Portland Public Schools has often patted itself on the back with much ballyhoo for being one of the few successful inner city school districts in the country. Well, the district continues to lose students. The latest loss over the 04-05 period is 666 students. School, city, and county officials continue their plot against tax payers on how to prop up this problem district by offering up a TEN YEAR LONG INCOME TAX as a solution to the region’s school problems. Other districts realize this for the sham it is: they know if they throw their lot in with Multnomah County that somehow their ‘cut’ of the tax booty would be less than that of PPS. No duh. Plus, as this article in the state’s newspaper of record (ha!) shows other districts have their own tax gouging plans and could torpedo the plan.
I can tell Portland why people aren’t staying in the city to school their children: There’s little reason to stay. Portland has fallen all over itself to be hip and attract childless couples, the young artsy crowd who, on a regular basis, spend their days barking latte orders and scouting their faces for the next prime piercing spot. Portland also actively seeks to attract not just any young people, but liberal young people. A recent weekly tabloid insert in the state’s paper of record (ha!) purported to show this young, hip crowd, where the best blogs in town are. Mine wasn’t up and running yet, but several other conservative blogs were and, you’ll never guess, not one conservative blog was on their list (insert shock and outrage here).
Portland goes out of its way to welcome gays to the area. Gay people don’t produce children. Add to that the recently family friendly State Supreme Court decision on sex clubs, the reduction in the sizes of homes, the reduction in the sizes of lots (plenty of room for the kids!), the urban growth boundary which puts upward pressure on home prices , the gentrification of areas which push out old timers and minorities, hot and cold running panhandlers, and you’ve got a VERY unfriendly atmosphere in which to raise children.
Hey, Portland, did you hear me?
