Broke and Broker

Whether it's the WESD sending people to Denver on a $17,000 junket to avoid having to give back money at the end of the fiscal year, $16 muffins at Federal conferences, or a "Sustainability Center" for paltry $62 million, it's clear that government has not gotten the message about the economic morass that this country is in. These boondoggles have long since gone beyond amusing and represent financial blood hemorrhaging from the body politic to the point that the nation's life is in peril. A look at the Sustainability Center for Higher Ed illustrates the problem.

The Oregon Sustainability Center is "... a proposed $62 million showcase for environmental design, construction and technology." Boy, I'm glad that's settled! I have no idea what that means, but it must be a great idea because it's green. The city wants to tap the state for $37 million in bond funding to build it. Of course, today the state found out that it kind of missed in its calculations on the new contract with state employees and has to scrounge up another $42 million for that. Aw, what the hey - it's a green project after all.

In the meantime, Oregon unemployment is up to 9.6%, we have had our fourth consecutive month of declining gross state product, and Gov. Cowboy is gallivanting around Asia begging for dollars. Green should clearly be our highest priority. Right. Green in the form of all the greenbacks the government is burning on projects that while perhaps nice, are anything but necessary at this point in time.

blog.oregonlive.com/portlandcityhall/2011/09/examining_the_cost_to_portland.html