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Jim Hightower likes to repeat a saying he picked up as a young man about people and institutions who crap on others as they become more powerful --
"The higher the monkey climbs, the more you see his ugly side."
Popped into my head when I saw
this depressing story, proving that the cynics were right that the closure of the Oregon School for the Blind was nothing other than a vicious real estate grab by the Salem Hospital. And for what!? A parking lot.
With a little imagination, it's easy to see about a million better uses. For instance, that property could be converted to a long-term care facility for people with high-demand medical care needs -- it's already residential, it's in a beautiful spot with great access to medical and to Bush Park.
The City Council needs to step up fast, or we'll lose a historic facility and gain a blight.