More citizen involvement abuse
This time at Metro. Volunteer board members are entitled to their opinions -- as long as they tell the paid politicians what they want to hear.
| Posted at 6:39 AM | Permalink |
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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on June 6, 2009 6:39 AM.
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Comments (6)
Metro should be abolished. Their biggest purpose currently seems to be pack as many people as possible into 'bunker style' condo developments, and pay six figure salaries to planners whose main purpose is to steer most immigration into the city of Portland proper while stopping most other development outside the city.
Posted by Bob Clark | June 6, 2009 8:42 AM
The simple fact that almost no other metro area in the USA has a regional agency like Metro; tells me it's an idea that should have been dumped a long time ago.
Posted by Dave A. | June 6, 2009 9:18 AM
Herding more taxpayers into dwellings within the city limits of Portland is easier than annexing more outlying areas that the city can't begin to adequately service.
When people are sandwiched in like sardines, it's easier to pick their pockets and bleed them to death with dozens of city fees.
We did OK before Metro put in an appearance and other bureaus could just as easily refuse to return my calls about garbage if it closed tomorrow.
Posted by NW Portlander | June 6, 2009 9:18 AM
...almost no other metro area in the USA has a regional agency like Metro...
Here's one that's considered pretty efficient.
Posted by john rettig | June 6, 2009 10:21 PM
Metro is an urban planner's fantasy--"regional" government. the reasons it exists are complex.
one thing's for sure--it's almost impossible to kill.
another thing's for sure--if plans bear fruit, we're going softly into the Age of Regional Government in the US, and city government power won't mean a whole lot then.
in other words, bodies like Metro are the future, unless they aren't.
my prediction? when it finally sinks in with folks that we're not just in a "depression", but instead the brief halcyon days of post-war gluttony are gasping their last, governance will (once again) become extremely local.
until then, Bragdon gets to pretend humility while swinging a club at anything getting in the way of Jane Jacobs.
sorry, Jane. you were dead wrong.
Posted by ecohuman | June 6, 2009 10:26 PM
In theory, you should be able to effectively curtail Metro by amending the charter to completely eliminate Chapter II, Section 5 of their Charter, and make a few other minor rewordings to remove references to it elsewhere. That's the part that gives Metro their planning authority.
Posted by Alex | June 7, 2009 4:10 PM