It's not Jimi Hendrix on the Willamette, but it's still damn good.

You know, I've worked for the City of Portland for over twenty years, just a bit longer then commissioner Sten. I cant believe he hasn't heard about our terrific dental plan!

What I can't believe how Portland is letting these politicos get away with the WalMart approach. A friend and I were talking about it the other day, after watching the movie, the High Cost of Low Price, you could say that about City Governent.

Instead of the little old retirees that WalMart dangles out front as Greeters, and their commercials about their generosity, the real numbers and facts stated in the Movie were revealing similar to those this blog has shown.

Saltzman dangles "the children" when the UR scam has taken millions in ongoing operating away from programs like headstart and social services,

Paper: Oregonian, The (Portland, OR)
Message: PORTLAND MAYOR WON'T WAVER IN URBAN RENEWAL DISPUTE
What I can't believe how Portland is letting these politicos get away with the WalMart approach. A friend and I were talking about it the other day, after watching the movie, the High Cost of Low Price, you could say that about City Governent.

Instead of the little old retirees that WalMart dangles out front as Greeters, and their commercials about their generosity, the real numbers and facts stated in the Movie were revealing similar to those this blog has shown.

Saltzman dangles "the children" when the UR scam has taken millions in ongoing operating away from programs like headstart and social services,

Paper: Oregonian, The (Portland, OR)
Message: PORTLAND MAYOR WON'T WAVER IN URBAN RENEWAL DISPUTE THE CITY WON'T MAKE UP MONEY MULTNOMAH COUNTY WILL LOSE FROM THE
DISTRICT FOR INTERSTATE MAX
Author: DAVID AUSTIN - The Oregonian
Date: July 26, 2000
Section: EAST ZONER MID COUNTY
Page: B02

Stein and her staff have complained about the Interstate plan because
the county will lose at least $90 million during 20 years. Initially
supportive, they became frustrated when the project expanded, doubling in
acreage and costing more than five times its original estimate.

Furthermore, they say, the county's mission is to take care of needy
residents while the city is supposed to handle infrastructure needs.
Although Stein supports light rail, she doesn't want to give up county
money that would go to help the needy.

Eric Sten does the same thing granting millions in tax abatements in the name of Affordable housing or Transit Oriented development, while property taxes of regular folks go up, and taxes go up on the Affordable apartment Buildings already out there. And embarks on another 10 year plan to end homelessness after the first one failed.

We never see the numbers run as many have pointed out in this blog, even those numbers required by law.

Yet the owners of Walmart and the City keep chocking up the cash, feeding us the line, and we keep paying and the poor keep suffering.

Any time you have a system, people are going to try to abuse it. And clearly that may have happened here.

Commissioner Sten provides clarity to the Clean Money flap. "Clearly that may have happened here"? Priceless.

You are clearly a master in the use of Photoshop and quick wit.

Not to forget what his campaign team leader said, "lets get out there and Win One for the Gapper!"

"""Eric Sten does the same thing granting millions in tax abatements in the name of Affordable housing""""

Sten and Potter both voted for the Alexan Tax abatement in the name of affordable housing.

The PDC lied to the commissioners in making the bogus pitch, on behalf of the developer, that the luxury apartment tower would include 48 affordable studio apartments.

Sten has proven he is incapable of detecting even the most obvious misrepresentation and is unfit to decipher the public's interest on issue after issue.

Sten's Alexan tax abatement vote, although defeated by 3 other commissioners, was soooooo bad from every angle, that it alone is a measure of his complete lack of leadership and management skills.

No one with half a brain and a simple dash through the details could have viewed that 10 year-$10 million tax abatement as anything resembling a worthy public "investment".

Especially since the bogus "affordability" of the nonaffordable 48 studios (w/o parking included) was to expire along with the ten year abatement.
Meaning the public interest was to have received absolutely nothing, at any time, in exchange for the $10 million gift to the developer Trammel Crow Residential.
Sten while placing no value in the $10 million could not recognize the nothingness it would have bought. Is that a word?

Sorry Mayor Potter, you must have been asleep when you also voted for it.

