Thursday, February 02, 2006
I feel special.
When you wonder why all the "issues" on the front burner for city government and the front page of the Oregonian don't coincide with your interests; just remember, your interests aren't "special". Tom Potter wants to spend over a million dollars not for street repair, law enforcement, or to open jail beds. He wants to spend it for a study, or survey, or "blue ribbon panel" to help with "visioning". For the life of me, I would have sworn he was already having visions.
Potter wants to find out how Portlanders see their city looking in 10, 20, 30 years.
What he doesn't seem to want is to know how citizens see their city as it is now.
He apparently believes (or has been led to believe by special interest groups) that this "visioning" thing is of paramount importance. And in this town you'd better cater to your audience - they're watching. They're watching you, and themselves in the mirror. Appearance is everything. It matters less that you do good, and more that you look as if you're doing good.
It's what's expected of the 21st century mayor of a progressive city like Portland.
Who expects it, you ask?
Thanks for asking.
Tom Potter not only doesn't have his own vision for the future of Portland, which one might have reasonably expected from someone who wants to be mayor - he doesn't have a clue as to how it should look today. He's not the only one. Portland's (and many, if not most cities') government is run and staffed by special interests - "lifers" in the "business of government" (I like that phrase. I think it's an oxymoron, though) Their existence is predicated on feeding egos, soothing ruffled feathers and using the art of "quid pro quo" to help maintain the status quo. You ain't gonna get elected if you rock the boat. And once you do, you're all in the same boat. Except that the officers and crew of the Love Boat that is Portland's city government are almost all deaf.
There are two ways to deal with hearing loss; pretend you're not or get a hearing aid. City Hall, in its all-too-obvious vanity, has chosen the former path. And now he wonders "what went wrong" with his income tax proposal. He's mystified. Everybody he "heard" in the process of putting togather the plan screamed the same thing - "more money, more funding, more taxes!".
Now I don't like to scream - most people don't - it's unseemly and tiresome. But in this environment, the screamers are the winners. And the special interest groups are accomplished screamers.
The screamers are bicyclists, environmentalists, dope smokers, GLBT's, Homer Williams (money screams at a pitch beyond the range of normal human hearing but, believe me, it's heard by polititians), public employee and teacher unions, neighborhood associations, disabled people, even those industrious homeless folks at Dignity Village. The attention, dollars and action they command from city government as a result of their decibel level is entirely disproportionate to their numbers. Tyranny of the minority, you say? You are correct, sir! (or madam). Activists of any stripe almost never speak for the majority. Neither does the majority. Which leaves quiet, polite folks at a disadvantage.
Now you may think that is reason to start screaming.
I feel your pain.
I like to think that we're all equal - novel concept, no?. I'd like to think that the wise city fathers realize that they serve the entire population - not just those who scream. I would hope that, knowing that there will always be screamers, city government would be able to discern public opinion from shouted opinion. Members of special interest groups grab the mike, turn up the amp to 11, and fire away. Even deaf people can hear them.
To be really responsible and responsive to all the citizens of Portland, city government needs to devise a method of "reaching out" (God, I hate that phrase) to average citizens. In fact, in this city, it ought to be mandatory. The sample should be random - with no "activists" allowed. The vast majority of just regular folks; who would never think of marching, demonstrating, stopping buses or burning things to make their point, might then begin to feel as if city government has "vision".
Sometimes they only whisper. Should that devalue their message or diminish their ? No. But, unfortunately, it makes them easier to miss in the din.
A citywide effort to determine the priorities of individual residents as opposed to organized groups will require the equivalent of a hearing aid - maybe door-to-door outreach, maybe human beings actually engaging citizens in conversations on dedicated phone lines, maybe both. With all the money city government wastes catering to the wants and whims of the screamers, it might be cheap in the long run. It just might force Potter and Co. to realize the costs of their present course.
Why wouldn't a city government so obviously adrift give it a try. It's just a corollary of campaign finance reform. I don't think it's an insurmountable task - nor should it be expensive.
Unless, of course, they put Erik Sten in charge
¶ 1:23 AM
When you wonder why all the "issues" on the front burner for city government and the front page of the Oregonian don't coincide with your interests; just remember, your interests aren't "special". Tom Potter wants to spend over a million dollars not for street repair, law enforcement, or to open jail beds. He wants to spend it for a study, or survey, or "blue ribbon panel" to help with "visioning". For the life of me, I would have sworn he was already having visions.
Potter wants to find out how Portlanders see their city looking in 10, 20, 30 years.
