Get Ready For A New Tax (Portland, Molalla: transplants, sales, 2014)

[Steve Pickering]

Originally Posted by WaikikiBoy

It has always been called a tax. Until recently when they decided they didn't want a public vote. Then they changed it to a fee, which they will add to the water bill for collection.

That is what I thought

[KJoe11]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

Fees are the new TAX. No vote of the people and can be set at any level. Watch who you vote for.

Now this is funny and a little sad. There is only one political party in the city of Portland. The media and other factions refuse to have it any other way.

[Steve Pickering]

Originally Posted by KJoe11

Now this is funny and a little sad. There is only one political party in the city of Portland. The media and other factions refuse to have it any other way.

That is not true.

[VTHokieFan]

Originally Posted by WaikikiBoy

I recently read about the new tax being proposed and pushed by the City Council. It is being masked as a "Fee" to avoid a public vote and will like pass the city council next week.

It will start with a new $6.00/month. The second yr it goes up to $9.00/month. The third yr it goes up to $12/month. The "fee" will be added to your water bill. There is no cap. And there is no end.

The money would be used to hire 25 more city employees. The balance would be used as 10% for sidewalk improvements. 40% for bike lanes. 50% for roads.

If this were to go to the ballot, would you support it? And do you think Portland has high taxes already, low taxes or just right?

I love taxes and hope more get levied.

[bler144]

I imagine they're lumping it into the water bill as those bills are already so high that some people won't even notice the tax lumped in.

Unless there are details the media just hasn't shared, from what I've seen Novick is a long way from actually having a plan that's 'shovel ready.' While I think there are a few good ideas in there (retro-fitting a bridge or two for seismic stability) it's not clear this is good enough to vote on.

It should also at least be designed to sunset, since as best I can tell all the bulk of what he's proposed for this tax are one-time projects rather than ongoing maintenance.

[Nell Plotts]

I don't trust them....

[pdxMIKEpdx]

What do you want to bet that the neighborhood streets that really need fixing won't get fixed?
For example the famous unpaved streets of the Woodstock neighborhood among others?

It will be the high visibility main streets, using big-time contractors who have connections with city hall that get spiffed up...
Cronyism is a long standing Portland political tradition.

Your neighborhood streets will remain untouched, cracked, full of potholes, and neglected.
If you complain, city hall will guide you to their programs where you and your neighbors foot the bill and they get all the glory.

One of these days, Portland may get a city government that the citizens can trust, but I don't see that happening soon.




On the flip side what typically happens, is that the Portland residents grumble and complain, but at the last minute fold and bend over.

Novick had the audacity to say that they are going to do it no matter what the citizens think, and if they don't like it, the citizens can vote them out next election time.

He knows full well what short memories the people of Portland have, how politically apathetic they are, and how a little bit of fancy politikin' come election time erases all the bad memories.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

I also firmly believe that the Memorial Day Weekend E. Coli scare was a smokescreen to deflect any bad publicity from Hales and the council.

It just seemed that in the end, it was a big to-do over nothing, had perfect timing, and was too convenient.

It seems like other than this thread, nobody is talking about it seriously anymore, and I believe it has been handled "Portland Style".

[Steve Pickering]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

... ...

It seems like other than this thread, nobody is talking about it seriously anymore, and I believe it has been handled "Portland Style".

Kinda like they do in Chicago huh?

[Nell Plotts]

I could not believe the wishy-washy column in the Oregonian this weekend about this 'fee'. I would love to see a well written critique of this action by folks in the know.