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Originally Posted by Encolpius
Again, her portfolio is Parks
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Last time I checked, she also gets to vote on things that aren't parks. And, quite frankly, unless the woman has no conscience at all... unless she is so greedy and cold hearted that the only part of Portland she cares about are parks, not even people, just parks... if she found a way to raise half a billion dollars of additional revenue over 20 years (she did) she should have passed the idea on to someone else in city council rather than use the money on parks.
There is absolutely no way to convince me that parks is where that additional money should be going right now. There is absolutely no way to convince me that if the city can find an additional half billion dollars of additional revenue over a 20 year period, the money should be going to parks.
Yes, increasing population means increasing needs for parks, but increasing population already means increasing revenue for parks through fees.
Frankly, I don't think now is the time to be substantially jacking up fees on developers, but if that's what the city is going to do, the additional revenue should NOT be going to PARKS. Not when we have a housing crisis. Not when we have a homeless crisis so bad that we're asking neighborhoods to find space for homeless camps! PARKS? There is absolutely positively no reason she couldn't have passed the idea for raising additional revenue on to someone else on city council to make sure the money is spent in ways that meet Portland's most urgent needs. But... no. Parks. She wants half a BILLION dollars of additional revenue -- additional revenue -- for parks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Encolpius
As for bemoaning her fight against height increases, can you even name any highrise projects within the last couple decades that contained primarily affordable housing? What have 500-ft towers of luxury condos got to do with housing Portland's homeless?
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As I said, that's a separate issue. But if Portland is not going to grow outward, it needs to grow upward. I'm glad we're not expanding our urban growth boundary. I support increasing height, regardless of whether it's for housing or offices.