Portland Peeves (crime, gated community, high income)

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Originally Posted by Bluesmama

I think my biggest peeve is the lack of concern over how our state, metro and city-county money is spent. I don't know about the rest of the state, but the Portland-Metro population appear to believe that money truly does grow on trees, as evidenced at every ballot time. Dish out more and more tax-payers money without first calling for justification, and this includes schools. I realize that this area is high-multi-family density (renters), but I find this to be more of the norm all-around.

This is the main reason I moved out of Portland/Multnomah County to rural Clackamas County.

[PDXNative2Houston]

Originally Posted by Bluesmama

I think my biggest peeve is the lack of concern over how our state, metro and city-county money is spent. I don't know about the rest of the state, but the Portland-Metro population appear to believe that money truly does grow on trees, as evidenced at every ballot time. Dish out more and more tax-payers money without first calling for justification, and this includes schools. I realize that this area is high-multi-family density (renters), but I find this to be more of the norm all-around.

PDX hasn't changed I see. We all wish that we could save the whales, give our kids a Harvard-esque public school education and feed/clothe every man, woman and child. PDX however doesn't put these types of wishes on to a wish list and then applies some sort of rationale and critical thinking to them in regards to how much these things cost, how much of a benefit can really be achieved, do we really need them etc...

Where I'm at now is the opposite extreme, whereby we won't raise our taxes a dime for just about anything other than more roads and more cops. There has to be a middle ground somewhere

[turquoise1]

Do you think this is a function of being a liberal enclave in the midst of a conservative state?

[PDXNative2Houston]

Originally Posted by turquoise1

Do you think this is a function of being a liberal enclave in the midst of a conservative state?

I don't know if you're speaking to me...but I believe most of the major cities along the I-5 corridor are either very liberal or moderate from Portland down to Ashland, which encompasses most of the population of Oregon. I don't think it has much to do with it.

What's funny as well, is that when you grow up in PDX, places like Medford and Roseburg are painted as far right wing. Really however, until you've lived in the deep south or Texas, you have not seen far right wing by a long shot

[turquoise1]

I see what you are saying, however, wouldn't you characterize the state government as on the conservative side? i.e. no sales tax etc.

[Leisesturm]

Originally Posted by PDXNative2Houston

Where I'm at now is the opposite extreme, whereby we won't raise our taxes a dime for just about anything other than more roads and more cops. There has to be a middle ground somewhere

I am an avid cyclist. I know from roads. Rural ones, urban ones, everything in-between. Oregon is a lot better than a lot of places. I speak from experience. Oregon is not overrun with cops, some might think this is a bad thing. They'd like more people in the jails. They'd like more jails built. Ok but... think of a place that has plenty of jails and plenty of people in them. A place like Texas. Lots of people being put to death to put the fear of God in anyone who would dare murder, rape or rob anybody that is worth more than they are. How safe is Texas really? Is it safer than Oregon? Are the roads better? I don't think so in either case. Georgia has excellent roads. A lot of revenue for them comes from speed traps which mostly fleece non-local population passing through. The Georgia State Correction system is undoubtedly vast. I wouldn't live there. So... I agree, there has to be a middle ground somewhere... ...

H

[Steve Pickering]

Originally Posted by oldtintype

Any time your pet gets a rabies shot the vet will forward the info to the county and they send you a notice if your pet is not licensed. And if you don't respond they start slapping on $100 fines. This is new. I have never had this happen until this year (I paid the license fee, especially since it's not very much and I know where it goes).

Yep. Now maditory reporting. Did you notice the new fine for not having a rabies shot?

[oldtintype]

No, what is it?

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by oldtintype

Any time your pet gets a rabies shot the vet will forward the info to the county and they send you a notice if your pet is not licensed. And if you don't respond they start slapping on $100 fines. This is new. I have never had this happen until this year (I paid the license fee, especially since it's not very much and I know where it goes).

That is good to know, thank you.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by doity

My biggest peeve is the freeway/road system. When you travel I-5 over the Marquam and you either go straight on I-5 or go east on I-84 the bottleneck(s) there are unnecessary. That goes for traffic going the opposite directions also. Generally the whole town needs a makeover as far as the freeways and interchanges. And can we please have somebody pressure wash the whole town? I mean seriously, for how clean and green Portland is supposed to be the infrastructure looks dirty and way outdated. I guess there is a certain gritty charm in a bit of that here and there but this is the 21st century people. We are supposed to be living in "the future"


Oh yeah, how about the hipsters in the tight pants.

Yeah, Portland's interchanges are a great example of poor engineering, most of them make no sense.