It appears there are 2 ways to get stuff done - with money or muscle. We are only asking for your muscle!
Right now, the most effective way to stop the CRC is to contact the Oregon Senate and ask them to "Please stop the CRC."
Legislators want to hear from you and respect what you have to say.
Legislators are often starved for communication from real people - That's YOU!
How? The fastest way is to call the legislator's office. You can call after hours if you wish to leave a message. Email is a second method. When sending an email, remember to include your name, postal address and phone number. The best way to get a legislator's attention is with a short, personal, well-reasoned letter or telephone message.
• Be polite and to the point.
• Start with who you are and your credentials.
• Ask them to stop ALL funding of the CRC.
• Briefly state how this will personally impact you.
• Briefly state how this will impact your community.
• Finish with your contact information.
Copy and paste this address list into your email:
Sen.AlanBates@state.or.us
Sen.AlanOlsen@state.or.us
Sen.ArnieRoblan@state.or.us
Sen.BetsyClose@state.or.us
Sen.BetsyJohnson@state.or.us
Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us
Sen.BrianBoquist@state.or.us
Sen.BruceStarr@state.or.us
Sen.ChipShields@state.or.us
Sen.ChrisEdwards@state.or.us
Sen.ChuckThomsen@state.or.us
Sen.DianeRosenbaum@state.or.us
Sen.DougWhitsett@state.or.us
Sen.ElizabethSteinerHayward@state.or.us
Sen.FloydProzanski@state.or.us
Sen.FredGirod@state.or.us
Sen.GinnyBurdick@state.or.us
Sen.HermanBaertschiger@state.or.us
Sen.JackieWinters@state.or.us
Sen.JeffKruse@state.or.us
Sen.LarryGeorge@state.or.us
Sen.LaurieMonnesAnderson@state.or.us
Sen.LeeBeyer@state.or.us
Sen.MarkHass@state.or.us
Sen.MichaelDembrow@state.or.us
Sen.PeterCourtney@state.or.us
Sen.RichardDevlin@state.or.us
Sen.RodMonroe@state.or.us
Sen.TedFerrioli@state.or.us
Sen.TimKnopp@state.or.us
Click here for Oregon Senate phone numbers, addresses, and other information.
Armed with the information on this site - Truth and logic is on your side.
Thank you for your efforts - You can make a difference!
February 17th 2014
Dear Senator,
In regards to your upcoming vote on the funding for the Columbia River Crossing (CRC),
PLEASE KNOW: There are 795 "structurally deficient" bridges in OR & WA and the Interstate Bridge is not one of them. With ongoing preservation, the Interstate Bridge can serve the public for many more generations.
PLEASE KNOW: The safety sales pitch is false - Oregon Department of Transportation report shows that an earthquake scenario of magnitude 9.0 at the Cascadia Subduction Zone would result in only slight or moderate damage to the Columbia River Interstate Bridge with no extensive damage and no collapse.
PLEASE KNOW: This project is full of pork in non-project related expenditures
$37,200,000 to $51,178,000 for Ruby Junction in Gresham (12 miles SE from CRC)
$11,236,400 to $15,450,000 Lewis River confluence (20 miles north in Woodland)
$7,575,000 to $10,420,000 for a museum at Fort Vancouver
$5,000,000 to 6,875,000 for Hood River channel restoration (60 miles E)
$2,700,000 for an administrative addition to a south Portland Tri-Met office
$250,000 to $344,000 for Portland Steel Bridge improvements (5 miles S)
PLEASE KNOW: Oregon taxpayers would pay three manufacturers $86.4 million to compensate for the bridge being built too low. Many more legal challenges will come from WA that will increase OR cost.
PLEASE KNOW: This project is a job killer. The “average annual regional jobs” created is not 20,000, but actually 1,907 temporary jobs. This figure does not factor in thousands of long term jobs lost from business relocation in the growing Columbia Business Center because of a proposed low bridge plan that would create the greatest river commerce choke point for 190 miles between the Pacific Ocean and The Dalles. This, with a combination of tolls, light rail, and 6+ years of construction will also kill the small independent business community which provides long term jobs at the ground zero target - Downtown Vancouver USA.
PLEASE KNOW: Tolls will minimally take over $2000 a year from struggling family budgets, between $55M and $85M per year out of the local economy, and strap the community with debt for 45 years.
PLEASE KNOW: The CRC was created in 2005 to complete a buildable plan in 3 years at a cost of $50M. Currently in it’s 8th year, it has spent over $170M - That’s a 240% cost overrun. The $170M already spent on design is less than 5% of projected construction costs of a $3.6 billion ($3600M) project. It is not worth incurring 45 years of debt on our citizens to chase the less than 5% spent on a bad design.
PLEASE KNOW: The massive project will reduce only 1 minute off the peak morning commute and create more issues with the 2 lane Portland Rose Quarter, the structurally deficient Marquam Bridge, and I-205 congestion - None are scheduled or budgeted for improvements.
PLEASE KNOW: Clark County elections have repeatedly shown that light rail and tolls are not supported by voters. The Clark County C-Tran bus system is fiscally sound and already provides fast reliable service to Portland’s TriMet without ties to their financially failing system.
PLEASE KNOW: The BNSF Railroad Bridge offers a better solution. By resurrecting the 2004 "Vancouver BNSF Rail Bridge Project" the only "stop-light" on I-5 would be nearly eliminated. Over 90% of I-5 bridge lifts would be eliminated by updating the downstream railroad bridge. This project is shovel ready and has previously been given the green light by the US Coast Guard.
PLEASE KNOW: The CRC lacks vision. Since 2005, Americans drive fewer total miles and traffic projections by the CRC to justify the project are failing. Telecommuting grew nationally by 73% between 2005 to 2011 and telecommuters now outnumber transit riders in the Portland metropolitan area.
During these times of growing debt, environmental concerns and changes in technology, its clear the CRC plan is outdated, wasteful, and needs to be stopped.
Please don't allow Kitzhaber, Kotek, McCaig or other lobbyists sway your vote.
Please support the will of the voters and stop all funding for the CRC - Thank you
For links to supporting documents and source material please visit StopCRC.com