From 34-210 Chief Petitioners Art Crino and Tim Esau
Please send this along to............everyone
Lot's of stuff --- scroll down
March 11th Election in Tigard
Citizens initiative measure measure 34-210 will require
Tigard voter approval of light rail.
www.OurCityOurVote.ORG
Please go here and like...
Opponents dump cash into stopping vote on light rail
Stacey and Witbeck- Light Rail builders working on Milwaukie LIght Rail
James Abramson Cash Contribution $2,500.00
John Bollier Cash Contribution $2,500.00
Portland General Electric Cash Contribution $500.00
TriMet/MAX is PGE's biggest user of electricity
LTK Engineering Services ** Cash Contribution $3,000.00
Pennsylvania engineering firm
Shiels Obletz Johnsen, Inc
Cash Contribution $1,000.00
Rail project and development management
And more.......
Message from Chief Petitioner to media
From: Tim E <timesau@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Feb 25, 2014 at 2:04 PM
Subject: The Lie of 34-203: Tigard's Ruse of a Light Rail Vote
To: mhester@oregonian.com, lre
Gentlemen,
I
am one of the chief petitioners for the Tigard Measure 34-210. This
past summer we collected over 5500 signatures of Tigard residents
seeking to insure a public vote before SW Corridor project becomes like
the CRC. We are seeking to secure a public vote before it eats up over
$180 million of planning money.
Assuming your are about to chime in on the Tigard measure I'd like you to please consider the following information. Sorry, there is a lot here, but it has been collected by our team and I think you will find it enlightening.
Assuming your are about to chime in on the Tigard measure I'd like you to please consider the following information. Sorry, there is a lot here, but it has been collected by our team and I think you will find it enlightening.
Thanks
Tim Esau
Tim Esau
The Lie of 34-203: Tigard's Ruse of a Light Rail Vote
One
of the biggest lies told by the Tigard City Hall in their fight to stop
a real public vote on light rail is that residents already have a vote
on light rail. Passing by 81.14 percent to 18.86 percent in 2012,
Measure 34-203 requires a public vote prior to increasing local taxes or fees or imposing new ones to fund light-rail construction and expansion.
The City's deceptive measure (referred to the 2012 ballot by the council) only requires a vote for approving new fees or taxes to pay for light rail.
When will that city vote take place? Perhaps never because
the planned light rail will run though Tigard's Urban Renewal district
meaning the city can pay TriMet without voter approval.
To be paid back by siphoning money from essential services.
If that doesn't work, a vote come well after construction is underway with the city asking residents to approve a new tax or face service cuts.
It's happening NOW in Milwaukie with the current light rail project.
Why wouldn't Tigard expect the same to happen here?
If passed on March 11, Initiative Measure 34-210 will require voter approval of light rail, period.
Consider this
http://portlandtribune.com/pt/
Voters to decide on more Milwaukie light-rail cuts
City
councilors unanimously decided last week to ask voters to accept an
extra $36 tax on the average property to pay off TriMet for Milwaukie’s
light-rail debt.
If voters don’t pass the $4 million bond
measure, Milwaukie would have to cut two or three staff members next
year, estimated Finance Director Casey Camors at the Feb. 18 meeting.
But passage of the bond wouldn’t guarantee no cuts; it would only reduce
the amount of cuts needed, Camors noted.
“It’s important that our citizens be
given a choice as to how services are provided within the community,”
said Mayor Jeremy Ferguson.
Councilor Mark Gamba pointed out that
Milwaukie’s 138 budgeted employees this year almost puts it below West
Linn’s employee number. West Linn has fewer full time-equivalent
employees per capita, but Milwaukie has a half dozen or so staff
positions currently empty. In the past three years, 44 employees have
left or were fired from Milwaukie, and the city has decided not to
refill many of these positions.
“We’re already nearly the lowest in reality, and having to lose more staff would put us down there,” Gamba said.
Ledding Library gets about $1 million
annually from the general fund, or about a third of its revenue, so
there’s potential that its hours or employees would be affected. But
city officials say they haven’t determined which employees would be cut
if the measure failed, and City Councilor Scott Churchill was among the
elected officials who asked the city to determine before May what cuts
would be made.
