The beat goes on The beat goes on Cranes keep buildin' condos in my view La de da de dee La de da de di

The Portland City Council will give in today and let the money-hungry developers down in South Waterfront build fatter, taller condo towers than they promised when the project was first approved. The council made the developers spend two more weeks hassling with the neighborhood associations, but now that's done, and so it's onward, upward, and outward. You can still see the mountains in postcards, kids.

Next up, another tower at SW Third and Oak. A $3.3 million public subsidy, 10 years of tax abatements, less affordable housing than they originally promised (er, actually, none), the usual scam. Gotta have an apartment with a view for Nicolas Cage's mother. Fireman Randy might make a face, Opie might make them come back in two weeks, but it wil all go through.

Then there's the "Portland Family of Funds," the "spinoff" from the Portland Development Commission that's under investigation on suspicion of being bad public policy, if not downright illegal. Oops, those five projects they promised to close on the po' side of town by the end of last year? So far they've closed none, and three of the five cannot be realistically said to be more than pipedreams at this point. Just be patient, MLK. These things take time.

Yeah, right. Look at those cranes on Macadam go when one of the Goldschmidt clan wants something.

"Spinoff" -- that's a good one. Create a government bureau and after a couple of years hand it on a platter to some of the guys who work there. They make millions. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Then there's Vanport Square, the one bone that the PDC has thrown to the inner northeast recently. Still stalled. Existing property still being mismanaged. Public relations still a disaster.

Don't forget the east side of the Burnside Bridge. Condo towers, of course, it goes without saying. But the current scam is to delay awarding the deal, in the guise of public input, until the PDC can figure out a way to give it with a straight face to the developer they've already picked out of the three bidders.

Urban renewal, Portland style, is a very sick puppy. Mayor Potter, it's up to you to administer some serious medicine. Please don't wait too much longer.