I love it before the first article is posted. It should prove to be the target of many of the 'progressives' in this state.

Let's see. The first criticism will be that the author is "misinformed" and "doesn't have his facts straight." The word "crank" will follow shortly thereafter. Eventually, they'll all say "I never read that blog," when in fact they'll be visiting there every weekday from their government jobs. They'll post all manner of hostile comments, virtually every one of which will be under pseudonyms. It's the Portland way.

I'm a Planner, not spawned from the Portland bed, but from the Madison, WI bed...hmmm, we are probably first cousins.

I do my planning work in the eeevvilll private sector, so I can visit this amusing new blog from 9-5 Mon. thru Fri. with a clear conscience...and 'No', public dollars do not pay my salary in any way.

I remember when Eric Sten said the readership of Jackbog's Blog was declining because the commentary was too negative. I guess he was misinformed and didn't have his facts straight.

These guys are formulaic and funny. Too bad THEY aren't more concerned with facts and analysis.

Lovely. Another site where people who don't even know what urban planning is can engage in endless ad-hominem attacks and congratulate each other on their lack of "political correctness."

Sneer at mass transit all you want, but those Max trains are going to look mighty good in a few years, when gas is $10 a gallon and rationed. See you aboard!

when gas is $10 a gallon and rationed

If that happens, what do you think electricity will cost? Will the MAX trains run on cat poop?

I know what urban planning is, having a master's degree in the subject, and that key steps in the process inadequately undertaken in Portland are careful problem definition, and analysis of trade-offs and impacts, as well as monitoring.

Not everyone who asks questions is anti-transit. Questioning is something we are SUPPOSED to be doing in order to anticipate and mitigate future problems. Regarding ad hominem attacks, those, it seems to me, are something the neo-urbanist in-crowd has mastered. People with questioning minds are cast as "NIMBYS" or "having a beef with government" when history proves their questions were spot on the mark.

Regarding fuel from cat poop: I knew there would eventually be a market for the stuff.

Sneer at mass transit all you want, but those Max trains are going to look mighty good in a few years, when gas is $10 a gallon and rationed. See you aboard!

As it is now, we only pay about 15-20% of the cost to operate when we board MAX. Can you imagine what the actual cost to operate those trains will be in your utopian future? But hey, thats just "gubmint money".

Besides, I have full faith in the "evil oil cabal" to totally take over & control whatever the next format of powering personal transportation will be. I mean, they got Saddam & all his oil, right?

He doesn't appear to be against just land-use planning... but rather ALL kinds of government planning.

I'm baffled.

Should government just proceed willy-nilly on whatever each bureaucrat's personal whim is that day?

You can't get there unless you know where you want to go.

First, I'll second Kari's comment. Against *all* planning? Seems a little misguided; after all, even bureaucrats are liable to be right at least once in a while.
Second, self-interest. Just recently became part of the planning cabal here in my lovely burg on the outskirts of Portland. hopefully in the next three years I won't destroy the place. And I doubt that all my plans will be worthless.

Should government just proceed willy-nilly on whatever each bureaucrat's personal whim is that day?

I dunno...seems to be how Portland is being run...