Daily Archives: February 4, 2010
Hooked On Phonics?
Bush and Clinton were noted for their use of “nukular” and we chuckled. Now comes the most intelligent man with the highest I.Q. ever, so we heard during the campaign,
Barack, it’s pronounced “core-man,” not “corpse-man”
Teleprompters should have pronunciation marks on them.
Portland Schools’ Kabuki Dance With Teachers
Metro: No Idea Whether Transportation Plans Work Because They Don’t Check
On deadline for work but here are two extraordinary quotes from today’s Zero about an attempted audit of the efficacy of Metro’s planning for density and transportation. The upshot? They can’t tell. Of course, the Zero missed the lead but here it is:
The underlying assumption of the long-range plan is that denser development would result in an efficient transportation system, Flynn said in the audit. Residents would travel less, have more transportation options and spend less for transportation and housing.
Flynn’s staff also couldn’t determine from Metro’s in-house information whether the region’s transportation projects have been effective. Metro didn’t analyze completed projects, in part because Metro’s planners were too busy planning the next series of transportation projects to circle back and check if the previous ones worked.
Lister: Mayor Adams Broke the Law
Not by having sex with a teenager and then lying about it so he would be elected mayor, silly. For running for Mayor and not bothering to pay at least one staff on the up and up. Here’s Lister’s piece.
For the rest of Portland: You can go back to sleep while the corruptocrats continue their one party rule, Chicago Style.
Grand Opening! Grand Closing!
The Obama Store has closed in DC’s Union Station. Here.
Portland’s $1 Million a Mile Bike Lanes; Vehicle Owners Get Bill
The bike plan in Portland was unveiled this week and City Council will undoubtedly pass this pork barrel plan today in its continuing effort to be “precious” and “green” and “sustainable.” (Here’s where I insert my comment about them caring about sustainability until it comes to my wallet). But after talking with Dr. Tim Ball on the show last night about the latest “man made” global warming scams and his going over the original mandate of the IPCC which included looking only at “man made” influences on climate (which are negligible but obviously inflated when only looking at them), I was reminded of the mandates of the bicycle plan.
Yesterday I looked at some of the assumptions the city “stake holders” (no, that doesn’t include you) took into consideration when considering the bike plan. Now, look at their mandate and you will know why we have these people coming up with a half a billion dollars in spending on bike lanes:
The Bicycle Master Plan addresses five key elements:1) policies and objectives that form part of Portland’s Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element;2) developing a recommended bikeway network;3) providing end-of-trip facilities;4) improving the bicycle-transit link; and5) promoting bicycling through education and encouragement.
As you can easily see, the people tasked with coming up with a bike future for Portland weren’t asked if it would be cost effective, the best and highest use of Portland citizens’ money or whether it made sense.
It didn’t consider that bike ridership in Portland is DOWN.
They were asked for a preordained outcome which would include increasing the amount we spend promoting bike use.
The result? A half a billion in bike paths. $1 million a mile.
They say this is only a suggestion. Ha. The city’s ‘want to’s’ have a funny way of becoming ‘have to’s.’
Decisions will be based upon this pork barrel spending.
Portland Tax Payers: Left With Scraps as City "Comes ‘Right into Kitchen’" to "Change Habits"
I already compost some food scraps (and indeed am in need of another composter), but in its overweening need to be precious and “green” and “be a leader” in something–excepts jobs and businesses–the City of Portland is now asking us to forgo weekly garbage pick up in order to participate in the city’s newest fad: recycling table scraps. Oh, you already do that? Your parents and grandparents already do that–and have been for years? Too bad.
But the city is planning to punt garbage collection from weekly to once every two weeks to help cover the extra cost of picking up the food-and-yard-waste cart weekly. Based on other cities’ experiences, food waste collection and non-weekly garbage service — at the same cost or more — will shock a lot of customers.
“We’re coming right into their kitchen saying, ‘Please change your habits,'” said Bruce Walker, Portland’s solid waste and recycling manager.
I’m sure at some point during the discussion of this effort–which the Zero writes last night has been five years in making–(uh, huh), someone will call this a job ‘stimulator,’ but all I know is my garbage won’t be picked up every week and we’ll be charged even higher prices. It doesn’t sound like this plan will stimulate anything except the need for more vector control and smell abatement.
Has anyone mentioned decomposing food stinks? Has anyone mentioned that decomposing food attracts rats and other vermin?
