I notice the Oregonian in it recent editorial lamented PPS's perpetual failure to itemize and realistically prioritize, yet endorsed the bond anyway. Its attitude was PPS is incompetent, but hey, it's for the kids.
That’s it. And I might agree if there was something on the line here. If we were preventing closures or layoffs. We aren’t. This should go back to the kitchen.
Two things to anyone voting on blind emotion: (1) PPS said to Willamette Week they'll start rebuilding Jefferson even if the bond doesn't pass, and (2) A No vote simply forces PPS to come back with a coherent plan that actually listens to the public
Good piece...says much that needs saying about the psychology of Portland politics.
How this happened would make a helluva PhD dissertation (not that anyone at PSU would chance it).
Partly it's because more Portland voters are disengaged from the schools--they aren't forming families, don't have kids, don't live in single-family homes that get a yearly property tax bill, don't spend time doing their citizen-homework, and moved to Portland for reasons that had nothing to do with economic cost/benefit calculations.
Olde Portland is dying out--and high-earners (who tend to be active) are heading for the exits. You look at the people on the slightly right-of-center groups springing up and you'd be impressed by their lack of clout, pedigree, or smarts.
Kudos to Max for pointing much of this out. As they say: culture is upstream from politics.
It is neither ridiculous nor outrageous to ask that the PPS board, city, and county quantify and identify what it is exactly they are doing with the excessive amount of money the taxpayers are providing them year after year.
At what point are we going to agree that basic fiscal responsibility means taking care of the core mission (school aged children's ability to get a basic education) instead of continually kicking the can down the road to funnel their budgets into special projects?
If we have elementary to high school age students in schools that are going to catastrophically fail in the event of an earthquake, then why would we design the three proposed high schools to include redundant/superfluous and special libraries, meeting places, etc. for relatively small groups?
Any way you look at it, as in all the different drafts of this proposed bonds, the basic fact is that we've been talking about seismic upgrades needing to be made for every historical building for years in Oregon and this is the first time they are mentioning those specific upgrades in this bond.
With PPS students’ math proficiency scores ranging between 13%-37%, I hereby provide my undying, meritless support to any and all PPS taxation increases in order to personally lower my living standards and to improve my chances that a PPS educated retail worker in the Portland area will give me too much change when I hand them cash for my purchase. In this circumstance, then, this PPS bond measure is a huge win for me personally and for all Portlanders. I therefore wholeheartedly endorse this PPS bond measure. Vote Yes!
I'm not sure. I would guess it's often as simple as "think of the kids!"
I think Greene and Hollands were able to call out BS more often because they're black and no one is going to accuse those two men of abandoning black students. I'm sad Hollands has decided not to run again because of his health situation but I wish him all the best. I wish him and his family the best.
I think Portland wants good things, we're bad at implementing them, and instead of fixing that glaring problem, we try to do things anyway. "Hilarity" ensues.
“PPS Board members Julia Brim-Edwards (leaving), Herman Greene (running for reelection), and Gary Hollands (leaving) have been asking good questions for months now….”
But Max they are all supporting this boondoggle! Asking a question doesn’t really help when they hear answers they don’t like and then say “Oh what the hell, let’s do it anyway”.
Asking questions puts it in the public record and makes it in papers.
I’m not happy everyone is endorsing this thing. I also think Trump is the reason it will pass. Even though none of this money is tied to federal dollars that I can tell. People are defensive about schools right now, to the point they would pay any amount for anything called a school.
I wonder if Portland will ever figure out that panic is a terrible footing for decision making…
I’m hoping to have a discussion with one of these yes candidates soon. 🤞 that it works out schedule-wise.
Good for you….personally I've given up on Portland politics. I still vote but that's about it….the changed/changing demographics will make positive change next to impossible….I thought the pendulum was changing with Gonzalez on the Council and Vasquez being elected but it is now swinging the other way. Moderates are leaving Portland, those with more polarized left leaning views are the ones moving in. It really is a doom cycle….3 more years and I'm gone.
