[Vision2020] Support for Megaload Transportation

[Tom Hansen]

>From your link, Mr. Price . . .



"The people have spoken and they say bring on the mega-loads.

That’s according to a coalition of a few dozen business associations that
released the results of a poll they commissioned showing that 70 percent
of people living along Highway 12 are OK with oil companies trucking huge
pieces of equipment across the state. 
The polling firm Public
Opinion Strategies in December conducted the questioning of 150 people
living along the highway, and 450 people living in the Boise area and
southwest Idaho, said Alex LaBeau president of the Idaho Association of
Commerce and Industry, during a press conference at the Capitol Tuesday."

Do the math, Mr. Price.

Number of people surveyed:
150 people living along the highway
450 people living in the Boise area and southwest Idaho

70% of 150 people living along the highway = 105
52% of 450 people living in the Boise area and southwest Idaho = 234

105 + 234 = 339

339 of 600 people surveyed = 56.5% of a VERY SMALL sample taken from
southwestern Idaho and Boise.

BOISE for CHRIST'S SAKE!  Give me a week and a case of Budweiser . . . and
I will show you numbers that indicate that "better than 80% of those
surveyed oppose the megaloads" in the Boise area, as well as Pocatello.

This survey is lame at best.

During the course of the townhall meeting of June 28, 2010 . . .

http://www.moscowcares.com/highway12/ITDmtg_062810.htm

The question posed against those who opposed the megaloads was:

"Why should we restrict our decision to Idaho?  US 12 is a US highway. 
The decision should reflect the opinions of those outside of Idaho as
well."

The Idaho Reporter's response is to hold a little get-together and call it
a survey?  GET REAL!

Jeesh!

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho






On Thu, January 27, 2011 9:21 am, Wayne Price wrote:
> Survey suggests most Highway 12 residents fine with mega-loads
> By Jay Patrick
> January 25th, 2011
>
> The people have spoken and they say bring on the mega-loads.
>
> That’s according to a coalition of a few dozen business associations
> that released the results of a poll they commissioned showing that 70
> percent of people living along Highway 12 are OK with oil companies
> trucking huge pieces of equipment across the state.
> The polling firm Public Opinion Strategies in December conducted the
> questioning of 150 people living along the highway, and 450 people
> living in the Boise area and southwest Idaho, said Alex LaBeau
> president of the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, during a
> press conference at the Capitol Tuesday. The poll found that 52
> percent of southwestern Idaho residents favored letting the loads go
> through. The firm questioned people in that corner of the state –
> instead of, say,  north Idaho –  because of the media coverage there,
> LaBeau said.
>
> The Idaho Transportation Department has issued permits to
> ConocoPhillips to move four halves of massive coke drums – which will
> block both lanes – 174 miles from Lewiston to Lolo Pass. The
> department is now working with another company that wants to truck 207
> loads of equipment across the state, and on to Alberta, and other
> shipments are expected if the route is established.“This is a well
> thought-out plan,” LaBeau said of ITD’s consideration of public
> safety and convenience in issuing permits for the Conoco shipments.
>
> Twelve Highway 12 residents have challenged the permits in court and
> in a special hearing, but ITD Director Ness approved the permits
> earlier this month after an independent hearing officer found that ITD
> had followed procedure and properly reviewed shipment plans. Natalie
> Havlina, one of the lawyers representing the residents, said a
> decision about whether to challenge Ness’s decision in district court
> has not been made.
>
> “It’s clear that despite the best efforts to undermine this project
> that is being orchestrated by organized out-of-state special
> interests, Idaho residents support job creation and new business
> investment,” said LaBeau in a press release.Havlina said load
> opponents aren’t anti-business and argue that the nighttime shipments
> could disrupt local commercial truck traffic.
> Linwood Laughy, the Highway 12 resident who started the fight, told
> Public News Service that residents are contemplating challenging
> Ness’s decision and the 207 proposed shipments.“What has occurred
> with ConocoPhillips is really a dress rehearsal. Some of the legal
> issues are still out there. The only time that there’s been any
> decision made in a court of law about this, we won.”
>
> At the press conference, LaBeau said a ruling against the loads could
> be bad news for companies across the state.“Setting any kind of
> precedence is problematic,” he said.Sen. Chuck Winder, on hand for
> the announcement, said: “This is about more than Highway 12.”
>
> He dismissed the argument that loads should not be allowed on Highway
> 12 because the remote, snaky, riverside route is unique and compared
> the mega-loads to the journey of Lewis and Clark.“You can’t hide
> behind ‘this is a scenic highway,’” said Winder.
>
> At a joint meeting of the transportation committees of the House and
> Senate last week, Sen. John McGee, R-Caldwell, a former chairman of
> the senate transportation committee,  praised Brian Ness (who was
> there delivering ITD’s annual report) for his approval of the Conoco
> loads. Rep. Shirley Ringo, R-Moscow, disagreed. She questioned ITD’s
> planning and review of shipment plans. “It seems to me the process
> grew as we went along,” she said. “I hope at the end of this we
> have a process in place.”
>
> Rep. JoAn Wood countered that ITD does follow a permitting process,
> which hearing officer Merlyn Clark validated in his decision
>
> On Jan 27, 2011, at 9:04 AM, Moscow Cares wrote:
>
>> Greetings Visionaires -
>>
>> The Highway 12 Megaloads portion of the Moscow Cares website has been
>> updated to include:
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Emails Concerning ISP Support for Megaload Transportation
>>
>> Series of email exchanges between Rep. Tom Trail, ITD Governmental
>> Affairs
>> Manager Mollie McCarty, and Linwood Laughy.
>> (January 19-26, 2011)
>>
>> http://www.moscowcares.com/Highway12/ISPsuppt_email_012611.htm
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Additional information regarding the Highway 12 megaloads may be
>> accessed at:
>>
>> http://www.moscowcares.com/Highway12/
>>
>> Seeya round town, Moscow, because . . .
>>
>> "Moscow Cares"
>> http://www.MoscowCares.com
>>
>> Tom Hansen
>> Moscow, Idaho
>>
>>
>> =======================================================
>> List services made available by First Step Internet,
>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>               http://www.fsr.net
>>          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>> =======================================================
>
> =======================================================
>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>                http://www.fsr.net
>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> =======================================================


"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
and the Realist adjusts his sails."

- Unknown