district – just an example of a method by which the public could receive the advisory vote they are demanding. And we clearly stated that if that were not a reasonable option, they should look for another.
From: Coleman, Liz On Behalf Of Rivers, Rep. Ann
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2011 4:51 PM
To: ‘stephanie.rice@columbian.com’
Cc: Zarelli, Sen. Joseph; Orcutt, Rep. Ed
Subject: RE: CRC, 18th LD Reps letter to Clark County Commissioners.
Stephanie,
After reading your article, there are two points I want to make:
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What we are attempting to do is create a mechanism by which the people of Clark County can be heard on this issue.
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As long as I am here in Olympia, the voice of the people will remain paramount.
Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks a million. ~Ann
State Representative Ann Rivers
District 18, Position 1
Building A-203
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
(360) 786-7850
Toll-free: (800) 562-6000
http://houserepublicans.wa.gov/members/Ann-rivers/
Committees: Rules, Judiciary, Business & Financial Services, & Transportation
From: Orcutt, Rep. Ed
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2011 11:11 AM
To: ‘Stuart, Steve’
Subject: RE: CRC, 18th LD Reps letter to Clark County Commissioners.
Again, my apologies for others getting the letter via e-mail and you getting via snail mail. Never my intention. My intention is always for you to get the letter first and for others to receive no sooner than you. (It was cc’d to Jon Haugen as he is the one who I promised that I would send a letter to you – a very valid cc). All I am trying to do is to give the citizens of the entire county a voice they haven’t yet had. C-TRAN has gerrymandered boundaries such that most retail subject the sales tax is in the area but many who will shop in those retail stores have no voice. It is a combination of C-TRAN gerrymandering of boundaries; CRC’S non-receptiveness to concerns raised; City of Vancouver shouting down, gaveling down, pushing citizens to the end of meetings; a lawmaker calling them “goofballs” that has led to this tremendous frustration. If you were subject to that – how would you feel? Like your tax dollars were working against you? That’s how they feel. I just want them all to have a fair and heard voice – which they don’t feel they have had. I will mind what I am doing up here and have been. And, I supported a bill to delay some timelines for local governments to help you – now I am asking you to help the constituents we both serve. If this method is not the way to allow their voice to be heard – then find a different way (please let me know if that was not clear enough in the letter). But one way or another, we need to give citizens a voice in this decision and the final product for which they will be paying with their tax dollars. And they still do not know how much more it will cost – even after $115 million of their money has already been spent.
From: Stuart, Steve [mailto:Steve.Stuart@clark.wa.gov]
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2011 10:51 AM
To: Orcutt, Rep. Ed; ‘Boldt, Marc’; Jon Haugen; Zarelli, Sen. Joseph; Rivers, Rep. Ann; stephanie.rice@columbian.com
Cc: Tom.Mielke@clark.wa.gov
Subject: RE: CRC, 18th LD Reps letter to Clark County Commissioners.
Thanks for attaching the letter Ed. I’m sure you understand that when we hear about a letter to us (from a constituent) before actually getting the letter, it makes us question who the intended audience of the letter really is.
Substantively, let me see if I’m getting this right. You want us to ask voters to approve another layer of bureaucracy (which you don’t support), to pretend new tax authority would be used (which nobody’s suggested and you also don’t suppport), in order to ask a question that wouldn’t be based on any real project details and isn’t even the question you want answered? So, how would that show leadership? Don’t you legislators have a huge budget deficit to deal with up there, that would be a better use of YOUR leadership rather than try to create fake votes for our constituents? I’m personally not interested in creating fanciful scenarios and fake votes. We’re focusing OUR leadership on the real issues of trying to save services that are suffering from State and Federal budget cuts and mandates. We would really appreciate your help and leadership on those real issues facing us.
Thanks again for the note.
Steve
Connected by DROID on Verizon Wireless
—–Original message—–
From: “Orcutt, Rep. Ed” Ed.Orcutt@leg.wa.gov
To: “‘Boldt, Marc'” Marc.Boldt@clark.wa.gov, Jon Haugen jthaugen@yahoo.com, “Zarelli, Sen. Joseph” Joseph.Zarelli@leg.wa.gov, “Rivers, Rep. Ann” Ann.Rivers@leg.wa.gov
Cc: “Mielke, Tom” Tom.Mielke@clark.wa.gov, “Stuart, Steve” Steve.Stuart@clark.wa.gov
Sent: Thu, Mar 31, 2011 16:29:23 GMT+00:00
Subject: RE: CRC, 18th LD Reps letter to Clark County Commissioners.
Marc,
First, let me apologize. We snail mailed the commissioners a letter but cc’d others via e-mail. The letter you will be receiving in the mail (and which Jon Haugen is responding to) is attached. Again, I apologize for the mix up.
Second, be careful, Marc. People are looking to the Commissioners to step up and help defend them. You (the Commissioners) need to find ways to step up. When you do, you will show you are listening to the voters – something they feel has not happened. Furthermore, you would also not only give them a chance to vote, you would also give yourself more position to stand up to the CRC and more voice on C-TRAN to slow this (light rail) train down and possibly derail it entirely. But, if we are going to do that, we need your help. This gives you a chance to be leaders on the issue – not be dragged kicking and screaming by the CRC which seems to be how things have worked so far. And that is why so many are so upset about what they are seeing done to them with their own tax dollars.
Ed
From: Boldt, Marc [mailto:Marc.Boldt@clark.wa.gov]
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2011 9:01 AM
To: Jon Haugen; Orcutt, Rep. Ed; Leg 18 Joe Zarelli; Rivers, Rep. Ann
Cc: Mielke, Tom; Stuart, Steve
Subject: RE: CRC, 18th LD Reps letter to Clark County Commissioners.
thank you Jon. I am sure you must know the I in I-5 stands for interstate , NOT county. also I am sure you know that the state of washington must approve money for the construction of the bridge. the county WILL not. also I am sure you must know that the state must approve if there are tools and how much it will be . the county CAN not.with that we have as much to say about the wars we are fighting as we to say about the bridge.thank you.Marc Boldt. a COUNTY commishioner
From: Jon Haugen [mailto:jthaugen@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wed 3/30/2011 9:04 PM
To: Leg 18th Ed Orcutt; Leg 18 Joe Zarelli; Leg 18th Ann Rivers
Cc: JT Haugen; Mielke, Tom; Boldt, Marc; Stuart, Steve
Subject: [Suspected Spam] CRC, 18th LD Reps letter to Clark County Commissioners.
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Re: CRC, 18th LD Reps letter to Clark County Commissioners
Hello Ed, Joe and Ann,
Outstanding letter. Thanks very much for finding a logical way to have a countywide vote on the CRC project.
I hope the Clark County Commissioners will follow your insightful advice.
Thanks again.
Jon Haugen
13502 NW 49th Ave.
Vancouver, WA 98685
jthaugen@yahoo.com
cc: Clark County Commissioners
This e-mail and related attachments and any response may be subject to public disclosure under state law.
