"Progress Forward NW" translates to Progressive, right?

Progressives are about progress in much the way that conservatives are about conservation.

6%?

Wouldn't disposing of Zari Santner save 6% of their budget?

If not, we should start there and work down from the top...with 'planner preference' until we hit the 6% figure.

Interesting.

I usually get stuff like this by Email because I fit one of the descriptors in the salutation.

Haven't seen this one yet.

Free eats.

Shame I'll be having a final that afternoon in a course I'm taking.

Dear Toby - thanks for the free food.
Do you have any shred of a clue as to how the unemployed, broke American people are viewing public employee unions these days?

Is this open to the public? Or just those who may benefit from more dollars?

A billion here (bike paths/South Waterfront), a billion there (Milwaukie Light Rail Bridge), and pretty soon, you're talking about real money.

Who will pay property taxes when all the homeowners move to Clark, Clackamas and Washington Counties? Renters, I guess.

I worked for these folks. Pretty inbred outfit and one that is convinced of its rightness in all things.

My first suggestion would be to fire all of the political officers: those creatures that provide training in how to work with diverse communities and on and on - they are really political bullies with no real knowledge or expertise but they are very, very powerful. Most importantly, their pronouncements and judgements are deeply biogted and destroy honest people more that they help any further even the remotest social justice.

In fact, fire anyone who gets taxpayer money who so much as salivates when he hears the term "social justice." These brutes acheive position, status, and income for antics that would make the Three Stooges blush, shame a Marx Brother, and make an organ grinder's monkey apologize.

This email just came in:

"Hello Neighborhoods and Community Leaders;

We've reassessed out earlier email. We've realized that with the additional Black Friday Holiday recently proposed for us, plus all the other recent-years acquired benefits, and acknowledging that the private sector has had various reductions in pay and benefits, that we should accept in various compensations (health, PERS, sick leaves, comp. time, child care, mass transit incentives, maternity leaves, death leaves, family leave of absence, etc.) a total reduction of 4% to help match the 6% budget reduction. The remaining 2% of reduction will be matched with employee attrition and higher performances required of staff to meet our Parks performance expectations.

We realize what our citizens are experiencing. Our new coalition Progress Forward NW is seeking solutions that progressively builds a better tomorrow for PP&R and the community we serve. We want to provide sustainable services and sustain PP&R.

Thank you for your responses and time.

Toby Green
Progress Forward NW/Labor Local 483

A woman interviewed last on KGW got it right. "I can't pay my property taxes without borrowing, and I can't sell my house because no one is buying. What am I supposed to do?" Reminded me of Enron's boiler room energy traders laughing at the thought of Grandma Millie and her money troubles.

www.cbsnews.com/.../06/.../main620626.shtml

Pull out that list of city employees and look at the ratio of field(actual workers) to "support" staff and it would be easy to see where the savings can be made.

"Portland Parks and Recreation is facing the possibility of having another cut to it's budget this time that of 6%."

Gee, I'm sure that cut will impact the bike paths, green houses, streetcars and their dedicated bridges and the 25% bump in PERS contributions. Won't it?

So what cuts are they threatening us with now? Is this like the threatened public workers strike (by all means I wish them luck)?

If a postage stamp can give rise to an electioneering court case then I wonder if the "catering" should be the focus of an objection?

Have the parks folks ever had a catered event before for anything anywhere for the public?

I love how "higher performances required of staff" was the last of the money-saving ideas mentioned. Desperate times, indeed.