Sunday, February 26, 2012
INSUFFERABLE PORTLAND
The same year Portland began implementing its urban growth boundary,
Neil Goldschmidt became mayor. Goldschmidt quickly recognized that the
land-use-transportation connection could be exploited to political ends,
and this insight would make him the state’s largest powerbroker for
decades to come.
In 1974, Goldschmidt canceled a major interstate freeway project before it broke ground. Aside from the usual gripes about a freeway reducing nearby property values, Congress had just passed a law allowing federal highway funds to be used on capital improvement for public transportation. More public transportation looked like a good way of helping Portland stay within its urban growth boundary.
The problem was that the feds had allocated so much for the highway project that the city couldn’t possibly absorb it all in buses. Goldschmidt had to find an irrationally expensive new mode of public transportation, and thus began liberal America’s love affair with “light rail.” And light rail had another advantage over buses, namely that the laying of tracks and the placement of stations allowed Goldschmidt even more power to manipulate land use, making him a kingmaker among developers. Naturally, Goldschmidt’s pioneering of a public works project distinguished by its exorbitant cost earned him a job as Jimmy Carter’s secretary of transportation.
Vaunted though it might be, Portland’s light rail system hasn’t been the success its planners hoped. It’s called “light” rail not because the trains are less heavy, but because it’s more lightly used by the public than, say, New York’s subway or Washington, D.C.’s Metro. Over the course of the 1980s, the city’s first light rail line was finally completed, and the percentage of Portlanders using public transportation declined.
READ THIS FASCINATING ARTICLE HERE
In 1974, Goldschmidt canceled a major interstate freeway project before it broke ground. Aside from the usual gripes about a freeway reducing nearby property values, Congress had just passed a law allowing federal highway funds to be used on capital improvement for public transportation. More public transportation looked like a good way of helping Portland stay within its urban growth boundary.
The problem was that the feds had allocated so much for the highway project that the city couldn’t possibly absorb it all in buses. Goldschmidt had to find an irrationally expensive new mode of public transportation, and thus began liberal America’s love affair with “light rail.” And light rail had another advantage over buses, namely that the laying of tracks and the placement of stations allowed Goldschmidt even more power to manipulate land use, making him a kingmaker among developers. Naturally, Goldschmidt’s pioneering of a public works project distinguished by its exorbitant cost earned him a job as Jimmy Carter’s secretary of transportation.
Vaunted though it might be, Portland’s light rail system hasn’t been the success its planners hoped. It’s called “light” rail not because the trains are less heavy, but because it’s more lightly used by the public than, say, New York’s subway or Washington, D.C.’s Metro. Over the course of the 1980s, the city’s first light rail line was finally completed, and the percentage of Portlanders using public transportation declined.
READ THIS FASCINATING ARTICLE HERE
Ever notice?
How there is NEVER any follow up to any questions that the board or anybody brings up at one of these board meetings.
Neil will always agree to do some follow up, or send somebody to do followup, but then the issue is never heard from again.
The TriMet board meetings are clearly a stage show, something that is done because they are required to go through the motions.
Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.
Neil will always agree to do some follow up, or send somebody to do followup, but then the issue is never heard from again.
The TriMet board meetings are clearly a stage show, something that is done because they are required to go through the motions.
Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.
Albert Einstein
Unions, not manufacturing, key to economic revival
If there's a single reason the median wage has dropped dramatically for
non-college workers over the past 3 1/2 decades, it's the decline of
unions. In the 1950s, more than a third of American workers were
represented by a union. Now, fewer than 7 percent of private-sector
workers have a union behind them.
In context: What a bus driver's day looks like
CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL
It's frustrating that for the duration of the transit strike, now in its 24th day, we---the public---are left hearing competing versions of the scheduling and overtime issues that are at the heart of conflict, but haven't been provided with much information beyond talking points.
Fortunately, yesterday a bus driver gave me the actual scheduling documents used to assign shifts, called the "run cut," and the proposed documents that the city wants to use. I don't know why neither the city nor the union made these documents public before, but now people can look at the documents and form their own conclusions.
