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This conversation ties in well to a local story covered on Morning Edition about the Sellwood Bridge Project in SE Portland.  Today there is a 3pm meeting with the Policy Advisory Group -- a group of agency and elected officials.  If people are overly polite, no one gets the message that there are core issues here that need to be worked out.  But if people have constructive criticism and ideas, and are civil about it, it really opens up the door to examine the project and challenge the current assumptions.  In this case, you can challenge proposals for an overly expensive and overbuilt project with valid arguments and challenge the decision makers to rethink the direction of this project.  On the other hand, if you are rude (and people have been rude), your arguments -- even if they are valid -- are discounted.  It's akin to civil disobedience v. violence.

posted 3 years, 3 months ago
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