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Hello Friends,
If you have ever been to your State
Capitol, you will agree that it is truly an impressive building, spanning over
two blocks of real estate and crowned with a statue of a gold plated pioneer
with his gaze trained on the future.
When people walk up the front steps, there are inspirational quotations
carved into the white marble façade, and the revolving glass doors take them
into the rotunda where the state seal is inscribed on the floor and murals depict
scenes from the past. It never ceases to
inspire pride and a sense of historical accomplishment.
This is actually our third capitol
building, the last one having burned to the ground on April 25, 1935. In 1977, the building was augmented to add
office space for legislators and staff because, up to that time, they did all
of their work from their desks in their respective chambers. Even though the wings were built to a higher
standard, behind the marble façade is a mish-mash of bricks and mortar that
hardly inspire confidence. Science being
what it is today, earthquake preparedness has taken on a whole new urgency and
we are now at a crossroads as to what to do with a building that may crumble
with any appreciable tremor. In fact,
in 1993, when a moderate earthquake hit the mid-Willamette Valley, the building
showed clear signs of distress including cracks in the Rotunda and the Golden
Pioneer on the top of the building shifted on his pedestal. Access to the Rotunda was limited for almost
two years while repairs were completed.
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On any given day, there may be up to 1000 people in the building, many of them children who have come to learn more about their state government. This is truly the “People’s House,” and some have proposed that it should be preserved for generations to come. The price tag to accomplish this is substantial, however, and some are beginning to question whether or not it is worth it. The project director, Marina Creswell, has estimated a cost of $337 million to renovate the Capitol, home to not only the Legislature but also the Governor, Secretary of State and Treasurer. |
So, the question arises, “How much is too much?” Would our money be better spent building a new capitol building with all of the modern safeguards that are required of other commercial buildings? How much should be invested in a 77 year old building, no matter how much we love it? Regardless of which way we go, we will have to borrow using the state’s bonding capacity, which might cost seismic upgrades to other public building such as schools, courthouses and hospitals. In your new role as legislator-for-a-day, how would you vote? It’s not an easy call, but I would be interested in what you think…
Have a great Memorial Day Weekend,
Representative Brad Witt
House District 31
 Advocates from SEIU were in the Capitol last week to remind us about the importance of the "Fair Shot Agenda." The Agenda includes minimum wage increase, paid sick days, retirement security and ending profiling. Some of these are making their way through the process and the team from SEIU is continuing their advocacy.
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 Anna Keenan-Mudrick, Executive Director of Community Access Services (CAS) came to visit and share information about the programming and opportunities available for local employers and job seekers with disabilities. In addition to job skills CAS connects individuals with disabilities and their families to support, social and recreational activities, community living and professional nursing services.
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 Great to see friendly faces from the Washington County Democrats in the Capitol. The group came in support of middle-class and worker friendly policies before us this session.
These folks work hard on the ground to engage voters. http://www.washcodems.org/
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