Portland should just install a sliding Total FUBAR Fee and leave it at that.

Our City Council and executive bureau heads are like a bunch of monkeys f'ing a football.

It has become rather well known in some circles that Sammyboy nixed the proposal brought to the table by the garbage haulers that would have picked up the recyclables every other week rather than the garbage. This proposal was made in part because the blue bins are rarely full when picked up every week. The self-ordained Sammyboy laid down his own totalitarian decree that it would be the garbage that would be picked up bi-weekly and nothing else. Likewise, replacing garbage trucks before their time and are worn out is another one of Sammyboy’s wasteful ultimatums that just cost ratepayers more money and do little else in the long term. No way does this liar represent the people of Portland. His legacy will be the increases in the cost of living for Portlanders thereby driving families to live outside the city. What’s more, it is no wonder why biodegradable disposable diapers are ending up in the recycle bin. They should be sent to Sammyboy’s office on the third floor at City Hall instead. Still wearing his own dirty diapers, Sammyboy is the real piece of work that should be that thrown out with the trash.

"government is a large part of the problem"

Isn't that the theme of the Tea Party?

Likewise, replacing garbage trucks before their time and are worn out is another one of Sammyboy’s wasteful ultimatums that just cost ratepayers more money and do little else in the long term.

Much as I'd like to blame the Mayor the garbage truck replacements were required by Metro, not the City. That said, to the best of my knowledge the CoP is the only place where garbage rates are going up.

It's to pay to drive the food slop all the way to Seattle.

"government is a large part of the problem"

Isn't that the theme of the Tea Party?

Nice bait. Not biting.

Ya don't have to be a tea party member to notice that government is a large part of the problem.

"Isn't that the theme of the Tea Party?"

So what? Why not just address the issue of an exploitative local govt instead of calling names?

You forgot another water rate increase which'll be approved this week.

Novick needs to continue Randy's legacy.

"Sammyboy" isn't a dictator. His whacked ideas are being backed by many in local government, which I think is a huge red flag.

Time to bail on this little corner of Guyana...

the garbage truck replacements were required by Metro

Funny how Metro has an issue with aging garbage trucks...but it refuses to provide money specifically earmarked for public transit vehicles to update TriMet's bus fleet - nearly 100 vehicles are over 20 years old, another 150 vehicles over 15 years old, and another 100 vehicles are approaching the end of their 12 year lifespan. These aging buses cost taxpayers much more money to operate, maintain and fuel than newer vehicles, and because of their unreliability actually discourage ridership, further increasing operating costs.

And Metro has direct control of that since it controls the pursestrings for mass transit...but its anti-bus sentiment results in Portland having one of the most dilapidated bus fleets in North America. But hey, we're spending a billion bucks on the unstoppable train to Milwaukie! And we can easily blow $15 million a year between the $9.5 million subsidy to the City of Portland Streetcar and another $5.5 million to subsidize the horribly inefficient WES "commuter rail" - the train that takes three diesel engines to do the work of two buses, and gets 1/5th the fuel economy of a bus while only having twice the capacity!

When I first moved to Portland in 1980 garbage hauling was mostly unregulated and you could hire any company you wanted to provide any level of service you were willing to pay for. I think there were more than 80 companies to choose from, and most were mom-and-pop operations where you could have actual adult conversations about service levels and price.

Then the city moved in, established a "franchise" system because it would be "more efficient and effective" -- you know, to correct all those "market failures" that supposedly exist. Once all the small guys were put out of business, garbage ratepayers became ATMs for whatever goofy projects the city wanted to implement.

There's a lesson here, but Portland voters can't seem to grasp it: government monopolies don't work.

I remember that changeover. At the time, the city said the city-wide contract with Waste Management was necessary in order to close the old landfill on N. Columbia (and instead send it to out-of-sight, out-of-mind Arlington, Oregon).

Could be wrong, but I seem to recall several years ago new trucks were needed to pick up the new garbage/recycling/yard debris bins. And now they need more efficient ones? Gosh, my car has 120,000 miles on it, and we make-do. Not so the City of Portland/Metro/Multnomah County. Am increasingly HATING living in Portland. Oh, and they're increasing water and sewer again??!!!!

Jack, would you ever consider moving out of Portland? There are other relatively sane communities where you might enjoy living in while you fight the good fight.

I'm not saying that you should give up (like I did), and I certainly don't think that you would take it lightly. I'm just curious what it would take for you to consider it.