Comments

1
Great....make the water bureau even more politicized and allow Siltronic to fund candidates that will serve their interests?

Why not just send it back to the private sector as an investor-owned utility? Then it would have real value in being run efficiently and productively.
2
You can be sure that this is a corporate takeover, and NOT a citizen's takeover, if John DiLorenzo is involved.
3
Hey, are there any other city departments we can privatize? Maybe the PPB?

I'm sure that this new "totally independent of big business" utility board will totally help fund and organize the type of big ticket public works that have seriously helped the city of Portland (because that big pipe under the Willamette that keeps shit from going in the river is a total boondoggle).
4
If you disagree with council, testify, write a letter, protest, vote them out of office....but don't turn our public utilities over some of the biggest corporate polluters and least civic-minded industries in Portland. These folks have been trying to gut the city's environmental programs for years. The folks that have been backing Ken Crawford include Superfund responsible parties Silltronic and Vigor Industrial, and other big industrial interests like Precision Cast Parts, Hilton, Harsch Investment Properties, Sapa and American Property Management. Do you think these companies give a damn about anything other than their own profits?

Bob Sallinger
Audubon Society of Portland
5
Bob Sallinger, I don't think there's any dif between Biz Biz & City Council. I go to enough Council meetings to know they generally ignore the general public & community groups and vote against us. Do you think City Council gives a damn about anything other than their own boondoggles and ego trips? We need to throw those Rascals out! In the meantime, don't paint the false pic that taking the Water Dept away from City Council equals privatizing. Many would assert quite the opposite given that Nestle is getting a free ride to poach our water ABOVE the water treatment facility & market it as pure! (or is a Nestle Bottling Plant really off the table like Fish's assistant told me last week? Wish I could trust their information, but it's just as likely misinformation. Have not been able to verify, that's for sure. ODGW hadn't heard anything to that effect nor had any other council members' staff. Still curious if I was simply lied to.)
Anyway, look at Rochester and other cities whose water rates are lower thanks to less politicized and more specialized focus by an independent board. Here's a more informative article: http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/Blogto…
And here's another one:
http://whoisjoeglicker.wordpress.com/
6
^^ "Nestle is getting a free ride to poach our water! Except I don't know why I think that! But it's terrible! City Council can't be trusted because they told me what I wanted to hear!"
7
Wow, Portland is just like LA in Chinatown! OMG, it's a conspiracy!!!!
8
"If you disagree with council, testify, write a letter, protest, vote them out of office ..."

We've tried ALL of those things and it hasn't changed anything.

"but don't turn our public utilities over some of the biggest corporate polluters and least civic-minded industries in Portland"

I am wary of the corporate backing of the proposed PPWD and what influence they might have over it, but can it be worse than what we already have with the obvious influence of MWH, CH2M Hill, and HDR? That's not a rhetorical question. And I don't expect a complete answer right now. It's actually more of a statement that we need to consider both the benefits and the risks of forming a PPWD. We need to take our time with the analysis and not be overly influenced with our personal biases one way or the other.
9
"If you disagree with council, testify, write a letter, protest, vote them out of office ..."

Let's analyse how that's worked out for us. Fluoride. Tons of letters. Tons of calls. Media fiasco. Last minute protests. People FILLING City Hall in Opposition. About the only people at the initial meeting FOR fluoride were the paid lobbyists who met with Sellout Sammy at the bar. And how did that work out for Portland?
Thousands of dollars spent by volunteers to gather signatures on the referendum. City Hall purposely fast-tracks the voting date to 1 year earlier to give a decided advantage to the fluoridistas on the LAST DAY of Leonard and Adams.

How did the letters, phone calls, and protests work there? Or for the last 20 years of Glicker and Co running the PWB? It's time to fight fire with fire.
If you're gonna run for one of the 7 seats on the District this will set up, you damn well better be a Portlander. I don't buy this whole theory of "Big Biz will just buy the seats like they ALREADY buy City Hall." If someone takes donations from Big Biz(aka. CM2H Hill, HDR, etc.), the rags we call news would be on it like white on steamed rice!

When looking at a change like this it's worth looking at areas that already have PUD's and comparing how well they are managed, water rates, admin costs, etc. Here's one case study: Thurston County, WA

http://www.thurstonpud.com/about-us-commis…

Thuston PUD budget allocated for Administration: 6%
PWB budget allocated for Administration: 14.4%

Please wait...

Comments are closed.

Commenting on this item is available only to members of the site. You can sign in here or create an account here.


Add a comment
Preview

By posting this comment, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use.