All of city hall's finances seem like a shell game. According to the O, the City quietly officially killed off the utility license fee policy that formerly dedicated a portion of those funds into PBOT (to the tune of what would roughly be $23 million this year).

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.s…

Obviously, its impossible to go back to that policy now and rededicate those funds into our much needed transportation budget because, hey, we have a shiny new street fee to bank on.

Your prose is a little florid. Nightclubs, bands and drinking gather in neighborhoods like Old Town Chinatown.

Real estate speculators and developers make money on changing low property values, like this neighborhood, to high. There is no rush to do that in Old Town Chinatown, and there is no rush that requires any City of Portland, PDC, State or Federal subsidy drawing money away from more important endeavors.

Developing that area into middle class housing will drive out Mercury advertisers, as will, by the way, the proposed roll up sidewalks at 10 license.

But it will make literally millions for developers and landlords.