The City That... Works?
We're not sure how far down this path we want to go, but our Wednesday photo of a City of Portland Development Services car blocking a fire hydrant inspired another reader to take this snapshot Friday evening, near SE Grand and Washington, and send it along with a caption:
Taken at 8:02 pm this evening. Office of Sustainability vehicle in an area with about eight bars around it. Looks like wicker baskets stacked in the backseat. I know the staffer is out doing the people's work!Now, now, reader. Some city officials get to take company cars home with them on a regular basis, for perfectly good reasons. For example, as a senior policy mucky-muck at the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, you never know when you might be called in for an emergency charrette!
| Posted at 8:43 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (11)
We need more of this. The abuse is significant and the offenders are arrogant and feel entitled.
My story would be that I was checking for over capcity in the bars.
Posted by pdxmick | March 28, 2011 9:51 AM
I'm less than impressed with the photographic evidence. So the car is parked on the street at 8pm "in an area" with bars. What does that prove?
Posted by none | March 28, 2011 10:38 AM
The vehicle's operator was, perhaps, looking in all the wrong places for the missing definition of "sustainability."
Posted by Gardiner Menefree | March 28, 2011 11:51 AM
A few weeks ago i saw a city of portland car with the sign on the side that says, in bold letters "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY". It had two baby seats in the back and three or four shopping bags in the front. It was around seven at night at the safeway on 122nd and powell.I didn't get a picture but it seems to me the driver was out running erands and picking up or taking home the kids.I felt kinda like sticking around to see who was driving the car but I thought whats the point....
Posted by john dull | March 28, 2011 11:54 AM
The Chinese solution, via Time:
"Do you jaywalk? Litter? Run red lights? Prepare to be shamed if you're in the city of Wuhan.
The local government, fed up with the behavior of its citizens, turned to the press for help, and since March 19 they have publicly revealed offenders in the pages of the local paper."
http://yhoo.it/gIbpiu
Oops, that's the local government shaming its citizens. Even the Chinese have not yet devised a way for citizens to shame its local government employees into proper behavior. And our local government employees know it.
Posted by Gardiner Menefree | March 28, 2011 1:00 PM
Jack is starting a class war that may be necessary. Keep your cell phone cameras clicking. Reining in all government entitlements (worker and client) should become the new "Sustainability"
Posted by dhughes609 | March 28, 2011 1:28 PM
a city of portland car with the sign on the side that says, in bold letters "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY". It had two baby seats in the back and three or four shopping bags in the front.
In all fairness, there are some Oregon DHS vehicles, that would have E-plates and "State of Oregon - Official Use Only" decals on the rear bumper that would legitimately have a baby carrier in the rear seat.
That said...certainly not a City of Portland vehicle. I'm not aware of any city bureau or function that requires city employees to transport infants for any reason whatsoever...the county has all the public health and mental health functions, and state has child welfare.
I wish I had snapped the photo of the State of Oregon E-plate vehicle that I saw...across the street from Pike Place Market. As in, Seattle, Washington, 160 miles north of the Oregon state line, and outside Starbucks #1. It was a few years ago, though.
Posted by Erik H. | March 28, 2011 2:28 PM
I wonder if "Improperly used/parked city vehicle" is an option for submitting complaints with photos to Sam using his snazzy citizen reporting smartphone app.
On another note, where's that lawyer who got a police officer fined $35 for parking in a no-parking zone awhile back? If he's looking for something to do, he can carry on his crusade by getting other city employees busted for illegal parking or use of their taxpayer-owned vehicles.
Posted by Eric | March 28, 2011 3:52 PM
A good place to get photos of government employees slacking is on the overpass at the I-5 Terwilliger curves. They park there pretending to read but fall asleep for hours.
I think citizens need to become vigilant vigilantes, take pictures, and police our public employees since supervisors and unions won't.
Posted by lw | March 28, 2011 9:15 PM
Precisely which overpass is that? There are several in the curves.
Posted by Jack Bog | March 28, 2011 11:09 PM
Jack, there's only one in the actual big curve-the one next to the Fulton Park Community Center that feeds off SW Miles, off SW Barbur. That's where all the spectacular accidents happen.
Gee, maybe that explains why government cars are there all the time, waiting for the next accident to happen so they can make an analysis report.
Posted by lw | March 29, 2011 1:30 PM