Even Homer Williams has given up on downtown Portland
He tells KOIN what many of us have known for several years now: It's not coming back any time soon.
Meanwhile, Dud Wheeler keeps repeating the mantra that more apartments will solve everything. And the cheaper and crummier, the better.
I'm not buying it. For a couple of decades, Williams gave us nothing but apartments. And here we are with an utterly lifeless downtown.
Maybe the solution is more cops, or at least as many as we had 10 years ago.
Maybe the solution is to force the tent dwellers off the sidewalks and into a shelter, or a jail, their choice.
Maybe the solution is to stop hating on cars.
Meanwhile, the story reveals that more of Waterfront Park is about to be taken away for some sort of performing arts pavilion.
“I think we need a spark,” Mark said. “We’re working on a waterfront pavilion for concerts down at the river place right in front of your building (KOIN Tower) and mine which would be fabulous to have an amphitheater in town.”
That's news to me. News to you?
First I've heard. But, I'm not surprised. Betcha somebody'll suggest using the Arts Tax to build it.
ReplyDeleteThey won't use the Arts Tax to build it. They'll RAISE the Arts Tax to build it, then RAISE it again to fund operations.
DeleteI wonder why it’s not fashionable to help small businesses in downtown. They almost always intend to employ people for the long term. Amphitheaters are designed to be fun. Not the stable employment base for a community
ReplyDeleteI like Homer Williams more now.
ReplyDelete