Plenty of dough for PDC busy work
The Portland Development Commission, whose mission has morphed from building apartments to some sort of vague "jobs" thing, is giving out nice raises to its union workers and hiring more minions. One vacant gig "[p]lans, organizes, coordinates, implements, reviews and participates in projects and programs related to the Cluster Framework Strategy,... [and s]upports implementation of the City’s five-year Economic Development Strategy and the cluster framework.... Primary duties include preparing, coordinating and conducting business and industry research, retention and recruitment activities/projects, implementing cluster plans, coordinating, preparing and reviewing documents for retention, expansion and recruitment prospects."
The City of Portland -- one cluster after another.
| Posted at 12:02 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (13)
You mean of course, the big real estate development corporation dba City of Portland™.
Posted by Mr. Grumpy | July 27, 2011 12:42 PM
Ahh ... cluster strategy.
Or what the Washington Post calls "the modern day snake oil."
Posted by Garage Wine | July 27, 2011 2:04 PM
Five year plans were all the rage, once upon a time, in China and the USSR.
Posted by David E Gilmore | July 27, 2011 3:06 PM
Can we please start a petition that states that the PDC can never receive more property tax dollars than what is provided for public education?
If fact I would consider they should never get more than 50% of what we allot for public education.
It is no wonder the schools can no longer provide vital educational experiences like art when the PDC sucks off so much of our property taxes and then proceeds to give property tax breaks for the very developers in which they enrich.
Posted by Ralph Woods | July 27, 2011 3:55 PM
According to the Tribune, today, the PDC is throwing more than $4 million to private developers (who kick in less than $1 million) to renovate an historic "old town" building on West Burnside. A PDC spokesman said this project would be a catalyst for reviving old town...how many "revivals" has this part town already gotten...I think a bunch.
PDC and much of city hall is just a giant economic waste. What's sorry is I think we all eventually have to pay dearly for all this mischief. The kids have the public credit card and they rule the house.
Posted by Bob Clark | July 27, 2011 4:28 PM
The City of Portland - Anything to avoid doing what we elected them for like police protection, reasonable utility rates and paved streets.
Posted by Steve | July 27, 2011 4:32 PM
In additional PDC news:
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/07/portland_development_commissio_8.html
In the DJC, they say this development has "job creation" possibilities, 'cause young people will travel to Portland, fall in love, and then start businesses. Riiiight.
Posted by Larry Legend | July 27, 2011 4:38 PM
The PDC is all about "revival". Just "give me that ole' time religion" with a new twist. Anyone remember "The Rainmaker"? Tent revivals used to be the entertainment back in the day, and the locals got screwed literally, and figuratively.
Nothing new under the sun; PT Barnham would love TIF financing.
Posted by portland native | July 27, 2011 5:08 PM
Cluster f...
Posted by RJBob | July 27, 2011 5:38 PM
Please, can we change their name to PMC ("M" for Maintenance) and send some of the overpaid cluster bureaucrats out to fill potholes?
Posted by NW Portlander | July 27, 2011 5:47 PM
I think this is just what's called "CYA". They know they're coming under increasing public scrutiny in these lean, dysfunctional times, and pols certainly don't want to appear to be in smash-and-grab mode with investors.
Soon they'll be about "saving polar bears", "free internet access for all", or "equal rights in marriage".
Posted by Mr. Grumpy | July 27, 2011 7:14 PM
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/07/portland_government_is_financi.html
This explains it all. Portland is now in the state of denial.
Posted by Steve | July 28, 2011 10:33 AM
"Tent revivals used to be the entertainment back in the day..." And they are still out there. I went to one, during a road trip in rural Georgia some years back, and it was funny and horrifying at the same time. Which is to say it was funny until the preacher locked on to me as a godless heathen, at which point I was horrified by the attention. Fortunately, it is possible to pull up any area of the bottom of the tent to escape. I only wish it was as easy to escape from the PDC and their "revival" of Portland.
Posted by Alice | July 28, 2011 5:43 PM