It never occurs to them that they should be managing and caring for the boring stuff.

Basic services such as sewers maybe?

Instead they wander around dreaming up ways to spend millions on fun stuff.

67 sewer spills from an aging system in desperate need of upgrading.

Empty jail and criminals not serving time,

Hundreds of miles of deferred road maintenance,

Neighborhoods needing sidewalks and streets,

Neighborhoods awaiting adequate bus service,

Water system needing upgrading and expansion,

and what are they working on?

A tram, Convention center hotel, and transit mall, light rail and Urban Renewal to subsidize private development.

Unless I am mistaken PDC wants to introduce a European-style market in the area currently occupied by the Portland Saturday Market. Well, I just got back from Great Britain and I can truthfully say that I did not see any marketplace resembling the concept that seems to have captivated the PDC. I think that the PDC has a romanticized view of the weekly marketplaces that crop with some regularity in the summer to sell local produce, but these markets are yielding in many places to doll-sized versions of the American Supermarket. Portland is well served by yuppie supermarkets as well as having several thriving Farmers Markets within the Metropolitan area. Does the PDC have to displace a viable Saturday Market to install a Public Market -an idea that has been tried and failed in the past (Yamhill Market) or is it just looking for a cause to justify its' existance as a real estate speculator's best friend?

Just look for the long-lat for "Potemkin Village" and you'll find the coordinates for Portland.

Steve,

All the things you list are not in the PDC's mandate. You may not like the PDC, but surely you don't want them fixing sewers.

Instead of a walking tour and discussion aimed at how the city can further cater to the needs of the ever growing wealthy downtown population, why don't they address more urgent and REALISTIC needs that will benefit ALL CITIZENS.

*Address the HOMELESS ISSUE in oldtown
*Affordable housing in downtown
*Lack of public restrooms in the downtown area
*Crime in old town

Building more condos and chi-chi Markets will not alleviate these problems. It justs sends them to another part of town to become somebody elses problem.

The actions of the PDC kind of remind me of all those fools with the leafblowers who spend all afternoon blowing leaves off of their property then neglecting to pick up the pile, only to find it back on their property or all over their neighbors lawn the next day.

Paul posted,
""""All the things you list are not in the PDC's mandate. You may not like the PDC, but surely you don't want them fixing sewers."""

The PDC is the city. Yes, the City should have been upgrading sewers many years ago. City officials chose not to.
They continue to make those same kind of choices while nearly all of the core functions of local government are neglected.

PDC's "mandate"?

Give me a break. Their "mandate" is anything they dream up and deceive the public to advance.

Comical investments which don't pan out but are self sustaining is goal one.

Today's story of the PDC hiring a three day hit man for the CC hotel at 2500.00 a day says it all.

They have unlimited money to advance their BS and
con jobs.

With over 12,000 acres of the city now in the Urban Renewal property tax skimming game the PDC
sucks the life out of basic services general funds while pretending to be serving a legitimate government and public function.

200 PDC employees added to the 100 City planners and what do we get?

Boondoggles galore and sewage in the streams.

The PDC should be called th Portland Developers Commission.

Keep your eyes open for the PDC coming back to the City Council on behalf of Trammel Crow seeking the Tax abatement for the Alexan.

The PDC will be front and center making the pitch for millions in property tax exemptions in exchange for not a single public gain or benefit.

Nothing. Now there's your PDC mandate.