Tyler Responds to CJ Editorial

The charade continues.  I strongly disagree with the CJ’s editorial of February 5 calling on the “next wave of community leaders to get with the plan.”  Now is not the time to “get with the plan”, now is the time for real leaders to step forward and publicly say enough is enough.

The “plan” in this case is the Ohio River Bridges Project and the Tolling Authority set up to finance it by tolling the citizens of this community.  The need to build the East End Bridge has been clear for more than half a century!  The fact that it is not yet built has had enormous consequences for this community’s belief that we can “get things done.”  The solution to this problem is to build the East End Bridge, not continue down an unrealistic path in the wrong direction.

It is a shame that the CJ has been taken in by the fantasy that the current bridges proposal is what the citizens want and the city needs.  The idea that we are stuck with a political compromise set in motion before merger, and that has never been publicly vetted by our elected leaders since merger, is very bad public policy.

Must Louisville bury its downtown under a $2 Billion 23 Lane-Wide New Spaghetti Junction just to have the privilege of connecting I-265?  Must Jeffersonville double the size of I-65 through its downtown just so its citizens can finally bypass downtown on a East End Bridge on their morning commute to work?  The answer is ‘NO’.  Let’s be clear, we cannot set our city back just because very powerful people do not want an East End Bridge.

Gov. Daniels told the authority at its first meeting that they “need to be creative” to get this financed.  Creativity cannot be limited to where to look for money (especially since it’s clear they are looking mostly into our pockets).  Creativity demands looking at the needs and scaling the project down to what we can afford to build.    

Critics of mine, including the CJ, have said I’m a one issue candidate.  Interestingly, they clearly believe that my so called “one issue” is “the most important civic undertaking in the metro region and is pivotal to the area’s economic future.”  Wow, we better get this right.  The CJ thinks the candidates for Mayor should get in line.  Louisville deserves a “new wave” of leaders who don’t get in line, but rather listen to the citizens, demonstrate a vision and move Louisville forward... starting with an East End Bridge!

Peace

P.S.  The CJ will not print letters written by candidates running for public office. However, they will print yours. Please take a moment and draft a letter to the CJ telling them that you want leaders who take a stand not simply "get with the plan."  You may submit your letters to the CJ's website by clicking here: Courier-Journal.

Below is the statement that I made standing in front of the Courier-Journal's Headquarters:

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