LETTER
Public Market Insanity
To the Editor:
Are the people of Portland foolish enough to fall for this real estate deal shrouded in a library scheme? Let's hope not, because there is no question in my mind that we will end up paying through the nose when the true costs are revealed for the renovations required for the former Public Market.
What if the new owner of the library won't rent the basement back for $1.00 per year? Then what? I wonder who the buyer is that they have obviously already lined up for the current library without telling us? They won't reveal the appraised value, but they already know that the new buyer will rent the basement back for $1.00/year? If you sold your house to someone, would they rent the basement or garage back to you for $1.00/year? Obviously not. Why should we bail Guggenheim out of the ownership of this dog building, and put it on the backs of the taxpayers? Let them sell it on their own, or demolish it and put up something appropriate.
When did the Public Market become such a vaulted example of public architecture? When I told someone how unattractive I thought the building was, they told that because the building had been designed by Frank Lloyd Wrong.
Imagine the heating bills for a building that is substantially glass, especially in an age of rapidly rising energy costs. Where will the additional money come from? Right out of the school budget, the same place that funds all of the screw-ups made by the City. The over $500,000 dollars spent on the Scotia Prince lawsuits? Right out of the school budget. Every other departmental overrun? Right out of the school budget. There is no money to renovate our elementary schools, but there is always money for every half-wit project proposed by City Transportation Director Jeff Monroe.
I can only hope that the people of Portland come to their senses by June 12th and vote NO on this insane proposal. Let's not make any more BIW drydock mistakes!
Respectfully,
Mark Usinger
Public Market Insanity
To the Editor:
Are the people of Portland foolish enough to fall for this real estate deal shrouded in a library scheme? Let's hope not, because there is no question in my mind that we will end up paying through the nose when the true costs are revealed for the renovations required for the former Public Market.
What if the new owner of the library won't rent the basement back for $1.00 per year? Then what? I wonder who the buyer is that they have obviously already lined up for the current library without telling us? They won't reveal the appraised value, but they already know that the new buyer will rent the basement back for $1.00/year? If you sold your house to someone, would they rent the basement or garage back to you for $1.00/year? Obviously not. Why should we bail Guggenheim out of the ownership of this dog building, and put it on the backs of the taxpayers? Let them sell it on their own, or demolish it and put up something appropriate.
When did the Public Market become such a vaulted example of public architecture? When I told someone how unattractive I thought the building was, they told that because the building had been designed by Frank Lloyd Wrong.
Imagine the heating bills for a building that is substantially glass, especially in an age of rapidly rising energy costs. Where will the additional money come from? Right out of the school budget, the same place that funds all of the screw-ups made by the City. The over $500,000 dollars spent on the Scotia Prince lawsuits? Right out of the school budget. Every other departmental overrun? Right out of the school budget. There is no money to renovate our elementary schools, but there is always money for every half-wit project proposed by City Transportation Director Jeff Monroe.
I can only hope that the people of Portland come to their senses by June 12th and vote NO on this insane proposal. Let's not make any more BIW drydock mistakes!
Respectfully,
Mark Usinger
posted by The West End NEWS at Sunday, March 25, 2007
1 Comments:
Looking for information on how to get in touch with you to have your paper publish a public notice regarding a Regional Transit Coordination Study Public Meeting to be held April 24 at Portland High School.
I work for Greater Portland COG. My phone number is 774-9891.
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