The Multnomah Villager

The same one that several hundred of you have as well. Although I must say, at least getting on Sam’s email list gets you some communication - so many “email signups” are just black holes - ironic that it’s hard to get the messages you’re interested in, but when it comes to cheap “performance enhancing” drugs…..

Apparently “they” have tallied the results of the suveys that were handed out at the recent series of neighborhood lobbying town-hall meetings about transportation funding issues. I am trying unsucessfully to restrain my inherent cynicism when Sam announces that the “results are surprising” and then lists these selections from the feedback:

• Transportation is important. Transportation ranks second to schools as Portlanders’ highest priority.
• Intersections and school crossings need to be safer. Portlanders want safer crosswalks, especially around schools and at intersections.
• New funding sources, please. Portlanders dislike overreliance on the state gas tax and strongly encourage funding diversification.
• Promote conservation. New funding sources that encourage conservation are most favored; a local gas tax is strongest followed by a “gas guzzler” tax and a fee on parking spaces.
• Be clear and accountable. While Portlanders want a full-service package, they also want transparency and accountability. Portlanders support: an independent oversight committee, buy-in from neighborhoods and neighborhood business districts, capped administrative costs, a defined list of projects, and “sunsetting” taxes and fees after 10 years.
• Get it done. Town hall attendees support more expansive funding packages than the $23 million proposal Adams presented: eliminating the maintenance backlog in ten years at $45 million annually scored highest, followed by a more comprehensive package at $70 million per anum.

Gee - if THESE results are surprising, the only surprise is that it cost something like 40K to find out that transportation is important, and school crossings should be safe. It’s this sort of thing that makes me realize that I will NEVER have the patience to work in the public sector, where so much time and energy is spent pointing out what was obviosu to everyone going into the process. Hopefully, there are some pieces of real information in the full survey results, which are here.

However, the survey was mostly an exercise in ranking taxation balances and priorities, so don’t hold your breath thinking you’re clicking to some great epiphanies. An aside: some of you may have noticed that I was quoted in the Trib right after this meeting displaying even more of this boundless enthusiasm that’s welling up in me just now. Amanda Fritz has got a much more substantial discussion on these topics at her blog, www.amandafritz.com.

Sam’s email continues:

Next, we’re forming a 48-person steering committee representing a wide range of uses and interests to focus funding options and priorities. When completed, I will present the proposals to the public at another round of seven neighborhood coalition town halls from September 10 to September 23. The soonest I envision action on this topic would be January.

So I guess we’ll wait until Fall and see where this process is taking us. Save your pennies. Sorry this turned into a bit of a rant. It’s the heat.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 10th, 2007 at 7:37 pm and is filed under Government. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.