Portland struck gold with a hefty $7.1 million boost from the feds, earmarked for a slew of community projects that promise to touch on everything from housing to police gear. President Biden sealed a last-minute funding deal, narrowly avoiding a government shutdown, which promises significant benefits for local communities until the end of September. The City of Roses is set to allocate dollars for affordable housing improvements, street safety enhancements, and outfitting cops with body cams.
Local honchos have been bending elbows with Oregon's power players in D.C., and it's clear their glad-handing paid off. Senator Ron Wyden, Senator Jeff Merkley, Representative Earl Blumenauer, and Representative Suzanne Bonamici have all thrown their weight behind Portland's pork. “I’m grateful that Portland’s priority projects received support from our congressional delegation,” Mayor Ted Wheeler tipped his hat in appreciation, according to the city's statement. The delegation's dugout efforts swayed the big bats in Congress to greenlight the city's wish list.
The landmark funding bill side-stepped a fed shutdown and lavished agencies with resources to keep the lights on. Pouring cash into local initiatives, earmarks have made a comeback in the legislative playbook, directing funds to where local boots on the ground say it's needed the most. Here's to penciling in dollars where they're promised to make a splash on the home front.
