What SOME Lake Oswegans want

Choice comments from the 12/01/2014 Oregonian article, Urban renewal boundary changes could benefit big names in real estate.

As you read the article and comments, think about how urban renewal plays out in Lake Oswego with LO being a small-time version of Portland.  Some Lake Oswegans, staff, elected officials and developers have similar plans for our city and are loathe to give up the urban renewal kitty - tax dollars they don't have to ask citizens to pay for.   There are a LOT more projects on the Redevelopmnt list for downtown, and if the Foothills URA is ever reconstituted... Watch out!  People's careers, influence and fortunes are at stake, and your wallet is fueling their gain.

USC NOTE:  Urban renewal is corporate welfare with crony capitalism thrown in on top.  Developers should risk their own money and pay their own way.  Where there is money and power, there will be corruption.  Can't happen here?  How would you know?

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Portland Mayor Charlie Hales and aide Gail Shibley                                                                                                                       

     

Portland Mayor Charlie Hales' year-long plan to rewire the city's urban renewal districts – aka, its sometimes-ATMs – is nearing completion.   

Brad Schmidt - The Oregonian

Comments:

Gardener Menefee:  In the absence of any capacity for reform of our inadequate, unrepresentative mode of city governance, the voters of Portland must continue to oppose the short-sighted proposals advanced by the mercenary staffs of the curious entity referred to as the City of Portland, including their elected, impulsive cheerleaders.

salanie: Those big boys have plenty of money. We could use our tax dollars for other things. 

Bojack:  "Even" Dan Saltzman?  Gee, Brad, that makes it sound as 
if he isn't already scarfing down voraciously at the public trough.  Do some homework.  Can you say "light rail and streetcars through my property"?  How about "fat Tri-Met office lease"?  As for Hales, he's always been a prostitute for the real estate tycoons; this is what they bought and paid for when they got him elected.  
Portland City Hall is a truly hopeless den of financial vipers.  Corruption, legal and illegal, at every turn.  But the voters don't ever see it.  Maybe the local mainstream media has failed to do its job?  Just a theory

Tea Tea:  I find it interesting that the "districts" are now defined on a building-by-building basis, and that somehow these names come up as interested parties.   The whole thing stinks   Some of these properties should be improved (or not improved) on their own merit without public money.  

Jay Frazier:  The headline ought to read Urban Renewal District changes will most definitely benefit big names in real estate instead. It is all a scam.

letusbe:  Tens of millions of dollars are diverted from the tax roles and used by PDC as corporate welfare. Were we to sunset the Urban Renewal Districts there would be no need for a street tax. Jordan and Goodman don't need out tax money. They have plenty of their own.