Metro (the only regional government of its kind in the USA, and for good reason) "runs" the Oregon Zoo, Oregon Convention Center, Portland Centers for the Performing Arts and Portland Expo Center.
Collectively, these four entities lost nearly $19 million last year.
Hey, they're government-run, so what do you expect?
Oregon Zoo, reflecting the situation in every venue Metro touches, is top-heavy with clueless (but highly compensated) "managers", but sees no need to address basic issues - like animal care - it's routine for them to staff areas with temporary or part-time folks, because at OZ, the animals come last.
OZ has a well-established history of driving away competent animal care staff in favor of twenty-to-thirty-somethings who believe that socializing or sitting in front of a computer is more important than providing professional animal care. The result is essentially a self-fulfilling prophesy.
OZ, under the leadership of former security guard Mike Keele (now considered an elephant expert, due to having worked with them for about seven years, about thirty years ago), is looking at establishing an off-site compound for Asian elephants. They already have your bond money - you were dumb enough to pass the measure.
So they have enough money to build New Wapato. At least you have a security guard in charge.
And as was the case when Multnomah County built their Wapato jail facility - they don't have money to run it. OZ is in the same boat.
Their new off-site elephant facility (should they build it, and they pretty much have to - because they sold their bond measure to you on the backs of elephants) should be named Wapato. Because like the jail that has never been used but costs taxpayers around half a million dollars annually for maintenance, OZ won't be able to open their elephantine version of Wapato.
Metro: Your Regional Government At Work.
Instead of their former tagline: people places, open spaces or their latest one: making a better place, Metro's tagline should be (if they were honest, but hey - they're government) taking pride in creative theft.
Comments