Make that, "McDonald does too much of the talking." We had to reschedule this a couple of times and when I finally got a chance, I think I was a little too geeked up.

What's so good about the long questions is that they're like breaking balls thrown by a wily pitcher -- much different from the batting practice lobs that you get in most interviews around Portlandia. You get to see whether they can hit good stuff.

Excellent interview, Bill.

Excellent interview, Bill.

No doubt--good stuff

He loves that "we made the Pearl District out of an abandoned railyard" canard, doesn't he?

Did he really not notice the living-wage industrial jobs that used to be based in that very area during his tenure on the council?

That is the biggest lie I see in his spiel, but certainly wouldn't be surprised to see others.

Back to Washougal with thee, Chucky!

He's like Francesconi with a different nasum.

That's the best interview I've read in a long time. Hales' is pretty smooth - he rolled right with it.

General Burnside:

You're right. I don't remember an abandoned railyard, I remember a thriving warehouse district full of living wage jobs. I worked there.

But this is Portland. We don't need no stinking jobs!

Don't get me started on Mr."Train Man!"

Good read Bill.

I guess Hales will now call the Inner EastSide "an abandoned railyard". It's like Hales and Randy calling SoWhat "a toxic dump site" even though it had hundreds of jobs like the 2500 jobs in the former Pearl environs.

Hales is a total sales job. Now he claims he's sees the picture that citizens want basic services first. Yea, right. Does he mean that basic services weren't wanted in his 10 years on Council?

I wished Bill had asked him for a long definition of urban renewal. It would be fun to parse that.

I love it.

67falcon:Don't get me started on Mr."Train Man!"

Ditto.
I started to write, but couldn't decide where to begin...there was just too much negativity to dredge up regarding Hales...
maybe later.

Yeah Clinamen-Hales was more than pro-planning CoP style, he was so pro developer that he tried to cram more housing units than called for into various balanced neighborhoods (including mine), so to unbalance them. No way should the voters give him another chance to work his charm.

Cynthia,
You got it, he was so pro developer that when he was Commissioner of Parks, a park that belonged to the people was sold to a developer for housing. That was the Johnswood Park in N. Portland. Hales has some nerve to ever claim he did good for parks!

Regarding his campaign to open Portland streets to skateboards, Hales says "I still think, as wacky as it was, it was a good idea, because the streets ought to be available to everybody who’s willing to use them safely." He obviously hasn't been tracking the chaos that his ordinance has spawned in Arlington Heights, where skateboarders use the MAX as a shuttle and dominate the streets, day and night. For a graphic look at the world that Charlie has made, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqNWeqtuuCg

and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll5_-UWewRg

A couple of days ago, a teenage skateboarder veered into the oncoming lane on a blind curve on SW Fairview, slammed headfirst into a car coming up the hill, and broke his leg and was knocked unconscious. He was hauled away in an ambulance. But apparently Charlie thinks that's just fine.