Let's not forget that the City not only does not fund any Drug beds, but DEFUNDS the County Programs through TIF to pay for the TRAM, UR infrastructure, and moving Saturday Market.

Posted by: John Capradoe at August 26, 2006 12:34 AM

Articles like these make me ever so happy for picking the mental health field as my preffered line of work.

Posted by: mike at August 26, 2006 04:59 AM

These projects between developers and the city are an intoxicating drug of their own, and we've got to get the entire council into rehab.

Posted by: Bill McDonald at August 26, 2006 07:33 AM

Portland City Council members have an as-many-times-as-you-want refillable prescription on file at the pharmacy, for a drug called "power".

Here's what to expect from withdrawal.

Disbelief. The Tram won't cost that much.
Denial. There is no problem.
Bargaining. Let's spend $90 million on the Tram.
Guilt. We really screwed up.
Anger. See "critics and outsiders"
Depression. I can't believe I only got 50.2%.
Acceptance. Bill's right. We're all going in.

Posted by: Silence Dogood at August 26, 2006 08:34 AM

I liked the comment on the article as of this AM - "Visioning is such a f***ing waste of time!"

Posted by: Steve at August 26, 2006 09:21 AM

I like the concept, the comment and the psychodelic picture. But I think the woman who said giving to help the addicted is more important than giving to help animals is off-base and promoting a false dichotomy. We should pay attention to both. While there are better places to give humane dollars than the Oregon Humane Society (like Evan Kalik's Cat Adoption Team in Sherwood, for example), how society treats animals is an important indicator of how it treats people. And, people who suffer from addiction can sometimes receive love from animals easier than from people. If the Multnomah County Commissioners would stop listening to this kind of fallacious argument, perhaps we would see the 2000 MCAS task force recommendations enforced, and, eventually, agency spending cut way back.

Posted by: Cynthia at August 26, 2006 02:46 PM

People are more important than cats.

Period.

Try saying it out loud a few times, Cynthia: your species needs your support.

Posted by: Mister Tee at August 27, 2006 09:37 AM

Agreed Mr. Tee. You can believe people are more important without dismissing the other species God gave us to care for. My species has had my support and advocacy for my entire life, but it is self-centered and blind, so I have to wonder why in the heck I have cared. I no longer am inclined to support idiocy. I was watching something on CSPAN yesterday on the case for impeaching GWB. Panelists were talking about how Americans' unwillingness or inability to pay attention to politics and exercise critical thinking skills has led us to the predicament we now face. The citizenry did it to itself.

Period.

I get more satisfaction from cats.

Posted by: Cynthia at August 27, 2006 10:04 AM

[Posted as indicated; restored later.]