I'm glad Randy has laid out these recommendations. However it wouldn't be the first time someone made such a suggestion:

http://portland.metblogs.com/2006/10/26/portland-police-bureau-start-blogging/

I would also like to point out that in a tech community like Portland's, it can't be hard to find help getting this off the ground.

Not to mention they can look to the Los Angeles Fire Department too, who have been at it since 2004. Come on Portland Police, get with it! What, like you could look WORSE trying to reach out to the community?

"Establish a committee made up of leaders from the minority community and the Police bureau charged with developing
agreed-upon initiatives designed to eliminate the perception and/or existence of racial profiling in our community"

I found this recommendation to resolve racial profiling concerns very interesting. A problem that truly needs to be addressed, but his suggestion seems to lack depth.

I would ask why only minority representatives and PPB would be the only folks involved. It seems those two sides are already somewhat divided, and from what has been reported they have had exhaustive meetings already.

Perspectives from a few non minority, non PPB, and non PPB hater types might provide some refreshing answers and ideas.

I think focusing on problems in the justice system, both criminal and civil is key to improving police performance. High level racketeering is a problem in Oregon and has been for a long time. And some the "best and brightest" lawyers involved in this activity are also involved in community service, which makes oppostion to the problem mostly straw oppostion. Fundamental systemic problems are not being addressed and sometimes some cops are taking marching orders from a criminal elite. An under educated police force that is not encouraged to think critically doesn't help matters. I am hopeful that this is changing.

"When an armed force refuses the oversight and supervision of the citizenry, it is best disbanded in its entirety before it then determine its own laws."

-Thomas Jefferson

A blog like the Water Bureau's? Have you read that thing, most of the entries are competitions to write the best poetry describing Bull Run water. Funnym, they never blog about the 10% water/sewer rate increases.

That Randy sure is a genius.

Hey Steve,

Glad you've checked into the Water Blog, but you may have not read closely enough to see the post about the water rate increase--here it is:
http://www.portlandonline.com/water/index.cfm?c=48459&a=204576

As for why we don't post about sewer increases, that's an entirely different city department.

Keep checking our blog for news and information -- we're also on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and YouTube. Our goal is to engage as many Portlanders as we can to better understand how our water system operates. Surprisingly, limericks and haiku contests do the job very nicely!

Cheers,

Sarah

Steve:
As the Portland Water Bureau blogmaster, I invite you, sir, to review our blog once again. I think that you have missed most of the content, which is only occassionally about poetry. Though, you're right, we do run poetry contests from time to time. (most people love them, you'll find!)

Additionally, we do not blog about sewer --ever. You'll have speak with the Bureau of Enivornmental Services about that as they handle sewer.

We do, however, blog very honestly and transparently about all issues surrounding our bureau, including rate increases.

Again, I encourage you to give the Water Blog a second chance. We get comments from all over the world and have even been mentioned in the New York Times! People like us... they really, really like us :)

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Jennie

I got this from your overview blog page. Usually blogs have more comments than posts. However, I stand corrected you have more meaningful posts than poetry.

Hmmm... those links don't seem to be to poetry????

Here's a link it looks like you're looking for - 2008-2009 Water & Sewer Rates:
http://www.portlandonline.com/water/index.cfm?c=48459&a=204576

We are absolutely proud of the attention our blog gets and do, indeed have a category devoted to stories about our blog and other blog related fodder.

I wonder, however, did you miss the other 20 or so categories about some hard hitting issues like rates, water quality, etc?

However, Steve, if you still aren't interested your second time around, that's okay. We surely can't convince everyone to like us. But we do have about 60,000 ish people who are hitting the site up every month -- so some people like us... they really, really like us.

Have a nice evening!

Again, I encourage you to give the Water Blog a second chance. We get comments from all over the world and have even been mentioned in the New York Times! People like us... they really, really like us

as part of the multi-year effort to prevent covering of the Tabor reservoirs, I can vouch that the Water Bureau site (and several of its employees) are not beloved. There was a long, protracted campaign of trying to shut people up, disinform, scare, and just plain being arrogant at the Water Bureau.

in doubt? ask any of the dozens involved in the effort.

I can't believe you guys are picking on our limerick contest and the haiku contest! Come on! What do we have to do to get people interested in a water utility! I sense some jealousy at our creative genius. LOL as we texters say.

Steve, priceless! Now it looks like even city department blogs have PR Directors paid $72,000 besides Blog Snoopers to try to put out fires.

Sarah- Portland Water does not need a blog. What a waste of time and rate payers money. Just keep moving the water through the pipes, that is all we care about!

"I sense some jealousy at our creative genius."

If the Water Bureau wanted to do this at no cost to taxpayers - god bless all of you. Put putting people on ratepayer-paid staff to encourage others to write poetry and tell them the blog person is getting married goes beyond the pale.

If you had one post in 3+ years on what you are doing to save taxpayers money, then I might rethink it.

"we do have about 60,000 ish people who are hitting the site up every month"

Can you tell us how much salaries you pay to run the blog and then divide it by the number of actual comments? Once you figure what you are paying per comment, it might be a better indicator.

I mean telling us we have cleann water is a truism - We expect that for paying the rates we do.