This Week in the Mercury
Friday, March 5, 2010
News / Politics Budget: Prioritize Bikes Or Mental Health?
Posted by Matt Davis on Fri, Mar 5, 2010 at 10:04 AM
My friend and occasional golf buddy Dave Lister has a column in today's Oregonian posing a pretty smart question about whether Mayor Adams' city budget should be prioritizing bikes or mental health funding.
At the beginning of any city budget forum, the mayor is likely to open the event with a lecture explaining the "colors" of city money. Water Bureau money is blue. Transportation money is red. Parks money is green. These pots of money may not, under any circumstance, be commingled.Unless, of course, you are Portland Mayor Sam Adams. Then you have a gift for alchemy. Then you can suggest that $20 million of blue Water Bureau money might be used to jump-start a $600 million red money program for expanding the city's bicycle transportation infrastructure.
But let me ask you a question: If we're going to resort to alchemy to turn lead into gold, shouldn't that transformation be dedicated to the city's highest priorities, rather than pandering to one political constituency?
From the death of James Chasse in 2006 to the recent shooting of Aaron Campbell, one thing is apparent. Portland and Multnomah County cannot care for our mentally ill. Portland's police have become the first-responders for people in mental crisis, and the outcomes have too often been tragic.
Lister, a small business owner, ran against City Commissioner
If we're going to resort to alchemy to break the rules of the colors of money, what's more important? Striping paint on streets or providing help for the helpless and hope for the hopeless?The answer should be obvious.
So. Is it obvious, Blogtown?
Bikes, or mental health?
Update, 11:39 I should add that Paul Cone is right: Adams is talking about taking money from the Bureau of Environmental Services, not the water bureau. That'd be Leonard's bureau. He'd prefer to pilfer from Saltzman, it seems.
1
Actually, Sam has proposed taking $20 mil from the Bureau of Environmental Services -- not the Water Bureau. Two completely separate entities (that happen to send you one bill for services, via the Water Bureau's billing system, hence the confusion). BES has a bigger pot of money because they bill more (again, see your bill).
As for the question, I will opt out and only say that riding my bike makes me more sane.
As for the question, I will opt out and only say that riding my bike makes me more sane.
2
I can't even find a place to start with the entirely logic-challenged and ridiculous Lister column, but I'll start here:
1) If you're going to use a straight how-many-have-died = importance rubric, more people have died being hit on their bikes by cars than have died at the hands of police as a result of mental illness at least being a partial factor.
2) Campbell's death was a failure of police communication paired with a BORDERLINE reasonable-but-wrong decision of a cop to fire. It was NOT a failing of the community's mental health apparatus. Campbell went off the deep end THAT MORNING because his brother died, and within hours, he was screaming at the police to shoot him and threatening armed confrontations. While we can all connect the dots in hindsight, this happened in a matter of hours the actual day of the incident.
3) When you use Lister's stupid form of logic, there is never any reason to use ANY money on ANYTHING except the "most important" thing; these always go along the lines of "aren't our children's lives more important than some sewer line or pothole budget?"
The answer, of course, is "nope." We accept elevated risks in sensitive areas so that we can spend limited dollars in a way that benefits everyone as much as possible. It's annoying when otherwise intelligent people pretend they don't understand that so they can set up a (supposed) straw man, as Lister does here, to advance their pet causes.
1) If you're going to use a straight how-many-have-died = importance rubric, more people have died being hit on their bikes by cars than have died at the hands of police as a result of mental illness at least being a partial factor.
2) Campbell's death was a failure of police communication paired with a BORDERLINE reasonable-but-wrong decision of a cop to fire. It was NOT a failing of the community's mental health apparatus. Campbell went off the deep end THAT MORNING because his brother died, and within hours, he was screaming at the police to shoot him and threatening armed confrontations. While we can all connect the dots in hindsight, this happened in a matter of hours the actual day of the incident.
3) When you use Lister's stupid form of logic, there is never any reason to use ANY money on ANYTHING except the "most important" thing; these always go along the lines of "aren't our children's lives more important than some sewer line or pothole budget?"
The answer, of course, is "nope." We accept elevated risks in sensitive areas so that we can spend limited dollars in a way that benefits everyone as much as possible. It's annoying when otherwise intelligent people pretend they don't understand that so they can set up a (supposed) straw man, as Lister does here, to advance their pet causes.
4
What Colin said, pretty much.
Council (and the mayor specifically) has to set priorities. That doesn't mean they should fund just those priorities and not the ones that weren't top of the list. The question is, which will deliver most bang for the buck? That amount of money could make a big difference to making our city a better place if it's spent on bike infrastructure, with all the benefits that brings (less congestion, better for the economy, better for health and livability, etc), because it would be a huge increase over the current spending. The same amount of money would be only an incremental increase for mental care, and so wouldn't have nearly as much effect.
Council (and the mayor specifically) has to set priorities. That doesn't mean they should fund just those priorities and not the ones that weren't top of the list. The question is, which will deliver most bang for the buck? That amount of money could make a big difference to making our city a better place if it's spent on bike infrastructure, with all the benefits that brings (less congestion, better for the economy, better for health and livability, etc), because it would be a huge increase over the current spending. The same amount of money would be only an incremental increase for mental care, and so wouldn't have nearly as much effect.
