Readers respond: Make transportation package serve the public

Carlos Fuentes’s excellent article on the Oregon Department of Transportation hints at a serious lack of legislative transparency, (“

Oregon Department of Transportation needs structural changes to increase transparency, better manage projects, new report says,”

May 23). When “a small group of lawmakers from both parties have been privately negotiating a transportation package,” that doesn’t bode well for Oregonians.

In a May 22

memo

, Joint Transportation Reinvestment Committee Co-Chairs Sen. Chris Gorsek and Rep. Susan McLain indicate that – far from curbing major project costs and funding the priorities named by Oregonians from every corner of the state – the package will dismantle emissions testing and the Climate Protection Program, which have had years of public process with overwhelming public support. The replacement would be a slush fund for highways. That’s not ok.

Oregonians repeatedly, publicly say we care about reducing pollution, climate change, and the multiple community benefits of clean energy. We told our lawmakers at each stop on the Transportation Committee’s

Listening Tour

that we want increased public transportation; safe streets for pedestrians and bicycles; and road maintenance— not freeway expansion.

This small group of lawmakers is trying to do the opposite of what constituents asked for. They think they have authority to wind down emissions testing, replace the Climate Protection Program and use gas- and diesel-generated credits for major projects instead of community wellbeing, (“

Oregon lawmakers revive controversial effort to implement cap-and-trade system,

” May 22).

Tell

Oregon state representatives and senator

s not to trade clean air and safe streets for more mega projects. Stop that bill until it delivers what we need.

Helena Birecki, Portland

To read more letters to the editor, go to


oregonlive.com/opinion


.

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