Speak Up Against Tolls!

As a member of the Columbia River Crossing's Project Sponsors Group (through my active involvement on the C-Tran board), I have spent many months standing up for our citizens and fighting against tolls.

I've said it before and I'll say it again -- we can't force our citizens to bear the brunt of this financial burden, for the "privilege" of having to commute across the river to jobs they can't find in Clark County.

Even though certain officials treat high tolls like an eventuality, and our current Mayor tells us to "get over it," tolls of up to $2,000 a year ARE NOT a foregone conclusion. We have other options.

There are two meetings coming up that are solely for public input. Please attend, make your voice heard, and show the project sponsors that you will not stand for this additional, unfairly applied, tax!

I will be attending the meeting on June 30. I look forward to seeing you there.
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Columbia River Crossing project to talk tolling in public meetings

The Columbia River Crossing project, charged with planning a replacement bridge for the I-5 structures between Vancouver and Portland, is holding public hearings on the subject of bridge or highway tolls in meetings at the end of June and the first of July.

"We would like to hear how tolling scenarios could work for commuters, nearby communities, and people who use the I-5 and I-205 bridges, says Maurice Hines, spokesperson for the Columbia River Crossing.

Meetings are set for 6 p.m., Tuesday, June 30, in room 102 of the Washington State Department of Transportation, Southwest Region, 11018 NE 51st Circle and 6 p.m., Wednesday, July 1, community room in the Jantzen Beach Center, 1405 N Jantzen Beach Center.
Additional information is available by going to www.ColumbiaRiverCrossing.org.

Ringing Doorbells, Talking with Neighbors

Yesterday, in between a ribbon cutting at the new Tommy O's Pacific Rim Grill in East Vancouver, and the Hough Neighborhood Association meeting on the west side, we squeezed in a couple more hours of doorbelling in the center of town--the Vancouver Heights Neighborhood!

I visited some 50 doorsteps with quite a warm reception, and even met a lovely couple who invited me back for a glass of lemonade after we win the election. I told them to have it ready!

The weather's been great for doorbelling, and I had a good 'workout' in the sun and heat…my trainer says it doesn't count as 'vigorous exercise,' but I'm definitely feeling lighter on my feet.

And a big thank you to Heather Melton for joining me and visiting with our Vancouver neighbors!

We're always looking for more volunteers to join in--there are some wonderful people in this community, and doorbelling is an incredible way to meet a lot of them! Just drop a line if you'd like to come along some weekend day or weekday evening.