By Fred Delkin

        There seems no end to the damage the Mayor Katz administration can inflict upon Portland’s business interests.  Hard on the heels of the announced departure of Louisiana-Pacific and Gardenburger administrative offices (both pushed over the edge by the local tax burdens), we find city officials meddling with renewal of a downtown marketing program that has been successful in generating retail business in the critical holiday season.

City commissioner Erik Sten (the Mayor’s favorite councilman, despite his total mishandling of the Water Bureau, which cost the city millions) has risen up to question awarding the downtown marketing contract to Johnson-Sheen agency, chosen from 11 firms submitting proposals for use of the $400,000 budget.  The agency, which authored the 2001 and 2002  holiday promos and established the theme “I’d rather be downtown,” found its supposedly winning entry for 2003 tabled from the City Council agenda.  Sten demanded reconsideration of the contract award, which aroused his opposition when the Portland Development Commission (a private consortium of downtown business leaders) assumed administration of the contract, which is funded by downtown parking interests.

Sten, who lately was sanctioned by the Mayor to spearhead a Council effort to take over operation of Portland General Electric, has complained that “I haven’t been able to go to a Portland Business Alliance meeting for two years without hearing how lousy the city’s (business) approach is.”  Gee, Erik, we certainly wonder why any group would be so bold as to point out all the obstacles city government has created for economic development…but you might ask two of Oregon’s international business leaders, Nike and Columbia Sportswear, why they have headquartered outside Rose City limits.

Sten chose to ignore the promo contract award given by a five-member panel of retail business representatives, announcing that he wanted to review other agency’s proposals.  This from a guy who has no private business experience.  His champion, Katz, wasn’t here to listen to this nonsense.  She  was on a “Sister City” mission at the invitation of Bologna, Italy.  Rose City residents are experiencing a level of civic government ineptitude and chicanery that long ago deserved mayoral impeachment. 

Related item: How unfriendly to small business can Oregon get?

Text © 2003 Oregon Magazine.   Rembrandt's "Night Watch" is about a change of guard.  Mr. Sten's photo is a hotlink to its source.