Thursday, September 01, 2005
More funding for "open space"?
A decade ago, Metro (Portland's regional planning agency) convinced voters to raise their property taxes to buy "parks and greenspaces." What they got for their money was a bunch of undeveloped land outside the urban-growth boundary aimed at helping to contain development. Most of the "parks" bought with the $135 million are unmarked and inaccessible.
Now Metro wants to extend the property tax another ten years. It says doing so will allow it to develop those parks. In fact, it will spend most of the funds buying new unmarked, inaccessible parks. Aside from whether Metro is really being honest with voters, it is immoral for planners to reduce people's property values by downzoning them and then to buy the land at reduced prices.
Now Metro wants to extend the property tax another ten years. It says doing so will allow it to develop those parks. In fact, it will spend most of the funds buying new unmarked, inaccessible parks. Aside from whether Metro is really being honest with voters, it is immoral for planners to reduce people's property values by downzoning them and then to buy the land at reduced prices.
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