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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on August 15, 2011 2:46 PM. The previous post in this blog was It's just stupid enough. The next post in this blog is Ain't that America. Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

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Monday, August 15, 2011

SoWhat immigration jail: the Fireman's last stand

The neighbors don't want it, and a hearings officer has ruled that it's too dangerous, but the plan to put an immigration jail next to a grammar school in Portland's failed South Waterfront District is still alive. It can still be approved by the City Council, and they say they'll have a hearing about it on September 21.

Fireman Randy and his developer buddies have been pushing this project hard from Day 1, and His Honor the Mayor is no doubt on board with it. Nurse Amanda, the only city commissioner who is publicly accountable at this point, is a likely no vote, and so that leaves Nick the Fish and Legend Dan. If either one of those guys votes yes, then to heck with the neighbors and the hearings officer -- it's going in.

It's an interesting case, in that the Sam Rand Twins are on their way out the door. They have few political horses left to trade, and so their colleagues are becoming ever less likely to be buying favor with either of them. Nick and Dan probably won't both vote yes, because if one of them does, it's garbage time and the other one can grandstand with a meaningless no vote. But will they both do the right thing and vote no?

In any event, it would be deliciously ironic if Portland's "elite new neighborhood" -- brownfields to greenfields and all that -- wound up with a maximum security federal deportation tank in it. The condo buyers of SoWhat, sucked in by one set of Portland real estate greaseballs, get hammered by another. It's perfect. Go by streetcar!

Comments (10)

I agree that elite locales should also get NIMBY crap, just like everybody else gets some crap in their lower class neighborhoods. If not SoWhat, then maybe West Hills?

Three words: Dunthorpe Methadone Clinic.

"The neighbors don't want it"

Don't forget Randy's famous quote about the Lents ballpark:

"The more they (the downtown crowd) don't want it, the more I want it."

I think SamRand would resonate with this old chestnut "Let them eat cake" ...

Greaseballs...Heh, heh.

The real estate sharpies, or the detainees?

The only way I would support that jail is if Randy and Sam were the first to be deported.

It's appropriate the Gen X's or whatever they are called now carry their fair share of the load.
We get "Dignity" village and a couple of jails in NE PDX, why shouldn't the south waterfront do their part.

Harry, don't worry, SoWhat is getting what some would deem "NIMBY crap" even without the ICE Jail.

SoWhat URA is required to dedicate 38% of all TIF dollars spent for Affordable Housing. Block 49 being built right now kitty corner to the hopefully not Jail building has over 215 low income housing units plus approximately 44 units dedicated to veteran housing. There is also affordable housing programmed for a two block segment called Block 33. But SoWhat is broke as well as OHSU which is required to develop the block with parking below with the housing above.

Who really cares if this ends up in SoWa or somewhere else? Maybe with the workers it will bring the economics will work out on a donut shop. I find it hard to believe it would represent a real safety issue for nearby children, beyond worrywarts' perceptions.

If I lived down there I'd be more concerned that it's an ugly-looking building.

But will they both do the right thing and vote no?

I Doubt that.
At this point, I doubt anything right coming out of our Council.

If a repeat of a May hearing, Saltzman became absent for the vote and Fish to the disappointment of many businesses and citizens joined Mayor and Leonard.
That vote was to approve another $80 million for a June bid for the Portland Water Bureau Powell Butte project.




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