I had never heard of this one until now.

A friend of ours whose son attends Tulane University forwards this message that students received this morning from the president of the university, Scott Cowen:

February 8, 2010

Dear Students,

There are certain moments in life that are transcendent and
transformative and are too wonderful for words. Sunday's Super Bowl
victory was such a moment. It was a victory that went far beyond
football, highlights, statistics or trophies. This world championship,
coupled with the election of a new mayor by an overwhelming majority,
is about the progress and future of our beloved city.

This was a moment for all New Orleanians. The way this city
and this team, our team, have embraced one another is unique in all
the world. While most professional athletes discuss themselves and
their gifts at post-game press conferences, our Saints invariably talk
about their city and what its recovery has meant to them and to the
nation.

This is what I believe we will be celebrating when we welcome
our hometown heroes at tomorrow's parade. In addition, we will be
congratulating our new mayor, Mitch Landrieu, as he leads us into the
future. So in recognition of New Orleans, our recovery, our revival
and the unity we displayed in one incredible weekend at the polls and
on the national stage, I am going to close the university (uptown,
downtown and primate center) tomorrow at 1 p.m.

This will allow all New Orleans-area Tulanians time to gather
with family, friends and neighbors (are there any other categories of
people in New Orleans?) and celebrate what is truly a historic moment
in the long life and new life of our city. Enjoy the parade but most
of all enjoy the moment. It truly is our time!

Geaux New Orleans,
Geaux Saints,
Geaux Tulane,

President Cowen

    

Here's an interesting one -- the grooming code for uniformed Portland firefighters. "Cosmetics, if worn, must be conservative and in good taste." Who gets to enforce that one -- the commissioner-in-charge?

The City of Portland sold around $73 million of bonds last week to raise money for use by its water bureau. The winning bidder in the competitive sale was Banc of America Merrill Lynch. The city sure is into borrowing money from Bank of America these days; it was also groveling before that institution last week for a short-term loan of the $12 million it needs for the senseless re-renovation of PGE Park for major league (by U.S. standards) soccer. Pretty soon, it seems, the city will officially be a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America.

The total interest cost on the water bonds was 3.9322% a year, and a good chunk of the money is due in a final balloon payment in 25 years. Given that interest on the bonds is exempt from both federal and Oregon income taxes, 3.9322% is a great return on investment for B of A, or whoever ultimately buys the bonds from B of A. Assuming a 35% combined state and federal tax rate, that is the equivalent of better than 6% interest on a taxable deal. And the city's promised to raise water rates as necessary to cover the mortgage payments. The authorizing City Council ordinance declares:

Rate Covenant. The City covenants for the benefit of the owners of all First Lien Bonds that are sold under the authority of this ordinance that the City shall, when the First Lien Bonds are issued, charge rates and fees in connection with the operation of the Water System which, when combined with other Gross Revenues, are adequate to generate Net Revenues at least equal to one hundred twenty five percent (125.00%) of Annual Debt Service due in that Fiscal Year, with the Additional Bonds treated as Outstanding....

The ordinance authorizing the latest water bonds was passed back in December. It described the purpose of the bonds -- what the proceeds of the borrowing would be used for -- as follows:

The City now finds it financially feasible and in the best interests of the City to authorize the issuance and sale of revenue bonds under ORS 287A.150 to finance the additions and improvements to the water system that are described in this paragraph. The additions and improvements that may be financed with revenue bonds authorized by this ordinance (the "Capital Improvements") include additions, improvements, and capital equipment that facilitate supply, treatment, transmission, storage, pumping, distribution, regulatory compliance, customer service and support.

That vagueness is where the legal question comes in. Back in the fall of 2003, a Multnomah County Circuit Court judge enjoined the city from selling bonds under a bond authorization ordinance that said merely that the city would be using the money "to finance facilities improvements, property acquisition and other public purposes." A troublemaking citizens' group known as Friends of the Reservoirs complained that this ordinance and its vague description deprived city residents of their right to petition for a referendum, which would have subjected the bonds to a popular vote. The judge agreed, on two grounds: (1) that the City Council abused its power by passing the ordinance as an "emergency" measure, taking effect without waiting for the referendum period (nowadays opponents have 30 days to collect signatures) to pass; and (2) that the description of the purposes for which the bonds were to be issued was too vague to give reasonable notice of what was going to be done with the borrowed bond funds.

Now, in the present case, the City Council did not use an emergency ordinance, and its description was arguably a bit less amorphous than the one stricken down in 2003. Moreover, since then the state law on cities' issuing revenue bonds has been rewritten. But the extreme vagueness of the latest description -- "for the water bureau to buy whatever assets it wants," more or less -- does not appear to provide the level of detail in the notice to the public that the judge demanded in the earlier case. It's still pretty much a blank check, albeit for a single city bureau. And if that's all the city has to say before it issues bonds, the citizenry's referendum rights are meaningless.

