The Wall Street Journal gushes about Gondolas, no, not those gondolas

​Uphill Climb: Cities Push Gondolas on Skeptical Commuters
"'I have definitely heard from some citizens that the very notion of a gondola is too ridiculous to even be considered,” said Mr. Slatt. “Why give transit critics ammunition by advancing something that may turn out to be a waste of time and effort?'"

Well, not to ridiculous for the politicians in Portlandia. Once they realize there is a wildly expensive transit mode which moves few people they will have to have one. Portland does not know how to say no to stupid. 

The Portland Tram was a working idea back in the late 1990s with a proposed construction costs of between $3 and $5 million. Once built is cost around $57 million, or 10 - 20 times the original proposed cost. The Antiplanner notes the real reason for trams, light rail, streetcars, and gondolas:

"In the end, it isn’t about transit or compact cities. It is about a giant real-estate scam aimed at making Neil Goldschmidt’s clients rich at everyone else’s expense. As a Tampa, Florida writer observed several years ago, that’s really what rail transit is about: real estate. That was true in the streetcar era, and it remains true today — the difference being that in the streetcar era, the real estate paid for the streetcars, while today taxpayers subsidize both." 

It is simply graft, and corruption writ large indeed. 

Joel Kotkin writing at Newgeography noted this about the Clintons:

"Clinton’s ascendency reflects the gentrification of the Democratic Party. Since the 1990s, argues historian Michael Lind, the Democrats have evolved from the party of the people to become, increasingly, an instrument of those in media, technology, entertainment and finance who dominate our post-industrial economy. In contrast, Republicans, increasingly isolated from these rising corporate powers, are being forced, often unwillingly, to become the party of populist American nationalism.

Certainly, Clinton, more than any other candidate in modern times, symbolizes the convergence of economic and political power. She enjoys across-the-board support from Hollywood, Silicon Valley, Washington’s K Street lobbyists and Wall Street. Clinton also personally collected a cool $21 million in speaking fees from a host of powerful Wall Street financial and other big corporate interests during 2013-15. She certainly appears like a future president bought and paid for."

A Berning Rift Growing Among Democrats | Newgeography.com

Portland is the new modern Corporate Liberal city where this convergence of economic and political power has solidified. The politicians here like the Clintons are bought and paid for. 

Don't worry we export the madness. You might want to get ready. Our former city commissioners, and transit bureaucrats  frequently land nice sinecures with consulting firms proselytizing ever more outlandish, and ornate transit regalia for cities without such inanities.

"The streetcar had barely been put into operation when the Portland city commissioner who originally pushed it quit his job mid term and took a job with a consulting firm traveling around the country proselytizing for streetcars. If your city leaders have been talking about building streetcars, he is the reason why. If your city also has some hills, get ready to fight some tram scams of your own."

The Mythmaking Continues on the Portland Aerial Tram | The Antiplanner

Brilliant, just brilliant!