What if they shut down City Hall entirely?
The idea is not as extreme as it sounds. Here in Portland, for a time there was discussion of merging the city with Multnomah County -- kind of the way it is in San Francisco. If things get this extreme in government finance around here -- and they very well might -- that conversation could pick up where it left off.
| Posted at 1:46 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (13)
What will Sam do? High school guidance counselor?
Posted by Jon | June 24, 2010 2:36 PM
One of the few productive uses of City Hall was its rental in 2007 to the company that produced "Untraceable"(2008). I do not mean to suggest that Mr Hoblit's film is noteworthy but only that City Hall was, for a brief moment, productively engaged.
Posted by Gardiner Menefree | June 24, 2010 2:51 PM
One of the few productive uses of City Hall was its rental in 2007 to the company that produced "Untraceable"(2008).
Here in 2010, City Hall is used occasionally as a location for the TNT program "Leverage".
I watched part of it for the first time last night and it ain't that good.
Posted by none | June 24, 2010 3:05 PM
I used to live in Denver, another city which is also a county. I always felt that the system is efficient for a medium-sized metro area.
Posted by Terrence | June 24, 2010 3:26 PM
a medium-sized metro area.
Did somebody say "metro"?
Posted by Allan L. | June 24, 2010 3:28 PM
As long as only Portland is merged into its own city/county deal, and the rest of Multnomah county can be merged into Clackamas County and Hood River County... sounds like a great idea.
I wouldn't expect people from Gresham to be too hip on the idea of giving Portland more control then they already have (via metro).
Posted by Anthony | June 24, 2010 4:01 PM
Why not? Just make Mult County and Portland the same thing and dissolve METRO.
We'd lose one layer of gov (Fed / State / Metro / County / City) and it would have to be easier to get stuff done.
Posted by Steve | June 24, 2010 4:16 PM
After listening to Thom Hartman this morning tell his national audience what a great job our Mayor and Portland is going what am I supposed to think?
Posted by Ben | June 24, 2010 4:18 PM
"I wouldn't expect people from Gresham to be too hip on the idea of giving Portland more control"
East county would flip its lid. They would try everything up to and including starting their own county.
Posted by Snards | June 24, 2010 4:31 PM
Ben, Mr Hartmann does not spend a lot of time in Portland, nor does he involve himself in comprehending the city. For example, a few years ago, while a fierce struggle raged between Mr Adams and then-Mayor Potter, he concluded an interview with the latter -- which did not include a discussion of the dispute -- with "You're all doing a fine job, Mr Mayor."
A squat on a houseboat separates him from the populace, perhaps even from such quotidian concerns as city sewerage rates. He knows more about Vermont than about Oregon or its principal city.
But this is not to suggest that Mr Hartmann is not entertaining.
Posted by Gardiner Menefree | June 24, 2010 6:24 PM
Great idea if you dissolve city council and put city government under Metro.
Posted by lie2me | June 24, 2010 9:04 PM
Yeah, that would be great. We could all bicycle our way to living hell.
Posted by Jack Bog | June 24, 2010 9:06 PM
If we're keeping track, my home town of Philly is also a city/county.
As a resident of unincorporated Multnomah County, I say thanks, but no thanks.
Posted by Marc | June 24, 2010 10:48 PM