It would be awfully hard for someone seeking signatures on a referendum petition to tell from the Portland ordinance just what he or she was asking people to protest. Indeed, it would be awfully hard for anyone even to figure out that he or she wanted to start a referendum drive, since the ordinance gave no clue as to what type of "additions and improvements" the water bureau planned to undertake with the bond proceeds. Reservoir covers? A new dam? Solar-powered water meters? Neon signs? It could be almost anything.

If the public didn't get legally sufficient notice of the bonds' purposes back in December, what can be done about it now? It's not entirely clear, but the question seems to be an academic one, as neither Friends of the Reservoirs nor anyone else seems interested in going to see the judge again about this issue. One thing's for sure: There's too much gamesmanship going on with the City of Portland's bonds, and City Council members (on whom we all get to vote every fourth year) should cut it out.

As a guy who grew up rooting for the New York Football Giants of Sam Huff, Andy Robustelli, Jim Katcavage, Alex Webster, and so many more, I find that there's something in the sight of a smart, durable, experienced quarterback in a Colts uniform that makes me need to root for the other side. Just as we respected Unitas but cheered our lungs out for Tittle, I'm respecting Peyton but pulling for Brees. Go Saints!

Here's a hysterical "only in Portland" moment. Some guy is out there convincing people to invest $250 in "a profitable and vibrant vermicomposting collective" that he hopes will make money selling worms for composting and worm poop for fertilizer.

Among the investors? The city's creepy mayor, who not so long ago couldn't come up with $250 to pay his own mortgage. Now he's reportedly plunked down that amount and signed up to become a worm tycoon.

You have to wonder whether a hippie enterprise such as this has complied with the state and federal securities laws, which require that quite a bit of red tape be processed before shares can be sold to investors. Maybe the fearless state attorney general can get on the case. He already knows where to send the subpoenas.

Don't get me wrong -- the Mrs. and I have been avid worm composters for more than 15 years -- but the investment aspect of this is a classic Rose City delusion of grandeur. And wouldn't you know it, the Spendthrift-in-Chief is right there with check in hand. At least this time he isn't playing with our money -- I say that hopefully.

Portland city commissioner Dan "Legend" Saltzman did what he does best today -- he showed up and sat there. It was at the funeral of the unarmed man who was shot in the back and killed by Portland police last week. Saltzman's appearance was a nice gesture, to be sure -- better than you'd get in similar circumstances from Katz, Adams, Leonard, or Potter -- but as the farcical grand jury proceedings and three-year fake internal "investigation" into the shooting proceed, don't expect any actual action from the guy.

It will be interesting to see what "Legend" does when the federal civil jury comes in with a big verdict in the Chasse case. He'll probably say something deep like, "I wasn't the police commissioner when this tragedy occurred."

We've known for years that when somebody steals a vehicle in Portland, the city authorities don't seem to care much. How about 30 vehicles? I'll bet they still won't lift a finger. Maybe the state will figure it out.

Now we've got Fred Meyer stores on TV telling us to use reusable bags for our groceries, because "it's the right thing to do." It is the exact same slogan that we get in stickers on our recycling and yard debris bins from the City of Portland: "It's the right thing to do."

This particular saying is starting to stick in my craw. At our house we recycle, compost, and do everything we can to respect the planet. If you'd like to remind me of the ecological pro's and con's of various consumer choices, that's grand. But when you tell me what "the right thing to do" is, I very much feel like doing the opposite, just to spite your pompous asininity.

You went to an Al Gore movie, and now all of a sudden you're the Pope? If I made the Kroger grocery store chain or the city government of Portland my moral compass, I would burn in hell for all eternity.

It's Snowpocalypse 2010 on the East Coast, but here in El Niñoland it's nice enough to get out and do something about the yard. We've got a big climbing rose bush that makes our Mays spectacular, and it's gotten too big for its britches. When it's all leaves and thorns, it's a lethal opponent, but it's not too bad when it's asleep for the winter. And so out there we go.

It's getting to be a weekly ritual. Maxine Bernstein of the Oregonian writes an important story about alleged police misconduct in Portland, and rather than run it on a weekday when more readers will see it, her editors post it to the web on Friday night, at the weekly ebb of internet readership. It's on the front page of the print edition, but on Saturday, when readership is not so hot.

But this one ain't going away any time soon. The son of former police chief Derrick "Let Me Rub You Down with Hot Oils" Foxworth is involved in the latest atrocity! And he and his partner misjudged the gender of the victim. Let the games begin.

