A new asset is a new liability

Local governments are lucky to receive a lump-sum grant from a larger government to spend on something new and impressive. The thinking is that the public has gained an asset. Really, it has gained a liability. The ongoing maintenance and staffing fall on a local government that is already short of money.

Portland has unpaved neighborhood streets and unsafe intersections. Our parks run on tight budgets, with locked bathrooms. Our pools close early or don’t open at all.

Filling potholes and removing graffiti will never get a dedication ceremony. But this is the livability work that matters. We need to respect the environment, and I would argue that includes our current built environment too.

I first wrote a version of this about a proposed multi-million-dollar entrance to Forest Park. We go to the park to walk or bike. I would rather have the money spent on basic upkeep of existing park facilities than on a new building. No one reads the name over the door anyway.