[net-gold] UNITED STATES: CITIES: PORTLAND: OREGON : WATER : POLITICS: POLITICAL ISSUES : ENVIRONMENT: Five Essential Talking Points in Portlands Epic Water War
- From: "David P. Dillard" <jwne@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Net-Gold -- Educator Gold <Educator-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Net-Gold <Net-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, NetGold <netgold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, K-12ADMINLIFE <K12ADMIN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, K12AdminLIFE <K12AdminLIFE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, MediaMentor <mediamentor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Nabble Groups Net-Gold <ml-node+s3172864n3172864h56@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Net-Platinum <net-platinum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Sean Grigsby <myarchives1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Net-Gold <NetGold_general@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Temple Gold Discussion Group <TEMPLE-GOLD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Temple University Net-Gold Archive <net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Net-Gold @ Wiggio.com" <netgold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Health Lists -- Health Diet Fitness Recreation Sports <healthrecsport@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, HEALTH-RECREATION-SPORTS-TOURISM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 17 May 2014 12:53:50 -0400 (EDT)
.
.
UNITED STATES: CITIES: PORTLAND: OREGON :
WATER :
POLITICS: POLITICAL ISSUES :
ENVIRONMENT:
Five Essential Talking Points in Portlands Epic Water War
.
.
Five Essential Talking Points in Portlands Epic Water War
With ballots out to voters, the fate of the legendary Bull Run watershed
(and City Council's political clout) hangs in the balance.
Published May 8, 2014, 12:33pm
By Zach Dundas
Portland Monthly Magazine
http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/news-and-profiles/
articles/who-will-win-portlands-epic-water-war-may-2014
.
A shorter URL for the above link:
.
http://tinyurl.com/kevchv5
.
.
In our May issue, we ran a story previewing the political fight of the
season: the no-holds-barred battle for control of Portland's water and
sewer systems. For over a century, Portland's City Council has run the
iconic Bull Run watershed (and the less charismatic, but equally
essential, sewers) directly: under our unusual "commission-style"
government, the mayor appoints particular council members to oversee those
services. (Though water and sewer are housed in separate bureaus,
currently Commissioner Nick Fish holds the reins of both.)
.
This month, voters decide if that set-up should survive. A ballot measure
pushed by an alliance of activists and business interests would take water
and sewer away from Council and establish a new, independently elected
board to oversee both.
.
As might be expected with a measure affecting public utilities (stay with
us), it all gets a bit arcane. But here are five things to know:
1 Proponents say City Council wastes ratepayers' money and has jacked up
our water bills.
.
snip
.
2 A few well-publicized money pits are getting plenty of attention.
.
snip
.
3 Meanwhile, who's paying for the campaign to oust Council from control?
Some of the biggest corporate water users in town.
.
snip
.
4 Hence, the measure's opponents-City Council, powerful unions, and
basically Portland's entire environmental community-brand the proposal a
"corporate takeover."
.
snip
.
5 Whichever side you believe, there's a lot at stake. The two bureaus that
run these services-without which, the city of Portland could not
exist-control more than $680 million in annual budget, direct nearly 1,100
employees, and run public infrastructure worth about $20 billion. Beyond
that, the measure poses an existential challenge to the whole structure of
Portland city government: if the Council can lose control of these two
essential services, what next?
.
As our article noted, that big money and hefty clout in question have
sparked a campaign of ferocious rheotric. While pro-measure forces all but
call City Council corrupt and incompetent, Mayor Charlie Hales has branded
the effort "political terrorism" and publicly called its backers "clowns."
The Portland Mercury aptly called the contest a "bleak slugfest"; WW
reported that "when the campaigns arrived in our office to debate, it was
all we could do to keep them from screaming over each other."
.
Those two papers-and the Oregonian, not usually particularly friendly to
this City Council-endorsed "No" votes. Portland Monthly does not do
political endorsements. Instead, the whole thing reminds us of a certain
classic film about control of another city's water supply, and the murky
politics of local power.
.
.
The complete article may be read at the URL above.
.
.
Sincerely,
David Dillard
Temple University
(215) 204 - 4584
jwne@xxxxxxxxxx
http://workface.com/e/daviddillard
Net-Gold
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/net-gold
http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/net-gold.html
Index: http://tinyurl.com/myxb4w
General Internet & Print Resources
http://guides.temple.edu/general-internet
COUNTRIES
http://guides.temple.edu/general-country-info
EMPLOYMENT
http://guides.temple.edu/EMPLOYMENT
TOURISM
http://guides.temple.edu/tourism
DISABILITIES
http://guides.temple.edu/DISABILITIES
INDOOR GARDENING
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IndoorGardeningUrban/
Educator-Gold
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Educator-Gold/
K12ADMINLIFE
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/K12AdminLIFE/
The Russell Conwell Learning Center Research Guide:
THE COLLEGE LEARNING CENTER
http://tinyurl.com/yae7w79
Information Literacy
http://guides.temple.edu/infolit
Nina Dillard's Photographs on Net-Gold
http://tinyurl.com/36qd2o
and also at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neemers/
Twitter: davidpdillard
Temple University Site Map
https://sites.google.com/site/templeunivsitemap/home
Bushell, R. & Sheldon, P. (eds),
Wellness and Tourism: Mind, Body, Spirit,
Place, New York: Cognizant Communication Books.
Wellness Tourism: Bibliographic and Webliographic Essay
David P. Dillard
http://tinyurl.com/p63whl
INDOOR GARDENING
Improve Your Chances for Indoor Gardening Success
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IndoorGardeningUrban/
SPORT-MED
https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/sport-med.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sports-med/
http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/sport-med.html
HEALTH DIET FITNESS RECREATION SPORTS TOURISM
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/healthrecsport/
http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/health-recreation-sports-tourism.html
.
.
Please Ignore All Links to JIGLU
in search results for Net-Gold and related lists.
The Net-Gold relationship with JIGLU has
been terminated by JIGLU and these are dead links.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/30664
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/healthrecsport/message/145
Temple University Listserv Alert :
Years 2009 and 2010 Eliminated from Archives
https://sites.google.com/site/templeuniversitylistservalert/
.
.
Other related posts:
- » [net-gold] UNITED STATES: CITIES: PORTLAND: OREGON : WATER : POLITICS: POLITICAL ISSUES : ENVIRONMENT: Five Essential Talking Points in Portlands Epic Water War - David P. Dillard
