Save the RBG memorial!

If there's one thing Portland City Hall has more of than arrogance, it's stupidity. Remember that beautiful street art memorial to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg that I blogged about three weeks ago, here? Well, the city bureaucrats have reportedly ordered it destroyed.

That's so horrendous that it takes one's breath away. Here you have a gorgeous work of art, an instant icon, destined to become a much-visited, inspirational, hallowed place. But hey, some smarter-than-you bureaucrat, probably fresh out of an urban planner mill somewhere, didn't get paid for a permit or something, and so apparently it's got to go.

It's not a busy intersection. There's little traffic there. And there are dozens of other street murals around town, although few, if any, are this good. There is no sound reason on earth to remove or alter this work.

I've seen a lot of bad local government in my 40-plus years in this town, but this would be a new low.

So what can you do? Well, the first thing is to call City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly, who's nominally in charge of the hideous "transportation" bureau that's responsible for any removal order. (The people in that bureau see their mission as making travel in a private automobile impossible, but that's a post for another day.) Eudaly's up for re-election, and trailing badly in the polls. Her phone number is 503-823-4682. 

You might also call F. Ted Wheeler, the mayor, whose political career has also been veering toward the ditch. His phone number is 503-823-4120.

Tell them both that the RBG memorial at NE 27th and Bryce needs to be honored, not destroyed. Whatever it takes to save it, they need to do it. Add (if it's true) that you'd like to see some action on this before you vote.

If you want to talk to the bureaucrats, you can call 503-823-1052. But be sure to take any blood pressure medication you're on, before you get an earful of what those people have to offer. They have no soul whatsoever.