The City that Works

[sleepyjeff]

I live in Portland, Oregon aka "the city that works"....this slogan was developed several years back after several city workers were caught on camera litterally sleeping on the job(they never were fired). The mayors solution to this problem was a slogan....didn't want to tackle the unions and such, way too much trouble

anyway, I have been a big critic of city governments, especially my city government. The waste, the laziness, etc have been fodder for many a negative comment from yours truly...but

Today, looking out my front window I saw the most incredible thing. A street sweeper encountered my neighbors leaf buildup on his curb. I thought to my self, "I hope he picks up some of those leafs as he passes".....looking to see if he did I witnessed this "lazy" city worker back up the street sweeper and take a second pass at the leaves...and a third pass....and a fourth pass.....and yes even a fifth pass. He then got out of the sweeper, kicked some of the leaves away from the curb, back in the cab he took a sixth and final pass over the leaves. He left that curb clean and me astonished.

[Claire]

Weird. I live in Portland: The City That Drinks Coffee.

I gotta say, I love it here....even in some of the skazziest neighborhoods (where I tend to substitute), there isn't a ton of litter. Our area is immaculate. When the garbage trucks come, they make sure that the garbage cans are picked up, lids replaced, any junk that fell out of the cans is retrieved and thrown into the truck. I've NEVER seen a company so dedicated to making sure that every single little teeny tiny thing gets picked up. It's great! I spent ten years chasing down our cans, picking up grody corrody crap off the ground, watching the garbage truck RUN OVER our lid, etc. Ugh. Portland is great.

As much as people whine about Portland, the schools, whatever.....it's SO MUCH WORSE in the rest of Oregon. School funding, city services (what extremely FEW there are), parks (most towns don't have parks and rec programs anymore, period), etc. Portland is really the only place to live in the state of Oregon. Well, except maybe Eugene.

[sleepyjeff]

Originally Posted by Claire

Weird. I live in Portland: The City That Drinks Coffee.

Portland is really the only place to live in the state of Oregon. Well, except maybe Eugene.

....what about Drain, Oregon?

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Originally Posted by Claire

Weird. I live in Portland: The City That Drinks Coffee.

Heee. I really want to visit Oregon. Portand and Eugene. I've heard such wonderful things, even despite the unemployment issues, etc. Just sounds like a swell place to make a life.

[Jazzman]

Originally Posted by sleepyjeff

I witnessed this "lazy" city worker back up the street sweeper and take a second pass at the leaves...and a third pass....and a fourth pass.....and yes even a fifth pass. He then got out of the sweeper, kicked some of the leaves away from the curb, back in the cab he took a sixth and final pass over the leaves.

He then promptly drove over the bridge and dumped them in Vantucky, muttering, "That'll teach 'em to vote down lightrail...."



I think I passed him on his way back to Portland as I was taking my carload of (Washington) cans to Costco to visit the deposit machines, muttering, "That'll teach them to tax Washingtonian's income....."



I just love our sense of neighborliness here....

[sleepyjeff]

Originally Posted by Jazzman

He then promptly drove over the bridge and dumped them in Vantucky, muttering, "That'll teach 'em to vote down lightrail...."

I just love our sense of neighborliness here....

I still don't see why Washingtonians didn't want to pay for our lightrail......we'd let you use it

[Claire]

Originally Posted by sleepyjeff

I still don't see why Washingtonians didn't want to pay for our lightrail......we'd let you use it

But only after you all trim your mullets and straighten your teeth!