Sam Decides to Stay

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by PeacePlease

I think everyone deserves a second chance. So I changed my mind. I'm glad he decided to keep going.

He's already had his second chance with me. The story came out, but then came up with the story about he was just "mentoring" the kid. The next day, he admitted that wasn't true, either.

He couldn't even tell the truth when admitting the lie he was caught in.

Read the City Ethics Code. I'm not sure there's any point there that he hasn't broken.

[jackmackeral]

Remember police chief Penny Harrington? Google her.

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by jackmackeral

Remember police chief Penny Harrington? Google her.

Of course I do. I've been around a long, long time.

I just fail to see what she has to do with my (or anyone's) opinion of Sam Adams.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Chief Penny Harrington?
Wasn't that back in the 80's?

[Smiled]

Is this the post where all the folks with teabags stapled to their baseball caps hang out?

[khyron]

Originally Posted by Smiled

Is this the post where all the folks with teabags stapled to their baseball caps hang out?

...from 01-27-2009, 01:07 PM to Yesterday, 12:43 PM?

Yeah the reaction time looks about right.

[Smiled]

I want Sam et.al. to PAVE PORTLAND'S STREETS.
I don't live in town any more, but if I did, my platform is:

1. No unpaved streets - stop the promises and poormouthing. If people don't want to form LIDs, meet them halfway; attach the bill to their house title to be satisfied at sale, if you want.
2. Cops out of their cars and walking beats. Southeast should be as safe as northwest.

No bike lanes, bridges, college scholarships etc. until #1 and 2 are DONE.
Willy Week has a nice discussion on the paving bit.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Originally Posted by Smiled

I want Sam et.al. to PAVE PORTLAND'S STREETS.
I don't live in town any more, but if I did, my platform is:

1. No unpaved streets - stop the promises and poormouthing. If people don't want to form LIDs, meet them halfway; attach the bill to their house title to be satisfied at sale, if you want.

No bike lanes, bridges, college scholarships etc. until #1 and 2 are DONE.
Willy Week has a nice discussion on the paving bit.

As a person who has lived right next to one of these unpaved streets very close to "Lake Carlton", I totally agree.

BUT.........................Despite all the hollow campaign promises...........The other side of the story:

The city has tried for years to get these streets paved by having the homeowners foot the bill.
But because of the huge initial cost, extra for curbs, sidewalks, driveways, and future maintenance fees, homeowners in my neighborhood (Woodstock) have always turned the city's offers down.
The city finally gave up, and every couple years, some well meaning do-gooder resident, new to the hood, trying to "help", has tried to get a LID going.
Everything goes well until the estimated cost is revealed, then there are gasps and the whole thing falls apart.
Every single time.
This has happened about four of five times.

Everybody (except for the renters that won't actually foot the bill) leaves muttering about high property taxes, high utilitiy bills, high "hidden" taxes and fees, and wonders why all the money paid to the city in the form of taxes and fees is not used for essential things like improving roads and schools and things like that instead of non essential things like streetcars, trams, bike lanes, freebies for downtown developers etc.

The general consensus is that Portland can not manage itself well, is putting the icing on the cake before it's done cooking, and SE Portland is nothing more than a red headed stepchild.

Three years ago, my share (50 foot frontage) of paving ONE BLOCK of dirt road was $36,000.
I wonder what it would be now--probably double that.
Needless to say, I declined. So did most people attending the meeting.
Cost was the first question that was asked.
The city and the LID organizers had three rah rah "build up the fervor" meetings before the estimated (on the low side) cost was revealed.
Four people out of a previously standing room only crowd attended the fourth meeting at the Library.

Have the streets paved with the huge property tax bills Portlanders pay every year.
By the way, if the new school measure passes, my property taxes will go up $909 to a estimated grand total of just under $5000.
FIVE THOUSAND dollars year in city property taxes alone and the city expects me to pay out of pocket to pave a city street.

Yeah Right.

Smiled, if the streets bug you so much, go ahead and pay for them yourself. Leave me out of it.
I guess if the money isn't coming out of your pocket, then it's OK, right?
Please don't tell ME how you think MY money should be spent when you have no stake in it at all.
How would you like a 36k lien slapped on a property you own?
And then having to pay for any street maintenance or problems down the road?
Oh yeah, the city is nice enough to set up a monthly payment plan too.

Google Jack Bog's Blog for some interesting discussion on Portland city government.

And by the way, your teabagger comments are furthering the (true) Portland stereotype of people here being tolerant, diverse and accepting until other people disagree with their viewpoint.
They weren't needed.