"where businesses are supposedly going to pay super-premium rates to relocate to a building with compost toilets"

LOL. If only everyone saw these issues with your clarity, Jack.

I'm sick of this. I'd rather spend this money on our schools. In the middle of a horrible recession, can't we get at least one "bread and butter" candidate?

Note to candidates: whoever says the following throughout campaign season has my vote.
"Schools, streets, code enforcement, law and order, and staying out of business' way." Say it, repeat it, mean it.

But we don't have 4-9 million to keep two schools opened a year eh? What a sad, sad little town, run by sad, sad little men.

Speaking of rail lines, what is all the construction work on the west side of I-5 North of Tewilliger exit (between I-5 and Barber Blvd)? Someone has been busy as a beaver mowing down dozens of trees.

For Travis:

http://www.swcommconnection.com/news/story.php?story_id=126630092329232700

Wasn't the line we heard from the Streetcar Establishment that the major benefit of the Streetcar is that once the tracks are laid, they don't move, and they bring eyeballs to your storefront?

Oh yeah, here's video of Charlie Hale and Michael Powell saying exactly that:

http://www.pbs.org/e2/episodes/311_portland_a_sense_of_place_excerpt.html

Guess that's another lie, stacked on top of all the others.

Whoa!!!
What are we going to do?
This is going on and on and on.

In my opinion, this Mayor must be seriously compromised or seriously sick, perhaps on antidepressants and he sees no problem as a result of his actions.

The nation is in a bind financially, look at California out of money. We need to be prudent with any spending and instead we have escalating unnecessary projects. We need a moratorium on unnecessary projects and any money spent should be spent on what is needed. This cannot continue to take what is left from the citizens, I say pick pocket us till we can no longer sacrifice another dime to transfer to whoever!!

We the citizens cannot let this continue!
What is wrong with the rest of the Council?
What is wrong with our community?

Where is the whistle blower we need?
Where are the financial leaders of our community?
Where are the lawyers of our community?
Where are the Associations of our community?
Where are the business leaders and Associations of our community?
Where are the many groups and organizations of our community, whether it be schools, or any other group, the list is L O N G!

Are we all so beaten down, tired, just busy, in denial and/or compromised that we just let this abuse of our once beloved city go on???

Or are those who have the means simply making plans to get out of Dodge??

We will become an example to the nation of what never to do with a city, a city that once was "The City of Roses" changed to "The City that Works" and instead we are getting worked over.

While driving down Macadam this morning I decided to take a right on Bancroft and swoop through SoWa. Even after reading about and seeing the carnage in the “luxury condo market”, I still find it shocking to drive through this district. It goes without saying that untold millions have been lost; empty storefronts everywhere, big red “auction” banners pasted all over the John Ross, and hundreds of visibly vacant apartments in the Ardea, and Riva…and the finishing touches being applied to the Matisse – Simpson Housing’s massive new 274 unit project which (when push comes to shove) won’t be able to compete with its glass tower neighbors for the renters that do show up down there.
We have a canary in the coal mine with 2121 Belmont – a once condo project that went into foreclosure even with near full occupancy at market rent…SoWa will never, ever pencil. So, why are we spending more to make this district more accessible? Perhaps it is for the students at PSU’s Center for Real Estate who can jump on the Street Car and experience a case study on what NOT to do in planning, development, and finance.
Will somebody please tell me how Sam Adams can, with a straight face, say that SoWa “provides the city's best opportunities for job growth”? These are the vertical slums of the future….

Once the new FHA requirements (which are often adopted by FNMA too) come into effect next year which preclude lending on condos that are near tracks will they pull the rest of them up? They are about spurring development are they not?

where both the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and the Portland Opera plan to expand.

Right. Because the swells going to the opera will be taking the streetcar through that neighborhood after dark.

Portland: the city of jerks!

"Portland, The City That Jerks"

Anyone who votes for a tax increase based on the assumption govt doesn't have enough money is a fool.

Thanks PDXlifer.

The Opera is coming to the east side?

Oh...We NEED more dramaz!

I have to admit that I'm a hopeless supporter of OMSI, but to build a light rail system solely for the benefit of it and the Opera? Someone in City Hall is either getting a really good cut of the money spent on the construction, or someone's freebasing Preparation H.

"Did he just say OMSI and the freakin' Opera? That's the economic engine justifying the multi-millions in the middle of a long and painful recession?"

Fascinating - OMSI is living on the knife's edge now, just like MLS. In another 20 years when every living opera fan has shuffled off this mortal coil they will probably move that stop closer to the Acropolis.

This comes not all that long after OMSI's attempted raid on Energy Trust funds that were collected on utility bills to pay for weatherization and more efficient appliances. I know better than to ask "Have they no shame?"

Connect Oregon grant that could replace that portion of the project’s $4 million* cost.

In other words, "sustainable" Portland has to hit up not just TriMet and Metro, but the entire state, to pay for these boondoggles.

The "permanent" Streetcar gets more money just to realign track...heck, the Streetcar gets more money each year than TriMet's entire 600+ bus system gets in capital expense each year, and the streetcar money gains ZERO improvement, ZERO addition to transit, ZERO ridership increase...

Meanwhile, bus riders are riding 20 year old buses because TriMet can't seem to find the money for it (never mind the feds will pay 80% of the cost of a new bus!)

I have to say that our move to Nevada in November is looking better all the time. A couple weeks ago I called the Mayor's office here in Reno to talk about a cut in staffing of our local firehouse. Was delighted to get my call transfered to the Mayor, Bob Cashell. Had a nice four minute chat about the subject. Try getting through some time to the lying POS in the Mayor's Office in Portland.

There's a chance that I may be moving to Cincinnati, OH for a job promotion, and it troubles me that there are people attempting to build a streetcar there, and using Portland as the justification to do so.

Oh well, maybe people in the midwest aren't as loony tunes about such things, and it might go to a vote where it can be promptly shot down from having the laser sight of fiscal responsibility pointed at it.

Bad ideas are like disease, and this one seems to be spreading eastward, making a stop in Minneapolis on its way to Cincinnati.