Definition of a "food desert"....the Piggly Wiggly next to Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee...3 day old '"fried chicken" in a heated counter, and not a green vegetable in sight.

I've gradually come to the view that most of these programs are simply pork dressed up with fancy words.

The politicians get to give away money to buy votes and they feel good at the same time because they have "saved" us from ourselves. Taxpayers foot the bill.

It isn't exactly corrupt, but it isn't good policy either. It is exactly the reason why governments around the world are broke.

The writer of the article sums it up perfectly...
"thinly veiled behavior-modification schemes or sweetheart subsidies for connected businesses."

Both have Portland written all over it...
Get the taxpayer to push the gravy train for the well connected and convince them it's good for them. P.T Barnum would've loved this place.

Speaking of gravy trains, isn't there already a city plan to "assist" New Seasons Market build a store in that food desert known as downtown just a few blocks from the new Safeway, or did that die with the recent mayoral primary election?

The single largest swath of "food desert" in portland is the residential Southwest neighborhoods of Arnold Creek; West Portland Park, and Far Southwest.

In that expanse there is one 7-11 and one former Plaid Pantry now operating under an independent name.

In two of those three neighborhoods, (Arnold Creek and Far Southwest) no food store can be accessed without using a car. IN West Portland Park, folks near SW 49th / Capitol can access Barbur World Foods' astronomically priced food with the # 44 TriMet route.

The boobs at BPS blather on about full service neighborhoods, 20 minute neighborhoods and other halucinnations, and don't understand that these neighborhoods can't get to food without a car, and that there is zero possibility of bringing in any reasonably priced food stores. Folks instead drive to Tigard Winco; Tigard Freddies; Barbur Safeway; Burlingame Freddies and the Mt. Park Whole Wallet/ Natures whatever.

Nonny, white people live in that area so it doesn't matter. Food desert is a term used for areas where non-white people live. Evidently, the color of a person's skin has something to do with their ability to buy food correctly. I never really understood the theory but that seems to be what it is all about.

A bad idea gone bad. This is what happens when you have good-intentioned, but incompetent, people in positions of higher authority.

Andy -

I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you.

Do you mean that there is no "equity" regarding "food deserts" and their negative impacts upon health.

Wow.

Who knew.

On a semi serious note, those neighborhoods are a lot less "white bread" than you might think. There is a large Somali population there; Markham Eleementary, plunked right in the middle of that swath, is the only Title I school in Portland west of the Willamette. More than half the students at Markham are on free and reduced price lunches.

If "food deserts" are a serious problem, there is one out here.

More importantly, there is a transportation defecit or desert, which both TriMet and the CoP insist upon exacerbating with their assault on the bus system and their anti POV policies.

Andy -

I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you.

Do you mean that there is no "equity" regarding "food deserts" and their negative impacts upon health.

Wow.

Who knew.

On a semi serious note, those neighborhoods are a lot less "white bread" than you might think. There is a large Somali population there; Markham Elementary, plunked right in the middle of that swath, is the only Title I school in Portland west of the Willamette. More than half the students at Markham are on free and reduced price lunches.

If "food deserts" are a serious problem,(I don't think so) there is one out here.

But because we are perceived to be the "rich" west side, and perceived to be the "wrong" colort, serious problems are routinely ignored by a City Council which openly, blatantly, practices discriminatory politics.

More important than a food desert,there is a transportation deficit or desert, which both TriMet and the CoP insist upon exacerbating with their assault on the bus system and their anti POV policies.

I live in the area, Nonny, and I can tell you right now that there's no way I'm bicycling down to Garden Home Thriftway or Tigard Fred Meyer. If the roads don't kill you, the trip back up the mountains will.

I'll keep the car.

Nonny, "If 'food deserts' are a serious problem, (I don't think so)"; I agree.

If it is a problem good TriMet bus service will help answer that and not a $4 Billion lightrail line down Barbur to Sherwood.

More on food deserts at www.fooddeserts.org