Infrastructure, what gives?

So a harsh reality settled in my mind this morning as I watched the school bond fail to do repairs on all the aging public school buildings in our great city. That reality is that perhaps infrastructure shouldn't be put up to a vote. The reality is that none of us want to pay more taxes. The reality is that if you don't have kids or have set foot in a school building in the last 10 years, you have no idea how bad it is.

And furthermore, other questions linger out there for me. Why did the schools let it get that bad? In fact, why has the government let it get this bad? Look at the measure for the Sellwood bridge (which also failed too)and look at our roads and highways!

Now I am going to go out on a limb here and say something you might not like. I love the beauty of Portland...the care placed in parks, bike lanes, public art and park benches. However, if we don't start prioritizing we won't have this beauty. You can add a million dollars worth of bike lanes but if there are potholes on the next street that a biker hits, they are still going to fly off the road or swerve and get hit by a car. If we have a bridge collapse then there will be public outcry--but up to that point we don't want to put money towards it. What gives?

I know the issue isn't black and white but here is what i see. I take my first grader into school and dodge buckets in the hall and classroom catching water from the leaking roof. I watch the music teacher be laid off and asbestos on the ceiling. I live on a street that most people who visit can't even drive on. Aging bridges. Poor soil quality. Inflation.

I also see parents involved in the school--including landscaping, painting the teachers lounge, cleaning, playground improvement, tree planting. We invest every day in our school and neighborhood but are feeling strapped.

If this isn't a reality check, then what is?

Basic services should be top of the list. Decent streets, efficient water supply and safe electrical run to all houses and buildings. Emphasis should be placed on these improvements (even down to the level of permitting).

Education of our children will define our nation in the future. Whether you have kids or not, you know that we are falling behind. we can't look the other way because there is value in the place our kids go to school. Safety is the biggest concern here on top of human health.

Infrastructure such as bridges, overpasses, and tunnels should be evaluated and repaired so that we don't have a catastrophe on our hands.

While this may seem simplistic to you, we have become a nation of overwhelmed people. Let's really think about getting back to basics and focus on those as short term goals. My hope is that if we can truly do this, the rest will fall in place over time. Patience!

These economic times...

Things are really busy this time of year. My hope is that it is something that will continue into the fall. If you plan on staying in your home for some time, it is an excellent time to invest in it. As the economy stabilizes one thing is sure--the cost of construction WON'T go down. In fact, most experts believe that costs will go up due to shipping costs and general inflation that most companies have been eating currently.

The strongest project in a home (with the best return) is far and away a kitchen remodel. After that it is a toss up. However, I think the most desirable project after that seems to be a master suite. These two items really can make (or break) a home for sure and are the top projects on the boards in my firm.

The key to investing wisely in these projects is to keep it simple. Not only is that a great way to keep your costs to a minimum, it is also a way to design and build something that is more timeless in the end. My approach is to build something that won't look dated in a decade while still catering to the modern aesthetic we all crave.