Felony Heights - a 360 View From East of 205, 40 Years After Annexation Into Portland

Riffing and growing from the recent Willamette Week article about how City leaders view SE 127th Ave and Mill, here's a new look at how residents out here view City priorities - bass-ackwards. Read on: 

Typical east of 205 street, showing Portland's 30 years of care

Its time for this city and its Council to step up and DO better. Sidewalks all the way to David Douglas HS and all the way along Division to Gresham would be a good start. So would grading all dirt streets and at least adding tarred gravel. Maybe oh, proper parks lighting in the area? Water fountains in our parks that actually work? Gosh, what about cleaning out street nuisances (like the broken down RVs on Mill Ct)? What about deep discounts on 40K mandatory sewer hookups (what about actually finishing laying sewer pipe east of 82nd)?

What about after-school programs and extended Midland Library hours? Frequent bus service on 122nd? Turning parking lanes on east of 205 arterials into carpool/bus only lanes at rush hour? Maybe just timing stoplights?

This resident of "Portland's stinkhole" (as City Hall seems to view it) is gonna speak out, and speak up. May not change anything with our all-powerful city commissioners, but its been far too long that City Hall has pretended that east of 82nd doesn't matter in the "City That Works". If y'all were so eager under Mayor Ivancie to swallow up Mid-County (the former name for East Portland before the city was forced to annex it in 1985) then why aren't you eager to lend a helping hand?

Mid County annexation area, to Portland in 1985. Gresham took everything east of 162nd (Rockwood).

Fact: East Portland (east of 205) provides a FIFTH of the city's tax revenue, roughly. We get 8% or so of the city's budget in return. Apparently adding bike boxes and putting roads on "diets" for condo fungi (inner Division anyone?) and cutesying up the Esplanades is a much higher priority. Oh, also making sure the Pearl doesn't smell like a rotting oyster. 

Vera Katz, showing happy glee at her "sustainable wonderland" bread and circus

It amazes me that we, as citizens of the Rose City, continue to put up with a city government that spends our dollars wastefully to make only PART of our city a "sustainable" wonderland. It amazes me that there are no Commissioners who live east of Mount Tabor - and that 4 of 5 councilmembers live WEST of Willamette. It amazes me that we have the largest percentage of dirt roads of any major city in the US. It boggles me that we spend millions of dollars encouraging industry to settle here, then refuse to provide proper transit and road connections to it for people to get to their jobs. It absolutely flabbergasts me that this city went ahead and rebuilt Sellwood Bridge, rather than taking Clackamas County to court to get Lake Oswego to pay its fair share. It absolutely floors me that we only have beds for less than half our homeless, and that we put up with allowing those living outdoors to set up tents wherever they may please - and that we don't give them options other than spreading Honey Buckets here, there, and everywhere. I'm not sure why a city as apparently wealthy and "sustainable" as Portland since the Vera Katz "miracle" can't even make sure its poorest receive a minimum stipend (like SF does) or pass an income tax on the wealthiest to pay for these things. 

Honey Buckets - how Portland city leaders address residents' sanitary needs at public parks

In the meantime, City Hall blows money on the Portland Building (dynamite it, move city offices to abandoned warehouse buildings in Central Eastside Industrial District perhaps, and resell the block to developers), argues over opening up taxis to anyone who wants to operate one, bickers over fluoridated water, spends oodles of dollars lighting up the Willamette bridges, puts Division and East Burnside on "road diets" (Foster is next), and makes sure streets that lack pavement at least have overpriced "bioswales" (rather than laying proper stormwater drain pipe). I'm sorry, I just don't get it, Commissioners. If y'all wanted Mid County so bad, why'd you turn your backs on east of 205 after the fact? Or are you relying on those who can least afford it (and don't squawk at you publicly) to support your sustainable dream by the Willamette?

This is no longer the city John Couch built, nor even the city that Neil Goldschmidt rebuilt. This isn't even Sam Adams' lullaby dream town anymore. This is painful to watch City Hall, and its West Hills crowd, galavant around on East Portland's dime, while telling us we've never had it so good. 

Fair Portlandia, being held hostage by Kremlin-esque priorities perhaps?

I think its time for a sea change, hence The View From Felony Heights. I think its high time East Portland made its own destiny as a city in its own right, and remove our hard earned tax dollars from Commissioners' clutches. At the very least, a reformed City Charter, ensuring Mid-County represents and has a say where our money goes (electing nine council members by district?) is long overdue. Its clear, given Salem's rejection of a petition from us East Portlanders to form our own city (see link for text) and their reasoning (not allowed under City charter or State constitution), that reform and equity for Mid-County wont happen from the top down. 

Perhaps fortunately, us east of 205 people will have to work with other underserved city 'hoods to completely reform the City that doesn't WORK in order to have equal voice at the table - and reaching out to Saint Johns (for instance), Cully, Foster/Woodstock, Albina/Piedmont, and Far Southwest 'hoods is a good thing - we CAN change the City Charter from within, and we should (electing nine councilmembers by district, with an at large mayor separate from Council, and giving professionals in their departments full authority over their concerns, rather than stepping in like the "Nanny", is a good start). After all, 127th and Mill isn't the only dirt road in town, and its clear that Commissioner Novick's fancy dance "roads plan" (whatever that fish may be) isn't gonna pave them any time soon, since its monies are going to smooth out arterial potholes (numerous, granted) and put said arterials on "diets" (cause a two laned Foster Road from 122nd on in is gonna work real well at rush hour, and a two laned Lombard all the way through North Portland is a must have). Even a voter initiative to ensure City funds are dedicated to infrastructure and social services first could help. Or an initiative to ensure that monies collected return to their respective city areas in the same amounts - instead of plumping touristy hodgepodge and environmentally splendid showplaces. 

At the very least, we voters could pass a levy on ourselves to fix the Columbia levees (a 900M price tag being forced on the City by the feds, to prevent flooding). Its clear City Commissioners aren't touching that with a ten foot pole. Maybe a tax on the wealthiest to pay for essential social services to the poorest of the city poor - including a minimum stipend per month, and a vast shelter bed/transitional housing expansion, since City Hall can't be bothered to help out our vast new citywide tent Hooverville. 

The original Portland Hooverville, currently being recreated along I84 through town

Mayor Hales, you can't just refuse to eat what Mayor Ivancie and the City Commissioners of 1985 put on Portland's plate. Think of all the starving children in Mill Park, and put your walk where your talk seems startled to be. Slavery to west of Tabor "sustainable" wonderland is hardly a solid basis to run our city on. 

Mayor Ivancie's dead duck dreams for Portland residents, he lost the election that year (85)

I hope, in starting this blog, that the citizens of Portland finally wake up, smell the coffee, and start fighting back and speaking up - just like folks in Vancouver (right north of the river) did when government folks started messing up. Even if nothing changes, its the bearing witness to a City Hall hell bent on draining Mid County dry that counts. 

Next post: sidewalks, give us sidewalks!