That is the story that the PDC is writing for Portland right now.

Is there any way to simply disband the PDC and fire it's commissioners? The PDC we have now is just a bunch of developers stuffing their pockets with tax dollars while they commit municipal vandalism. They've destroyed the Willamette Greenway with the South Waterfront Porkway. Portland should start over with whatever the vision for the PDC was. Portland cannot afford the porkbarrel projects of the current PDC.

We could let the commissioners plead their case first. Have a hearing. Let them have their say. Let them give hours of testimony. Then tell them know that they can pick up the box with their name on it, containing what had been in their office, on the way out of the hearing. We already decided to fire them, after all.

...and thank them for their input. We will certainly consider it.

What's the solution to dealing with a growing city? More sprawl? Measure 37? What do you propose bojack?

I'm not hip on the skyscraper condos either, but then we need to come up with another solution.

What's the "problem" that you want the "solution" for? Housing prices too high? It's a little late to worry about that. Let supply and demand work.

Nothing that the city is subsidizing/building is helping housing prices appreciably, anyway. There's no serious middle-class housing being added to Portland's stock with all this PDC nonsense. It's a tiny bit of low-income housing, tons of $400K+ condos, and apartments that are renting at $2 per square foot per month. All paid for by taxpayers.

I'd rather have the free market at work than have the city wrecked on our tax dollars.

As for Measure 37, to me that baby cuts in favor of putting the whole "in-fill" shinola on hold, for a few years at least. The turtleneck-and-beret set in the various planning bureaus grossly overplayed its land-use hand, and now the legacy of Tom McCall has been voted down in the backlash. The countryside is going to be ruined by Measure 37. So why let the same developers who are going to trash Yamhill County rape Portland, too? You're going to get sprawl, and one homely city trying to be something it isn't. You might want to cut your losses at just the inevitable sprawl.

And take out billboards in L.A. and Marin County. Tell them this about Portland: taxes are high, there are no jobs, weather's bad, it's a 20-minute wait for a 911 operator, meth is king, property crime is consequence-free, and there are state liquor stores with astronomical prices. I'll chip in $100 toward the first sign.

Right on jack

I'll see your hundred and raise $100.

Any more takers? Lets do this.

Steve(s) are you in?

(what does a billboard cost anyway?)

This would be a great PR move, probably get lots of local press.

PS: you forgot to mention that we had the nation's worst increase in traffic congestion.

PS2: Portland Departmetn of Transport has just launched a study of truck traffic with the goal of learning as much about truck movement as they curently know about bike and pedestrian movement.

Thanks
JK

Regarding the study of truck traffic. i know one part of that is to study how trucking moves from the rail yards down under the fremont bridge to swan island. currently, they truck up interstate blvd which they shouldn't based on the grand plan of re-doing interstate with max. the problem is that greeley ave. can't support the trucks appropriately. according to a newsletter i recieved from the overlook neighborhood association, they are looking at re-designing greely and the greely/going st. interchange to support trucking so they can get it off interstate blvd.

thanks.

Ah, the joys of lesser Seattle!

From the article:

"Seattle has thrived on growth and newcomers, but we disdain outsiders, meaning anyone who arrived more recently than we. In the 19th century, the settlers disdained the folks who arrived in palace cars; we ejected the Chinese bodily and shipped them to San Francisco; later, we enthusiastically interned Japanese Americans; and in the civil rights era, we were one of the most segregated cities in America."

A fine model for Portland to follow!

"And take out billboards in L.A. and Marin County. Tell them this about Portland: taxes are high, there are no jobs, weather's bad, it's a 20-minute wait for a 911 operator, meth is king, property crime is consequence-free, and there are state liquor stores with astronomical prices. I'll chip in $100 toward the first sign."

Wait, wait! For a fraction of the cost you can erect the sign right in Marin North -- ie, The Pearl.

Maybe that's North Beach North. Marin North, I recall, is Ashland.

Some of us started this wailing years back and miles south.

High taxes, low jobs, whizzing traffic and consequence-free meth-led (meth-head) property crime are pretty much what drove me out. Well, those and the cultural and political "ambience" a la a gated community.

How bout a little more love and less attitude (Curtis Salgado). Arent there still pockets of cool humanity in the Rose City? You know, the neighborhoods! I recently found myself in Sellwood on the way to a family memorial service in SE. The feel of the hood was upbeat with plenty of funky revitalized small businesses and folks strolling around. It roused my passion for the Portland I had a ten year affair with 17 years ago. Wistful memories were revived.
Don't worry though, I'm not planning to relocate any time soon, too busy fighting the sprawl consuming Southern Oregon.

The sprawl consuming much of Southern Oregon is less self-infatuated than what is consuming Portland, Geno. Ashland excepted. I left Ashland in 1982, thinking & saying it needed to get out of itself more and make new friends. In fact, I was thinking after I wrote the post above that what wrecked Ashland, Seattle, and now Portland is, as you say, attitude. It's the attitude that starts beoming too impressed with its ownself.

Portland was a great (man I loved it to tears) town before those pretensions and self-importance started eating it alive in the last decade.

Yeah, I guess growth is inevitable but sprawl is not. Aethetics should not be undervalued! If we must grow don't lose the vibe. Peace