Multnomah County wants to build a new courthouse - at a cost of $667 per square foot. $200 million dollars. And of course, a million dollars to do a "feasibility study".
This is the same County that built a brand-new jail for some $50 million - which has never been used since they built it over a decade ago. It's never been used because they suddenly realized that they didn't have any money to operate it. Apparently, they're incapable of learning.
Portland City Council, yet another of our local brain-trusts, believes it's their civic duty to mandate that all small businesses in the city pay their employees one week for sick leave each year. Always generous with other people's money, the Council believes that this will improve the business climate at a time when businesses are fleeing the city, because it will provide a healthy work-force.
Actually, it'll throw low-skill employees out of work - and likely accelerate the trend of businesses opting to move out of Portland.
But it'll make the Council members feel good, which is really all that matters.
