Inbox

[February 18th, 2009]

SELFISHNESS: WRONG FOUNDATION OF BRIDGE
What does a bridge do? It creates a point of egress and access [“A Bridge Too Wide,” WW, Feb. 11, 2009]. Why is that needed between Oregon and Washington? Commerce. It is cheaper and more efficient to truck items directly than to send by ship or train and then re-route by truck.

The selfish need of “recreation” or “personal savings” by working in Oregon but owning a house in Washington is emotional but unimportant. An individual’s personal needs rarely benefit current or future societies.

A new bridge is needed. Logic, not emotion, needs to be applied in its implementation. The selfish cries of, “Public transit is for the unwashed, therefore I want my car!” should be ignored. It is detrimental to the whole of society to believe that you are better than society.

There should only be lanes for commerce, public transit and carpool drivers. Selfish individuality is not what tax dollars are for. Tax dollars spent on infrastructure should benefit the whole of society now and in the future.

If you want to travel alone, get a bike.

“B. Dillon”
via wweek.com

SPITE: LET’S NOT GO THERE, EITHER
If Randy Leonard or others really fight Mayor Adams’ bridge proposal simply out of spite, then it is those politicians who let us (the citizens who voted for Sam Adams’ ideas) down, not Mayor Adams.

Do you realize that you paint Leonard blacker than Adams here, insinuating that his change of heart is made more out of political spite and might not have to do with, say, actually changing his mind?

And as to Adams’ political clout—how much of this alleged “lack of political clout” do you think comes from the media and not the voters’ will? I don’t see this “outrage” at Adams on the streets. The people I talk to are, at most, disappointed, but I haven’t had one conversation yet with someone who thinks Adams should resign.

If I’m wrong and those outraged people are out there, we’ll have a recall election. Until then, why not use your media power to encourage, rather than stymie, the democratic process and to talk about how this community may be healed, rather than how we’re inevitably going to self-destruct.

It’s called a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“Jennifer Howell”
via wweek.com