Ryan takes hostages


Two years and change into his tenure at City Hall, city commissioner Dandy Dan Ryan doesn't have a lot to show for it. He was supposed to get some managed camps going and get some of the tent squatters off the streets. As far as I can tell, they're still in the yakety-yak stage on that. 

Now he's taken over the parks bureau from Chainsaw Rubio, and as his first act, he's having the lighting in some of the parks taken down. Some of the old light poles are unstable, and they're supposedly afraid one of them might fall on somebody. So they're removing them all, and not replacing them for a year or more because golly, we have no money for that.

Just what a city needs in the midst of a drug crisis and accompanying crime wave – parks with no lights. The usual impeccable Portland City Hall timing.

Of course, their real timing on this is to soften up the public for a property tax increase for basic park maintenance. The bobbleheads in the state legislature are busy creating a new Portland parks taxing district, and voters here will be asked soon to increase everybody's taxes (and therefore rents) to pay for the basics of having parks. And of course, it will pass. "It's for the children!"

In the meantime, don't even think of going in the park at night. Shame on Ryan. 

Comments

  1. Sounds like "ready....shoot.....aim!" to me, with no assurances that Parks& Rec will ever be adequately funded to replace the lights. Keep checking that capital "F" box.....another epic FAIL for the City of Jerks.

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  2. The City that Grifts! Another make work project to justify their insane salaries and pensions.

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  3. I had the same thoughts when I read this. It is frustrating that the reporting takes it at face value. They note potential liability as driving the city, but don't even ask if the city would have exposure in a lawsuit from crime victims or express any real concern about safety. I guess if you are out after dark in Portland be prepared.

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  4. I wouldn't want to walk in any of our parks during the day anymore. I live within walking distance of Laurelhurst and Tabor and it's just too damn depressing. I have my memories.

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  5. As homeowners, we all know we would remove our front porch lights, knowing that we had nothing to replace them.

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  6. Makes sense to remove lights in a park. That’ll keep the intelligent human species from being there in the dark.

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