Following the 3-2 defeat the PDC's pitch man admitted the abatement was really about promoting high density.
Isn't that great? The public pays the public agency and pitch man to promote handing over the public's money to help pay for a luxury apartment tower and not a single public funded staffer from any agency repesents the public's interest.

Imagine the density required within the singularity to exert such a pull. Nothing can escape - especially common sense particles.

The width of the gap graphically represents the difference between the words spoken from the two sides of his mouth.

Looks like a Ukranian spaceship to me!

I picture Sten as Wiley Coyote. He's always building these elaborate contraptions to capture the Roadrunner.

Whatever Sten's "Roadrunner" is (Enron, oppression, the Man), he invariably ends up taking a nosedive off a cliff (usually with a boulder following him).

His supporters root for him to pick up his flattened carcass and waddle back to his cave to dream up some new idea. It doesn't matter to them that it's ultimately doomed, the entertainment value of his plucky optimism keeps them watching.

I wouldn't mind watching it so much either, if the taxpayers weren't stuck paying off his creditline to Acme Developers.

child development of morals

The cat did it.

"Imagine the density required within the singularity to exert such a pull. Nothing can escape - especially common sense particles."
Yeah, someone else who bought 'Brief History of Time' and actually read it.

When are suppoters of Sten going to wake up and realize their political train is going over a cliff, and if by some miracle he should win, Portland City government will only be four more years discredited, and the voters even more disillusioned with the activists who form the base of support for Sten. I guess political judgement is not their strong suit. How dumb is it to support a candidate who hurts your cause?

What's the name of that black hole? Farkle-555?

Hello
I would like to take this opportunity to thank every one for contacting the Oregonian regarding the first questionnaire printed as a fluff piece on a select few of all the candidates running for both City Council seats. Your support generated another questionnaire (see below) that more closely addressed what is going wrong in our town. I took the time to thoughtfully and completely respond to these questions, which made more sense than whether I drink beer or wine, and have yet to see them. I am sure the other candidates who have not received equal coverage feel as I do that it is time to see this in print. For a newspaper to cut out candidates based on monies raised or how well they are known, does not give Portland the opportunity to hear all the voices out there. As far as researching the candidates, to imply that I was not known enough to warrant coverage was ludicrous. I am well known for my work with the Columbia River Crossing Task Force regarding a third bridge over the Columbia. My community meetings regarding the controversial Lombard Plan drew over 100 concerned citizens to each meeting and resulted in a scale back of that plan. I have tirelessly worked to improve our local economy by fighting congestion and talking about how necessary family wage jobs are to keep our town functional. Please contact the Editor of the Oregonian. While this information may show up on line some day, not all our citizen's use the Internet for information regarding the candidates. Given the current climate of distrust the stories regarding the VOE is generating, Portland needs more alternatives to the status quo. The following are the numbers and people to call and email regarding equal press for all the candidates not just a select few.
Susan Gage, editor email: susangage@news.oregonian.com
Peter Bhatia (her boss) phone: (503)221-8393

This is Ryan Frank, reporter at The Oregonian. I'm writing to ask you
to complete The Oregonian's candidate questionnaire for the 2006 primary
election. Reporter Anna Griffin and I posed these same questions to the
five major candidates profiled in the March 16 inPortland section.
Please answer these questions to have your responses included in our
coverage online.

Some of you or your staff voiced concern that you weren't included to
the same extent as others in our inPortland coverage. Given the large
number of candidates for both council positions, we had to make tough
choices about who to profile. We included incumbents and challengers
with name recognition or who qualified for a taxpayer-funded campaign.
We may expand the group later to include challengers who raise
substantial money, tap a large number of donors or have strong showings
at debates. If you have questions about any of that, please call me at
503-221-8564 or Anna at 503-294-5988.

Thanks in advance for your answers. Please send us your answers by the
by noon, Thursday, March 23.

Ryan and Anna

General
? Why do you want this job?
? What do you think are the three top issues for the city in the next
four years?

