Let me say upfront that I own a Kia. I love my Kia. But if I could have been able to buy something a little bit better? Just a tiny bit more comfortable? Sturdier? I’d have been all over it – but it wasn’t in my budget, so I settled for what I got.

So it really concerns me when I hear Mayor Tom Potter declare that he wants the racial profiling committee to “operate like a sturdy Kia.” Yeah, he says their work is “core work.” He wants the committee to be an “institution.” Yet he’s only willing to cough up a Kia’s worth of resources? (Hat tip to Matt Davis at The Merc for highlighting the issue, of course…)

Hmmm…does that mean that he’s willing to provide resources equivalent to a vehicle that’s notoriously short on shock absorbers? Doesn’t get quite the MPH advertised? May be able to hold passengers comfortably for short trips, but leaves them in agony after an all-day road trip? Cashes out as one of the cheapest new cars on the market, no matter what category?

And what kind of project qualifies for “Cadillac financing”, anyway? Wait, wait – let me guess. Good ‘ol Vision PDX got the lion’s share of what this mayor calls his – get ready to hold your sides when you read this quote – “conservative when it comes to money” fiscal policy.

I think the racial profiling committee just got taken for a ride…