5
Isn't "providing help for the helpless and hope for the hopeless" a lost cause by definition?
@CC: Point #3 hits the nail on the head. And I don't see prioritizing bikes as "pandering to one political constituency". That's like saying fixing bridges panders to the political constituency of people who drive cars.
@CC: Point #3 hits the nail on the head. And I don't see prioritizing bikes as "pandering to one political constituency". That's like saying fixing bridges panders to the political constituency of people who drive cars.
6
Why in the world are you putting up a headline emphasizing a false choice that you know doesn't exist? Oh, right, because it's easier than writing: "Budget: Prioritize Bikes or Mental Health or Sewers or Bridges or Parks or Road Maintenance or Reservoir Maintenance or Employee Salaries or Affordable Housing or Fire Trucks or Police Training?" So we continue with failed candidate Lister's straw man argument that he himself is smart enough to know is bullshit.
7
Hold on, this isn't a false choice. If Adams can take $20m from Environmental Services to do what he wants with, then he can use it to address what we want him to.
This isn't a straw man argument. It's sincere. Stop being so defensive, hipster bikers.
This isn't a straw man argument. It's sincere. Stop being so defensive, hipster bikers.
8
"3) When you use Lister's stupid form of logic, there is never any reason to use ANY money on ANYTHING except the "most important" thing; these always go along the lines of "aren't our children's lives more important than some sewer line or pothole budget?"
Where is Amanda Fritz when you need her to cry about the children and mentally ill?
CC really nailed that. You can apply this logic to lots of things. If we cry about the mentally ill, children, potholes all the fucking time nothing will ever get accomplished.
Where is Amanda Fritz when you need her to cry about the children and mentally ill?
CC really nailed that. You can apply this logic to lots of things. If we cry about the mentally ill, children, potholes all the fucking time nothing will ever get accomplished.
9
Given that it's the Bureau of Environmental Services, the idea of using towards expanding bicycle infrastructure seems a lot less arbitrary and using it for mental health a lot more so.
(Cue "environmental services not mental services" joke.)
(Cue "environmental services not mental services" joke.)
10
Lister's argument is clumsy but relevant. Finite resources require priorities and decisions. The purpose of government is to protect the individual rights of citizens - not build bike trails.
The rights of persons with mental illness, especially those who have been abandoned by the community mental health system, have been commandeered by a litany of selfish and loathsome characters over the decades.
Adams is equally clumsy in his attempt to find friends and the bike community laps it up like a friendly labrador. Foolish at best, loathsome at worst. If they position bikes ahead of services for the least fortunate, they'll lose.
The rights of persons with mental illness, especially those who have been abandoned by the community mental health system, have been commandeered by a litany of selfish and loathsome characters over the decades.
Adams is equally clumsy in his attempt to find friends and the bike community laps it up like a friendly labrador. Foolish at best, loathsome at worst. If they position bikes ahead of services for the least fortunate, they'll lose.
11
Speaking of straw men, CC, to say that mental health money would only go to some "police not shooting crazy hobos" fund is a bit thin. There's plenty of ways treating the mentally ill works out to a positive human cost. Without treatment and wandering around on the street, they can get hit by cars too, you know.
Yes, lots of bikers die in car accidents, but that is essentially the nature of riding a tiny aluminium contraption in a heard of high velocity, multi-ton drunk transporting machines. As far as I've read, the only real way to prevent deaths is to keep them separated, and I don't see a few million dollars here and there doing that.
Yes, lots of bikers die in car accidents, but that is essentially the nature of riding a tiny aluminium contraption in a heard of high velocity, multi-ton drunk transporting machines. As far as I've read, the only real way to prevent deaths is to keep them separated, and I don't see a few million dollars here and there doing that.
12
Actually, this is a classic false dilemma/choice as ElGordo made very clear. For more information on what a false dilemma is, go here:
http://rationalwiki.com/wiki/False_dilemma
And to top it off, we now have Lister's golfing buddy tossing ad hominem attacks at those who point out Lister's logical fallacy.
Yikes.
http://rationalwiki.com/wiki/False_dilemma
And to top it off, we now have Lister's golfing buddy tossing ad hominem attacks at those who point out Lister's logical fallacy.
Yikes.
13
If you want to talk budgetary alchemy, it appears that the funding and care for mental health services is provided at the county level (as Lister himself alludes to). If it's inadequate, it sounds like an issue to take up with the county's budget, not the city's.
14
tk: That (mental health services are provided at the county level) is what I thought, but I gave Lister and Davis the benefit of the doubt. When will I learn?
15
@Matt Davis: Biker yes, hipster, lord no. I will go along with your notion, though, that the BES money is not Sam's to reassign. I worked for the Bureau for a number of years while Sam was Commissioner, and he would routinely make budget decisions without consulting Bureau leadership, or make promises on specific infrastructure without any input from the engineering staff. I did read that this case, Dean Marriott was surprised to learn that Sam had already promised Bureau money to bike infrastructure without consulting him.
