Should the remodel be paid for by toll...........or bond dollars.........or? Appears this is one of the issues in the Vancouver mayoral race.
My opinion is to avid a toll. That will force people to I=205 and then to maintain some sort of traffic control a toll there as well. Both those will slow down tgraffic and create huge traffic jams.
So you want to pay more taxes to fund the bridges? Because that's the only other choice. Personally, I favor blowing up both bridges and mining the river. Costs less and reduces traffic congestion. barfo
IMO, two things Oregon is overdue for: 1) Pump-your-own gas 2) Sales tax As far as it depends on Vancouver, I say add a "special" .25% sales tax for, say, three years...or whatever is reasonable.....to help pay for the bridge.
Bonds. This is exactly the kind of thing that taxes should pay for. It helps businesses and citizens alike. It's long term infrastructure and will create jobs even if temporary. What's more, it's something that HAS to happen. Unless you go with Barfo's idea. I like a variant where we mine the Ashland pass and install machine gun towers with orders to shoot anything wearing purple and gold.
I say NO! we aren't the ones that are driving across the state for work. We aren't the ones exploiting sales tax difference. Vancouver should pay the bulk of it! I remember they talked about extending Max across the river, and PDX was willing to pay half the cost, but Vancouver didn't want to front their share.
If they work in Oregon they pay Oregon's much higher income tax (does WA even have one?) and have taxation without representation. It's the people who live in Portland and work in Vancouver that are gaming the system.
I know, I know. To me, it's the lesser of two evils. If we had tolls on those two bridges the line up of traffic during morning and evening hours would extend from Salem to Longview. A work commute could take upwards of 3 hours one way- or more. That's wholly unacceptable.
you can set up a "good-to-go" pass, just like every turnpike in the east is going toward. There aren't a whole lot of times a commuter has to stay in line...you just zoom through at 40mph or whatever.
True, but how many people would have them? Certainly not 100%. And for I-205, how would they set up another lane for a tool booth?
I say tear the I-5 and 205 bridge down and see what happens to Vancouver. When they realize they need them more than we do, let them pay to rebuild them.
Yes and no. The income tax would come out of your check every pay period, but it is tax deductible and the end of the year if I'm not mistaken. And no, WA doesn't have an income tax. Not necessarily. Here in WA all you have to do is show your OR id and you are tax exempt (at MOST stores). Of course, there is no getting around the higher taxes for gasoline. Exactly. The Tacoma-Narrows Bridge is actually a very efficient setup. Maybe I've just been lucky at the times I've gone through, but it's never cost me more than a minute or two. You have to figure the normal commuters will have these passes as it discounts each toll. Therefore, you will only have your irregular drivers actually having to stop and pay the toll.
Nope. If you work in Oregon you owe Oregon income tax, same as those who live and work in Oregon. Otherwise Portland would be a ghost town and everyone would live across the river. barfo
Spoken like a true Vancouverite. Always wanting Portland to foot the bill. You're not even in the same state! Why don't you ask Seattle? Vancouver should pay for the whole bridge. Portland, with their lower gas prices and no sales tax, has paid for enough bridges for awhile. We get no benefit from it, it's just a path for Vancouverites to take to work and back. We supply their jobs, the least they can do is pay for their own bridge to get to them.
Look, I was born and raised in Portland and have lived in the City or its Oregon surrounds for over 30 years of my life. I've lived in Vancouver for all of 4 months. Even if I lived in Portland right now, I'd still have the same take. Besides, what do you know? You live in Bend.
Wow, that's incredibly lame. I've been fed misinformation then by an employer who was trying to get me to move back to the PDX area.
