Who woke Governor Teddy up? This is great news, Oregon's unemployment is number two in the nation, and Portland's is right up there. So now Mr. sleepy head wakes up to hit the unemployed driving around trying to find employment with a fee, great work Teddy, go back to sleep, please, we don't need your help!

Hey, when you're a politician you only have 3 levers:
1) Create a tax
2) Spend money
3) Pass a law

None of which really help an economy directly. It just drives you nutz when all of the politicians start saying things like: "It's not like there's a plan immediately to go out and do it."

That's code for - We're going to do it eventually, so lets slip it in slowly so people won't notice.

The local pols are getting close to killing any chance for making a good living in Oregon.

The clueless keep coming up with reasons for taxpayers to move out of the city.

#1

Start with a message to one mayor, who is "w--' with excitement to tax cars.

RECALL HIM IN JULY!

I love the line about this being a "way to modernize transporation policy and not a way to raise money for projects". You can just see their noses growing when they say that.

It's actually both though...modernization through making automobiles nearly illegal and a way to put more money in the welfare state's bank accounts.

Bravo, Uncle Teddy! You've found a way for us to pass Michigan and California as economic basketcases!

Excuse me, we have $100 million for major league soccer, $600 million for a convention center hotel, hundreds of millions more for other unnecessary projects du jour to benefit Republican fat cats, and now mayor Adams and commissioner Leonard want to tax each of us $500 more a year to pay for the most basic responsibility of the city? OMFG!

How do mayor Adams and commissioner Leonard keep a straight face? Do they meet in City Hall every afternoon to prepare the next day's new crazy plan?

The only explanation that makes sense is that mayor Adams and commissioner Leonard want to be recalled. They don't want their jobs anymore, so they come up with the craziest ideas they can. They're having fun at work now, instead of worrying about their Bushesque legacy. This is what commissioner Sten did.

Fine, sign me up for the recall for both of them. I'll collect signatures in my neighborhood.

They honestly can't see that in creating their socialist wonderland they're going to make the city unlivable for people.

This kind of cr*p will push frequent drivers to the suburbs where they will take LONGER DRIVES back into town.

Total s***heads. Transit is nice. But when did policy people around here start believing that transit is the answer to literally everything?

Meanwhile, in Lake Oswego the powers that be and Metro want to shovel the streetcar
down our throats instead of considering lightrail coming across the river from
Milwaukie.....wish we had a recall for Metro....
Only 62 days left folks!!!!!

Aside from being a bad idea, it's hard to implement, adds another layer of bureaucracy, encourages fraud and tampering, and (sometimes) is avoidable. And the number one problem is that it's not in line with the green culture of Portland - come on, a HumVee is imposed the same rate per mile as a Prius? Where's the motive to conserve?

If they must do this, and I'm not offering that they should, it must be based on a per-gallon surcharge. It's the fairest way.

James: "...projects du jour to benefit republican fat cats..." Are there no democrat fat cats that benefit from the largess of your liberal leaders?

Well it will help, mailboxes etc, get a mailbox address in Oregon city, problem solved.

This stikes be as being akin to locking up the spray paint. Just go to the next town...
What idiocy!

Which representative slipped this amendment into the bill and who on city council authorized it. Then we will know who is responsible.

This better not be based on GPS tracking of all citizens at all times in their cars. The pilot program mentioned in the article says it will cost more to drive at peak hours. How will they know when we're driving and how far? By tracking everyone?

Driving down the road is an iconic American freedom. If they mess with this, they have no idea how outraged the People will be.

James, you apparently don't realize that many of this regions "fat cats" are active demos and not republicans. Take for example the Walsh family. The two brothers as well as their wives are extremely active in demo circles. Same goes for Edlen and Homer Williams. It's not a demo or republican issue-the influences exerted goes where ever the decisions are made on either side of the table.

I really hope this gets passed - too bad for the people who live in Portland, but you get what you deserve - maybe you should think more carefully before you vote next time. Or maybe not - it makes for good entertainment for the rest of us.

Late last year we decided that by November we would retire and move out of state. When I see S**T-Brained ideas like this comine here soon, I'm motivated to leave even sooner.

If they must do this, and I'm not offering that they should, it must be based on a per-gallon surcharge. It's the fairest way.

That is where all this started. All these new cars come out that get better mileage, and all the sudden the state's gas taxes are dwindling. So now they want to make sure those who are now driving more fuel-efficient cars are "paying their fair share".

A bit of topic, but Gov. Kulongoski was getting his photo taken this morning at the Kenton Station max stop. I guess will see his photo in the paper tomorrow for something. I think there is something about the CRC going on at the expo center and his entourage wanted to make an appearance by train by riding from Kenton Station to the Expo Center. Of course that could just be me being cynical.

There already is a per-gallon surcharge. It's called a gas tax.

"Republican fat cats" . . . because the Portland City Council is full of Bush era neocons. Greed doesn't belong to one political party.

Nader was right.

"Republican fat cats"

I was thinking of Meritt Paulson when I wrote that. He must be one of the fattest Republican cats of all. But you all are right, there are Democrat fat cats too. The point is that they're fat, and they're cats.

I wouldn't assume Meritt votes Republican. Lots of rich kids with Ivy league education and board seats on non-profits vote Dem. In fact, that segment of society tends to be more blue than red. Ever look at the voting stats for New York, Boston, etc?

GUYS! GUYS! GUYS!

You're all missing the point. Red bucket, blue bucket of Sh*%, they're all the same.