Portland Measure 26-94: Renew $70M (0.04%) Children's Investment Fund

RENEW FIVE-YEAR LEVY FOR CHILDREN'S INVESTMENT FUND MultCo Elections: SUMMARY: Measure would continue financing the Children's Investment Fund to support proven programs designed to help children arrive at school ready to learn, provide safe and constructive after school alternatives for kids, help foster children and prevent child abuse, neglect and family violence. This Children's Investment Fund can only be used for: Child abuse prevention and intervention: addressing juvenile crime, school failure, drug and alcohol abuse and homeless youth. Early childhood programs: making childcare more affordable and preparing children for success to school. After school, summer and mentoring programs: promoting academic achievement, reducing the number of juveniles victimized by crime and increasing graduation rates. Children in foster care programs: helping foster children succeed who have been abused and neglected. Accountability measures include: Programs funded must be cost effective and have a proven record of success. Investment fund subject to oversight by a citizen committee. Investment fund subject to annual audits. Administrative costs cannot exceed 5%. Levy is $0.4026 per $1000 of assessed property value, and produces an estimated $14 million per year for 5 years = 0.04026% Shall Portland continue supporting child abuse prevention, foster children, early childhood, after school programs, renewing five-year levy starting 2009?
[X] Yes	Endorsements: • WWeek • Portland Mercury • Just Out • The Oregonian • The Skanner • Portland Tribune ChildrensLevy.com endorsements: AFSCME Local 189, Albina Community Bank, American Medical Response, Bank of the West, Beam Development, Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia NW, The Boys and Girls Aid Society, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Portland, Camp Fire USA, Cascade AIDS Project, Catholic Charities, CH2M Hill, Comcast, Community Cycling Center, Concordia Neighborhood Association, Conkling Fiskum McCormick, El Hispanic News, Embassy Suites, Ethos Inc., Fishel's Furniture, Fred Meyer, Inc., Gerdling Edlen Development, Heathman Hotel, Higgins Restaurant & Bar, Hollywood Lights Inc., IBEW Local 48, Intel, Iron Workers & Shopmens Union Local 51, Iron Workers Local 29, Jim Fisher Volvo, Kaiser Permanente, Key Bank, KPFF Consulting Engineers, League of Women Voters of Portland, Oregon, Legacy Health System, Lifeworks Northwest, Lucy Activewear, Inc., Morrison Child and Family Services, Native American Youth Association (NAYA), The Niel Kelly Company, New Copper Penny, NW Natural, Oregon Sports Authority Foundation, Pacific Power, Paloma Clothing, Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 290, Portland Association of Teachers, Portland Beavers, Portland Business Alliance, PCC Federation of Facultyand Academic Professionals Local 2277, Plumbers Union Local 290, Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives, Portland Council PTA, Portland Fire Fighters Association, Portland Hilton, Portland Impact, Portland Police Association, Portland Timbers, Providence Health & Services, Qwest, R & H Construction, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Rejuvenation Hardware, Saturday Academy, Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, P.C., Self Enhancement, Inc., Service Employees International Union, Local 49, Sheraton Airport Hotel, Stacy and Witbeck, Inc., The Standard, Trammell Crow, Umpqua Bank, United Finance, Co., United Food & Commercial Workers Local 555, United Way of the Columbia Willamette, Vernon Neighborhood Association, Volunteers of America - Family Relief Nursery, Walsh Construction, Wells Fargo, Wentworth Dealerships, Westin Portland Hotel City Comm. Sam Adams, Portland School Board Member Ruth Adkins, Metro President David Bragdon, State Sen. Kate Brown, Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder, fmr Mayor Bud Clark, MultCo Comm. Jeff Cogen, MultCo Comm Maria Rojo de Steffey, Sho Dozono, City Comm. Nick Fish, State Sen. Avel Gordly, Roy Jay, Deborah Kafoury, fmr Mayor Vera Katz, fmr Gov. John Kitzhaber, State Rep. Tina Kotek, Dem. Atty Gen Nominee John Kroger, City Commissioner Randy Leonard, Charles Lewis, Mike Lindberg, MultCo Comm. Lisa Naito, State Rep Mary Nolan, Steve Novick, Mayor Tom Potter, fmr Gov Barbara Roberts, MultCo Comm. Lonnie Roberts, Portland School Board member Dan Ryan, City Comm. Dan Saltzman, Arlene & Harold Schnitzer, Michael D. Schrunk, fmr City Comm. Erik Sten, Bob Walsh, Tom Walsh, Sr., MultCo Chair Ted Wheeler
[_] No	Taxpayer Association of Oregon PAC (Tigard) Victoria Taft

MY FIRST IMPRESSION: While the City may not be technically responsible to provide these services, can anyone really argue against this law? I dislike how the City has outsourced the harder, more vulnerable tasks to less prominent governments (i.e. healthcare, jails, courthouse, schools, bridge maintenance, etc.) while keeping the less controversial and more glamourous ribbon-cutting tasks (i.e. police, fire, water/sewer, development, streetcar, parks, etc.). It's obscene that the City spends huge amounts on real estate development and fancy pet projects without considering if schools, children's programs, and clinics are properly served.