“It is important that people have an
understanding of what the cuts are going to be,” said Councilor Dave
Hedges. “If we’re only going to sweep the roads 50 percent of the time
we do now, I might be prepared to put up with that. There are other cuts
I think could be made.”
Churchill is hoping that library services
wouldn’t be affected, but Hedges and a couple of other citizens argued
at the meeting that maintaining police service would be worth paying the
extra property taxes.
Currently the city pays a 5 percent
interest rate to TriMet, but the rates have been hovering above 4
percent based on the city’s credit rate. Camors warned City Council that
the rates could go up when and if the city issues bonds in a few
months.
Councilors last week also referred a
measure to voters to change the city charter for the city manager’s
residency requirement. Managers haven’t lived in the city for decades,
and Milwaukie elected officials have used their power designated by the
charter to excuse City Manger Bill Monahan from moving within six months
of his hire. The measure would make clear that Milwaukie’s top
administrator would never be required to live within city limits.
There seems to be a blitz attacking the Tigard rail vote measure on the March 11 ballot.
Mailers, ads, city newsletter, op-eds, phone calls, robo calls you name it.
They've hired a high end PR firm from Seattle and are pounding the residents of Tigard with a parade of
carefully crafted lies about the measure which will require voter approval of light rail.
The city of Tigard, Chamber of commerce, CH2M Hill, Portland Business Alliance and all their friends, on and on.
oped
http://blog.oregonlive.com/
CH2M Hill is a big beneficiary of big government
This guy has been at multiple events.
Phil Pasteris CH2M HILL
Tom Markgraf & Associates paid 1,054,987 for CRC conctulting
http://www.wweek.com/
www.tommarkgraf.com.
http://www.wweek.com/portland/
Tom Markgraf An assistant to U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Markgraf spent years working on economic development in rural Oregon, which has given him broad experience with publicly owned power
http://www.google.com/url?sa=
list of money paid to vendors:
Tom Markgraf & Associates 1,054,987
www.tommarkgraf.com.
http://www.wweek.com/portland/
Tom Markgraf An assistant to U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Markgraf spent years working on economic development in rural Oregon, which has given him broad experience with publicly owned power
http://www.google.com/url?sa=
list of money paid to vendors:
Tom Markgraf & Associates 1,054,987
MORE
The same CRC light rail group is now attacking the Tigard vote on March 11th attempting to prevent any public vote on the SW Corridor Light Rail.
Here they are: http://www.moveoregon.
They're misrepresenting the measure with the City of Tigard in a full blown campaign to defeat
34-210.
It's an admission they are incapable of getting voter approval.
Why
has government gone wild with dishonesty as they claim residents will
"lose their voice" if they get to vote on the multi-billion light rail
project?
Additionally the light rail folks are claiming they are trying to relieve congestion and a public vote will stop them.
They are telling residents, stop congestion vote no. Stop congestion by voting against voting?
Go look here stopcongestion.org
and here moveoregon.org
The City of Tigard is using their newsletter and running ads.
The third month in a row front page coverage:
Phone bank callers are telling residents there will never be any light rail to Tigard if this measure.
Which is an admission they cannot never get voter approval.
Tigard City of Lies
City Hall says 34-210 will cause congestion.
Requiring voter approval of
Light Rail won’t cause congestion
City Hall says you already have a vote.
The city’s vote is for new fees or taxes only. NOT Light Rail.
City Hall says 34-210 will do horrible things.
It will make them get Voter Approval for Light Rail.
5500 Tigard Residents signed petitions to put 34-210 on the ballot
Barbara Roberts was recruited to fight the measure. Her flier is attached.
Former
Gov. Barbara Roberts is among the high-profile names brought out in
opposition to a measure requiring Tigard voters approve high-capacity
transit projectsBallots arrived Friday for the Tigard 34-210 March 11th vote.
Imagine the hubris and deceit involved in claiming voters can stop congestion by voting against
requiring a vote on light rail.
Their PAC is Stop Congestion Vote No
Their yard signs the same.
