Democrats' efforts to position a big tax hike to pay for highway maintenance and other projects may be frustrated by ODOT's shoddy operations, Kotek driving up costs and "petulant children"
My thought as been that every EV owner must be taxed significantly (note I’m for limited govt and lowering taxes). Why? Well EVs don’t pay gas tax. Don’t pay into ODOT except for limited registration fees. But key reason being these very earth destroying machines require specialized tires, meaning they don’t last as long as my gas guzzling (diesel rigs). Thus more destruction of the environment. Next these vehicles are heavier and thus wear out our roads faster than even pickups do. Third, unlike my gas guzzling, long lived and still useful machine, they are nearly 0% recyclable. My machine once it dies (it has a good chance to outlive me) is nearly 100% recyclable. It’s metal go to Schnitzer Steel gets ground up and goes into something else. The rare earth (very rare) minerals in EV not recycled. Like nuclear waste, where will it go? And of course the destruction of earth in Africa and China to get those minerals harms Mother Earth. Fourth, during collisions they cause more damage. And in advent of fire it’s harmful to the environment, to fire fighters and wastes massive amounts of ground water. So, all these environmentalists should be paying massively to drive their EVs.
The scratch my back I'll scratch yours mentality of our Governor is infuriating and because of excellent reporting by Jeff its really in our petulant faces. Very sad to see the public sector misappropriating funds in Oregon and anywhere for that matter. When will the petulant children learn that it really is their money that is being so recklessly spent....
Other states, including blue ones, spend money too, but they build new highways and bridges. Oregon hasn’t built a major thoroughfare since I-205 in the late 1970s. Travel through major U.S. cities and you’ll find better roads and more effective traffic management than anything in the Portland metro area. Single party rule means profligate spending and no accountability, in ODOT and every other state agency.
Every OR department is completely incompetent. I hope DOGE eventually gets around to looking at the books concerning where Fed money to the states gets grifted.
this article pains me deeply. in the 80s and 90s as an employee of our county public works department I worked very closely with ODOT on a number of projects. for the most part back then they were competent, helpful and efficient. the only exceptions I can remember were when we got involved with the feds. Federal road standards when applied to a very small county were a tiny bit unrealistic to say the least. But ODOT gets lots of money from the feds so the feds' standards rule. "Prevailing wages", "beautification", and lots of other things caused simple projects to blossom well beyond the original scope of work. And now... it sounds like ODOT has become a clone of the feds in that the process has overridden the result. My favorite bugaboos, bureaucracy and the attendant RED TAPE have come to Oregon. we get projects like the I-5 tunnel to protect the elementary school kids from a little extra exhaust fumes, and we can't rebuild the Hood River/White Salmon bridge because it would cost too much to lower the foundations to bedrock, never mind that the existing bridge has lasted a hundred years without coming close to bedrock, the "BIG ONE" is just around the corner.
"For good measure, the executive order requires state agencies to 'set targets for, track, and report' racial and gender participation in contracts 'to ensure that state agencies are advancing gender and racial equity[.]' ODOT already lists equity as one of its three top priorities as an agency, just above 'modern transportation system,' as pointed out by State Representative Ed Diehl (R-Stayton)."
I want to think that in trying to eliminate the grip that wokeism and gender ideology have on government, Trump's relevant executive orders require states to cease managing racial and gender participation in state contracts in order to continue receiving federal highway funds. Of course, for this method to be effective the feds have to have appropriated highway funding for Oregon. Let's hope Musk has not eliminated such funding and does not have plans to do so.
Withholding funds is about the only leverage to get states to modify or drop their DEI policies.
I remember when I was stationed in Biloxi MS that Reagan used funding leverage to get states to change drinking age to 21. Mississippi was 18 or 19 at the time, they changed that policy quickly.
LOL, I love the shot of the failed "bridge to nowhere" over here by La Pine. ODOT thought they could get away with not hiring a geologist for the project...
This game is as old as the hills. Promise more than the Request for Proposal (RFP) asks. Promise to do the job quickly and under budget. This exists in the private and public sectors. When the project can't meet your promises ask for a change in budget, scope, completion date, or all three. As manager, hope the work is far enough along that your request for changes will be approved.
I worked for the Director of Engineering of an Oregon company in charge of building a new chemical plant in Louisiana. His pitch to management was, " We will have the finest." A large reaction vessel known to be very difficult to clean was one deliverable. To the vendor,
"We need a very smooth interior surface to minimize cleaning down time. What can you do?"
