Pothole Path to Nowhere, Part IV
Oregonians know this scene by heart.
The governor sets the football on the tee.
She promises stability.
She promises reform.
She promises accountability.
Then—snap—the ball disappears.
On January 7, Governor Tina Kotek stood before transportation insiders and delivered what might be the most revealing admission of her tenure: the emergency transportation package she championed, rammed through a special session, and sold as unavoidable has failed—and now must be repealed entirely.
Not fixed.
Not audited.
Not investigated.
Repealed. Replaced. Rebranded.
“Redirect, Repeal, Rebuild” — Translation: Shuffle, Stall, Start Over
In her own words, the Governor laid out the new mantra:
“Here is what I am asking the Oregon Legislature to do… redirect, repeal, and rebuild.”
That sounds constructive—until you realize what’s missing.
There is no call to investigate how ODOT blew a billion-dollar hole in its budget.
No demand for a forensic audit.
No accountability for management decisions.
No pause on programs that exploded in cost while core maintenance collapsed.
Instead, the solution offered is the political equivalent of “Trust me, again.”
The Ball Is Yanked Away—From Voters
House Bill 3991 isn’t just unpopular. It’s frozen because hundreds of thousands of Oregonians demanded a vote.
And now?
Rather than letting voters weigh in this November, the Governor is asking lawmakers to erase the bill entirely—before ballots are cast.
Republicans didn’t mince words:
“Rather than allowing voters to have their say, the Governor is now urging lawmakers to fully repeal the bill… driven by political necessity, not good governance.”
This isn’t course correction.
It’s ballot avoidance.
Layoffs First. Accountability Never.
Governor Kotek frames the crisis as inevitable:
“At that moment, I had two choices. Lay off hundreds of workers… or call a special session.”
Notice the framing. The only lever available is workers, not waste.
Maintenance crews are expendable.
Engineers are collateral damage.
But bloated programs, failed forecasting, and management blunders? Untouchable.
Even after acknowledging that ODOT hemorrhaged staff—reducing the deficit only because people quit—there’s still no appetite to ask why the agency was allowed to drift this far off course.
“There Is Enough Money” — But Not Enough Courage
Republicans have been consistent, and inconvenient:
“There is enough money in the system, and it must be better prioritized before taxpayers are asked to pay more.”
That’s the argument Democrats refuse to engage.
Instead of identifying which services can be cut besides maintenance, the answer is always the same:
- Raise taxes
- Shift funds
- Rebrand the package
- Start a new “process”
Lucy doesn’t explain where the football went. She just resets it and smiles.
A ‘Bipartisan Process’ With a Prewritten Ending
The Governor promises a governor-led package for 2027:
“The last successful transportation package followed a governor-led process. I am committing my office to that work.”
Republicans are unimpressed—and history backs them up:
“Simply having a Republican in the room doesn’t make a bill bipartisan if it has no impact on the final outcome.”
Translation: Don’t confuse choreography with compromise.
The Pothole Path Continues
This is the Pothole Path to Nowhere in its purest form:
- Crisis manufactured by mismanagement
- Accountability avoided
- Voters sidelined
- Workers sacrificed
- Same leadership, same assumptions, new branding
The football wasn’t dropped.
It was yanked away—again.
And Oregon taxpayers are once more flat on their backs, staring at the sky, wondering how many times they’re expected to believe “this time it’s different.”
Priorities Matter
Road maintenance before ribbon-cuttings.
Fixing what exists before expanding what can’t be maintained.
Services preserved by cutting waste—not by cutting workers.
What You Should Do—Today
- Email your State Representative and Senator
- Call their office
- Demand they oppose any new transportation taxes until audits and accountability are completed
- Insist voters get their say, not another last-minute legislative escape hatch
You can find your legislators here:
👉 https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/FindYourLegislator/legislatorsupport.html
If government keeps pulling the football away, the fault isn’t just Lucy’s anymore.
At some point, Charlie Brown has to stop running—and start demanding answers.
Sources & Footnotes
- Governor Tina Kotek – Oregon Transportation Forum Address (Jan. 7, 2026)
Transcript of remarks outlining the “redirect, repeal, rebuild” strategy, acknowledgement of ODOT layoffs, and call to repeal HB 3991.
https://www.oregon.gov/odot/About/Budget/73000%20ODOT_2025-27%20GRB.pdf - Oregon Senate & House Republicans Press Release (Jan. 7, 2026)
“Governor Kotek Admits Failure, Begs Legislature to Repeal Her Signature Transportation Tax Package”
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ORLEG/bulletins/3de35ac - Willamette Week — ODOT Budget Hearing Coverage
“In Extraordinary Hearing, ODOT Explains Billion-Dollar Budget Blunder”
https://www.wweek.com/news/2025/02/26/in-extraordinary-hearing-odot-explains-billion-dollar-budget-blunder/ - Central Oregon Daily — ODOT Layoffs & Budget Crisis
Coverage of looming layoffs and service reductions tied to ODOT’s financial mismanagement.
https://www.centraloregondaily.com/news/regional/odot-layoffs-oregon-budget-crisis-2025/article_d6a02afc-45ef-4e56-842f-8a78962a95f4.html - Statesman Journal — House Republicans’ ODOT Cuts Proposal
Details Republican proposals prioritizing maintenance and accountability over new revenue.
https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/01/oregon-house-republicans-propose-cutting-numerous-odot-programs/83371278007/
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