PDC Coverage
Today, the Oregonian finally catches up with BlueOregon and covers City Commissioner Randy Leonard's proposal to abolish the Portland Development Commission.
The fiery former union president acknowledged his idea borders on the extreme. But Leonard said his proposal is meant to stir debate more than to eliminate the semi-independent development commission, which manages the city's 11 urban renewal areas and much of its economic development activities. "I'm not saying what I'm proposing here will be the ultimate solution," he said of his proposal to disband the agency. "But when you have a solution that's as dramatic as this, it does create some creative thought." ...
Leonard, a prolific contributor to Web-based logs, first floated his idea and fielded comments Wednesday on the local site Blue Oregon...
(Note to Oregonian copy editors: They're called "blogs." Let's not get people thinking that we've got some chopped timber over here on the internets. Note to OregonLive.com: Can you PLEASE make the printed url a clickable link. It's the net after all, learn to link.)
Read the original post by Commissioner Leonard and discuss it there.
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May 9, '05
Some folks might find this link useful too.
Randy is sticking to his point that it is a fix for PDC rather than an opportunity to expand the graft under the larger justification of jobs, jobs, jobs; for which there is seemingly no limit whatsoever to the level of aid or the business enterprises that can be grafted upon the City (used here in like manner to that of a tree trunk graft for a fruit tree top.) He, Randy, has his economics upside down.
Transfer all things related to Siltronics and such over to the PDC - - blend - - rename it a happy thing like economic development. While this might sound sane from a politician's perspective in counting up votes it is insane from an accountability enhancement perspective. He, Randy, has his goal of enhancing accountablity all mixed up.
8:06 a.m.
May 9, '05
Stumptown, Oregon, a leader in web-based logs.
8:23 a.m.
May 9, '05
That's "Little Stumptown" and you're suppoed to say it with a derisive snear on your face.
9:57 a.m.
May 9, '05
a 200 million dollar budget? What the fock are they spending THAT on? With over 700 FTE employees and an apparatus pool featuring dozens of 2-to-3 hundred thousand dollar vehicles, AND including 30mil in pension obligations that are off the general budget, Portland Fire's annual expenses are still less than 100 million. And y'know, there's that whole saved lives and property thing that we get out of it.
Maybe I'm missing something. That's not so much an operating budget as a money trough for developers, isn't it?
10:45 a.m.
May 9, '05
You are so right. One of several troughs for the favored few. Saif, Tri-Met and OHSU being among the others.
It's the "semi-autonomous" or "quasi-public" places where you'll always find the most questionable expenditures.
Go get 'em, Fireman Randy.
3:19 p.m.
May 11, '05
Note to Oregonian copy editors: They're called "blogs." Let's not get people thinking that we've got some chopped timber over here on the internets.
The "web-based log" construction doesn't strike me as any worse than Kari's objection. After all, the word "log" does have more than one meaning and the terms "web log" and "blog" do both derive from it.
Having just had a spirited discussion with the copy editor in question, wherein I argued that "web-based log" is an awkward construction that doesn't really further a web-naive user's understanding, I may be sleeping on the couch tonight.
However, I do understand the need for the Oregonian to speak to people who aren't the hip and happenin' sort who hang out here. I argued that what was needed was use of the accepted term followed by an explanation of what a "blog" is.
So we resorted to consulting the AP Stylebook, which is the usage bible for the Oregonian and many other newspapers. The copy editor wins. The Stylebook identifies the word "blog" as "jargon" and thereby recommends avoiding it. Copy editors have to have a compelling reason to change what a reporter has written, with the Stylebook advising against the use of the term "blog," no way would that change fly. It does say that if you do use it you should explain that it means "Web log" or "Web journal" so I get half a point.
The rest of you chumps just have to settle for being glad that you don't work under the constraints of mainstream journalism.