Who needs a bank account? Let's build cheap apartments!


I see our charming new governor is pushing for the state to drain its rainy day fund for her priorities

She’s specifically calling for at least $300 million in new spending on homelessness, in addition to the $200 million lawmakers approved earlier this year. Kotek’s also seeking $120 million for literacy programs – which she described as the minimum the state should spend as fewer than 30% of Oregon fourth graders demonstrate proficiency in reading on standardized tests. 

And she’s seeking about $80 million in additional funding for the state’s behavioral health program, including money to recruit and retain behavioral health providers. 

Kotek is also calling on legislators to use $1 billion in state bonding capacity – more than half the amount the state Treasury says the state can offer in bonds during the next two years – to build more affordable housing. Lawmakers on the Joint Transportation Committee want to commit $1 billion in bonds over the next eight years to replacing the Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River. 

It's hard to argue with spending money to fight homelessness, mental illness, and illiteracy. But for all the hundreds of millions sloshing around, not much is being spent on some big things the state really needs: two more mental hospitals (by whatever name called), another prison, and more and better-trained cops. About the only good thing I see on the governor's laundry list is money to recruit mental health experts, and $80 million won't be nearly enough, especially after that hideous state health department sucks the life out of it.

But there's a billion for crappy apartments. The politicians are all so dead set on building them. The Oregon political class has been in the pockets of the developers and construction dudes for decades, and now the tent squatter crisis the government has allowed to develop is the perfect excuse to slap up more human warehouses everywhere. 

The roots of the problem on the streets are drug addiction and mental illness. Giving the junkies a free roof over their heads isn't going to stop them from killing themselves, each other, and innocent bystanders while they're at it. All it's going to do is draw more junkies here. Blowing nine or 10 figures on apartments is a mistake that Oregonians will regret. But then again, we're used to regret around here.

Comments

  1. Teaching and requiring responsibility are probably principles that are too outdated for discussion.

    Let’s blow our savings on a pipe dreams.

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  2. the silver lining in that story is the apparent pushback she's receiving from Wagner and Steiner. Let's hope they hold the line and their PACs (or whatever) don't receive any suspiciously well-timed donations from the developer weasels' lobby.

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  3. Public schools are the worst bang for the buck around. We already spend way too much per student and the results keep getting worse. Money is not the answer.

    Totally agree that housing the "homeless" is a scam. Start with mental care and jails.

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    Replies
    1. A free public education is one of this nation's crown jewels and the institution should receive the full support of its citizens. What we've allowed to happen to them over the last three decades is shameful.

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    2. I won’t argue that there is horrible waste and mismanagement within public schools but as the parent of a special needs child, we aren’t always afforded the luxury of private options. We’ve done a great job as a society of demonizing public schools and pulling students with $$$ and resources to private and then wondering why the poor and disadvantaged who need public schools are struggling. Fortunate to live in a privileged school district (Lake Oswego) which is frankly THE PRIMARY reason we’re living here.

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    3. The public schools in Portland were good in the late '70s and early '80s, but they started to fade in the '90s, and now they're pretty bad. There are lots of reasons, but the sad fact is that they're never coming back to anywhere near what they were. Smart, well-to-do kids can get through them okay, but for everybody else there's too much risk.

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    4. You touched on this back in the Vera-Sam days, how we were neglecting kids in the name of hipsters and creatives. And lo, here we are.

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  4. It’s difficult to teach in an environment where student conduct is deliberately disruptive. I think it’s a behavior learned at home.

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    Replies
    1. You should check your kids' browser history. The answer is in there.

      I'm at a complete loss for how to fix any of it.

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    2. Just calling out adults that are masquerading as parents.

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  5. Who needs to build apartments when this new bill allowing camping anywhere was just introduced in the Oregon House -

    https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB3501/Introduced

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