For quite some time, it's been observed that there's a reason why the Portland-area Metro Regional Government is the only such entity of its kind in the USA. Now some 20 local mayors have decided that they've about had enough, and so they've formed their own little group in an effort to gain some concensus on things that they believe are important. They've grown tired of MPAC (Metro Policy Advisory Committee), JPACT (Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation), the Metro Council, and all of the other little self-serving bureaucracies that the agency has spawned over the years.
In the words of Aretha Franklin, they're saying "Thanks, I'll do it myself."
This is perhaps the most telling sign that the natives are growing restless, and Metro's legions of "planners" could well be headed for an honored spot on the local menu. As Tualatin Mayor Lou Ogden so succinctly phrased it: “Screw the MPAC table, screw the JPACT (Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation) table, forget about that.”
Judging by the comments related to the story, Ogden and the other break-away mayors have citizen support. As one writes: Kudos to these mayors for rejecting Metro's noose around their neck. Let's hope this is the beginning of the end for Metro.
Gosh, where's the love?