Roland says: "Sam still believes that while the tram has not been well managed, the overall South Waterfront development -which ensures that OHSU (the largest employer in the city) expands within the city of Portland and which increases the future tax base for the city substantially - will be worth the city investment up to this point."

I don't think this point has been discussed enough. For all the cost-overruns, mismanagement, and lack of life cycle costs - which, yes, are bad things - this project must continue (as Roland has pointed out) and is serving as an anchor to one of Portland's best tenants. I don't know how likely it would be for OHSU to relocate outside the city bounds due to lack of elbow room (big employers certainly do relocate on occasion), though if that was ever a possibility I would take the current situation over Pill Hill becoming the State's newest ghost town anyday.