The Tigard chamber of commerce is also lying.
A critique of Chamber CEO letter below:
It's hard to believe that the Tigard chamber CEO Debi would write such a misrepresentation of 34-210 especially since she was at the chamber event where Eric Winters, John Charles and Steve Schopp openly and frankly discussed everything about
the measure with their Government and Public Policy sub committee.
Mayor John Cook is on the sub committee and was present as well. John
Goodhouse was also present.
The
meeting went around an hour and 20 minutes exhausting every conceivable
element of 34-210 and every inquiry and concern the committee raised.
The discusses concluded only when the committee had nothing left to ask or say.
Below are all of the various misrepresentations but the single most politi-fact
worthy whopper is Debi's line:
an amendment to the City of Tigard Charter which requires a vote of the people for any light rail project in Tigard
Chamber members should be interested in the false representations Debi and the Chamber leadership have made.
In that chamber meeting they discussed the city's light rail vote measure at length clarifying how it would only apply to a new fee or tax to PAY for light rail. Nothing in it requires voter approval to build light rail in or through Tigard.
Measure
proponents went to great lengths to ask why their city measure was
continuously being misrepresent as a vote on light rail. They were asked
who wrote it, who's idea it was and why after being corrected the city
and others continue to misrepresent it.
No answer.
The
city of Milwaukie is currently facing the same predicament Tigard is
heading towards. After a previous episode in 1997 involving a recall of
their Mayor and 2 city councilors over their light rail shenanigans the
City of Milwaukie again advanced a light rail agenda. That agenda led to
avoiding any public votes, entering into an Intergovernmental Agreement
with TriMet to participate in PMLR with a $5 million share and without
any new fee or tax to pay for it.
Today Milwaukie is asking voters to approve a new levy for light rail already being built.
Without it the city will take the money from essential services.
With regard to our position on Measure 34-210, it is not a Light Rail only measure.
No, it is a
"require voter approval" measure. If it passes all the city need do is
get voter approval for whatever HCT they choose.
here
is already an amendment to the City of Tigard Charter which requires a
vote of the people for any light rail project in Tigard. City Council
initiated that in November 2012 and it was voted in by the people of
Tigard. So the people have the right to vote.
This
may be the worst written misrepresentation to date as it claims the
city measure requires a vote "for any light rail project in Tigard".
As
has been pointed out time and time again the city's measure does not
require any voter approval for light rail or HCT. That is why the city
is proceeding with full support and participation in the SW Corridor HCT
planning. The city has not indicated any intention to subject their
plans for HCT to any voter approval. Quite the contrary the city is now
fighting the measure and only real means to require voter approval.
Measure
34-210 is not a light rail initiative, it is more far reaching than
that as it addresses all forms of high capacity transit (HCT) not just
light rail but also bus rapid transit.
Again
34-210 is a "require voter approval" measure. The city can seek voter
approval for any HCT they want to bring to Tigard.
As
you point out, bus could be much more efficient. However if this
measure passes, the City of Tigard will have to annually take a
position of an automatic NO against HCT which includes bus rapid transit, informing all levels of government from county to federal of this position
True.
However, with passage of 34-210 voters will have instructed city county
to only follow the requirements actually in the measure including the
opportunity to get voter approval for HCT.
and remove Tigard from the table in terms of access to any transportation funds..
There
is nothing in 34-210 which removes Tigard from any table or limits the
city's access to transportation funding. However, if the city does not
seek voter approval there will not be any way to use any transportation
funding for HCT in the city limits.
Additionally, Measure 34-210 reaches outside the bounds of Tigard by a 5 mile radius. The
measure is poorly written in that it tries to dictate action based on
activities related to road capacity in a 5 mile radius outside of
Tigard. Tigard can’t dictate to other communities what they do with
their road capacity.
There
is no language in 34-210 which dictates to other communities what do
with their road capacity. This was an emphasized concern at the chamber
event by chamber members.
It was made clear that no such language appears in the measure.
The 5 mile radius only relates to road capacity lost because of a Tigard HCT.
