The State of Oregon is borrowing more tens of millions of dollars this week. This time it's $55.7 million for community colleges around the state. Thus, the state is once again pulling out its CCCC -- community college credit card -- and putting its taxpayers on the hook for new construction.

The preliminary sales document for the bonds is here. Here are the projects that are supposed to get the money:

That last line is a little surprising. Portland Community College recently floated its own bonds -- a massive $200 million borrowing for new facilities. Apparently that isn't enough -- it needs a state grant as well.

Back when PCC was campaigning for its ballot measure authorizing a total of $374 million of new borrowing, we suggested that in these difficult times PCC ought to be concentrating more on distance learning than on bricks-and-mortar facilities. That argument went nowhere with the voters, and so onward with the borrowing and the building we go. Celebratory drinks all around tonight for the construction company bigwigs at the Arlington Club -- the boys from Howard S. Wright, Hoffman, Walsh and Skanska USA. Clink!