Yes but, neighborhood associations can also be used to train citizens in how to establish barricaded road-blocks and check points to help control gang activity, that is assuming the folks in Tualatin wish to continuing embracing diversity.

You only have to recall that Neil and Vera played key roles in the founding and development of Portland's neighborhood associations in order to view this proposal with some skepticism. That said, it's really up to the residents of the neighborhood associations and the volunteers that run them to make them useful or not. If Portland's experience with them is any guide, some will be well-run and have some influence, others will be inneffectual talking shops for nerds and wonks, others will be "useful idiots" for developers and politicians, and still others will never get off the ground because no one steps up to volunteer.

My experience has been that most Portland area residents like to follow leaders more than they like to think critically.

I remember speaking out at various meetings and have people cluster around me afterwards. I didn't like it; is that because I am too weak to lead or because I have seen too many of the fruits of uncritical following?

As a former homeowner in Tualatin, this sounds like just another way to ignore ordinary citizens at public meetings by telling them they need to air their issues with their local neighborhood association. As you might recall, the Tualatin City Council got their ears boxed on a recent urban renewal plan. Lots of local citizens and the Fire District told them where to put their "renewal plans". This looks like an end run around further issues like that..

I don't get all of the negativity towards neighborhood associations. They're often a great way for local citizens with minimal voice at the municipal level to coalesce to get their opinions heard.

There's too many positive examples of neighborhood associations and often are effective at speaking out against city measures that affect the neighborhood. Are they perfect? No, but the people who live in a neighborhood usually know it best.

ws,
Yes, the people who live in a neighborhood usually know it best, but that doesn't matter to the decision makers.

My perception is that the city keeps them too busy on city work and agendas to be independent and effective.

I believe something is wrong with the neighborhood associations when they become too weak to matter or refuse to speak out for "whatever reason" - I don't know, I can only speculate, as to why.

Some examples:
The city debt and tax increases as a result, all 90 associations should be concerned.
West Hayden Island, all 90 associations should be concerned.
Bull Run Water, proposed water rate increases to 85%/5 years, all 90 associations should be concerned.
Tax abatements, LIDS, and declaring areas blight when they are not.....all 90 associations should be concerned.

There are a few who do speak out, I do not understand why so many are simply silent.

Not only the Neighborhood Associations, but other organizations, environmental ones as well, ...our city is going down, in livability and financially, and yet
mum seems to be the deal!!

". . . a way for politicians and bureaucrats to manipulate neighborhood egos and steer the outcomes of some debates."
Boy, you've got that right! My 30 years experience watching our neighborhood association has been that it's a lackey for Lake Oswego planners.

By virtue of living in a neighborhood back east where our neighborhood association president is also the Democratic Precinct captain and who has censored my posts to the neighborhood listserv that reference her political position and other higher level political appointments (in the name of being non-partisan believe it or not), I believe your skepticism is well taken. In a one-party town the neighborhood associations become extensions of the political machine.

In this town, there is not just an association, but a coalition which, through it's newspaper, exhibited and continues to exhibit, the most heavy handed censorship this side of the old USSR. One person runs the show, the majority run away from her.

This city is supposedly non-partisan. That does not preclude machinations by the political machine at the neighborhood level. Indeed, it runs rampant, in that coalition, anyway. Any that do attempt to stand up to the abuse are blindsided by the majority.

I don't get all of the negativity towards neighborhood associations. They're often a great way for local citizens with minimal voice at the municipal level to coalesce to get their opinions heard.

A couple years ago a number of Southwest Portland neighborhood associations made it clear to City Hall that they did not believe Streetcars were appropriate for S.W., and that they preferred better bus service as well as more pedestrian improvements.

The City responded by eliminating Southwest from all transit planning, because the "transit" plan became a "Streetcar Plan". And if you look at it today, while most of Portland is covered in imaginary Streetcar lines, all of Southwest is removed as if it is no longer a part of Portland. No bus lines, no nothing.

Meanwhile, TriMet claims that it is the responsibility of the City to champion new transit services; TriMet's job is not to do that; and Metro is so anti-bus...that the effect is that City Hall listened, and shut down a good corner of the city who asked for better transit - just not the mode of transit that City Hall wanted.