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"While some

nonprofit mental health clinic received a

commuters more than $500 million in wast-

report on September 15 that he was not eat-

ed time and fuel in 2003, a 1900-percent

poor mentally ill

increase from 1982.81 A study prepared for

ing and had probably stopped taking his

guy lay there with

medicine. When someone working for the

Metro and the Portland Business Alliance

his life ebbing

clinic tried to find him, Chasse fled in panic.

estimates that the cost of congestion to busi-

nesses is of the same order of magnitude.82

Two days later, police officer Christopher

away," blogger

Humphries saw Chasse and assumed he was

In its 2020 regional transportation plan

Jack Bogdanski

drunk or on drugs. When Humphries tried to

(published in 2002), Metro predicted that its

approach, Chasse ran away. Humphries tack-

plans would increase the amount of time

scathingly

led him and, according to witnesses, punched

Portlanders waste sitting in traffic more than

comments,

6.6 times.83 Congestion would increase despite

and kicked him several times.89 While in cus-

"the big-shot

all of the region's land-use and transit plans

tody, Chasse died of chest injuries.

because those programs, predicted planners,

Portland mental health advocates were

real-estate

would attract no more than about 4 percent of

outraged that many of the programs that

sharpie sat with

auto drivers to other modes of travel.84 When

could have saved Chasse's life had suffered

recent budget cuts: community policing,90 a

his cloth napkin

asked about those predictions, which were in

crisis triage center,91 and the city's mental

his own agency's report, Mike Burton, Metro's

on, eating his

health program.92 Yet the city continues to

elected executive, told a legislative committee,

braised veal

"Nobody believes those numbers."85

spend tens of millions of dollars a year subsi-

dizing high-density developments. "So while

In 2007, the Federal Highway Administra-

ravioli with

some poor mentally ill guy lay there with his

tion chastised Metro for its anti-auto trans-

truffles."

life ebbing away," blogger Jack Bogdanski

portation plans. "It is difficult to find the

scathingly comments, "the big-shot real-

transportation focus" in Metro's regional

estate sharpie sat with his cloth napkin on,

transportation plan. Metro "should acknowl-

eating his braised veal ravioli with truffles."93

edge that automobiles are the preferred mode

of transport by the citizens of Portland,"

Between 10-year property tax waivers for

added the agency. "They vote with their cars

high-density housing and tax-increment

every day."86 Based on that "vote," "The trans-

financing for transit-oriented developments,

Portland has diverted tens of millions of dol-

portation solution for a large and vibrant

lars of tax revenues a year from schools,

metropolitan region like metropolitan

police, fire, public health, and other urban

Portland should include additional highway

capacity options."87

services. This has contributed to funding

crises for many of those services, even as

developers like Homer Williams continue to

Problem #3:

enjoy hundreds of millions of dollars in sub-

Increased Taxes/Reduced

sidies for their projects.

As of 2003 nearly $1.4 billion worth of

Urban Services

property had received tax waivers in

Multnomah County (where most of

On September 17, 2006, developer Homer

Portland is located). About $214 million of

Williams was eating dinner on the patio at

that was specifically for Portland's high-den-

the Bluehour, the ritziest restaurant in the

sity or transit-oriented plans, representing

Pearl District, when he saw police subdue a

lost tax revenues of about $4 million per year.

man on the sidewalk outside. Williams later

Another $600 million is for improvements

told police he was struck by the "casualness"

of the situation.88

and renovations to historic properties. About

60 percent of these improvements, by value,

It was anything but casual for James

are near the light-rail or streetcar lines, and

Chasse, the man in custody. A talented musi-

many were counted by Portland planners as

cian who had schizophrenia, Chasse was fine

developments stimulated by rail transit.94

as long as he took his medications. But a

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