It's time to move on with final pledges and loan for bypass

If the plan has been meticulously vetted and endlessly debated, then apparently more citizens have been against building this by-pass, than are actually for it.

The opinion, "It makes good sense to borrow at near-record-low interest rates rather than go out for a general obligation bond, traditional revenue bond or property tax increase", still doesn't account that there are principal payments that need to be paid along with the interest. Those principal payments will rob other accounts that would otherwise be used for street maintenance.

The opinion, "The Newberg-Dundee Bypass plan has been meticulously vetted" is almost laughable. The conversations have been railroaded at best, and at worst have been orchestrated in a deceiving manner just as the obligation of the $20 million was hidden on purpose.

This will be an extremely expensive two-lane road with high volume truck traffic. Not a good solution.

Here's a better solution:

1. Widen 99W through Dundee. It'll connect the existing four-lane stretches north and south of town.

2. Widen 18 from Cruickshank Road to 99W. Land is already owned by ODOT. The most expensive part of that will be redoing the 18/221 interchange in Dayton and a bridge over the Yamhill River.

3. Then connect the two segments from McDougall's Corner to Archery Summit Road.

4. Start buying up right-of-way for a "bypass" that would follow Riverwood Road east to the Willamette River, a site for a new bridge, and then a new road that would be about 1.5 miles to connect to Oregon 219. Then use 219 to McKay Road, Yergen Road and Ehlen Road to I-5.

That combination would be able to be done in phases, funded in a more responsible manner, and the total cost would be far less than the absolutely unnecessary and costly Newberg-Dundee Bypass. We taxpayers didn't spend millions rebuilding 99W through Newberg for nothing...and Dundee doesn't need a bypass, just a regular five lane road. And given that there's virtually NO development between current 99W and the W&P Railroad tracks - the few businesses can be easily relocated, and Dundee would get a new Fire Station and Public Works Building.

One of the ugliest aspects of the Newberg-Dundee Bypass is that they (ODOT and "leaders") are intent on placing traffic dampening on 99W to force the use of the two-lane Bypass.

So my question is if this has been in the works for so many years, why hasn't someone raised the money for it already, why do they need a loan at this point? What happened to city planning?

ToSea...They have raised the money, spent it, raised it, spent it....see where I am going with this? People in Lafayette and Dundee are worried about this costing their local businesses money...Listen, if you're going wine tasting...you're going to Dundee. If you're going to look for antiques...you're going to Lafayette. Other than that, what's the draw other than terrible drivers doing ridiculous things costing you time with your family??

The tribes might consider imposing a tax to raise the additional funds required. Perhaps a $5.00 cover charge to gain entry through the casino door as well as a 1% fee extracted at each buy-in. This could all be done quite easily by making all transactions digitally.

Which in turn, by making all transactions digital, would surely serve to squelch the passing of counterfeit currency at casinos. Just a thought.

....such a proposed tax might also prove to be an excellent revenue stream for any future Grand Ronde Community police department.

Of course the6,000 or so liberals from Portland & Salem that congregate out here in Grand Ronde, every day**....

[ **source: Steve Bagwell, Managing Editor, News-Register, McMinnville,]

....would first have to get past the irony of being referred to as... 1% er' just being asked to pay their fair share towards getting the bypass built..or..not, move on, and stop whining about their drive.

Word up! Chief...you like that idea?

butt