"Greater Portland", and Clark County's Share

Just got done reading "Greater Portland" - a short celebratory history of how "developers worked with Portland residents interested in sustainable habitats" etc, to create Portland as a shining beacon of sustainability for the nation and the world. 

Notwithstanding all the self-congratulatory pats on the back the author, a professor at Portland State University, gives to the Rose City, I'm somewhat dismayed, though not surprised, at the few references to Vancouver and Clark County as a whole - except to note our "lower than average" incomes, percentage of college graduates, and high-tech jobs. It must be said that the book was published during the latter half of Vera Katz's administration as Portland mayor - the early oughts, a bit prior to where we sit now in terms of our share of the Portland metro area. Still, our lengthiest mention notes that, because we sit outside Tri-Met urban growth boundaries, we are a "safety valve" for development in Portland metro - a safety valve that has (apparently?) been "shut off" due to Washington growth regulations, thus "slowing growth" in Clark County. Tell that to the near 500K residents we apparently now have, up from a 2010 census total of 434K. Tell that to the 600K residents we're supposed to have in six years' time. 

Let's be clear here, now that we're almost at 2014. Clark County's share of the "six-county metro area" (the author includes US Census figures that include Yamhill and Columbia counties as part of the metro area) is around 1/5 to 1/4 of a total metro population of 2.5M. That being said, I wonder how often Clark County actually gets 1/5 to 1/4 of federal funding for services provided to the metro area. I wonder how often services provided by Tri-Met non-profits actually bring 1/5 to 1/4 of their budgets to Clark County. 

I'm tired, like many of you, of Clark County getting the short end of the stick when it comes to being "part" of Portland metro, and when it comes to getting our fair share of funding from federal and Washington state agencies - such as the current transportation bill in Olympia, which gives our county 1/2 of 1% total transportation dollars (much lower than our current 5% of state population). Its time Clark County quit playing the part of red-headed stepchild so many in Portland look to us as. Its past time we let Puget Sound-centric lawmakers up north skeeve us out of monies we deserve. Its also past time we act the part of petulant suburban teenager, protesting improvements that tie us in with the rest of the metro area and help us keep up with our continuing population growth - things like social services, parks, continued road improvements, and (gasp) transit improvements. Simply being "naysayers" means we will continue to be looked down upon both north and south of us. 

Its my fondest hope that current freeholder meetings, to provide us with a new County charter and government that reflects our status as a stand-alone metropolitan area, will work out and be voted in next fall. Its my hope that a new County charter gives more voice to those of us who believe in the Couv, and Clark County, as a city - rather than as a spaghetti like morass of Portland adjacent sprawl. Time will tell.