I notice the Oregonian in it recent editorial lamented PPS's perpetual failure to itemize and realistically prioritize, yet endorsed the bond anyway. Its attitude was PPS is incompetent, but hey, it's for the kids.
That’s it. And I might agree if there was something on the line here. If we were preventing closures or layoffs. We aren’t. This should go back to the kitchen.
Two things to anyone voting on blind emotion: (1) PPS said to Willamette Week they'll start rebuilding Jefferson even if the bond doesn't pass, and (2) A No vote simply forces PPS to come back with a coherent plan that actually listens to the public
Good piece...says much that needs saying about the psychology of Portland politics.
How this happened would make a helluva PhD dissertation (not that anyone at PSU would chance it).
Partly it's because more Portland voters are disengaged from the schools--they aren't forming families, don't have kids, don't live in single-family homes that get a yearly property tax bill, don't spend time doing their citizen-homework, and moved to Portland for reasons that had nothing to do with economic cost/benefit calculations.
Olde Portland is dying out--and high-earners (who tend to be active) are heading for the exits. You look at the people on the slightly right-of-center groups springing up and you'd be impressed by their lack of clout, pedigree, or smarts.
Kudos to Max for pointing much of this out. As they say: culture is upstream from politics.
Our culture sucks.
It is neither ridiculous nor outrageous to ask that the PPS board, city, and county quantify and identify what it is exactly they are doing with the excessive amount of money the taxpayers are providing them year after year.
At what point are we going to agree that basic fiscal responsibility means taking care of the core mission (school aged children's ability to get a basic education) instead of continually kicking the can down the road to funnel their budgets into special projects?
If we have elementary to high school age students in schools that are going to catastrophically fail in the event of an earthquake, then why would we design the three proposed high schools to include redundant/superfluous and special libraries, meeting places, etc. for relatively small groups?
Any way you look at it, as in all the different drafts of this proposed bonds, the basic fact is that we've been talking about seismic upgrades needing to be made for every historical building for years in Oregon and this is the first time they are mentioning those specific upgrades in this bond.
With PPS students’ math proficiency scores ranging between 13%-37%, I hereby provide my undying, meritless support to any and all PPS taxation increases in order to personally lower my living standards and to improve my chances that a PPS educated retail worker in the Portland area will give me too much change when I hand them cash for my purchase. In this circumstance, then, this PPS bond measure is a huge win for me personally and for all Portlanders. I therefore wholeheartedly endorse this PPS bond measure. Vote Yes!
How much of a role do the politics and identity of the individual school board members play in this ever-escalating fiscal irresponsibility?
What will it take to reform PPS's capital budgeting?
I'm not sure. I would guess it's often as simple as "think of the kids!"
I think Greene and Hollands were able to call out BS more often because they're black and no one is going to accuse those two men of abandoning black students. I'm sad Hollands has decided not to run again because of his health situation but I wish him all the best. I wish him and his family the best.
I think Portland wants good things, we're bad at implementing them, and instead of fixing that glaring problem, we try to do things anyway. "Hilarity" ensues.
“PPS Board members Julia Brim-Edwards (leaving), Herman Greene (running for reelection), and Gary Hollands (leaving) have been asking good questions for months now….”
But Max they are all supporting this boondoggle! Asking a question doesn’t really help when they hear answers they don’t like and then say “Oh what the hell, let’s do it anyway”.
Asking questions puts it in the public record and makes it in papers.
I’m not happy everyone is endorsing this thing. I also think Trump is the reason it will pass. Even though none of this money is tied to federal dollars that I can tell. People are defensive about schools right now, to the point they would pay any amount for anything called a school.
I wonder if Portland will ever figure out that panic is a terrible footing for decision making…
I’m hoping to have a discussion with one of these yes candidates soon. 🤞 that it works out schedule-wise.
Good for you….personally I've given up on Portland politics. I still vote but that's about it….the changed/changing demographics will make positive change next to impossible….I thought the pendulum was changing with Gonzalez on the Council and Vasquez being elected but it is now swinging the other way. Moderates are leaving Portland, those with more polarized left leaning views are the ones moving in. It really is a doom cycle….3 more years and I'm gone.