If
Tigard is not at the table as part of the SW corridor project, then
Tigard would have no influence over what would happen with 99W and Hall
Blvd (both ODOT roadways) while the rest of the surrounding communities
work to address transportation infrastructure solutions for the
projected growth.
There are
no language in 34-210 which prohibits Tigard from being at any table,
from participating in influencing what would happen with 99W and Hall
Blvd or working with surrounding communities to address transportation
infrastructure solutions.
There are NO such limitation or restrictions at all.
On the
contrary these surrounding communities will have to seek permission from
Tigard for any HCT or other improvements to 99W and Hall Bvld.
Because
of Tigard’s current influence, HCT is not being considered down 99W
through Tigard. Take Tigard away from the table and ODOT could overrule
that.
There is no language in 34-210 which takes Tigard away from any table or limits their influence over 99W.
The
Tigard Chamber is not taking a yes position on Light Rail, nor are we
saying citizens shouldn’t have a vote (they already do with the charter
amendment)
In
opposing 34-210 the chamber is certainly saying citizens shouldn't have a
vote. 34-210 will provide the only opportunity for a HCT vote.
The
chamber members and city hall have been repeatedly corrected regarding
the misrepresentation of the city fee or tax measure as equal to a vote
on HCT.
we are saying as a business community we need to keep our options open
The only option limited by 34-210 is HCT which a subsequent voter approval will remove.
All other options are untouched by 34-210.
with
regard to transportation infrastructure in Tigard and within the
Southwest corridor to handle the 40% growth projections over the next 20
years.
The 40%
projection has been challenged as unreliable and unrealistic.
Furthermore, city plans are seeking to promote this 40% growth with
higher densities through Transit Oriented Development strategies within
the SW Corridor plan. For may this is one of the more troubling elements
of the SW Corridor Plans. It is feared these much higher densities will
needlessly overcrowd Tigard and lead to undesirable outcomes.
To
do nothing is not an option. Widening 99W to an 8 lane expressway
would displace/disrupt more businesses than some form of high capacity
transit which includes bus.
34-210 does not require, trigger, spur, catalyze, foster or compel the city to do nothing.
Many people believe there are many preferable options and needs which Tigard should be pursuing ahead of any HCT.
Our
position as a chamber was taken after researching both sides of the
issue, vetting it with our Gov’t Affairs Committee and Board of
Directors
It
appears that research and vetting was not sufficient or productive as
the chamber's opposition is based upon an explanation ridlded with
incacrucies and misrepresentations. stated a sostion and
and
surveying our members. You will be able to read our complete statement
in the coming voter pamphlet. You can also find out why 10 other
business and community organizations are recommending a NO vote at www.stopcongestion.org
One can only wonder what the gov't affairs committee and board shared with the members when they surveyed them.
From: Debi Mollahan [mailto:Debi@tigardchamber.org
Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 3:56 PM
To:
Subject: RE: Reminder Register NOW - Small Business Forum 2/26/14, 7- 9.am.
Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 3:56 PM
To:
Subject: RE: Reminder Register NOW - Small Business Forum 2/26/14, 7- 9.am.
Thanks
for connecting. I don’t think I was the Tigard Chamber CEO when you
were a member, so I don’t believe we’ve met. How long ago was your
active experience with the chamber? It has changed a lot in the last 4
years. The majority of our members would be classified as small
business and we’ve tailored a lot of our benefits to provide them tools
to grow and market their business. In fact most of the members that
actively network that we interact with are small business. Thus the
reason for putting together a Small Business Forum in collaboration with
the Tualatin and Sherwood Chambers.
The Secretary of State is only 1 of 4 speakers at the Small Business Forum, and her focus is twofold in her 15 minutes. Give attendees an overview on how the
new Office of Small Business Assistance can help them. Provide a forum
for attendees to tell Secretary Brown what they think state government
should do to improve Oregon's business climate. This seems to fit well with one of your concerns outlined below in terms of giving Salem feedback.
SCORE PDX, SBDC and Small Business Legal clinic all offer free or low
cost resources for small business as well, so hopefully that helps
reinforce that the Tigard Chamber is focused on small business.
