What are these peole smoking??

"Starting in 2016, debt service and operations on the new line will add $7 million in costs to an agency that has yet to balance its 2013 budget. But McFarlane says TriMet can’t afford to stay idle. With a million new residents projected for the region by 2035, neglecting expansion would be irresponsible, he argues."

The "million new residents projected for the region by 2035" is b.s. The 2010 population was 2,226,009. He assumes a 1.63% annual growth rate. The real growth rate from 2000-2010 -- mostly boom times -- was 1.45%.

The population of the City of Portland is now less than 30% of the total for the metropolitan area. It's hard to see how downtown-centric rail is going to help the many newcomers, about three quarters of whom will be living in the suburbs and few of whom will be working downtown.

"The "million new residents projected for the region by 2035" is b.s. The 2010 population was 2,226,009. He assumes a 1.63% annual growth rate. The real growth rate from 2000-2010 -- mostly boom times -- was 1.45%."

Come now, the article quotes PSU professor Ethan Seltzer, who leads studies with titles like: "ENVIRONMENTAL MIGRANTS AND THE FUTURE OF THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY".

Once the climate refugees start pouring in, our growth will go to the moon! And the "environmental migrants" will obviously prefer living in car-free condo bunkers to drab suburban single-family housing!

So we're supposed to believe waves of migrants will be coming - over the next couple of hundred years - because of upward temperature fluctuations of a few degrees.

But McFarlane says TriMet can’t afford to stay idle. With a million new residents projected for the region by 2035, neglecting expansion would be irresponsible, he argues."

So instead, let's neglect the backbone of the system - the bus service?

TriMet is like a homeowner whose home has a leaky roof, a crumbling foundation, an electrical system full of arcing wires and shorts, natural gas leaks and so on...and instead of fixing what's broke, they go out and build a rec room, have a swimming pool installed, and puts it on a credit card, and all along claims that the improvements will improve the value of the home so in the long run the investment will pay for itself.

Erik,

I remember when Nick Fish ran on a platform of back-to-basics/maintain our infrastructure with just that analogy.

And now he's building $300,000 condos for the homeless.

Nick talked a good line for a while, but he's 90% sucked in now, and the last 10% will probably be gone pretty soon as well. It's what happens down there unless you elect strong people who really want the job for only four years, and then have a real life to get back to.

That description could apply to a certain tax law professor in Portland.

The current roster of Mayoral candidates are going to maintain the status quo. If you ran for Randy's seat, you might be able to change the trajectory of fail.

Holy crap John Charles looks like the mayor.