Rex for Metro

One of the most important races on the ballot this year is the one for Metro Council President.  Metro is the regional government that plays a key role in determining land use issues, managing growth and maintaining open spaces.  We often see Metro candidates who are pushing an anti-land use, growth-at-all-costs agenda.   For once, we have three top-notch candidates for Metro President and can choose the best one, rather than a lesser of evils.

My vote is going to go to Rex Burkholder . Rex has been my Metro Councilor and I’ve been impressed with his ability to create an agenda, gather support and get that agenda through. And he knows that issues don’t just affect his North and Northeast Portland district.  Metro stretches across the entire region of Washington, Multnomah and Clackamas counties. That’s a diverse area with wildly different perspectives and interests.  When Rex was elected to Metro in 2000, frankly the agency was not well-respected.  But that’s changed and Rex has been at the forefront of that change, supporting current Metro President David Bragdon.  I believe Rex is the candidate that can ensure that Metro truly represents the entire region by crafting strong policy that has a broad-base of support.

Another key issue that has impressed me in listening to Rex is his knowledge of the details, whether about policy or running the agency.  Rex not only has a vision of sound land use policy, he has the nuts-and-bolts knowledge to implement the policy in a way that makes sense.  Rex will be able to hit the ground running to actually administer the agency, protect its workers, and make sure that its wide-ranging responsibilities are well-managed.

The only issue that is raised in question to Rex’s candidacy is the Columbia River Crossing. His position has been cast as being in favor of a “mega-bridge.”  I have to admit that I originally held this view.  But it is not correct.  When Rex asked me for an endorsement, I asked him some very specific questions about the plans for the bridge.  He said that the issue has been framed as being for or against the “megabridge.”  He said very clearly that he is not for the “megabridge.”  He does believe that a new bridge is needed (a view I share) but it needs to be designed in a way that’s affordable and fits within the greenhouse gas emissions reduction standards that are in place for Metro.  When I asked about the claim that emissions projections predict greater emissions with a new bridge, he answered that the model being used does not consider changes in land use, automobile and truck fleet technology, and transportation patterns.

I asked Rex if he had it to do over again, what would he do differently in the debate around the bridge.  He said that the project had been tagged as a $4.2 billion boondoggle when everyone involved knew that number was unrealistic from the start.  He said he should have insisted on a real budget.  Going forward, he said he remained committed to a project that fits in with the larger transportation plan for the region – one that recognizes the needs of people and business but also remains true to avoiding sprawl and greater greenhouse gas emissions.

Go ahead and read Rex’s position. And if you’re still not convinced, know that there numerous environmentalists among Rex’s endorsers, folks like state Sen. Jackie Dingfelder, Mia Birk, Charlie Burr, Multnomah County Board Chair Jeff Cogen, Glenn Lamb, Oregon Wild and many others.  I’m proud to count myself among them.  We will be holding Rex accountable as Metro President for all his positions as President.  But I don’t think that will be a hard job since Rex shares our values.

Rex Burkholder is ready to be Metro Council President and ready to lead the region’s development of livable communities, good jobs and clean environment.

I urge you to vote for Rex Burkholder for Metro President.

7:30 am on a Friday, a group of great people came together at the Rex4Metro Headquarters to talk about freight, trucks and trade over coffee and donated Voodoo Doughnuts.

Jeff Swanson, Schnitzer Steel, was the host and the topic was how to be smarter and greener while continuing to grow the Portland region’s economy. Recent studies show a continued growth in trade to and through the region’s Ports due to growing demand for goods from Asia and the export of Oregon products. Schnitzer just sent 65,000 tons of steel scrap to China by ship, joining the millions of tons of wheat and minerals that go through the Port of Portland’s terminals annually, coming down the Gorge by barge and train. Across the Columbia, if you take a ride along Lake Road you will see giant piles of wind turbines imported by Vestas, soon to be trucked to eastern Oregon and Washington.

I have found out that we are challenged by this growth. The railroads are nearing capacity even with the Connect Oregon investments I helped steer to North Porltand. Most additional freight in the future will move by truck. The question of the morning was, “How can we keep trucks moving and reduce the impact on our neighborhoods and highways at the same time?” Both Jeff and Jerry Grossnickle, Tugboat Association, served on Metro’s Regional Freight Advisory Committee where this question was top and foremost. There is surprisingly strong support among shippers for transportation choices for commuters because they know that trucks have to compete for road space with motorists. If more people carpool, take the Max or ride a bike, there is less congestion and pollution.

The complex and inter-related nature of our import-export economy really came home to me when Dean Large, Waste Connections, talked about how they take the “auto fluff” left over from Schnitzer’s grinding operation to landfills in eastern Washington where it is used as a clean cover. Victoria Yu, a consultant helping Oregon companies connect with Asian firms, pointed out that we need better air connections to Asia and container capacity in our Ports to compete for the Asian market.

It is clear that our economy is truly regional –neither people nor companies care about county or city lines, or state lines, either. Our success depends on greater collaboration and thinking bigger.

As he heads north to the school he help start, Rex talks about how effective Metro has been over the last eight years he’s been a Metro Councilor, out-competing other cities to implement visionary projects. And that’s a good thing, because the stakes are high: climate change could significantly affect our region — from water shortages for the people who grow our food, to populations moving here when their regions are affected. There’s simply no time for on-the-job training for the next Metro President: we need someone like Rex, who knows Metro inside and out but also understands the real-world consequences of the work it does:

… I’m a father, with two young sons in their early 20s. They’ll have families not too long from now, and climate change could really affect their quality of life — and maybe even their lives. So, we have to do something about it: we are the generation that needs to act on this issue.

Watch the Fifth Episode and then share it with your friends. We’ve also collected the entire series so far right here.