The Portland Public School District came up with its list of priorities for the bond measure with the help of Magellan Consultants. Inspector, Jim Jones, Architect/Environmental Consultant/Certified State of Oregon Energy Auditor with Building Diagnostic Services, Inc, says, while they're nice people over at Magellan Consultants, they're not legally qualified to assess the situation:
Oregon Law, ORS 671 & 672 requires the type of study used for the bond issue to be conducted by Oregon licensed Architects & Engineer for the legal health, life & safety protection students, teachers building code compliance.
"Continuing to do the job the media aren't doing:".
ReplyDeleteOh, but I think they're doing a fantastic job, Victoria. There must be some mistake. Tonight, we'll hear about another stolen mobility scooter. Perhaps a little league storage trailer break in.
Uh, let's see... Another space heater fire in Aloha. We'll be looking at the melted side of a vinyl townhouse for the next 3 days.
A report on drop-side cribs. Let's not forget, a low restaurant score. It's always helpful to know that a restaurant had a health score of 71 four months ago, but NOW has a better score. That's valuable information I can put to use, IMMEDIATELY!
How dare you, Victoria. H O W - D A R E - Y O U! Who the expletive do you think you are? Do YOU have the "On Your Side Problem Solvers"? I submit that you do not. Do YOU have "Restaurant Report Card"? Do YOU have "Studio on the Square"? Can YOU report YOUR NEWS from Pioneer Square. Yes, the "actual" Pioneer Courthouse Square (as opposed to an ugly ass pile of bricks in your backyard).
The job the media "aren't doing"! Really, Victoria Taft... This is OUTRAGEOUS!
"Sunday, May 11, 2008
ReplyDeletePortland lets school building maintenance slide
A lack of priorities, a fix-as-needed attitude and favoritism hinder upkeep at Portland Public Schools
By Les Zaitz, Lisa Grace Lednicer and Kimberly Melton
The Oregonian
» What shape is your school in? See an interactive map
One day last year, Bridlemile Elementary School asked the maintenance department at Portland Public Schools to fix some loose floor tiles that threatened to trip students.
The same day, the district’s carpenters also sent up a repair order: The shop cooler was freezing their sodas.
Bridlemile waited nine weeks to get a work crew. The carpenters? Next-day service.
And it wasn’t the only instance of skewed priorities at the state’s largest school system, The Oregonian found in an examination of how the district has maintained its buildings in recent years.
Portland is saddled with some of the nation’s oldest building stock, with many schools beyond repair. District officials may soon ask for new taxes toward a billion-dollar tab to replace or renovate schools.
But the district has compounded the problem by allowing its maintenance program to sink into chaos.
Officials let hazards such as cracked sidewalks go untended, sometimes for months. Meantime, repair crews logged hours on minor tasks such as making charity signs or hanging banners.
Executives got rapid attention for their chores, including interior decorating. Maintenance managers routinely shuffled priorities to accommodate principals who had pull at headquarters. And for the past two years, administrators diverted scarce dollars set aside for major building repairs to pay for school mergers.
All the while, repair orders piled up. The cost of the deferred maintenance now stands at $153 million.
More here if you've a strong stomach and inexhaustible supply of Gin:
http://www.oregonlive.com/special/index.ssf/2008/05/school_maintenance.html
After reading that rather in depth article I fail to see how any rational, objective person can come away w/ anything but the impression this any more than JAEC? ( Just Another Engineered 'Crisis' )
ReplyDeletePrincipals over Staff, Staff over 'teachers', Students last if at all.
"Yet, preventive maintenance is continually delayed or postponed at Portland Public Schools.
At Cleveland High, a heating system awaits replacement because bearings driving a key piece of machinery didn’t get oiled. The district has not yet estimated the cost.
“It’ll be a huge project,” said Louis Bybee, the district’s electricians’ foreman, “all for the lack of a few drops of oil.”
Bring a sweater dear..! You guys are a joke. Good to know Magellan got PAID. To the tune of $800k.
Tyler and Marshall,
ReplyDeleteWell said. I'm glad the Zero wrote that article in 2008. I wish they'd bother to show some initiative and enterprise in at least fact checking these ridiculous ads. Wow!
"Unofficial" Results as of 8:51 PM
ReplyDeletePRECINCTS COUNTED (OF 130). . .130 100.00%
BALLOTS CAST - TOTAL. . .95,677
26-121 PORTLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT
Vote For 1
Yes . . .35,201 (46.69%)
No. . . .40,186 (53.31%)
With 75,387 of the 95,677 votes counted, this one appears to be going down.
"Unofficial" Results as of 9:56 PM
ReplyDeletePRECINCTS COUNTED (OF 130). . .130 100.00%
BALLOTS CAST - TOTAL. . .103,834
26-121 PORTLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT
Vote For 1
Yes . . .39,440 (47.52%)
No. . . .43,560 (52.48%)
83,000 votes counted out of (what is now) 103,834 votes cast. A (now higher) turnout of 25.22%.
Victoria,
ReplyDeleteI concur with Tyler; congratulations on providing FULL coverage of the issues involved in the Portland Public School Bond Measures.
I thought your program yesterday which provided critical information on the difference between maintenance issues and long term structural problems was especially useful. It also provided valuable incite about Administrators potential negligence and violation of law if they were actually allowing those publicized deficiencies to persist, providing a danger to students.
Unfortunately when I checked the Oregonian and Oregon Live/Fact Check Re Portland Public Schools: Asbestos, Electrical Deficiencies, and Deficient Boilers and commentary --- ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
Thanks Janie Har for doing such a superb and thorough Politi"Fact" job Bike Sharrows (????)sussequently ignoring the Portland Public School Bond Measures! But then I suspect you must have visited all those schools, checking alleged maintenance deficiencies after midnight without the benefit of a flashlight?!!
Tyler,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Updates and all ( but what about that space heater fire in Tualatin? ) JK
Great job all.
Marshall_Will said...
ReplyDelete"Tyler,
Thanks for the Updates and all ( but what about that space heater fire in Tualatin? ) JK"
That was a "two-alarm" fire started by Thed in his mud hut. Very important for me to know how many "alarms". Are we living in 1951, or 2011? Must be another "regional thing".
Thed is safe, but we're not sure if all the rats made it out alive. We are "efforting" that now. Team coverage begins at 5 PM. This will not lead the news, because no vinyl was harmed.