This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on February 17, 2005 6:53 AM.
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The beat goes on
The beat goes on
Cranes keep buildin' condos in my view
La de da de dee
La de da de di
The Portland City Council will give in today and let the money-hungry developers down in South Waterfront build fatter, taller condo towers than they promised when the project was first approved. The council made the developers spend two more weeks hassling with the neighborhood associations, but now that's done, and so it's onward, upward, and outward. You can still see the mountains in postcards, kids.
The beat goes on
The beat goes on
Cranes keep buildin' condos in my view
La de da de dee
La de da de di
Next up, another tower at SW Third and Oak. A $3.3 million public subsidy, 10 years of tax abatements, less affordable housing than they originally promised (er, actually, none), the usual scam. Gotta have an apartment with a view for Nicolas Cage's mother. Fireman Randy might make a face, Opie might make them come back in two weeks, but it wil all go through.
And the beat goes on
The beat goes on
Cranes keep buildin' condos in my view
La de da de dee
La de da de di
Then there's the "Portland Family of Funds," the "spinoff" from the Portland Development Commission that's under investigation on suspicion of being bad public policy, if not downright illegal. Oops, those five projects they promised to close on the po' side of town by the end of last year? So far they've closed none, and three of the five cannot be realistically said to be more than pipedreams at this point. Just be patient, MLK. These things take time.
Yeah, right. Look at those cranes on Macadam go when one of the Goldschmidt clan wants something.
The beat goes on
The beat goes on
"Spinoff" -- that's a good one. Create a government bureau and after a couple of years hand it on a platter to some of the guys who work there. They make millions. Nothing wrong with that, right?
Cranes keep buildin' condos in my view
La de da de dee
La de da de di
Then there's Vanport Square, the one bone that the PDC has thrown to the inner northeast recently. Still stalled. Existing property still being mismanaged. Public relations still a disaster.
And the beat goes on
The beat goes on
Cranes keep buildin' condos in my view
Don't forget the east side of the Burnside Bridge. Condo towers, of course, it goes without saying. But the current scam is to delay awarding the deal, in the guise of public input, until the PDC can figure out a way to give it with a straight face to the developer they've already picked out of the three bidders.
La de da de dee
La de da de di
Urban renewal, Portland style, is a very sick puppy. Mayor Potter, it's up to you to administer some serious medicine. Please don't wait too much longer.
Comments (10)
In a way, when this place looks like communist-era Bucharest with miles of government sponsored apartments, we will finally drive any kind of family housing out of Portland along with all schoolchildren.
At least they won't be able to hold school kids hostage any more to shake us down for more money for PDC and pension funds.
I remember a debate I had with then City Commissioner Charlie Hales back when I ran for City Council. I remember Charlie asking the question about greenspaces in the Macadam project. He wanted to make sure that it all passed the "Frisbie Test." Enough room to go out and through a frisbie.
Well... How bout the Mt. Hood test? Does it pass that westies?
Oh... and what happened to good Ol' Charlie? Well he promptly resigned when he realized all those grandious promises could not be fulfilled.
= much less attractive place to situate a business = fewer jobs = higher social welfare costs = heavier tax burden on existing residents. You like that?
On Monday the Oregonian had a profile of Brad Malsin, a doctor who has a proposal for the Burnside Bridgehead. Is his the one for which "the fix" is in? Because it doesn't involve Home Depot, and has community support (according to the Oregonian).
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Neil Young - Waging Heavy Peace
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J.D. Salinger - Franny and Zooey
Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol
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Deborah Eisenberg - Transactions in a Foreign Currency
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Jack London - The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii
Jack Walker - The Extraordinary Rendition of Vincent Dellamaria
Colum McCann - Let the Great World Spin
Niccolò Machiavelli - The Prince
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - The Nanny Diaries
Brian Selznick - The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Sharon Creech - Walk Two Moons
Keith Richards - Life
F. Sionil Jose - Dusk
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Justin Halpern - S#*t My Dad Says
Mark Herrmann - The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law
Barry Glassner - The Gospel of Food
Phil Stanford - The Peyton-Allan Files
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Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
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Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
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Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
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David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
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Jeff Noon - Vurt
Road Work
Miles run year to date: 29
At this date last year: 66
Total run in 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
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In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
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In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269
The beat goes on
The beat goes on
Cranes keep buildin' condos in my view
La de da de dee
La de da de di
Comments (10)
In a way, when this place looks like communist-era Bucharest with miles of government sponsored apartments, we will finally drive any kind of family housing out of Portland along with all schoolchildren.
At least they won't be able to hold school kids hostage any more to shake us down for more money for PDC and pension funds.
Posted by Steve | February 17, 2005 7:31 AM
I remember a debate I had with then City Commissioner Charlie Hales back when I ran for City Council. I remember Charlie asking the question about greenspaces in the Macadam project. He wanted to make sure that it all passed the "Frisbie Test." Enough room to go out and through a frisbie.
Well... How bout the Mt. Hood test? Does it pass that westies?
Oh... and what happened to good Ol' Charlie? Well he promptly resigned when he realized all those grandious promises could not be fulfilled.
Posted by Ted Piccolo | February 17, 2005 9:44 AM
Less family housing = fewer kids = lower school taxes. I like that idea.
Posted by Sandy | February 17, 2005 11:30 AM
= much less attractive place to situate a business = fewer jobs = higher social welfare costs = heavier tax burden on existing residents. You like that?
Posted by Jack Bog | February 17, 2005 11:47 AM
AMEN, Jack!
Posted by Lily | February 17, 2005 12:08 PM
On Monday the Oregonian had a profile of Brad Malsin, a doctor who has a proposal for the Burnside Bridgehead. Is his the one for which "the fix" is in? Because it doesn't involve Home Depot, and has community support (according to the Oregonian).
Posted by Gordo | February 17, 2005 12:18 PM
No. Malsin has the best ideas, but I doubt he'll get the deal.
Posted by Jack Bog | February 17, 2005 12:55 PM
How do you add more people and jobs without sprawling?
Posted by Jimmy Jack | February 18, 2005 10:56 AM
Condo towers don't add jobs.
Posted by Jack Bog | February 18, 2005 10:59 AM
You didn't answer my question, jackass.
Posted by Jimmy Jack | February 20, 2005 8:02 AM