It's frustrating that for the duration of the transit strike, now in its 24th day, we---the public---are left hearing competing versions of the scheduling and overtime issues that are at the heart of conflict, but haven't been provided with much information beyond talking points.
Fortunately, yesterday a bus driver gave me the actual scheduling documents used to assign shifts, called the "run cut," and the proposed documents that the city wants to use. I don't know why neither the city nor the union made these documents public before, but now people can look at the documents and form their own conclusions.
NAZI COMMENT UNFOUNDED?
I've gotten some criticism from people about my Nazi comment when talking about Macfarlanes latest speech.
I admit it's extremist, but Hitler did declare war on unions and on MAY 2, 1933 he did abolish all labor unions.
I don't think its much of a reach to see that Macfarlane's end goal maybe the destruction of ATU 757.
But Macfarlanes technique of PROPAGANDIZING the dispute with the union is not that much different from Hitler making a speech looking for scapegoats. I thought MACFARLANE'S speech was brutal and unfounded.
Sure its extreme, Macfarlane is obviously not Hitler, but his propagandizing is very similar to historic events.
I admit it's extremist, but Hitler did declare war on unions and on MAY 2, 1933 he did abolish all labor unions.
I don't think its much of a reach to see that Macfarlane's end goal maybe the destruction of ATU 757.
But Macfarlanes technique of PROPAGANDIZING the dispute with the union is not that much different from Hitler making a speech looking for scapegoats. I thought MACFARLANE'S speech was brutal and unfounded.
Sure its extreme, Macfarlane is obviously not Hitler, but his propagandizing is very similar to historic events.
BEST COMMENTS FROM COVERAGE OF NEIL MACFARLANES HATE SPEECH
Despite a propaganda campaign who's viciousness is worthy of Nazi Germany, Macfarlane is not living in dumbfuck America. Most Portlander's have an education that enables them to see above Macfarlanes gambit of using the unionized workers as scapegoats for management bungling. Of course there are the usual anti union baters, who will never be happy until all American workers are living at the Standard of the Chinese workers, but the majority of Portlander's see right through that nonsense. The following are some of the COMMENTS from the Joe Rose Oregonian article. The Oregonian by the way is rabid anti union.
PORTLAND FALLS APART WHILE THEY BUILD STREETCARS
It won't be quick enough to see the end of the Sam Adams tenure in this city.
Why can't Portland repave its rutted roads? | OregonLive.com
Why can't Portland repave its rutted roads? | OregonLive.com
Jack Bogdanski commentary
Tri-Met brass: It's all the union's fault
The head of Portland's insolvent transit agency has taken to badmouthing his employees' unions these days. But he can't seem to make that the speech without a "planning" consultant from CH2M Hill next to him. Ah, those consultants -- who make the millions setting up money-burning rail projects like the insane WES train and the equally nutty Mystery Train to Milwaukie. Yes, the unions have overreached in recent years, but when Tri-Met ends up in bankruptcy and the workers get maneuvered out of their pensions, you won't see CH2M Hill giving back any money.
Tri-Met brass: It's all the union's fault (Jack Bog's Blog)
The head of Portland's insolvent transit agency has taken to badmouthing his employees' unions these days. But he can't seem to make that the speech without a "planning" consultant from CH2M Hill next to him. Ah, those consultants -- who make the millions setting up money-burning rail projects like the insane WES train and the equally nutty Mystery Train to Milwaukie. Yes, the unions have overreached in recent years, but when Tri-Met ends up in bankruptcy and the workers get maneuvered out of their pensions, you won't see CH2M Hill giving back any money.
Tri-Met brass: It's all the union's fault (Jack Bog's Blog)
The O on Tri-Met: "All is well"
Rah rah, siss boom bah, here's how Portland's newspaper "covers" its dying transit system. The headline writers over there must start drinking at breakfast. "With WES leading the way" -- yes, one of the biggest transit flops in history is certainly a fitting image for Tri-Met these days. The subsidy per boarding ride on that thing is $15. But hey, they make it up in volume.
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