"Our best so far is a Root Mean Square (RMS) = X (the square root of the average of the squared deviations of the surface heights from the mean line.)"
"Well for our vessel we need it to be half of X."
Later the Director had to attend a meeting of the company Board, explaining problems with overruns and delays, and receiving approval for additional funds. On returning from the meeting he received a phone call from the project manager, saying thank you but it won't be enough. Later the Director asked me, "What does a smoothness measure of RMS mean?"
Later I started work for a consulting engineering company in Portland. A partner, G, bid a state government project and got it. I was assigned to be project manager. My colleagues came to commiserate. Sorry you were assigned to the job. Any of us assigned project manager for one of G's projects knows going in we will be unsuccessful. G is good at getting work, but he does it by bidding low, promising the moon, and completion tomorrow. Then he seeks more projects while you get hammered for poor performance. And the project involved multiple people doing purchasing. I discovered the accounting system could not tell me the costs of their commitments.
I sympathize with Oregon's problems, political choices of contractors, union rules, and poor project management. Get Trump to complete your skating rink. Do not get Newsome to build your high-speed railroad. Do not ask Buttigieg to visit your fallen bridge. Hire solely on Merit and hope for the best.
Jeff, I posted this piece, and one other of your recent pieces, to FB. ...Yes, I am willing to subject myself to FB in order to help get the local word out of your independent coverage of the State of Oregon's final, inevitable collapse at the Marxist hands of the Oregon Democrat Party, especially now that local, legacy (corrupt) media would also seem to be in its own final state of imminent collapse, as well.
One thought is Ev's need to pay at the charge station like fueled vehicles do at the pump.
To me it seems to be, along with accountability problems, that they prioritize projects over maintaining what we already have. This is counter to how I, as a resource officer, managed my O&M budget. Maintain what have, save for projects and/or search for alternate funding sources.
Shouldn't have "Build back better" resources eased the strain on the maintenance funds?🤔
So take up a collection, go buy and install one, and then sue the living squitz out of whoever stops you. Waiting for "the government" to do things means you're just another dependent.
Also, it is illegal for citizens to put up traffic control signals, only the government is allowed to do that, but you knew that, didn’t you? I mean, you’re being facetious, correct?
My thought as been that every EV owner must be taxed significantly (note I’m for limited govt and lowering taxes). Why? Well EVs don’t pay gas tax. Don’t pay into ODOT except for limited registration fees. But key reason being these very earth destroying machines require specialized tires, meaning they don’t last as long as my gas guzzling (diesel rigs). Thus more destruction of the environment. Next these vehicles are heavier and thus wear out our roads faster than even pickups do. Third, unlike my gas guzzling, long lived and still useful machine, they are nearly 0% recyclable. My machine once it dies (it has a good chance to outlive me) is nearly 100% recyclable. It’s metal go to Schnitzer Steel gets ground up and goes into something else. The rare earth (very rare) minerals in EV not recycled. Like nuclear waste, where will it go? And of course the destruction of earth in Africa and China to get those minerals harms Mother Earth. Fourth, during collisions they cause more damage. And in advent of fire it’s harmful to the environment, to fire fighters and wastes massive amounts of ground water. So, all these environmentalists should be paying massively to drive their EVs.
The scratch my back I'll scratch yours mentality of our Governor is infuriating and because of excellent reporting by Jeff its really in our petulant faces. Very sad to see the public sector misappropriating funds in Oregon and anywhere for that matter. When will the petulant children learn that it really is their money that is being so recklessly spent....
Other states, including blue ones, spend money too, but they build new highways and bridges. Oregon hasn’t built a major thoroughfare since I-205 in the late 1970s. Travel through major U.S. cities and you’ll find better roads and more effective traffic management than anything in the Portland metro area. Single party rule means profligate spending and no accountability, in ODOT and every other state agency.
Every OR department is completely incompetent. I hope DOGE eventually gets around to looking at the books concerning where Fed money to the states gets grifted.
this article pains me deeply. in the 80s and 90s as an employee of our county public works department I worked very closely with ODOT on a number of projects. for the most part back then they were competent, helpful and efficient. the only exceptions I can remember were when we got involved with the feds. Federal road standards when applied to a very small county were a tiny bit unrealistic to say the least. But ODOT gets lots of money from the feds so the feds' standards rule. "Prevailing wages", "beautification", and lots of other things caused simple projects to blossom well beyond the original scope of work. And now... it sounds like ODOT has become a clone of the feds in that the process has overridden the result. My favorite bugaboos, bureaucracy and the attendant RED TAPE have come to Oregon. we get projects like the I-5 tunnel to protect the elementary school kids from a little extra exhaust fumes, and we can't rebuild the Hood River/White Salmon bridge because it would cost too much to lower the foundations to bedrock, never mind that the existing bridge has lasted a hundred years without coming close to bedrock, the "BIG ONE" is just around the corner.
