Cogen Scrooges the library (Jack Bog's Blog)

Here's a holiday bombshell from the chair of the Multnomah County commission: There isn't going to be a new library taxing district, after all. Despite the facts that voters authorized an election on the creation of the district last year, and that everyone expected the election to be held in 2012, now all of a sudden Chair Jeff Cogen says he and his colleagues won't allow it.

Is he kidding? Why not?

The answers that the Cogue is offering to the latter question are hardly credible. First, he claims that the creation of the district wouldn't pass, which is complete and total hogwash. Portland voters love the library and would pass it in a heartbeat.

Then he says it's because it would raise taxes too high. What? A Portland politician suddenly concerned about tax levels? Also not credible.

The only explanation that makes any sense is that the new district would mean less funding available for other taxing jurisdictions in the county, and for other public purposes -- like all the pet projects that the City of Portland likes to burn money on. There is a strong odor of Portland City Hall around this latest decision.

Shifting to a library district also would reduce the amount of property taxes that the city of Portland could collect, including taxes for its Children's Levy.

It's "for the children"! My eye. The libraries are losing the money competition to the streetcar people.

Probably the most important take-away from the latest news is that it illustrates how misleading the sales pitch for last year's ballot measure was. The primary justification for a yes vote was that the measure would "get the politicians out of the library budget." As we pointed out during that despicable campaign, the measure did not do that. And now it's been proven that we were right.

The county commissioners no doubt think that hiding this decision in the holidays is going to take off some of the heat, but they're wrong about that. They've made a major political mistake. Many library supporters are going to be enraged by the double-cross, and Cogue and the New Sisters of Hawthorne will pay a price for it eventually. It couldn't happen to a nicer bunch.

Comments (14)

Bring back Diane Linn!

Posted by Garage Wine | December 20, 2011 8:01 AM

Those were good times, weren't they?

Posted by Jack Bog | December 20, 2011 9:09 AM

Why is Cogen showing deference to the CoP when the city constantly takes money from MultCo through urban renewal, encroaches on the County's mission to provide social services, and (via Sam Adams) plays power politics with bridge and road repairs? Oh, right, Cogen and his wife are close to Saltzman; that would explain the explicit reference to the Children's Levy, one of Saltzman's cherished projects. If Cogen really was concerned about "the children," he would have instead noted that the compression would hurt PPS and the other school districts in the County at a time when they are already facing budget cuts; far more children are served by the schools than the Children's Levy.

Posted by Eric | December 20, 2011 9:12 AM

Do we all know who heads up the Children's Levy? It's not Mrs. Saltzman...

Posted by Raybo | December 20, 2011 9:28 AM

City bureaus have been given 4-6-8% budget cut targets, without the library levy. Had the levy been on the ballot, and likely passed as noted in Jack's comments, bureaus likely would have had to cut about another 2%. And, as it stands now, the budget office says there's only 11 million of "one-time-only" play money for City Council to dispense on their pet projects. Last year the figure was closer to $30 million.

Posted by umpire | December 20, 2011 9:35 AM

The problem with a library taxing district is that is impedes the usual game. The County can shift resources to less popular services or "investments" and let the more popular services like libraries and parks float a bond to offset the expense.

Posted by pete | December 20, 2011 10:57 AM

Is it possible to get a more incompetant group of buffoons to run our city/county government? I guess you get what you vote for...

Posted by George | December 20, 2011 11:09 AM

I'm a big supporter/user of the library, but all these schemes mean higher taxes. No jurisidiction is going to go through this hassle to lower taxes.

As such, I'd probably have to vote against it at the current time.

Posted by Snards | December 20, 2011 11:35 AM

Sorry Jack, I have my doubts it would pass.

Some of my doubt rests on my 90 year old neighbor who taught elementary English for over 40 years here in Portland. She has used the library religiously for decades and now we look forward in taking her to the library since she has many suggestions. She has a decent pension compared to most, but there is a limit. And she say she has reached it. I agree with her.

Posted by lw | December 20, 2011 4:40 PM

Sorry, taking our neighbor to the library is more than her recommendations, she's a sweetheart.

Posted by lw | December 20, 2011 4:49 PM

They took a poll in June. It showed that the district would pass handily. The library rarely loses an election -- even when it is being underhanded, as in November 2010.

Posted by Jack Bog | December 20, 2011 5:56 PM

Umpire -

You have me confused.

AIUI, the Library is solely a Multnomah County function.

Portland City Bureau budgets, and the "cut packages" of 2% - 4% - 6% have no direct relationship to library funding. Passing a library levy (or establishing a library district) has nothing to do with city budget decisions, City Council pet projects or $ 11 Million in city "play money".

Posted by Nonny Mouse | December 20, 2011 7:10 PM

Measure 5 created a thing called "Compression" which limits property tax. A writeup of it is here: http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/PTD/property.shtml#Tax_Limitation__Compression_

Basically there's a finite chunk of taxes that can be taken, and the more hands grabbing for the pie, the less pie everyone gets.

Posted by ten | December 20, 2011 8:34 PM

This is further proof that Cogen is Saltzman's lapdog, and is more interested in running pleasing the rulers of city hall than he is in serving Multnomah County residents.

Posted by Eastly | December 21, 2011 6:05 AM

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Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Cogen Scrooges the library

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