It’s budget season for local governments in Oregon. Budgets may sound boring. In reality, they are the best demonstration of what politicians truly prioritize. Forget the campaign promises and the press releases. The budget is where the action is. This year, there is a line item tucked into the City of Portland budget for Prosper […]
Over the last decade, while three quadrants—Northeast, Northwest, and Southeast–of the City of Portland became sorely inflicted with the scourge of homelessness, Southwest Portland, particularly the Far Southwest districts, remained largely immune. That is changing. A particularly debased encampment has sprung up under the SW Barbur Blvd. overpass at the Multnomah Village exit. Lodged on […]
The Tigard City Council is going through the motions of adopting a new land use plan for the 827-acre area known as the Washington Square Regional Center. When adopted, it will replace the existing plan, which was approved in 1999. If you were not aware that there was a “regional plan” for the Washington Square […]
Pittock Mansion has one of the most beautiful, expansive views in the city, overlooking Portland’s skyline from 1,000 feet up. On a clear day, panoramic vistas of five Cascade Mountains: Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, Mount Rainier, and Mount Jefferson can be seen. The original Pittock estate was comprised of 46 acres of […]
Should governments use taxpayer dollars to support select companies of their choice? The recent closure of SolarWorld’s Portland area solar panel factory and the failure of the government-backed SoloPower Systems show why public dollars shouldn’t be spent to subsidize private firms. SolarWorld opened the nation’s largest solar panel factory in Hillsboro in 2008.[1] It was […]
Shelter space can be used effectively by tracking and reporting vacancies If a homeless person asks you to find them shelter space, could you do it? It’s harder than you think. That’s because Portland lacks a key piece of a shelter system. No one knows which shelters have space or how much space is available. […]
Winter is coming to Oregon, and it might be a rough one. As if the pandemic, riots, and a recession weren’t enough, the Northwest is looking at La Niña weather conditions that will bring us a cold, wet winter. While most of us will tough it out in our warm homes, thousands of unsheltered homeless […]