Didn't Adams at some point actually say that maintenance wasn't necessary because we wouldn't be using streets much longer? Words of an idiot or someone who couldn't keep a secret?

Sure, the roads have potholes, but don't think of them that way. They're really just ways to make your car more vibrant.

Deferred maintenance of capital assets will ALWAYS lead to even more expensive repairs later...thereby costing future users even more than it would have cost to just maintain the surfaces.

Interestingly, as the street surfaces degrade, it will be the bicycles which will suffer, as a bicycle hitting a pothole will probably damage the entire vehicle (and likely throw the rider into traffic), instead of just the suspension. This is not to mention all the detritus laying about the streets from disintegrating surface materials.

Proof again that we provide political office employment for our developmentally disabled citizens...Hey, it may not be particularly productive, but it does increase the 'diversity' of public employment.

Adams and his incompetent friends tried to vilify Beth Slovic for her Oregonian article "Road to Ruin" and claimed the piece was unfounded. This vindicates Beth.
Charlie and his temporary Transportation Director, Toby Widmer, are now free to clean house and get some personnel with integrity in the right positions to redirect this ship.
If Maintenance Operations were to return to exist as a separate bureau, there would be multiple safeguards to prevent looting dedicated paving funds from being spent on shiny new things.

The City That WORKS... taxpayers over"

"The City That Avoids Work!" is more like it.

And great punquip, Bill. Thanks for the mid-morning grin.

If I remember correctly, one of the PBOT mail pieces showed a happy citizen in a flying car ala The Jetsons. Maybe Sam and the gang figured that was just around the corner. I'm not sure if he was figuring on flying bicycles though.

This is a natural consequence of the city commissioners ignoring the core competencies of government and focusing energy and resources on the pixish influences of the Good Idea Fairy.

It seems like this is another form of borrowing -- and at a money cost that would make a Mafioso lender/paver salivate.

Deferred maintenance on our water system as well.
Legend, Jelly, and the Nurse -- all nodded along.
Is there any respect left for any of these decision makers?

I think some of these folks ought to be "de-furred" as well...

"de-furred"

I think the traditional approach is to add feathers, with some sort of petroleum-based adhesive.

Aside from all the griping, there is something disturbingly undemocratic going on around here that keeps persistently pushing in the same direction as though it were a coordinated effort, for the most part making elections appear to be simply put on for show and as a distraction.

This is more of the destruction of Portland by the Sam-Rand twins. And to think Sammyboy still stands by his decisions. How could the City Club even consider hiring this incompetent piece of work? It would be real funny to see Sammyboy just get drenched from the splash of rain filled pothole. Hopefully Charlie can extend his house cleaning to the include the Sam-Rand cronies on the Portland Planning and less than Financially Self-sustainable Commission.

TR,
In case you didn't know, we had the trio rolling the plans out here years ago -
Katz/Hales/Adams. Unless Hales has changed his stripes, I don't hold out much hope.

Aww, come on, lay off poor Sam "Creeper" Adams.

The guy is from a trailer park in Newport, has basically zero education, and couldn't even get it together to pay his mortgage on a modest house in North Portland on a six-figure income.

Blame us, the Portland voters, and the remaining companies that publish city press releases as news.