Legislators asking Legislators to Act
Legislators asking Legislators to Act
Can Legislators get ODOT to listen... or is a Legislator guiding ODOT...
Today is a new day… wrought with stuff from the past hanging to it like tin cans tied to the rear bumper of a car. The newness awaits us while the clutter remains.
This week, trying to cut the cord is State Representative Annessa Hartman and retired ODOT official Cam Gilmour. Meanwhile CDM Smith wants to entertain you with how much fun spending your money can be and how easy it is to add on tolling to your spending.
The snow and ice have cleared, but the clattering of tolling continues…
In Short
Article 1 - State Representative Annessa Hartman says “I believe that state representatives owe it to our constituents to be their advocates”… we believe she is correct. This article, from the Representative, is very straight forward and takes a direct hit on the issues that plague tolling in Oregon… a distrust and lack of transparency from ODOT.
Article 2 - Cam Gilmour has a bit of history with ODOT. He worked there for over 24 years, some of which he served as the Deputy Director of Finance and Administration.
The Outlook article, presented below, has an interesting twist to it in that he too is calling for our legislators to change the direction of ODOT. Note that he points out the forthcoming issues with diversion and… the fact that unfunded projects are getting pushed forward while 100’s of millions are being spent on merely setting up the tolling network.
Article 3 - Road Use Charges (RUC) are also know as Vehicle Mileage Taxes (VMT) in this part of the country. It is, in a nutshell, a cost that a driver pays per mile driven. It is also a concern for many as it conjures up questions about personal information security questions.
This CD Smith video illustrated how a VMT might work in Oregon. And note it is in place for some, on a voluntary basis, with monies and information being collected by an off-shore company. But you should ask ODOT about that part… if they will tell you.
Also note, at minute mark 5, tolling type functions can easily be added… for your convenience.
Weekly Articles
Representative Annessa Hartman’s article
