February 26, 2003
PBA Mismanages Budget
This is positively rich. According to a Willamette Week article today, the Portland Business Alliance has royally messed up, misspending funds in a manner strikingly similar to that the PBA charges of the City of Portland and the Portland Public Schools:
Last July, Kimbrough's group decided to expand the scope of holiday lighting from about 10 blocks around Pioneer Square to 45 blocks and to begin raising money for a proposed skating rink at the square. To pay for the ambitious project, the group sought and received city permission to increase the tax that central-city landowners pay to Portland Downtown Services Inc., a subsidiary of the Alliance that provides security and cleaning services to 213 downtown blocks.
So what?
Although Alliance officials refused repeated requests for interviews, documents they provided to City Hall show that the actual cost for this year's holiday lighting was $505,000--more than 50 percent above Hollywood [Light]'s losing bid. As a result, this winter's project absorbed all of the new taxes imposed last summer on downtown businesses, leaving nothing for the rink fund.
There's only one thing to do now: Have a hearty laugh at Kim Kimbrough's expense. Go ahead. You know you want to.