PDC mission changes, slightly (Jack Bog's Blog)

Tomorrow the Portland Development Commission plans to tweak its mission statement, from:

To bring together resources to achieve Portland’s vision of a diverse sustainable community with healthy neighborhoods, a vibrant urban core, a strong regional economy and quality jobs for all citizens

to:

To bring together resources to achieve Portland's vision of a diverse sustainable community with healthy neighborhoods, a vibrant central city, a strong regional economy and quality jobs and housing for all.

So what's new? You don't have to be a "citizen" for the PDC to be looking out for you any more, I guess, and now they're trying to get into housing in a more serious way.

That, and the "urban core" is now the "central city."

On a more substantive note, it looks as though they're going to get on with pushing Saturday Market out from under the Burnside Bridge and over into Waterfront Park. The "development framework" (no doubt the subject of many a "charrette") is here. The map that tells the story is Attachment A (page 8).

Comments (11)

Interesting change from jobs for citizens to jobs and housing for all.

I guess PDC has decided that taxpayers have an obligation to provide jobs for and to house illegals.

Posted by Nonny Mouse | October 10, 2006 2:07 PM

FYI:
There are plenty of people, who live in Portland, who are here legally, and are not citizens.

Posted by Karin | October 10, 2006 2:25 PM

"Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing for a condo in the Pearl..."

Posted by Jon | October 10, 2006 3:22 PM

...and we need to hire and house them at taxpayer expense because???

Oh, yeah.

They'll take jobs that citizens won't - at wages that have been driven artificially down to rock bottom by whom, again?

Posted by rickyragg | October 10, 2006 3:30 PM

C'mon Ricky. You know no American wants to do construction, painting, drywall, fight forest fires, etc.

Posted by Jon | October 10, 2006 7:14 PM

From inside sources it is understood that over 575 billable hours are attributed to this change, plus 425 hrs of volunteer time in the form of committee meetings, and over $785.00 dollars in printing costs for all the meetings and notices. Thank god PDC is now squared away with a proper mission statement.

The legal fees for review of the change has not yet been submitted.

Posted by Lee | October 10, 2006 9:42 PM

And to the Banana Republic, with Socialism and Trolleys for all.

Posted by Mister Tee | October 10, 2006 9:45 PM

Don't forget this nugget.

When it became apparent SoWa is broke,

PDC head Bruce Warner said in an O commentary,

"The city's plan (for SoWa) is moving precisely the way urban renewal is supposed to."
"A new neighborhood is emerging, just as planned."
"That's the plan. It's on track".

http://www.oregonlive.com/commentary/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1141332912248470.xml&coll=7

Of course none of that is anywhere near the truth. In fact there's a word for opposite the truth,,,,?????,,,,

It aint "missioning".

Posted by Steve Schopp | October 10, 2006 10:14 PM

ALERT

SoWa debt service $240 million over budget

Tram that, Bruce.

Posted by Steve Schopp | October 11, 2006 8:47 AM

Surprise! According to PDC's latest E-mail for the NM URAC, WOWhat debt service by itself is $240M over the 1999 NM 5 Year Budget Debt Service cost estimate of $160M=$400M.

Add that to the $170M in just Transportation Projects for NM that are not funded according to Sam Tram, plus all the other cost overruns like the Pedestrian Bridge over I-5 estimated at $1.6M now $8M plus, and you get bankruptcy.

But wait, theres more! The $400M projected debt service only includes that portion out to 2020. The debt costs will extend beyond that period for who knows how long.

Wait! There are additional cost overruns not even included above. So the $298M NM base cost is even higher, plus the city has "loaned" North Macadam URA an additional $38M in the NM Amendment 8 recently passed by City Council which also has even a higher debt service cost because of a higher interest rate to be added to the $400M debt service cost above.

So, those who have been estimating that the total taxpayer cost (just city taxpayer costs) of $1.5 BILLION are not far off. Right, Bill McDonald?

Posted by Lee | October 11, 2006 1:43 PM

I've a long-time friend who served in the army, had a long time career in city government...and he's still Canadian.

You don't have to be a citizen to be a contributing member of our society; and our society doesn't just exist to serve our citizens.

I think that's the meaning of the change.

Posted by Frank Dufay | October 11, 2006 10:15 PM

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Tuesday, October 10, 2006

PDC mission changes, slightly

Comments (11)

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