Sam/Roland:

If the City can "partner" with OHSU to build a Tram, they can certainly "partner" with Multnomah County to replace the Sellwood Bridge or staff Wapato Correctional Facility. If the City of Portland can find the legislative authority necessary to acquire an electric utility or build and operate a Tram, then "Bridge Financing" or the "acquisition" of additional jail beds should be a piece of cake.

I'm confident that Multnomah County will find a way to accept transfer payments from the City of Portland, even if they have to do so in the dark of night. They were very receptive to creative solutions when Portland Public Schools were in desperate need, or when they jumped on the same sex marriage bandwagon.

City, County, and Metro leadership need to begin approaching our regional problems with a "can do" mentality instead of the tried (and failed) "can't do" mantra. Public safety should trump public relations.

We can do anything we want to do (respecting constitutional law). If city'county ordinances or state law stands in the way, there is every reason to expect our legislative bodies (City/County/State) WILL CHANGE THE LAW.

The "not my jurisdiction, not my budget, not my problem" status quo is not meeting the needs of the public you serve. If our public servants fail to address the existing gaps in public safety, education, and infrastructure, our quality of life and economic vitality will continue to decline.

As for the Burnside/Couch Couplet, I am eager to learn how pedestrian safety will be enhanced by the addition of light rail. The biggest line items in the budget have NOTHING TO DO WITH public safety and everything to do with redevelopment of a blighted area and expansion of the property tax base. Your cosmetic vs. safety dichotomy if misleading: effective cosmetic and safety improvments can be accomplished with 10% of your current budget.