Lenny and others are horribly mistaken if they believe the Tram and OHSU current expansion is a sound venture.

This is where the rub is and they don't see it.

This is no time to "cut OHSU (or city leadership) some slack".

Yes, Lenny, "the entire region gains when its largest employer succeeds and grows".

Unfortunately there is little or nothing to show OHSU will benefit, succeed or grow because of the TRAM or SoWa.

In fact it may have been better for them to downsize, stabilize their cost structure and bolster their core missions before expanding. Let alone the crap shooting risky endeavor they have launched themselves into.

They may build another building or two but that does not translate into new preservation, new jobs, new revenue and successful growth.

At this point that is pure fantasy. Or as OHSU's own expert said "delusions of grandeur".

Yes, "Let's keep in mind that 2/3s of the cost of the Tram is covered by OHSU."
Yes, OHSU, who pays zero property taxes and all of their employees are on PERS.
Sounds like the public is paying to me.
How does any of OHSU's investment contribute to the TIF?
OHSU is exempt from property taxes.
Something which has been beaten into the debate by people like me over and over and over again. Only to have the Lenny's pop off as if they do.

OHSU is contributing to the LID (local improvement district) which may have been what Lenny meant, but so what.

The South Waterfront URA is 409 acres and was created in 1999.
That 409 acres is not just the SoWa planned development area.

It includes many existing properties long ago developed and paying property taxes. However, since 1999 part of their taxes have been diverted to pay for the new development.
That's how Urban Renewal Districts work. The districts are always much bigger than the identified development getting the tax dollars.
The city diverts, or skims, property taxes from existing homes and businesses which were included in the UR district just for that purposes.

And of course city officials deliberately complicate the act so the public has little awareness of the blatant spending of tax dollars for private development.

Tax dollars which, if not diverted, would be the very "general fund" dollars
Officials are forever claiming are not being spent.

An Ariel Tram and prime riverside high rises are NOT wise "Investments in knowledge based endeavors".
AND ARE NOT "the best an individual or a community can make to insure their economic well-being".

Where did that claim come from?
It's the kind of lecherous claims a con man would make as he is about to make off with an unknowing victim's life savings.

Cut them a little slack?

Why? They are recklessly risking the health care and taxpaying jobs they currently provide.

A strong case could be made that OHSU should have indeed expanded, to some degree, out in Hillsboro where land and infrastructure costs were cheaper. Saving other monies to fund actual research instead of expensive towers and Trams. Thereby strengthening OHSU and the jobs and services they currently provide.

If allowed to continue, and this TRAM eats through $45 to $60 million, only to have the obvious no show in return on investment, there should be hell to pay for those who promoted and enabled this boondoggle.

And not be a parade of excuses and demands for more waste like the convention center story.