Nelson: Too bad philanthropy doesn’t extend to our art

Nelson: Too bad philanthropy doesn’t extend to our art: his is a city that understands the value of a buck.

Parking meters still take nickels and, if you search with enough vigour, you can still find a pint of beer that’ll give you change from two dollars.

It also knows a thing or two about art — the beautiful downtown Portland Museum of Art showcases works by such luminaries as Monet, Degas, Klee and Renoir.

Not bad for a rough and ready city on the blue collar trim of the U.S. with an urban population barely a fifth the size of Calgary’s.