Thanks for the link!

I've got 2 lbs of asparagus sitting in the fridge. Thanks to my property taxes, now I know what to do with them.

Next week's post: Why does my pee smelly funny?

Jack posted five articles today and they all have one common theme -wasteful government. I am in my early sixties and am wondering whether I will ever see the voters realize what this cabal of politicians and bureaucrats are doing to us and this region. The same old hacks always get reelected and things never change. That has been the story here for the last twenty years or so. Come on folks, vote against Fish and Saltzman. Vote for any republican for governor. Recall Adams. Let’s start something here. I cannot believe that we are going to be the last bastion of loonies in this country, but maybe just maybe I will live long enough to see the real change that I can really believe in.

John, John, John...

Last bastion of loonies? Please. The country is full of cities full of loonies. We just live in the prettiest one. I gave up long ago trying to even have political discourse with my friends here.

Just sit back and enjoy it. And when the bill comes due, be prepared to move to the burbs. That's kind of where I'm at. And if the burbs are loony by then, well, Australia's nice...

Not to mention (although I will, right now) the incessant, mindless, unintelligible, inappropriate garble posted by hizzonner on Twitter.

I tried Australia. It is demonstrably Loonier than here. Most Aussies believe that moving to LA would be an improvement.

I'd mind the blogs a lot less if they were unscreened and accurately represented the people's voices. Fat chance.

Those blogs and that number of blogs does not seem unreasonable to me.

Content may be another question

There are 11 blogs, but how many twits?

Where did Sammy's blog go to-just twitter now?

I'm all for ragging on Portland for its many screw-ups but c'mon, this is a way the city can become more transparent and engage more of its citizens.

Gripe against the content if you need to but saying the City Of Portland doesn't need eleven blogs is like saying it doesn't need 11 telephones or email addresses.

Eleven blogs means 11 paid p.r. flacks. With benefits, is that a half million a year? Maybe two or three would be enough.

Well, if you're going to start using that math, then start with planners and lawyers; probably all cheaper than the flacks.

Actually, I screwed up there:

Planners and lawyers are MORE expensive than the flacks.

"Does Portland City Hall really need 11 blogs?"

Well, to paraphrase Graham's law that bad currency drives out good, all these blogs help bury any real news in fluff.

Besides, don't you want to know where PWB stickers have been spotted or water bottle distributed?

I haven't checked out any of the city blogs. But I'm curious as to what information they convey. Is this important information that can't be spread in any other way? How was this information conveyed in the past?

How in the world did we ever survive without these blogs to keep us informed and updated???