A paragraph in this story in today's Times is intriguing:

Becknell remembered the first time the Saints flew into the local airport after a game in their first season. They traveled all night from Portland, Ore., and when they arrived, thousands of fans lined the nearest ramp. Fans today do exactly the same thing, tradition in both winning and losing seasons, loyalty passed from one generation to the next.

Having sopped up some votes last week by pandering to the soccer children, this week Dan "Legend" Saltzman seeks to shore up his Portland City Council re-election bid by worshipping at the altar of the bicycle. He's actually proposing that the city pay for more bike lanes out of what it collects from residents from their already sky-high water and sewer bills.

I wish the grownups with jobs and lives would take this town back. Instead they're all tuning out or leaving, and the hipsters, construction goons, and condo weasels have their run of City Hall. Their harebrained ideas will all come crashing down at some point, and probably the sooner the better. It's sad to watch.

Here's a Portland photo site I never noticed until just now.

Let's go out to eat tonight.

A federal appeals court can't seem to decide whether or not a public school can punish students for setting up a spoof social media page as if it belonged to the principal. Yesterday the court issued two opinions, seemingly out of both sides of its judicial mouth.

If, like me, you're in charge of waste management at your place, prepare yourself for this. At our place, we already compost everything but grains, meat, and dairy. And cutting the landfill pickup to every two weeks is going to take some getting used to. But I'll bet we can do it. We're going to have to.

The City of Portland made official today what's been known around town for several days: City Council candidate Jason Renaud didn't get enough qualifying signatures to get "clean money" -- taxpayer financing of his challenge to incumbent Commissioner Dan "Legend" Saltzman. Reportedly one of Renaud's signature gatherers helpfully filled in signers' addresses for them, which is a violation. And so only Jesse Cornett, darling of the latter-day Stennies, will get $145,000 of tax money for his quixotic run against Saltzman. Let the flow of junk mail and bad TV commercials begin!

Maybe he got tired of working for a Republican.

Nowadays even real estate sales come with full (albeit NSFW) disclosure.

Here's a Portland business getting national attention, and deservedly so. Let's hope the planners and condo weasels don't drive them out of their long-time home on Division Street.

And it won't be the last time.

They're holding another poetry contest to see whose verse should be posted on Tri-Met. They're asking for our votes here, but I think we owe our local transit system more than just that. How about we offer some of our own poetry about Tri-Met, rather than on Tri-Met?

I'll try to get the ball rolling here:

I think that I shall never wax
Poetic on the bus or MAX.

A fleet that belches smoke all day,
From biofuel the sour bouquet;

With tax whose hungry mouth is prest
Against our payroll's flowing breast;

A trolley that in summer bears
A flock of hipsters without fares;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
The slightest flurry halts the train.

Poems are made by gods, I guess,
But only fools can make a WES.

Hard to get downtown
Once I rode the 33
Now I drive my car

It is on this map.

So rules the Oregon Tax Court.

... or a fake fake?

Portland's still babbling about 25 percent of all travel in the city being done by bicycle some day. We're going to spend $613 million of borrowed money on "bikeways," and so the bigger the delusion, the better, I guess.

I like biking, see its value, and believe in making it safer, but the number of folks on two wheels doesn't seem to be growing fast enough to justify that kind of money.

These folks think that a lot of it is. But they liked Anne Amie, King, and Bethel Heights, among a few others.

We blogged a while back about how the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit was going to start experimenting (ever so modestly) with cameras in federal trial courtrooms, and how the U.S. Supreme Court blocked that effort in the California gay marriage case. But now, get this -- a couple of filmmakers are re-enacting the court proceedings of that trial. Since the court banned video, the transcripts of the case are being used to produce YouTube videos played by professional actors.

There are stories about it here and here. The videos can be viewed here. But don't expect fireworks. A reader who's been following this reports, "I watched a couple of minutes of both hour-long videos. They amazed me, since this seem to be the real trial (i.e., mostly boring)." And it seems they've only got the first day digested so far, whereas the trial went on for 12 days.

Better sleep with one eye open. The folks in the 'Couv are finding that out. Here's a piece of a transcript of a story yesterday on OPB:

[Y]ou remember a week ago Friday, when the mayors of Portland and Vancouver sat down with Clark County and Metro, the regional tri-county government got together – calling themselves the L4? They signed a letter indicating they wanted to move forward together?

It’s been just over a week, for cracks to show in that agreement. The Columbian newspaper published a story Monday that mentioned Portland planners were working on a re-visioning of the bridge.

The bridge is frequently understood as 10 or 12 lanes – but this plan has it as a six-lane structure. Not exactly what Commissioner Steve Stuart of Clark County has in mind.

Steve Stuart: "We’d just got done working as local elected officials on a project to move forward together. So, us finding out there’d be work done individually by the city of Portland cut across the grain of what we’d already talked about. And we didn’t know about it."

Stuart says this was no deal-breaker. But he did call Portland Mayor Sam Adams to ask what was going on.

