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Paying for it

Perhaps if we thought ahead and built businesses along dedicated bike corridors such as the Springwater Trail, then bicyclists, pedestrians, etc could pay for the trails through the purchases they make via the taxes those businesses pay. A distinct advantage of trails like the Springwater is that there are very few interactions with vehicular traffic.....something I'm sure all motorists and bicyclists can appreciate.

What if, on my bicycle ride to work, I could stop at Starbucks and buy a latte and a newspaper. What if I could drop the kids off at daycare, pick-up the dry-cleaning, do my grocery shopping, get a haircut, drop off the mail, take the kids or the dog to the park for some exercise, buy some lunch or dinner, stock-up at the liquor store and buy my lottery tickets........all without ever having to co-mingle with traffic.

There is a reason why they build gas stations next to the freeway.......that's where the cars are, lets do the same for bikes and peds. Lets build whole new communities dedicated to the self propelled and we'll let the marketplace pay for them. Create the means to reach these people friendly areas and the people will surely find them and they will grow without cars. Does anybody have a neighbor who is too old to drive but can still get around? How about a three-wheeled bike or a nice walk to the store or the Pharmacy for their meds.

On a recent trip to Venice,Italy we walked everywhere we went, it was great ! But we walked not only because we wanted too but because that was the only way to get around. There were no vehicles to be seen or heard (except boats) and everything you needed was within walking distance. And the most amazing thing about Venice........everyone was THIN, except the Americans of course, you can allways pick out the round ones in the crowd!

posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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If we want to license and tax bicyclists, then shouldn't we license and tax pedestrians as well for the use of public sidewalks ?

And how about all those people pushing strollers, those things are huge and heavy and have wheels, all their many children are definitely a burden on society, lets put a weight per mile tax on them too, Cha Ching !

posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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Don't get me wrong, I'm all for urban gardening and organic living but I have a serious problem city chickens. I live in SE Portland and my neighbors have chickens.

First of all, they attached their coop against MY fence which is against city code, I believe the minimum is 5 feet. This could happen to you too!

The chickens scratch at the ground, kicking up dirt and debris and feces which comes through the fence into my yard. The dust floats into the air and covers my car in dust and probably feces as well.

All summer long the hens made all kinds of noise starting at 5:00am, their clucking and crowing and shrieking goes on for about an hour. At times it's as noisy as a large barking dog 20ft from your bedroom window when your trying to get some sleep.

For the first time in my life I've found huge RATS inside my enclosed compost bin, I know the neighbors have had problems with rats stealing their chickens food, now apparently they are my problem too.

Despite what has been said on-air, chickens poop can be extremely "foul" smelling. Frequently this year during the heat of summer, we had to close our windows because the stench of our neighbors chickens poop was choking the air with a smell so bad that it makes your eyes water. Perhaps they are doing something wrong, but that's what happens when you depend on people to do the right thing.

In conclusion, your neighbors chickens will pollute your yard with dust, dirt, feces, bad smells, loud noise, and rodent infestation.

posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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