Blogtown, PDX

Friday, February 1, 2008

Politics Update on the Street Fee—Three Measures Back in Play

Posted by Amy J. Ruiz on Fri, Feb 1 at 5:47 PM

As soon as the hearing let out, I dashed over to city hall to catch Sam Adams, and find out what I’d missed all day about the street fee.

Adams says that after Leonard filed his objection to the recently passed fee ordinances, he put the other measures—the triplet version—onto next week’s agenda. Those measures don’t currently contain the compromises struck with Paul Romain and the gas stations and convenience stores he represents—compromises that cost about $75,000 a year, but save those businesses some fees—but Adams said he plans to honor his end of the bargain, and will issue a memo indicating the council’s intent to add those.

If he were to amend the triplet of measures now, that would hold them up an extra week, and Adams says he wants to get them through with enough time to put any possible referral onto the May ballot, saving the city the possible expense of a special election. “They have shown that they will do anything to prevent them,” he points out, and he wouldn’t be surprised if the triplet measure is in fact referred. Splitting it back into three, however, should save it from a single subject challenge that could hold it up, Adams says.

“I have no doubt that I can’t trust them now,” he says. “They’ve lost all credibility with me, they’ve lost all credibility in this building.”

“They went back on their commitment. In my 23 years of public service, I’ve never seen such a dishonest tactic,” Adams says, “hanging everything on an ‘s.’” He’s referring to Romain’s assertion that the oil industry lobbyist had pledged not to refer “the measures,” plural—but did launch a referral after Adams put the three back into one under “pressure from the mayor,” according to Adams. “He’s our mayor, I try to keep him happy.”

Given the mayor’s earlier request to recombine the measures into one, will he support this repeal of that single measure, and vote for the triplet? “I sent him an email today asking for his support, and haven’t heard back,” says Adams.

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Comments

Second verse, same as the first...

Adams lied about the needing 3-parts due to legal reasons, Romain lied about not funding a referral.

The OPA is guilty of being duplicitous but they answer to no one but themselves.

"Ends justify the means" nonsense from my representatives? Totally unacceptable.

Why? Because if this type of thing from elected officials is given a big ole blessing, you open the door to getting steamrolled by as part of the means.

I actually SUPPORT the street fee (but my support isn't blind devotion) and I don't like lobbyists so...I don't want my elected officials TO ACT LIKE LOBBYISTS.

How can people get their panties all in a knot when their elected representatives ignore the street naming process but think it's ok when a Commissioner misrepresents his intentions as being legally necessary and bends process and procedures at will?

If the street fee ends up on the ballot, I'll vote for it but I am having second thoughts on my choice for Mayor.

Posted by Jack | February 1, 2008 8:20 PM

Oh, my god!

...“pressure from the mayor,”... “He’s our mayor, I try to keep him happy.”...

Since when?! Trying to put this one on Potter. Potter's hands are clean. What a pathetic tactic!

This fiasco is all on Adams, and now Leonard, and it smells to high heaven. I hope the voters are paying attention. It is Adams devious behaviour that started this mess.

Posted by ABA | February 2, 2008 1:47 PM

"Adams lied about the needing 3-parts due to Having to legal reasons, Romain lied about not funding a referral." Jack

Oh really? Where is Adams lie? Isn't defense by a city commissioner of a widely accepted, city council approved funding plan against attacks from disingenuous lobbyists such as Paul Romain, a 'legal reason' for splitting the plan into three parts?

While such a move may not be an ideal one to have to resort to, under the circumstances, what would be the alternative? Play into the hands of Romain and his coalition, letting them delay and ultimately negate much, if not all of the good that is hoped will come out of the Safe, Sound and Green Streets funding plan?

Paul Romain is at best, an obstructionist. The machinations of this person do not reflect a positive concern for the health and welfare of Portland and its citizens. His delaying tactics have already cost taxpayers extra, unneccesary expense. Meanwhile, the street infrastructure is that much further from receiving needed upgrades and repair, thanks to Paul Romain and his crowd.

Posted by wsbob | February 2, 2008 8:13 PM

Adams certainly deserves credit for such a shrewd political move surrounding the street funding. The man is smooth. Notice how the Adams apologists conveniently ignore the fact that Sam Adams, among others, has presided over, in one capacity or another, the neglect and decline of this city's infrastructure for the better part of a decade. Only now, when the problem has become too severe to ignore and Mr. Adams makes a bid for mayor do we hear about how Mr. Adams will lead us out of the darkness. But it gets better...not only does Adams get to jump in and act like he wasn't part of the problem in the first place but, that bozo Romain gets involved and now the issue looks like Adams, champion of the lil' guy, taking on evil big oil with not a peep from the follow blind progressive crowd questioning how we got here in the first place. Brilliant.

Posted by frank bonema | February 2, 2008 8:55 PM

Potter's hands might be "clean," but only because he has failed to truly assist in the process of coming up with a plan to improve the quality of our streets and transportation services. Potter's hands-off approach to the city's needs makes him just as dirty as anyone else.

This is not a perfect plan, but with the current situation (which every city faces in this country), Adams has put together a very fair and necessary program.

That said, the politics are getting uglier in this town. I suspect that is largely because business people are forced to deal with the wants of the rest of the citizenry here. That's a very unusual situation for the US.

Posted by Robin Twitchell | February 3, 2008 10:37 AM

I'm pretty sure infrastructure is crumbling all over this country, not just Portland.

Two reasons I see? No one wants to pay for anything ever, and politicians are reticent to stick their necks out because we vote people out who try and make us pay. Gov't ain't perfect, but neither are us citizens.

Posted by G Schmidt | February 3, 2008 11:48 PM

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