Tell Salem Councilors: Don’t Kill the Third Bridge

An opportunity to build a much needed – and overwhelmingly supported – third bridge over the Willamette River has Mid-Valley voters mobilizing. 

The group behind the buzz for the third bridge goes by the name Salem Bridge Solutions.Originally started by Salem residents, Craig and Mike Evans, the group has quickly developed into a strong grassroots organization that has been the voice of voters frustrated by evermore-congested roads in the Marion-Polk County area.

Last week, Salem Bridge Solutions made a formal call to action on their Facebook page. Their supporters were asked to make the Salem City Council finally hear their voice by signing a petition, sharing a post, and contacting their councilor to urge them to vote to move forward with the current plan on February 11^th.

Their call resulted in over 1700 petition signatures to date that will be delivered to the City Council before their vote. Their Facebook posts were shared nearly 600 times last week, reaching over 123,000 people. 

The group and its supporter’s swift action have been met by deaf ears, straw man claims, and dismal hope for the bridge from all but two city councilors. Councilors Brad Nanke and Jim Lewis have heard their constituents concerns and represented them well in City Council meetings, while the rest of the council falls in line behind their puppet master: Tom Anderson.

Councilors Anderson, Kaser, Leung, Cook, and Hoy have all regurgitated Andersons’ tired, old, and easily refuted reasons of why the bridge is NOT needed. All while Councilor Ausec spent far more time on his phone than actually engaging in the meetings. 

If these 6 Councilors will not cut Anderson’s strings and listen to the petitions, testimony, calls, emails, and voices of their constituents, what will get their attention? Must supporters of the third bridge resort to recalling their City Councilors in order to be heard? 

These are questions worth asking each of them. Visit dontkillthebridge.com to do so via phone/email, and be sure to attend the City Council’s vote on the third bridge on 2/11/2019.

We CANNOT let them kill the bridge without putting up a fight. Call your councilor TODAY.