What he doesn't seem to want is to know how citizens see their city as it is now.
He apparently believes (or has been led to believe by special interest groups) that this "visioning" thing is of paramount importance. And in this town you'd better cater to your audience - they're watching. They're watching you, and themselves in the mirror. Appearance is everything. It matters less that you do good, and more that you look as if you're doing good.
It's what's expected of the 21st century mayor of a progressive city like Portland.
Who expects it, you ask?
Thanks for asking.
Tom Potter not only doesn't have his own vision for the future of Portland, which one might have reasonably expected from someone who wants to be mayor - he doesn't have a clue as to how it should look today. He's not the only one. Portland's (and many, if not most cities') government is run and staffed by special interests - "lifers" in the "business of government" (I like that phrase. I think it's an oxymoron, though) Their existence is predicated on feeding egos, soothing ruffled feathers and using the art of "quid pro quo" to help maintain the status quo. You ain't gonna get elected if you rock the boat. And once you do, you're all in the same boat. Except that the officers and crew of the Love Boat that is Portland's city government are almost all deaf.
There are two ways to deal with hearing loss; pretend you're not or get a hearing aid. City Hall, in its all-too-obvious vanity, has chosen the former path. And now he wonders "what went wrong" with his income tax proposal. He's mystified. Everybody he "heard" in the process of putting togather the plan screamed the same thing - "more money, more funding, more taxes!".
Now I don't like to scream - most people don't - it's unseemly and tiresome. But in this environment, the screamers are the winners. And the special interest groups are accomplished screamers.
The screamers are bicyclists, environmentalists, dope smokers, GLBT's, Homer Williams (money screams at a pitch beyond the range of normal human hearing but, believe me, it's heard by polititians), public employee and teacher unions, neighborhood associations, disabled people, even those industrious homeless folks at Dignity Village. The attention, dollars and action they command from city government as a result of their decibel level is entirely disproportionate to their numbers. Tyranny of the minority, you say? You are correct, sir! (or madam). Activists of any stripe almost never speak for the majority. Neither does the majority. Which leaves quiet, polite folks at a disadvantage.
Now you may think that is reason to start screaming.
I feel your pain.
I like to think that we're all equal - novel concept, no?. I'd like to think that the wise city fathers realize that they serve the entire population - not just those who scream. I would hope that, knowing that there will always be screamers, city government would be able to discern public opinion from shouted opinion. Members of special interest groups grab the mike, turn up the amp to 11, and fire away. Even deaf people can hear them.
To be really responsible and responsive to all the citizens of Portland, city government needs to devise a method of "reaching out" (God, I hate that phrase) to average citizens. In fact, in this city, it ought to be mandatory. The sample should be random - with no "activists" allowed. The vast majority of just regular folks; who would never think of marching, demonstrating, stopping buses or burning things to make their point, might then begin to feel as if city government has "vision".
Sometimes they only whisper. Should that devalue their message or diminish their ? No. But, unfortunately, it makes them easier to miss in the din.
A citywide effort to determine the priorities of individual residents as opposed to organized groups will require the equivalent of a hearing aid - maybe door-to-door outreach, maybe human beings actually engaging citizens in conversations on dedicated phone lines, maybe both. With all the money city government wastes catering to the wants and whims of the screamers, it might be cheap in the long run. It just might force Potter and Co. to realize the costs of their present course.
Why wouldn't a city government so obviously adrift give it a try. It's just a corollary of campaign finance reform. I don't think it's an insurmountable task - nor should it be expensive.
Unless, of course, they put Erik Sten in charge
¶ 1:23 AM
Comments:
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The city of Portland is not adrift. It is heading in the direction they have clearly steered for it.
Potter and others are big in predetermined outcomes. His visioning commitee is stacked with people of such political orientation that a 1955 Hollywood professional would fear to be associated with or be blacklisted.
There is no way that the Aerial Tram was a surprise (the attention paid to it is though), PGE was pursued just like Lightrail projects of the past, and Urban Renewal continues to plod along regardless of how much money it siphons away from statewide schools.
Welcome to Portland politics. Its alot more entertaining than following the Blazers.
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Potter and others are big in predetermined outcomes. His visioning commitee is stacked with people of such political orientation that a 1955 Hollywood professional would fear to be associated with or be blacklisted.
There is no way that the Aerial Tram was a surprise (the attention paid to it is though), PGE was pursued just like Lightrail projects of the past, and Urban Renewal continues to plod along regardless of how much money it siphons away from statewide schools.
Welcome to Portland politics. Its alot more entertaining than following the Blazers.
<< Home