I already compost. I don’t need a higher bill for something I largely already do. Can’t you busy bodies at City Hall just do fire, police and buildings and just leave the rest of us alone? Don’t you have guys at City Hall have some sex change operations to pay for or something?
Metro: No Idea Whether Transportation Plans Work Because They Don’t Check
On deadline for work but here are two extraordinary quotes from today’s Zero about an attempted audit of the efficacy of Metro’s planning for density and transportation. The upshot? They can’t tell. Of course, the Zero missed the lead but here it is:
The underlying assumption of the long-range plan is that denser development would result in an efficient transportation system, Flynn said in the audit. Residents would travel less, have more transportation options and spend less for transportation and housing.
Flynn’s staff also couldn’t determine from Metro’s in-house information whether the region’s transportation projects have been effective. Metro didn’t analyze completed projects, in part because Metro’s planners were too busy planning the next series of transportation projects to circle back and check if the previous ones worked.
Lister: Mayor Adams Broke the Law
Not by having sex with a teenager and then lying about it so he would be elected mayor, silly. For running for Mayor and not bothering to pay at least one staff on the up and up. Here’s Lister’s piece.
For the rest of Portland: You can go back to sleep while the corruptocrats continue their one party rule, Chicago Style.
Grand Opening! Grand Closing!
The Obama Store has closed in DC’s Union Station. Here.
Portland’s $1 Million a Mile Bike Lanes; Vehicle Owners Get Bill
The bike plan in Portland was unveiled this week and City Council will undoubtedly pass this pork barrel plan today in its continuing effort to be “precious” and “green” and “sustainable.” (Here’s where I insert my comment about them caring about sustainability until it comes to my wallet). But after talking with Dr. Tim Ball on the show last night about the latest “man made” global warming scams and his going over the original mandate of the IPCC which included looking only at “man made” influences on climate (which are negligible but obviously inflated when only looking at them), I was reminded of the mandates of the bicycle plan.
Yesterday I looked at some of the assumptions the city “stake holders” (no, that doesn’t include you) took into consideration when considering the bike plan. Now, look at their mandate and you will know why we have these people coming up with a half a billion dollars in spending on bike lanes:
The Bicycle Master Plan addresses five key elements:1) policies and objectives that form part of Portland’s Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element;2) developing a recommended bikeway network;3) providing end-of-trip facilities;4) improving the bicycle-transit link; and5) promoting bicycling through education and encouragement.
As you can easily see, the people tasked with coming up with a bike future for Portland weren’t asked if it would be cost effective, the best and highest use of Portland citizens’ money or whether it made sense.
It didn’t consider that bike ridership in Portland is DOWN.
They were asked for a preordained outcome which would include increasing the amount we spend promoting bike use.
The result? A half a billion in bike paths. $1 million a mile.
They say this is only a suggestion. Ha. The city’s ‘want to’s’ have a funny way of becoming ‘have to’s.’
Decisions will be based upon this pork barrel spending.
Portland Tax Payers: Left With Scraps as City "Comes ‘Right into Kitchen’" to "Change Habits"
I already compost some food scraps (and indeed am in need of another composter), but in its overweening need to be precious and “green” and “be a leader” in something–excepts jobs and businesses–the City of Portland is now asking us to forgo weekly garbage pick up in order to participate in the city’s newest fad: recycling table scraps. Oh, you already do that? Your parents and grandparents already do that–and have been for years? Too bad.
But the city is planning to punt garbage collection from weekly to once every two weeks to help cover the extra cost of picking up the food-and-yard-waste cart weekly. Based on other cities’ experiences, food waste collection and non-weekly garbage service — at the same cost or more — will shock a lot of customers.
“We’re coming right into their kitchen saying, ‘Please change your habits,'” said Bruce Walker, Portland’s solid waste and recycling manager.
I’m sure at some point during the discussion of this effort–which the Zero writes last night has been five years in making–(uh, huh), someone will call this a job ‘stimulator,’ but all I know is my garbage won’t be picked up every week and we’ll be charged even higher prices. It doesn’t sound like this plan will stimulate anything except the need for more vector control and smell abatement.
Has anyone mentioned decomposing food stinks? Has anyone mentioned that decomposing food attracts rats and other vermin?
I already compost. I don’t need a higher bill for something I largely already do. Can’t you busy bodies at City Hall just do fire, police and buildings and just leave the rest of us alone? Don’t you have guys at City Hall have some sex change operations to pay for or something?