Aw, nuts. There went my comment about the disturbing difference in meaning of the term "fluffer", depending upon whether you were in the flea market business or the porn business. In this case, though, the term could be used to describe this article and both meanings could apply.

....and I believe in the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, Peter Pan, Super Man, AND...Urban Renewal too!
90 foot buildings will look as though they are only 3 or 4 stories instead of 7 stories.
Drink Me! Down the rabbit hole we have gone.

This 'we'll-do-as-we-please' capital spending baloney will end when someone can simply educate voters how risk translates to picking the pockets of citizens. Such as the Safeco fiasco. Pity the local paper is about as reliable a news source as the Nickle Ads, and worse. In Lake Oswego, the Pamplin paper is the biggest cheerleader for all government projects. This place is rife with the smell of petty - but probably larger - graft and corruption. We need Nigel Jaquiss to do some digging around here.

Since the Tribune is such a crack investigative paper, why don't they analyses the eleven Portland urban renewal areas and see if their claim that a proposed Foothills URA would pay off.

Very few of the Portlands URAs have paid off, and most of the taxable gains they allude to are circumstantial because when you upzone property as all URAs have done, then naturally property value thus property taxation outcome goes up.

Then on top of that, you have all the tax subsidies piled on the give-a-ways that help the financial outcome. And don't forget that every year the valuation goes up almost automatically 3% as allowed by state law.

So, it depends on the measuring device But even with favorable measuring, very few Portland URA have increased tax output beyond what would normally have occurred. Prove us wrong, Tribune, or PDC, or Lake Oswego.

I had high hopes for the Tribune. But it has essentially become an organ of government without introspection.

The writers at the Tribune are practicing their trade by following the examples set by rest of the media in Portland.

Wanted: City Reporter

Reports to: Mayor, City Council, Review Editor

This paper, a falling circulation newspaper in Lake Oswego, OR. is seeking a city desk reporter to cover municipal affairs. This is an opportunity to join an ideologically-driven, non-objective staff doing work to advance the mayor and editor's version of undocumented popular support for excessive community spending (see: Safeco building acquisition). Newspaper experience not required. But press release experience a plus. Lake Oswego is a transitional community with shifting demographics as the cost of city government grows at multiples to general incomes and household wealth. Benefits include private schooling out of district. Obamacare health plan. And a pension plan possibly funded by Foothills developers. Lake access provided through new city park.

Credit will be given to any applicants with direct experience working for local, county, or state government. Experience (non-elected office) in advancing taxpayer-funded programs of $100 million or more will also receive additional consideration.

Professional Journalist applications will not be considered.

Somebody forgot to shut off the air when they were pumping up those numbers.

Lest we forget, the Pearl District is a rather massively successful redevelopment project. I know it must pain you to acknowledge it, but it's true.

As for "SoWhat," it came about in quite less favorable economic times, so it's failure to date isn't surprising. Let's see what happens once the current economic hard times end (admittedly, it might be QUITE a while before that happens).

I have no doubt that the Lake Oswego redevelopment would do well if the national economic climate improves some day. And even without the stupid streetcar, although it wouldn't quite look the same.

I also notice you don't bother to actually critique the article with any counterarguments.

You guys have a million excuses, but SoWhat is an Epic Fail and would have been even in better times. Lents urban renewal -- another Epic Fail. Airport Way -- Epic Fail. Convention Center -- ditto. It's been that way since South Auditorium urban renewal -- Epic Fail. All you have to show is the Pearl, which sucked the life out of downtown and now is sagging itself.

When the better times you're dreaming about come back, L.O. should consider hopping into bed with a convicted bank fraud artist and his partner in hucksterism. Until then, the folks down there who are voting to play along this are incompetent at best.