East side, west side, swim all around the town

I've never pretended to understand the intricacies of municipal budgeting, which is why I don't understand how Portland Parks & Recreation and Portland Public Schools between them don't have $100,000 to repair the Buckman pool in inner Southeast Portland (and the City doesn't have the money to operate it even if it were repaired, according to Parks & Recreation), but the City did have $2.050 million to rebuild the Wilson outdoor pool, comfortably located in Hillsdale at the foot of the West Hills.

Comments

[Sarah Carlin Ames]

Back in April, we thought perhaps the Buckman Pool could be fixed for somewhere not much over $100,000. Unfortunately, the news since then from the engineers and leak detectors has been disappointing. The pool, which is more than 80 years old, has severe cracks. Commissioner Randy Leonard, the leading advocate for trying to keep the pool open, has posted reports and photos on his website for all who are curious (Go to www.portlandonline.com, track to Randy's page, then click the tab called "Buckman Pool.")

I can only really speak for the Portland Public Schools. While we would have the budget to continue to maintain the pool, we do not have either a capital bond levy (it expired) or other money in our General Fund to repair this pool now. As you probably realize, we have laid off hundreds of staff in our schools, cafeterias, offices and administration under budget cuts for next year. With those kinds of choices facing us, repairing a pool is not the highest priority.

The City has still not made its final decision on their commitment to the pool, but it will come soon.

I can't really speak to the city's budget priorities, but it is worth noting that voters approved the renovation of the Wilson Pool under the parks capital levy, so that money has been earmarked for years, while the cracks in the Buckman Pool just became a huge issue a couple months ago.

Sarah Carlin Ames
Portland Public Schools Communications

[Isaac Laquedem]

Ms. Ames, thanks for the explanation and the further detail about the Buckman and Wilson pools. Equity between the east and west sides has been a touchy issue for decades. I'd been struck by the dollars spent on the Wilson pool (which is only a mile and a half up Vermont Street from the relatively new pool and children's play pool at Gabriel Park) in a relatively affluent neighborhood, and contrasting that to the challenges of maintaining a pool in an area that isn't. I noted in one news story a reference of the possibility of building something like the Southwest Community Center and its pools at the former Washington High School site, which would help even things out.

[ron ledbury]

Sarah, I think the lay offs are a direct result of unlawful exercise of authority by certain folks within PPS, even if such have not risen to a judicial action . . . yet. Let's please leave the helplessness notion as to cuts and such within the realm of knowledge and authority of men and women rather than some mysterious reality that belongs only in propaganda. Let's not plead ignorance.

The PPS refusal this Spring to request the Local Option Levy has left the district in an extraordinarily vulnerable position with regard to it's budget considerations and the CBA with PAT. The CBA is dead, it just has not been declared so . . . yet.

I will use that vulnerability to argue on behalf of the tier-three teachers, even those who have been let go, who can all make a request for a clarification of their bargaining rights. The fired teachers now have the proper motivation to listen to my pleading that their rights be protected and that the new harmony between the district and the union is all for show. And is starkly, and unlawfully, against genuine unbiased recognition of labor rights.

You would merely need to qualify your statement to assert that the views expressed are those of your own and not that of the PPS. Which is how I view them anyway, even without such express qualifier.

The Buckman pool issue is small enough (if money is the real issue) that local construction contractors could get a little PR boost by offering supplies at cost and chalk the lost profits, and labor, up to an advertising budget, with special acknowledgment from the community and government. I don't think the cost of repair is the issue.

[Jack Bog]

In addition to the Wilson Pool, there's also the Gabriel Park Pool. So the hoi polloi of the West Hills get to pick, which pool do we drive the SUV to, indoor or outdoor? In Buckman, there's... well, your tub, if you have one.

[erisaweasel]

According to the portland parks website, there are 12 public pools in Portland (excluding Buckman). See http://www.parks.ci.portland.or.us/Aquatics/Aquatics.htm

By my count, only 3 of the 12 pools are on the West side (Wilson, SW Community Center, MLC). The remaining 75% of the pools are on the East side of the Willamette.

From my perspective as a West sider, we're the ones who get the short end of the stick as far as park amenities go. And at least the East side has sidewalks -- if I let my kids walk to the local elementary school they'd be taking their lives into their own hands by being forced to walk on the shoulder of a busy road. What kind of "world class" city doesn't provide sidewalks on all major thoroughfares -- east and west side?

When comparing the parks & recreation facilities Multnomah county/Portland offers its West side residents with those offered by, say, the Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation District (e.g., 8 public pools -- 6 of which are indoor), I really wonder why the heck I didn't buy that house on the other side of the Multnomah/Washington County line (especially when I look at the amount of my property tax bill that goes to the parks).

If the west side of Portland (excluding downtown) ever got serious about seceding from the rest of Portland, I'd sign up in a heartbeat.