The man the police killed on Friday was in fact unarmed, and he was shot in the back by an officer with a history of unjustified violence.

The police bureau in this town is really pathetic sometimes. Now watch the D.A.'s office look even more pathetic.

I can't wait for the Chasse verdict. Can't. Wait.

I'm surprised Portland doesn't have some of this. The closest thing I've seen to it was the window paintings and posters that the Greek Cusina guy put up the day he vacated his building. It took Fireman Warmth a couple of hours before he and his troops had it all torn down.

What they're thinking.

Here's an alarming editorial on the very front page of the new issue of the Alameda neighborhood newspaper:

It appears that the neighborhood association has been infiltrated by one of the developer weasels or one of said weasels' cheerleading contingent in the city planning bureaucracy. The tranquility of the neighborhood is a liability, and the quality of the homes is discriminatory. There's only one answer: More ugly infill!

Alameda neighbors, if you would like to preserve the neighborhood character that you paid so much for and that you and your families enjoy, you had better not sleep through this. You should probably write a letter to the editor and sound off. I believe you can e-mail it here.

Interestingly, in the masthead of that newspaper, there is no one on the contact list next to "Land Use." Scary stuff, people.

Read all about it -- 153 pages' worth -- here.

Portland city commissioner Nick Fish is formally announcing this week that he's running for re-election, but already he's been hitting up folks who have given him campaign money in the past, asking them to do it again:

It ought to be a fairly easy race for Nick, and we're glad he isn't making us taxpayers pay for it. If only he had beaten Sam Adams years ago and kept the latter off the council -- what a better city we would have had.

Just a bit of bookkeeping about our charity pro football underdog pool, just concluded. Genop's mom told us to send her third prize bucks ($45) to the other winners' no. 1 charity, which was Mercy Corps, and off it went yesterday. Congratulations to her, and we hope that all the pro football fans out there who followed our pool have a great Super Bowl Sunday.

Again a young man is dead at the hands of Portland police, and again there are many questions about whether it was necessary to kill him. The officer in question has a history.

The City of Portland has disclosed that they're negotiating behind closed doors this week with Bank of America for the $12 million line of credit to pay the taxpayers' up-front share of the costs for the re-renovation of PGE Park for "major league" (by U.S. standards) soccer. The "interim" line of credit, scheduled to close this Friday, is expected to remain open for as long as three to five years, after which permanent long-term bonds will be needed. By the time those bonds are issued, of course, the construction will be finished.

Last summer, reports were that the final I.O.U.s for the stadium debt would be subprime, "zero coupon" bonds, meaning that the city will make little or no payments until one or more large balloon payments at the end of their term. Under current market conditions, the mayor said at that time, the bonds couldn't be sold in the open market at all. Which means that the city is apparently gambling that the municipal bond market is going to improve dramatically between now and the time that payoff of the interim line of credit is due. Even in an improved market, the interest rate on the debt is likely to be high.

Also back in the summer, there was much discussion about the fact that the Paulson family was undertaking to assist the city with selling the bonds. On a quick look through the daunting pile of documents that the city is now planning to enter into with the Paulsons and their business entities, we can't find any mention of that assistance in the deal that the City Council will be approving on second reading tomorrow. If by some chance the city couldn't sell the new bonds, then the city's general fund would be at risk to repay the line of credit.

We've written about the city's affection for "interim" borrowings here before. Portland employs them regularly with its "urban renewal" projects. There are a couple of hundred million dollars' worth of these debts outstanding, much of them with Bank of America. The details of the deals are not publicized, and even the fact that they are being negotiated is not posted anywhere on the city's website.

In this case, a quiet request for proposals was mailed to a secret list of banks and posted in the city's financial press, and four banks submitted proposals last Wednesday. The unsuccessful proposals came from Chase, Umpqua Bank, and Wells Fargo. We've asked to see the four proposals but have been told we will have to wait until the city checks with the banks to see if there was any "proprietary information" in their proposals that the banks don't want the public to see. No word on when we might have answers to that question.

When traffic's bad on I-5 south of downtown Portland, you can usually avoid it by using Barbur Boulevard. Things zip along pretty well on that thoroughfare.

For now.

Yet another press release from Salem reads you your rights against your insurance company.

PORTLAND, OREGON - CITY HALL – City Auditor LaVonne Griffin-Valade launched the Fraud Alert line today. The Auditor’s Fraud Alert allows the public and City of Portland employees to report concerns about suspected fraud, waste or misuse of City resources, and abuse of position to a 24/7, centralized tip line. "The Fraud Alert line is one more mechanism for enhancing accountability to the public," Auditor Griffin-Valade said.

Anyway, the phone number is 1-866-342-4148, and the website is www.portlandfraudalert.com.