Hinessight

Finally. Better late than never. This was my "glass half full" attitude toward a front page story and lead editorial (regarding different subjects) in the Salem Statesman Journal today. The story, "Building Support to Stop Third Bridge," focused on the three leaders of No Third Bridge, a grass roots movement aimed at stopping city leaders from wasting $700 million of taxpayer money on another bridge across the Willamette River. This was the SJ online comment I left about the story: Good story. But there are more facts to tell about this unneeded, unwanted, and unpaid for looming $700 million waste…

(Embedded video I had originally via USA Today was auto-play, irritatingly; I got so irritated by it playing I've linked to the Statesman Journal web page where the video can be watched.) Like I said in "Salem to Silverton: a trip from boring to charming," Silverton mayor Stu Rasmussen is one of the many attractions of Salem's pleasingly eccentric neighbor-city.  Rasmussen became the nation's first openly transgender mayor when he was elected in 2008. HIs popularity hasn't diminished; in 2012 he was elected to another term.  A video tour of Rasmussen's closet shows why Stu Rasmussen is such an appealing…

Since I like out-of-the-ordinary plays, under different circumstances I would have loved the Theatre of the Absurd that was on display last night in the Salem City Council meeting room. While on vacation in central Oregon, via CCTV I used my laptop to watch the Council approve the so-called Salem Alternative option for a $700 million third bridge across the Willamette River.  Wikipedia tells us something about absurdist dramatists: Their work expressed the belief that human existence has no meaning or purpose and therefore all communication breaks down. Logical construction and argument gives way to irrational and illogical speech and…

Let the revolution begin. US Bank and the City of Salem need to be fought -- intensely, for as long as it takes to restore virtue to a city that is giving away its soul to big business and clueless bureaucrats. A few hours ago somebody sent me this photo of US Bank killing one of the remaining two trees in front of the State Street building today.  This is how those two trees looked not long ago. They got a temporary chain saw reprieve because of migrating birds nesting in their branches. There was no good reason to remove…

I rarely buy poetry books. But this weekend I picked up Mary Oliver's "A Thousand Mornings" while browsing in the wonderful Paulina Springs bookstore in Sisters, Oregon. Thumbing through the pages, I came to Extending the Airport Runway. After I read it, with moistness in my eyes, I knew that I had to buy the book. Tomorrow the Salem City Council likely will approve going ahead with an giant unneeded $700 million Third Bridge across the Willamette.  The City of Salem also approved killing five large, healthy, beautiful trees in downtown Salem for no good reason. And the City also…

There can't be many $700 million projects like Salem's Third Bridge, a.k.a. Salem River Crossing. At least, I sure hope there aren't. Almost certainly it will get an OK to move forward at next Monday's City Council meeting, but nobody -- not even the most avid proponents -- can come up with a coherent reason for why another bridge across the Willamette is needed. Case in point: would-be bridge builders have been saying that rush hour congestion between West Salem and downtown is a horrible problem. Ergo, we need a Third Bridge.  I guess No Third Bridge fact-based arguments have…

Salem, Oregon has a conservative-leaning City Council and Mayor. Back when I was growing up, the 1950's and 60's, conservatives were pretty damn thrifty. Also, unashamed of being conservationists. Conserve was taken seriously as the foundation of conservatism. My mother was an avid Republican. She didn't like to spend money, partly because she came of age during the Depression. Yet also because she believed in only buying what you needed.  Things have changed. Just look at what Salem's City Council and Mayor are pushing upon the citizenry: a $600-800 million unneeded and unwanted Third Bridge across the Willamette River. It's…

Sounds like a "fun" (in a certain sense) time at the West Salem Neighborhood Association meeting last night. Four Salem city councillors and the Mayor were desperate to get a We want a Third Bridge! vote -- since a main purpose of spending $600-800 million on a new bridge is to improve traffic flow from/to West Salem. But... strikeout. Third whiff. The No Third Bridge folks report this was the third time the West Salem Neighorhood Association has declined to support the project. Supporters sure gave it a "good" (in a certain sense) try, though. After an 18 to 18…

Last Friday I emailed each of Salem's eight City Councillors, plus the Mayor, a simple question: "What is the single most important reason Salem needs a Third Bridge? And please support your reason with some facts." About a month ago I asked Peter Fernandez, Salem's Public Works director, the same question at a forum featuring him and No Third Bridge leader Scott Bassett. I blogged about Fernandez' answer.  I asked for the single most important reason. Numero Uno. #1. The words most likely to make opponents of a Third Bridge think, "whoa, maybe we really do need this thing!" So how did Fernandez…