Development Issues
? Should the city continue to offer tax abatements for multi-unit
housing in the urban core and urban renewal areas?
? Three central city urban-renewal districts expire in the next two
years. Do you want to extend them?
? Do you support a city subsidy for a new hotel next to the Oregon
Convention Center? If so, what should the subsidy be?
? The city has put a lot of attention and money into the Pearl and
South Waterfront districts. Other neighborhoods haven't had the same
success. Do you have any ideas on how to improve neglected parts of the
city like Cully, Lents and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard?
? Should the city proceed with construction of the aerial tram?
? What should the city do about fire station 1?
? Business leaders say they're overtaxed. Do you agree? If so, how
would you fix that?
? Do you have any concerns with the transit mall construction?
? What role should the City Council play in overseeing the Portland
Development Commission? Should the current structure be changed? What do
you see as PDC's chief mission?

Budget/City priorities
? Do you support public campaign financing? Why or why not?
? Do you support the city's efforts to purchase PGE? Why or why not?
? Would you have voted for requirements that effectively removed
Portland police officers from the Joint Terrorism Task force? Why or why
not?
? What role should the city play in school funding? Would you support a
citywide income tax? Would you support a cell phone tax?
? Should the city change its form of government? If so, to what?
? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is demanding that Portland
take more steps to fight the parasite cryptosporidium. Should the city
comply? Why or why not?
? Should the city's fire and police pension and disability system be
restructured?
? Health care costs are the biggest contributor to the city's rising
expenses at a time when revenues can't keep pace. How would you fix
that?
? Do you support public subsidies for major league sports? How would
you have responded to Paul Allen's representatives?
? Do you support continued use of city money to rent county jail beds?
? Do you support extending the parks levy when it expires in 2008?
? Is the mayor's "visioning" process a useful exercise or a waste of
time?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ryan Frank, staff reporter
The Oregonian
City Hall news bureau
Work: 503-221-8564

1320 S.W. Broadway
Portland, OR 97201
Fax: 503-294-5023

I agree, Sharon. The way the O covers-or doesn't cover- the races distorts the picture for the voters. And what has really annoyed the heck out of me over the years is how canny politicos take ideas of people who are working hard for-and are close to-ordinary citizens and run with them as their own. The Goldschmidt machine seems to be based on this-and trashing the good citizens who actually have insight and ideas. I think this is what Senator Walker may have meant when she spoke of the machine "going to war" with people. Subtle and nasty. So we just have to get smarter and better.

Did everyone see the press release Boyles put out over at Blue Oregon? Good stuff!

Imagine the density required within the singularity to exert such a pull. Nothing can escape - especially common sense particles.

Actually the incredible pressures around the event horizon cause common sense particles to decay rapidly and produce a faint glow of bogons - aka "Hocking radiation".

Imagine the density required within the singularity to exert such a pull. Nothing can escape - especially common sense particles.

Actually the incredible pressures around the event horizon cause common sense particles to decay rapidly and produce a faint glow of bogons - aka "Hocking radiation".

Isn't that region known as the "bozone"?

Methinks this thread is beginning to bog down.

There's a gap in the bozone layer.
The sky is falling!
Check your wallet!

Portland is again planning to send our money and future elsewhere with the added snub of telling one of the largest private employers in the state they don't want jobs here.

This is Unwire Portland.

VeriLAN in partnership with many +$billion companies, one of which is the third largest employer in the city, offers to

1) Pay on our dime to build the network.
2) Give $14 million to Portland Public Schools
3) Add jobs to the 3000 already at work in Portland

Instead, the city is planning something no better than your coffee shops. But, it will show lots of pop-up ads! They plan to give our tax dollars to a California startup. For Portland, it won't lead to innovation, economic development or jobs. But you can bet that 12 months from now we will be asked to pay again.

It makes no sense to import costs from other states when we can export to the nation Portland's model. Faced with all the right reasons, it is a shame that the city cannot help its own to help itself.

Clive Cook
CEO
VeriLAN, Inc.

FYI... Sten is voting against the tram. A-G-A-I-N-S-T.

I see how you folks treat your friends. .

So, how do you treat your enemies?