Neighborhood Notes

Who knew that the folks over at the Portland Transport blog had so many things to say about the Pearl, affordable housing, Tax Increment Financing and Urban Renewal Areas? Here's a post from Mike Feldman that generated a lively set of comments, and is still going....

Hi all,

Since Chris was kind enough to make me a contributor, I figure it's time to introduce myself and contribute. My wife and I moved to Portland about 18 months ago. I'm a just-retired Computer Science professor; my wife is a writer. I like this blog and the other Portland transport sites on the Net. I have no stake in any of these discussions, I'm just a resident who's interested in this stuff.

I plan to write here now and then. I try to do my homework and write intelligently and civilly. If you think I've got my facts wrong, I'm glad to stand corrected as long as you correct me with intelligence and civility. I have better ways to spend my time than to get into rants and shouting matches on a blog. I've been there and done that, and have no interest in doing it here.

OK, here's what got me interested in writing today. Over on the recent streetcar thread, GTinSalem said,

I think they have it all wrong. They shouldn't be giving abatements or incentives but it should be just the opposite. Make the condo developments pay for the streetcar, include a special tax for condo developments to fund the streetcar. If you want to live in a shoebox, then pay for everything yourself, why should the public at large be forced to give welfare to yuppies living in the Pearl District who have more than enough money to spend on this crap anyway?

Sigh... OK, I want to set the record straight on a couple of things.