Tri-Met repeats Portland's population growth lie
Yesterday we called the City of Portland planning mafia out on its spurious claim that the city's population is expected to nearly double in the next 25 years. Based on population growth within the city limits over the last 10 years and the last 20 years, the growth over the next 25 can be projected at less than 30%. Somebody at City Hall noticed that we had noticed, and they took the false claim down.
Today we were watching a horrifying science fiction video by Tri-Met about the bankrupting Mystery Train to Milwaukie, and they repeat the same premise on a regional basis: that the Portland metropolitan region's population will double in 25 years. Again, the real numbers don't support that premise. According to the Census Bureau, the Portland metro population increased from 1,927,883 in 2000 to 2,226,009 in 2010. That's 1.45% a year. At that rate, in 25 years, the population will increase by 43.26% -- not even half.
Like the City of Portland, Tri-Met is simply lying to sell something that shouldn't be bought. They're bald-faced lying about it with nearly every sentence.
| Posted at 1:25 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (12)
I personally cannot WAIT until I can ride the Max to Dark Horse Comics!
Posted by None | June 18, 2011 2:07 PM
Lies about the number of jobs to be created or the benefits of the streetcar are repeated so often that the liars have come to believe the lies themselves.
With exceptions like this blog - the typical media outlet repeats what is read in the press releases of the biggest liars like PDC, TriMet, city of Portland, Multnomah County, and Metro.
One wonders though why it is so difficult to be forthright with the public? But, it is not about serving the public good is it?
Posted by Larry Norton | June 18, 2011 2:22 PM
Another fallacy that does not get much talk:
If this is spending 1.x BILLION for future need, why not delay building until actually needed?
Thanks
JK
Posted by jim karlock | June 18, 2011 2:52 PM
Listen to TriMet GM Neil McFarlane from last week. The lies roll off his lips without the slightest worry from when he was caught before.
http://tinyurl.com/liarneil
Among otheres-Fabrications all:
"MLR=14000 jobs"
"Light Rail has produced $8 billion in economic development"
"We were told July 2010 the feds will pay only 50% of MLR"
Posted by Ben | June 18, 2011 4:09 PM
Their jobs depend on the lies and is to be
expected.
What's sad is there seem to be very few people anymore that can tell when they're being manipulated by statisticians, propagandists, advertisers, and script writers. Image is everything - we've become the Hollywood culture, i.e, sheep.
Posted by Mr. Grumpy | June 18, 2011 4:48 PM
As long as the TIF dollars can be sucked away from the schools and into the developer's pockets the general populace will be kept ignorant!
It is to the advantage of 'those in charge' to make sure that the peons don't know what is really happening.
Posted by portland native | June 18, 2011 6:45 PM
Let's just have AG Kroger investIgate. That ought to straighten this whole thing out.
At ease! Smoke 'em if ya got 'em.
Posted by Mojo | June 18, 2011 7:41 PM
http://tinyurl.com/liarneil does not open for me!
Got another link?
I'm dying to see what is there!
The Trimet Ministry of Propaganda is truly one of the finest in the country.
It's definitely the best in the world of Transit Districts, and I should know cause I follow this stuff!
I gotta hand it to em, they sure know how to spin stories, and they get away with all of it since not one major media outlet challenges any of their stuff! They just spit out exactly what Trimet gives them!
Government/Business working together for a better America right?
“See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."
George W. Bush quotes (American 43rd US President since 2001. b.1946)
Posted by al m | June 19, 2011 3:51 PM
http://media1.co.clackamas.or.us/CCSO/MediaPopUpPlay.asp?q_sURl=mms://media1.co.clackamas.or.us/ClackAudio/presentation20110614b.wma
Posted by Ben | June 19, 2011 5:00 PM
There should be a law that states that any politician, government employee or consultant that cites a "jobs" figure must use the following definitions:
"Job" - defined as a work position held by an individual who is employed full-time (40 hours per week) and works a minimum of 1,750 hours per year (assuming some allowance for sick time, vacations and holidays), for a minimum term of five years. The positions' salary must include pay, and standard benefits.
"New Job" - a work position that never before existed. A position which was to be terminated but is continued is not counted as a "new job". Likewise, an employee who is transitioned from one job to another job within the company is not counted as a "new job".
"Hired" - an individual who is retained for an position of a new job. The individual cannot have been employed with the company, contractor, subcontractor, or any other entity linked to the company whom is hiring him, within the last three years.
Further, governments must report the percentage or number of the new jobs that are hired locally versus use workers imported from elsewhere. "Local" is defined as within a 15 mile radius.
Construction jobs should never be counted as "new jobs".
Posted by Erik H. | June 19, 2011 8:18 PM
I'm always troubled when the local media doesn't do it's job.
Posted by David E Gilmore | June 20, 2011 6:00 AM
Erik's got the goods.
The only addition I'd make is "No person employed by a government agency as an employee, independent contractor, consultant or in any other capacity shall be counted as a "job, "new job" or "hired."
Posted by John Fairplay | June 20, 2011 1:16 PM