Not how it's supposed to go (02/22/08)

It's the little things.

That's what drives local government, and that's what keeps the bond between voters and elected officials strong.

Little things, like parking.

Action at Monday's meeting by the Portland City Council on parking on Honeysuckle Lane and Dogwood Lane doesn't affect most of us.

But it does affect the folks who live on those two streets.

So, it only makes sense that changes in parking rules for those streets would reflect concerns of the people who live there.

But they don't.

Instead, the proposal to limit parking to one side of the street was sparked by a city councilman who also happens to work for the city's street department. The lives of city workers would be easier when picking up trash or plowing snow if parking were limited.

That's what set the discussion in motion, not neighborhood concerns.

Is that the way local government is supposed to work? Adjusting the rules for the convenience of those paid by taxpayers rather than asking what the taxpayers would prefer?

We don't think so.

Fortunately, it appears the council's action this week is moot. The streets in that addition have never been properly dedicated to the city, and through a series of events they've ended up owned by the county for back taxes.

Once the paperwork is done and the streets are officially within the council's jurisdiction, maybe cooler heads - focused on the people who live there - will prevail. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]