Loo? Ewww!
I remember when the City of Portland, along with some contractor, came up with the idea and design for the sidewalk toilets known as the "Portland Loo." It was something like 15 years ago. Then-city councilman "Admiral" Randy Leonard was the alleged brains behind it. As I recall, they got a patent, and his name was listed as the inventor. Ah yes, the glory days of the Sam Rand Twins.
Anyway, the story at the time was that these aluminum outhouses were so innovative that they would soon sweep the world, bringing in so much money that City Hall might not be able to count it all.
It didn't work out that way, of course. They have sold several dozen of them to other places – maybe two to four a year, if I'm counting correctly – but nobody's all that impressed. They're expensive to install, and once in place, they're particularly convenient for drug addicts. I remember that the Portland police, back in the day when we still had cops in patrol cars, called them "Randy's crack houses." In contrast, these days, when it's perfectly legal to use hard drugs on the street, the whole downtown is a drug den, with no real need to smoke your fetty behind closed doors.
Anyway, one of the selling points of the Loo – read all about it on its blog! – was that it was easy to clean, and so it wouldn't get too gross and disgusting. But that's in a normal city. Here in Portland, the cleaning got assigned to the feckless parks bureau, which despite a budget of well over a half billion dollars a year, refuses to do basic maintenance any more. And so now the Loos around town are so nasty that they're a health hazard. If you don't like it, you'll need to vote yourself a property tax increase to get it fixed.
So many basic functions of civilization are no longer being performed by Portland City Hall, despite the obscene explosion of local taxes that is driving people and businesses away in droves. Where in heaven's name is all the money going?
I have never used a Portland Loo. Maybe I will somewhere, someday. But I wouldn't be caught dead anywhere near one here in the city of its birth.
Where is the money going? To retirement benefits, mostly.
ReplyDeletePublic employee unions a particularly proud of this accomplishment.
DeleteThe “sh*ty” of Portland lives up to its name
ReplyDeleteThere are a couple on the Vancouver waterfront that always seem to be clean and nice if you want to check one out. They are actually quite nice and well designed when not being trashed or used by homeless to do drugs/camp out.
ReplyDeleteThe money for the new contract to clean them comes from the Parks Bureau budget, the same budget that doesn’t have the money to replace the turf at Grant HS.
ReplyDeleteRandy was an arrogant disaster for Portland. Another terrible city council member
ReplyDeleteHe looks good compared to several who have followed.
DeleteWould anyone, in good conscience, recommend downtown Portland and the neighborhoods within walking distance to friends with young family members as a place to stay in a hotel and walk around while taking in the sights? It’s increasingly difficult to remember the days when we did so without hesitation, when public areas were treated with respect and decency. The line “Portland’s problems reflect a nationwide problem” is easily dispelled with a trip out of town.
ReplyDeletePortland public toilets are conveniently hidden sites for crusty dope-addicts to take drugs, and gay men to engage in anonymous disease-spreading homosexual hijinks. Criminals and deviants ruin public amenities meant for decent people. That is why we cannot have nice city parks, public transportation, or public restrooms. They quickly turn into vectors of vice, drugs, disease, and other social pathologies.
ReplyDeleteThe City that Works (you over). Want basic services? Vote for the new fleecing.
ReplyDelete