Ran into signature gatherers in front of New Seasons touting this initiative. Asked them some of the same questions and they couldn’t answer coherently. Can see the grifter “do gooder” sounding nonprofits, who amazingly will have just formulated , organizing and chomping at the bit for this unregulated and unaccountable slush fund. Yet the question remains, will uninformed Portland voters, who frankly vote for anything that sounds good, fall for this ruse?
Thank you Bob, for alerting us to this suspicious initiative. It has red flags all over it, despite its democratic sounding title. Shame on whoever is behind this boondoggle.
“If the sponsors and funders of this initiative are unwilling to disclose who is financing their campaign, Portland voters should ask why.” - As a general rule, voters should reject any ballot measure whose major donors and funding sources are not easily accessible to the public.
For me, this ballot measure is an easy “no” vote. We elected city council members to make these decisions, and they are ultimately responsible for setting the budget and being accountable to voters.
The process also seems vulnerable to waste, favoritism, or directing tax dollars to nonprofits with questionable financial reporting or unclear results. If public funds are involved, there should be strong oversight, transparency, and measurable outcomes.
Finally, the measure appears to create a process that is separate from traditional elections and their voter eligibility requirements. If decisions about public spending are being made outside the normal electoral system, voters deserve a clear explanation of why and how accountability will be maintained.
Funding by ballot measure is a crude tool--like ringing a door bell with a cannon. Voters cannot know whether $10,000 or $20 million is appropriate for the task and cannot compare this priority to other city needs. Seemingly most of our taxes have been established this way. As a result, we're spending in the wrong places.
I do not want any secretive group of individuals gaining access to any public money no matter how compassionate and trustworthy they describe themselves.
Our city budget is mishandled. Why do I believe this?
Look at the disturbingly low allocation to public safety. Specifically, look at how few police we have for in excess of 145 square miles and approximately the same population as Boston MA, another liberal city. ( Approximately 800 for us and at least 2,100 for Boston.)
Our City Council is failing us and at least we know who they are!
No is my response to this scary initiative.
Transparency itself does not guarantee good results. What might a perpetual commitment to secrecy deliver?
Why isn’t it just part of the mandatory process that each of these proposed ballot measure must also include full information on who is proposing and who is funding it in order to both publicly gather signatures and to get it on a ballot? So sick of special interest groups (many not even locally based) and non profits controlling where the money is allocated and what decisions are made here. It’s a bait and switch and they know they can basically lie (either outright or through omission) because the average person trying to enter a grocery store isn’t going to stop and ask many questions and/or will easily fall in line behind anything they think is “progressive.”
Ran into signature gatherers in front of New Seasons touting this initiative. Asked them some of the same questions and they couldn’t answer coherently. Can see the grifter “do gooder” sounding nonprofits, who amazingly will have just formulated , organizing and chomping at the bit for this unregulated and unaccountable slush fund. Yet the question remains, will uninformed Portland voters, who frankly vote for anything that sounds good, fall for this ruse?
Thank you Bob, for alerting us to this suspicious initiative. It has red flags all over it, despite its democratic sounding title. Shame on whoever is behind this boondoggle.
I’m puzzled. I thought the Charter change to 3 City Councilors per district was to create more diverse “power” over City spending and projects.
If the Councilors are doing their job, why would we need the public to directly control $16M?
And frankly, more than doubling City Council and their offices was already a budget cut.
Unknown and unaccountable entities don’t inspire confidence.
Good point, especially when it’s a tiny slice of the public who would decide how to spend $16 million of taxpayer money.
I really appreciate your thoughtful, fact-based articles.
“If the sponsors and funders of this initiative are unwilling to disclose who is financing their campaign, Portland voters should ask why.” - As a general rule, voters should reject any ballot measure whose major donors and funding sources are not easily accessible to the public.
For me, this ballot measure is an easy “no” vote. We elected city council members to make these decisions, and they are ultimately responsible for setting the budget and being accountable to voters.
The process also seems vulnerable to waste, favoritism, or directing tax dollars to nonprofits with questionable financial reporting or unclear results. If public funds are involved, there should be strong oversight, transparency, and measurable outcomes.
Finally, the measure appears to create a process that is separate from traditional elections and their voter eligibility requirements. If decisions about public spending are being made outside the normal electoral system, voters deserve a clear explanation of why and how accountability will be maintained.
Funding by ballot measure is a crude tool--like ringing a door bell with a cannon. Voters cannot know whether $10,000 or $20 million is appropriate for the task and cannot compare this priority to other city needs. Seemingly most of our taxes have been established this way. As a result, we're spending in the wrong places.
So what's worse? "Citizens" spending a slush fund--or "counselors" elected with 25-percent of the vote, squandering money?
TY, Bob!!!
I do not want any secretive group of individuals gaining access to any public money no matter how compassionate and trustworthy they describe themselves.
Our city budget is mishandled. Why do I believe this?
Look at the disturbingly low allocation to public safety. Specifically, look at how few police we have for in excess of 145 square miles and approximately the same population as Boston MA, another liberal city. ( Approximately 800 for us and at least 2,100 for Boston.)
Our City Council is failing us and at least we know who they are!
No is my response to this scary initiative.
Transparency itself does not guarantee good results. What might a perpetual commitment to secrecy deliver?
Time to make it harder for shady ballot initiatives to come to light, too much junk ends up on ballots and uninformed voters mark ‘yes.’
Why isn’t it just part of the mandatory process that each of these proposed ballot measure must also include full information on who is proposing and who is funding it in order to both publicly gather signatures and to get it on a ballot? So sick of special interest groups (many not even locally based) and non profits controlling where the money is allocated and what decisions are made here. It’s a bait and switch and they know they can basically lie (either outright or through omission) because the average person trying to enter a grocery store isn’t going to stop and ask many questions and/or will easily fall in line behind anything they think is “progressive.”
So they’re claiming the Police Initiative is unethical but they’re totally fine with shadiness and flat out lying of the IP28 initiative and this one.