"For good measure, the executive order requires state agencies to 'set targets for, track, and report' racial and gender participation in contracts 'to ensure that state agencies are advancing gender and racial equity[.]' ODOT already lists equity as one of its three top priorities as an agency, just above 'modern transportation system,' as pointed out by State Representative Ed Diehl (R-Stayton)."
I want to think that in trying to eliminate the grip that wokeism and gender ideology have on government, Trump's relevant executive orders require states to cease managing racial and gender participation in state contracts in order to continue receiving federal highway funds. Of course, for this method to be effective the feds have to have appropriated highway funding for Oregon. Let's hope Musk has not eliminated such funding and does not have plans to do so.
Withholding funds is about the only leverage to get states to modify or drop their DEI policies.
I remember when I was stationed in Biloxi MS that Reagan used funding leverage to get states to change drinking age to 21. Mississippi was 18 or 19 at the time, they changed that policy quickly.
LOL, I love the shot of the failed "bridge to nowhere" over here by La Pine. ODOT thought they could get away with not hiring a geologist for the project...
Then the whole thing started tipping sideways.
This game is as old as the hills. Promise more than the Request for Proposal (RFP) asks. Promise to do the job quickly and under budget. This exists in the private and public sectors. When the project can't meet your promises ask for a change in budget, scope, completion date, or all three. As manager, hope the work is far enough along that your request for changes will be approved.
I worked for the Director of Engineering of an Oregon company in charge of building a new chemical plant in Louisiana. His pitch to management was, " We will have the finest." A large reaction vessel known to be very difficult to clean was one deliverable. To the vendor,
"We need a very smooth interior surface to minimize cleaning down time. What can you do?"
"Our best so far is a Root Mean Square (RMS) = X (the square root of the average of the squared deviations of the surface heights from the mean line.)"
"Well for our vessel we need it to be half of X."
Later the Director had to attend a meeting of the company Board, explaining problems with overruns and delays, and receiving approval for additional funds. On returning from the meeting he received a phone call from the project manager, saying thank you but it won't be enough. Later the Director asked me, "What does a smoothness measure of RMS mean?"
Later I started work for a consulting engineering company in Portland. A partner, G, bid a state government project and got it. I was assigned to be project manager. My colleagues came to commiserate. Sorry you were assigned to the job. Any of us assigned project manager for one of G's projects knows going in we will be unsuccessful. G is good at getting work, but he does it by bidding low, promising the moon, and completion tomorrow. Then he seeks more projects while you get hammered for poor performance. And the project involved multiple people doing purchasing. I discovered the accounting system could not tell me the costs of their commitments.
I sympathize with Oregon's problems, political choices of contractors, union rules, and poor project management. Get Trump to complete your skating rink. Do not get Newsome to build your high-speed railroad. Do not ask Buttigieg to visit your fallen bridge. Hire solely on Merit and hope for the best.
No leadership-no consequences.
Friend of mine, career ODOT employee, told me reams about the $5.4 BILLION package in 2017.
Meet the new screw, same as the old screw.
Jeff, I posted this piece, and one other of your recent pieces, to FB. ...Yes, I am willing to subject myself to FB in order to help get the local word out of your independent coverage of the State of Oregon's final, inevitable collapse at the Marxist hands of the Oregon Democrat Party, especially now that local, legacy (corrupt) media would also seem to be in its own final state of imminent collapse, as well.
One thought is Ev's need to pay at the charge station like fueled vehicles do at the pump.
To me it seems to be, along with accountability problems, that they prioritize projects over maintaining what we already have. This is counter to how I, as a resource officer, managed my O&M budget. Maintain what have, save for projects and/or search for alternate funding sources.
Shouldn't have "Build back better" resources eased the strain on the maintenance funds?🤔
We have been trying to get a stoplight in front of Veneta Elementary School for over 20 years but the government says “there’s no money”.
So take up a collection, go buy and install one, and then sue the living squitz out of whoever stops you. Waiting for "the government" to do things means you're just another dependent.
Also, it is illegal for citizens to put up traffic control signals, only the government is allowed to do that, but you knew that, didn’t you? I mean, you’re being facetious, correct?
You have never worked in politics