Lars Larson: Transportation $$ scare tactics

By Lars Larson
NW and national radio host,

When the people’s representatives in Salem failed to pass the biggest tax increase in history Sunday, it was hard to find more hysterical cries than those emanating from Portland City Hall.

Oh, the humanity!

And folks in the media amplified the “sky is falling” reaction.

The Daily Dead Fishwrapper headlined it, “Portland says basic street maintenance is at risk.”

KGW offered that PBOT “faces significant financial challenges”.

Can anybody do math anymore?

I looked up the numbers myself.

PBOT, the folks who DON’T fix all those potholes, enjoy an annual budget of $509 million.

The money they expected from the failed transportation bill: 11 million.

In other words, a loss of 2 percent from the city’s street funding.

A 2 percent short fall cripples the city’s maintenance budget?

No wonder the roads don’t get fixed.

Sounds like more than a few of the apparatchiks in government need a lesson in belt-tightening.

Most of the families in America saw their paychecks fall behind inflation by double digits over the last four years.  They’d have gladly traded that for a 2 percent shortfall.

Tell the drama queens down at City Hall to settle down and patch some potholes.