We
agree that business taxes need to be addressed which is why the Tigard
Chamber as well as most other Washington County chambers encouraged our
various legislators to pass the “Grand Bargain” due to the benefits to
small business with regard to business taxes. The “Grand Bargain” was
actually more favorable to small business than large and was passed.
With
regard to our position on Measure 34-210, it is not a Light Rail only
measure. There is already an amendment to the City of Tigard Charter
which requires a vote of the people for any light rail project in
Tigard. City Council initiated that in November 2012 and it was voted
in by the people of Tigard. So the people have the right to vote.
Measure
34-210 is not a light rail initiative, it is more far reaching than
that as it addresses all forms of high capacity transit (HCT) not just
light rail but also bus rapid transit. As you point out, bus could be
much more efficient. However if this measure passes, the City of
Tigard will have to annually take a position of an automatic NO against
HCT which includes bus rapid transit,
informing all levels of government from county to federal of this
position and remove Tigard from the table in terms of access to any
transportation funds.. Additionally, Measure 34-210 reaches outside the bounds of Tigard by a 5 mile radius. The
measure is poorly written in that it tries to dictate action based on
activities related to road capacity in a 5 mile radius outside of
Tigard. Tigard can’t dictate to other communities what they do with
their road capacity.
If
Tigard is not at the table as part of the SW corridor project, then
Tigard would have no influence over what would happen with 99W and Hall
Blvd (both ODOT roadways) while the rest of the surrounding communities
work to address transportation infrastructure solutions for the
projected growth. Because of Tigard’s current influence, HCT is not
being considered down 99W through Tigard. Take Tigard away from the
table and ODOT could overrule that.
The
Tigard Chamber is not taking a yes position on Light Rail, nor are we
saying citizens shouldn’t have a vote (they already do with the charter
amendment) we are saying as a business community we need to keep our
options open with regard to transportation infrastructure in Tigard and
within the Southwest corridor to handle the 40% growth projections over
the next 20 years. To do nothing is not an option. Widening 99W to an
8 lane expressway would displace/disrupt more businesses than some form
of high capacity transit which includes bus.
Our
position as a chamber was taken after researching both sides of the
issue, vetting it with our Gov’t Affairs Committee and Board of
Directors and surveying our members. You will be able to read our
complete statement in the coming voter pamphlet. You can also find out
why 10 other business and community organizations are recommending a NO
vote at www.stopcongestion.org
Best regards,
Debi
Debi Mollahan
Debi Mollahan
Tigard Chamber CEO
Where Business Soars
Find us on Facebook and LinkedIn at tigardchamber
Find us on Facebook at tigardyoungprofessionals
From: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 11:03 AM
To: Debi Mollahan
Subject: RE: Reminder Register NOW - Small Business Forum 2/26/14, 7- 9.am.
Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 11:03 AM
To: Debi Mollahan
Subject: RE: Reminder Register NOW - Small Business Forum 2/26/14, 7- 9.am.
Debi:
I
was a member of the Chamber. After learning about it more I realized
that the influences there are not in sync with the private sector or
business especially small.
It
is evident that the Tigard Chamber is not friendly to business. The
current leaders in Salem including your guest speaker, Secretary of
State Kate Brown are not committed to promoting free markets. Over
reaching government regulations and unfair taxes and fees are stifling
the economy in Oregon. Take a look at Texas, a good example of a vibrant
economy. Why not invite someone to speak who knows how the free
enterprise system works?
Obviously
the Tigard Chamber wants to please METRO planners. Your actions
supporting light rail are a good example. Talk to the small business
owners in Portland who failed when light rail was built in front of
their businesses. That form of public transportation is a boondoggle,
providing poor service and costing citizens dearly. It is already
failing. Why promote something that doesn’t work? Efficient bus systems
provide better service and pay for themselves, if managed properly.
More
importantly, the Chamber’s effort to keep the citizens from voting on a
project that will affect them financially in increased taxes is
unthinkable. Many of these folks ARE business owners in the area and
beyond. To stifle an effort to have the right to vote is simply wrong.
Best regards, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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