My main issue with this transfer of funds is that the Bureau is funded by ratepayers, not taxes collected for the general fund. If there are any savings to be found in Bureau operations, they need to go to offsetting the next annual rate hike, period. I ride a bike, I want the projects built as much as anyone, but this pot of money should not be made available for any other purpose than BES infrastructure.
My main issue with this transfer of funds is that the Bureau is funded by ratepayers, not taxes collected for the general fund. If there are any savings to be found in Bureau operations, they need to go to offsetting the next annual rate hike, period. I ride a bike, I want the projects built as much as anyone, but this pot of money should not be made available for any other purpose than BES infrastructure.
16
What ElGordo said.
And the city has funneled plenty of money into supporting the county's efforts on mental health already.
And the city has funneled plenty of money into supporting the county's efforts on mental health already.
18
There are also corollary city projects, like low income housing, that provide a direct benefit to at risk populations. Alternately, the money could be used for non-confrontational police training, which offers a direct benefit to, well, pretty much everyone at this point.
19
Apparently Mr. Davis must defend his golfing buddy's lack of logic to the bitter end. Prior anecdotes do nothing to change Lister's amateur, illogical meanderings. A false dilemma is a false dilemma. And "journalists" who engage in ad hominem attacks upon readers are something else altogether.
20
@AlsacePinot just so we're clear: "Golfing buddy" is meant as an insult, right? I just want to be absolutely sure I'm talking to a hipster.
21
It's just a statement of fact, according to your blog post. Why should it be anything more?
So, instead of admitting that you goofed on the logic front, you are now attempting another pointless diversion from your ad hominem nonsense.
So, instead of admitting that you goofed on the logic front, you are now attempting another pointless diversion from your ad hominem nonsense.
23
Government stays most transparent and on-track when budgets are segregated. BES should be receiving the money they need for their own functions. If they're getting extra that should be put back into my pocket.
Transportation and mental health should be paid for out of their own pools of money collected specifically for that purpose.
If you want better mental health care and social services the single best measure we could take would be to wind down urban renewal in Portland, and let money from those districts flow back to the county, schools, etc.
This game of moving money around always ends up somewhere ridiculous, like the proposal to use the Pearl District urban renewal funds to build a new highschool in East Portland. If you maintain integrity of your separate funds, you don't walk into such traps.
Transportation and mental health should be paid for out of their own pools of money collected specifically for that purpose.
If you want better mental health care and social services the single best measure we could take would be to wind down urban renewal in Portland, and let money from those districts flow back to the county, schools, etc.
This game of moving money around always ends up somewhere ridiculous, like the proposal to use the Pearl District urban renewal funds to build a new highschool in East Portland. If you maintain integrity of your separate funds, you don't walk into such traps.
24
@ Commenty (Commentary?) Colin
RE: “a straight how-many-have-died = importance rubric …”
In this phrase, ‘metric’ is the preferred word, CC, not rubric.
As the life and career of William F. Buckley illustrates, pomposity and bombast is unimpressive without linguistic precision and grammatical exactitude.
Try it! Or else - a thesaurus and dictionary.
BTW CC The cadence of you’re writing suggest you spit when you speak or your that intonation would be pinched and gush out in breathy bursts from a pinched throat and chest cavity.
CC Do try breathing and clench your teeth less when typing. More oxygen will flow to your brain with less excitation in the hippocampus region.
Rubric; rubical, rubrically adjective and
Rubric: noun TITLE OR HEADING (a printed title or heading, usually distinguished from the body of the text in some way, especially the heading of a section of a legal statute, originally underlined in red);
SET OF PRINTED INSTRUCTIONS (a set of printed rules or instructions, e.g. the rules governing how Christian services are to be conducted, often printed in red in a prayer book);
ESTABLISHED CUSTOM (a well-established custom or tradition that provides rules for conduct);
CATEGORY (a well-established custom or tradition that provides rules for conduct).
RE: “a straight how-many-have-died = importance rubric …”
In this phrase, ‘metric’ is the preferred word, CC, not rubric.
As the life and career of William F. Buckley illustrates, pomposity and bombast is unimpressive without linguistic precision and grammatical exactitude.
Try it! Or else - a thesaurus and dictionary.
BTW CC The cadence of you’re writing suggest you spit when you speak or your that intonation would be pinched and gush out in breathy bursts from a pinched throat and chest cavity.
CC Do try breathing and clench your teeth less when typing. More oxygen will flow to your brain with less excitation in the hippocampus region.
Rubric; rubical, rubrically adjective and
Rubric: noun TITLE OR HEADING (a printed title or heading, usually distinguished from the body of the text in some way, especially the heading of a section of a legal statute, originally underlined in red);
SET OF PRINTED INSTRUCTIONS (a set of printed rules or instructions, e.g. the rules governing how Christian services are to be conducted, often printed in red in a prayer book);
ESTABLISHED CUSTOM (a well-established custom or tradition that provides rules for conduct);
CATEGORY (a well-established custom or tradition that provides rules for conduct).
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