mook Wrote:

> For those who don't know (or who hip-shoot
> regarding states with Pacific frontage), OR is
> really a red state, except for the eco-hipster
> republic of Portland and a couple of other small
> outposts all west of the Cascade Mountains.
> Portland has a large enough population to tilt the
> works on statewide and national elections, but not
> always to run the show (unlike CA, where LA County
> & the Bay Area can largely dictate to the rest of
> the state). It's not surprising at all to see them
> want to throw Amtrak under a bus (Volkswagen or
> otherwise).

If you're referring to rural, red-state Oregon as "them", you may want to go back and do some more research. There's no question who "runs the show" in Oregon pretty much 24-7. The same people who've been electing our governors since 1987 (and what a fine job they've done...).

RE: WES, it's really handy for a bare handful of commuters. Last I heard they were subsidized at something like $12.00 a ride.