They ain't talkin' yogurt
The Portland Development Commission just put out for proposals a contract for "cultural liaison services." I think it may be because the firm that was previously doing this for them didn't work out.
| Posted at 2:14 PM | Permalink |
|
Comments (6)
Maybe a better use of this money might be buying all the folks camped out in front of cityhall a beer and also a one-way bus ticket to some far away place. Kind of a cultural exchange without the cultural return.
Posted by Bob Clark | May 12, 2008 4:09 PM
This is truly a puke-a-little-in-your-mouth moment.
Posted by pat | May 12, 2008 5:35 PM
"Puke-a-lot-in-your-mouth moment. Absolutely!
The ship is listing, major holes below the waterline and taking on water, fast. And the leadership in Portland wants to know how to talk to people?
I'll offer my services for free. And I'll do this before they spend another couple of hundred million dollars on ill-time, ill-advised, special interest development. Here goes...
A. Listen to real people before you decide to move onto your predetermined agenda. See: Lightrail, Trolley, Tram, Burnside-Couch, Interstate (Caesar Chavez) Avenue, to name a few.
B. Get it through your thick heads that many people have a brain and may have input important to your agenda. This input could save Portland money, time and failure. See: real cost of SoWhat, real cost of OHSU Tram, projected cost of Sam Adams Bike Bridge (is it really dead?).
C. Get over your blasted view that you know better than anyone else... at least admit that you may not have ALL the facts.
D. Stop listening exclusively to your staff who are only waiting in line to get on the food chain. See: Sam Adams (Vera Katz's little boy wonder).
All of this consulting is appropriate for any special interest, cultural groups.
Can you tell, there is frustration growing which is approaching an explosion within the electorate of Portland. It's also interesting to note (by word of mouth and in some other blogs) that many people ARE NOT choosing to shop, live or visit Portland. I'm just waiting for the next blog to say "Good, they don't need to come to Portland. We're too good for them, anyway." If Portland hasn't noticed, nobody has to go downtown, or anywhere else in Portland to live, shop, recreate etc.
Posted by Carol | May 12, 2008 8:31 PM
Messed up the PDC / PDX... but there is no charge to PDC, also.
Posted by Carol | May 12, 2008 9:27 PM
This looks like an ideally-suited job for the obtuse, incoherent talents of Paul Scarlett.
Posted by veiledorchid | May 13, 2008 9:57 AM
Little kids learn early on how to get along, communicate and sort things out. The best cultural immersion happens naturally, and is not engineered. Respect is respect, and that's all you need in dealing with the many cultures of Portland.
This is a bunch or krap.
Posted by livin la vida suburbia | May 13, 2008 10:24 AM