While Leonard's antics are laughable and provide great theater, we all end up paying handsomely for non- enterprise make- work projects. Leonard, Shaff and Shaff's corporate buddy who just got a nice $11 million blue print contract for the UV plant we do not need... have the run of the city. Shaff's explanation the blueprints were stale is laughable.

Jack please post Shaff's picture next to his look alike scam buddy ....Dave Wilson... for a "Do not give money to this man" warning.

That they felt the need to sneak this past the watchdogs tells you all you need to know about the merit of the idea and the character of its proponents. Thanks to Jack and Floy for your diligent work in ferreting out these abuses.

Wait until they figure out a way to charge us for the air we breathe. I'm sure some think tank is considering how to do that even now.

With other sources of revenue constrained by ballot measures and the like, water and sewer fees are what they have sole discretion to monkey with.

How long until enough ratepayers scream is the question?

I don't get why they have to buy any property. Kuddos for the Oregonian. Vacant land is hard to give away right now.

If my memory serves me right Portland Parks was looking at buying this land about two to three years for a dog park.

Kind of s weird place for a dog park imo, but maybe it was a land grab by Zsa Zsa Zari at that time.

pdxlifer--seeing as how we have to pay for the privilege of running our cars through DEQ every two years, I'd say they've already figured out how to make us pay for the air we breathe.

Is it legal? Does it matter?

If PGE wants to raise rates 5%, they have to run the guantlet.

If PWB wants to raise rates 18%, then 13%, they don't need to do one thing besides Randy saying its a done deal.

One more brick in the wall.

Wasn't one of Creepy's election lies about having transparency of government?
And, why is this the only (quasi) media outlet to ask any questions or try to lift the veil? TV and print seem to just buy the surface explanations and not look any further. Wow.

The twins know their time is limited in office and no way in hell to get re-elected because public scrutiny is growing. So now it's grab all you can until the clock runs out. Build those offshore accounts and party it up.
It's like the smash-and-grab burglar who breaks into the store and even though he tripped the alarm and he can hear the sirens getting closer, he still stuffs his bag with loot up until the last second...

lie2me - We posted the information in our piece Monday - 'Adams also highlighted his recent efforts for the city to buy a lot in NW Portland as a "staging area" for emergency equipment. The lot is currently owned by The Oregonian ...

BACKGROUND: City 'land grab'

http://www.kgw.com/news/local/Audit-finds-Portland-disaster-plans-fall-short-94765484.html

Kind of makes you wonder what was Timothy McVeigh thinking.

Wait until they figure out a way to charge us for the air we breathe.
I'd say they've already figured out how to make us pay for the air we breathe.

Of course they have. They want to tax CO2, which we all exhale. Can't have one without the other.

So if you refuse to pay the CO2 tax, do they kill you?

From the survival manual:

You can live
3 minutes w/o air
3 days w/o water
3 weeks w/o food.

Why does the city need to buy this land when less than a mile away on Naito Parkway is a giant vacant piece of land that the Port of Portland owns. Why can't this be used instead?

Keep in mind that there is also the lost property tax revenue if the city buys this land and takes it off the property tax rolls.

Why didn't the Oregonian offer to sell the land for $1?

Or 50 cents for home delivery!

The water and sewer bureaus need to be franchised away from cityhall, and into a independent government body with separately elected officials. The same should be done with the Police department so citizens have more direct control of the police.

Bob Clark you have a good point. But then those independant government bodies start to get filled with 'plants' from our current network of corruption and then we're back where we are now.

Holy crookery mother of corrupt government, pray for the SamRand twins now and at the hour of their thefts..... (what I really wanted to say here is far, far worse)

And hopefully the real deities will provide the citizens of the berg with salvation much sooner than later....

David Krough @ KGW, look at your post on KGW. It is just a reiteration of what Sam gave you, "Adams also highlighted his recent efforts for the city to buy a lot in NW Portland as a 'staging area'..."

Where is the analysis, the question of why, how much, any other alternatives, is it the best use of dollars when we have deficits...??? There is little either in KGW tv time or in your blog. That is what is needed and what other posts are asking for.

Why does city hall get a pass and only the "news" as reported by Sam's five PR staff and all the other bureau PR staffs? News is more than a one-sided affair. Think. Our city needs both sides and more.

Lee, most of the press appear to be lazy, little lap dogs who either don't know how to go after a real story, don't care to go after a real story, or are too scared of their masters' the big media to go after a real story. And yes, I am in a really cynical mood after spending time on this site tonight.

David Krough, Lee is right that "story" is a piece of crap. What a pitiful excuse for journalism. Your station/blog is a smoldering pile of dung. You and your station are about as useless as a styrofoam cup shen it comes to getting the real story.

Cash cow? More like a big fat barbecued hog. Their gonna keep carving off huge juicy slices for themselves until there's nothin left but a carcass. Seems like they're gettin ready to serve up a big pile of ribs for CH2M Hill. Get it while it's hot, boys!

A SamRand Solution:

Saltzman, Fish & Fritz meet to form a cabal of common sense. They choose one of themselves to run for Mayor in 2012. The chosen one becomes their spokeshuman. Each week they meet and determine the ordinances to propose; they agree on how they will vote, as a block, on every important issue to come before council during the week.

From now till the end of 2012 every vote before council goes the way that they have decided.

SamRand,
run around,
round and round and,
out of town.

Sorry, JFree, but according to the city charter, no more than two of the five can meet at one time outside of a full council because more than two would be a quorum.

I'm sure they did their homework and it's probably legal, despite how unethical and reprehensible it might be. A few years ago Randy Leonard was quoted in one of the local rags saying 'Portlanders will pay anything when they know it's the right thing to do', and thank goodness they know what's good for us!

After all, Portlanders refused to even consider a recall election. Think of the emboldening approval message that must've sent.

We're headed for DisneyWorld painted green with steep admission tickets.

We can put an end to this water/sewer rate increase madness in a hurry. How? BY ORGANIZING A CITYWIDE BOYCOTT OF TOILET USE. Simply deposit your steaming pile of 'protest' in the nearest bike box. Perfectly appropriate for our Third-World-quality city leadership.

Get on it, Jack.