Where is the "Like" button in the O's comment section?

And immediately following that comment is a typical Portland Polite whine of "Do you know what a forum is?" Yeah, I know exactly what sort of forum this is going to be. You'll have 2000 very angry people telling the six smirking hipsters at the front what they really want for their communities, with lots of promises about taking their concerns into account. However, when it comes to implementing those concerns, they'll get jettisoned for whatever the Urban Planning majors want, and anyone who dares bring it up will be told "We had a FORUM! OBVIOUSLY, you were too good to show up and express your opinion!"

Portland State is so comical. Washed-up politicians, current politicians' spouses, loosey-goosey expense accounts, giving out plaques galore to the Homer Williams types, streetcar fetish, parking hell, fixation on real estate, autonomy proposals, "planning" as a religion... it's perfectly Portland.

Oh, and note the time. It starts at 6:30, with a "short presentation". I'll bet it's short: by the time the residents can get out there after work and dinner to speak their piece, I expect the organizers will already be out of the neighborhood, cracking open a PBR and yammering excitedly about the new direction the neighborhood wants to go.

It sounds like an Onion piece:

"Six urban planning students of white, upper-middle class background who have recently moved in to Northeast Portland, are holding a forum to discuss what can be done to prevent the gentrification of Northeast Portland."

Food is provided. I have thought that it has been used as an incentive to entice people to come, as the city has to show that they actually had a meeting filled with people so they can justify their existence, jobs, grant money, whatever!!

Another thought, why have city officials taking the flack from the residents?
Better to have the students up there dealing with it.
People may be more kindly to those students.

Totally.

But there won't be any flack, because the only people there will be the usual sheep, bleating their approval for more bike chevrons.

PSU just wants money now-They should be ashamed of themselves-now they are teaching how to brew beer-when a brewery hired people they were an apprentice and learned it from the ground up-now it's a college degree? OMG, WHAT'S NEXT?

How to get along with Stenchy?
How to produce successful garage sales?
There may be lots of business there as people are trying to flee from the insanity!
Do they have classes on how to negotiate/deal with angry citizens?

It makes me sick to see Judge Judy insulted and degraded that way.

I think it's funny how some agency spent oddles of money reworking those apartements on Killingsorth, renaming them "Hacenda" something or other.. But when they reopened for renters the majority of the residents were recent immigrants from East Africa...
And I note that Spanish language interpretation will be provided at this "forum".
Why only Spanish ?
Don't the planners know there are people from all over the world living in Cully ?

"Cully should be insulted that they get the advice of six inexperienced idealogues"

Depends - They bring cookies and milk before the nap?

Remember, the best theories seldom work in practice.

"Killingsorth, renaming them "Hacenda" something or other"

Its actually Hacienda. They are a developer of income-qualified housing. I think they focus on that area.

Gentrification is welcomed by many. Before the area around Emanuel Hospital was "gentrified", the place was run down, filled with dope dealers and hookers and you couldn't walk down the street without being propositioned or insulted. I used to drive home from downtown over the Fremont bridge and you would have to stop on the side streets while two cars stopped in front of you and carried on a conversation like you didn't exist. Thank God for the young folks who purchased homes in the area and turned it around with the help of the hospital and law enforcement.

... now it's a college degree? OMG, WHAT'S NEXT?

Course offerings in how to roll a joint?

Course offerings in the current buzzwords to use for success in pdx.

Will add I am sure they will be taught the importance of the use of the word NIMBY to assist with plans.

Why thank you for the speeling correction...
When you say focus do you mean fleece ?

Gentrification is welcomed by many.

Doubt it is welcomed by the areas into where those problems are moved.

The solution to the problems in any given area is not gentrification. It would be really nice if better policing, intervention and assistance for the decent citizens trying to make it in an area of town they have lived in for years and call home were given a chance first. Gentrification simply prices everyone out - good and bad alike.

jmh: in answer to your query, the "like" and "flag" codes appear after you log onto O-live.

NWPortlander: Correct. In 1970, I lived on NE Tillamook, a half-block from Williams Av.

It was all-black, mostly run-down, with the occasional nice home thrown in. I was one of two white guys in the hood, and everyone was laid-back and friendly. Not that way now.