I think the "greasies" are convinced that the reason these types of hotels didn't work in other cities is that they were too small. That is, a 600-room hotel would turn a profit, but a 400-room hotel won't. This is going to make the tram look like a great investment.

It's the massive egos that don't know when to "Fold"Em". Never has a Convention Center been profitable and throwing more money isn't going to help matters. I guess it takes an Ego-maniac to run for office and afterward we wind up with 5 Ego-maniacts outdoing each other.

I'll take it where it truly needs to go.

These people, for the most part, are hopelessly stupid and functionally corrupted. Mixed with big doses of public deception and official maleficence.

Both the PDC and Metro are packed with staff who's first mission is self preservation as they deal with management that is so politicized that common sense honesty have long become obsolete.

It doesn't matter what detrimental realities exist with SoWa, BC couplet, the CC Hotel or any other effort. When government planning agencies have staff working full time to paint the picture they want shown, without any consequences for anyone, it's all completely rigged.

When staff is allowed to deliver false information, in large doses, to commissions, councils and public hearings
the system cannot work.

When the elected officials prefer the false information it's a steady green light for the status quo.

We should start a visioning process to solicit people's views on the future of the Convention Center quadrant, and the future HQ hotel. We should solicit these views in multiple languages, since you English-speakers seem to have a negative attitude towards the whole thing. Must be anti east-side bias. Clearly, we need some government funded development over there as well? you know what this project needs to make it a reality? A strong mayor.

Sorry - I'm rambling...

"I'll take it where it truly needs to go."

Thanks, Richard.

And with too many in the newsmedia more interested in self preservation than functioning as The Fourth Estate, here we sit in stagnation.

I was straight out lied to by a young women in the mayor's office, when I called twice and asked why $3 million was being budgeted by PDC despite the mayor's opposition. I believe her name was Amanda and she tried to play me like a fool by claiming the budget process was not yet complete for PDC. and therefore no money was yet budgeted.

Mayor Pottor, is this the thanks I get for my support. It seems to me its the same old lies and sleight of hands. Please have the decency to encourage your young staff not to lie and shoot straight. and please get a handle on PDC, they are making a fool out of you, time and time again

When will someone explain the managerial accounting 101 concept of sunk costs to these Einstiens.

For those with public school educations, Sunk-Costs refers to the tendency of people to throw good money after bad on ill-considered projects because they don't want to admit that they wasted the money they already spent.

Financial decisions should not be based AT ALL on what has been spent. The decision maker should ONLY look at the present and future projected income and expenses.

Many things "should" happen that don't. In Portland, one of these is the use of common sense in spending money. The day of reckoning is not too far off.

Mr. Nobody watches the money.

"Reckoning" is spelled "a u d i t".

When is a Randy Leonard or some other elected going to get a spine, stand up and demand full auditing, full accounting and a full look see?
Because it aint happening now.

There is so much money being spent and diverted to special interests without any oversight it is criminal.

Is there any doubt the public believes there are responsible elected officials who look at budgets and accounts to make sure public money is being managed properly?
Well, there isn't. There is not even so much as complete account for major projects to be found at all. The accounting doesn't exist. Let alone get critiqued by any elected official.
Leonard, for instance hasn't any idea how much money has been paid out and to whom, to date, for SoWa.
He probably thinks someone else does know.
He is wrong. There is no "someone else" who knows because there is not a single copy of a complete accounting available for anyone to view.
ANYONE. Not even Bruce Warner, the head of the PDC.
Now what kind of system is this that spends some $270 million per year in their budget and channels millions of taxpayers property tax dollars from basic services and no one knows really where it goes.

The not so funny punch line is the rolling eyes by PDC hierarchy who scoff at such claims, suggesting the full accounting is available.
But they don't know where it is, so no one can get a copy.
Which means not a single elected official has seeen it either.

So, please, someone tell me why are they so irresponsible?

And why do the usual city hall defenders never become curious as to where the money goes and who gets it?

Do they all think someone MUST BE watching the money?

Mr. Nobody has that job. Wake up!

Here is what I understand is happening tonight at PDC -- they are going to vote to recognize the Convention Center Hotel as being "in the public interest." Yes, millions of dollars of public debt will be deemed to be in the public interest and thus elegible for URA funds.

Did I miss something or has nobody actually decided even to build the hotel yet? Is this the cart before the overpriced horse? Is it just another attempt to even further grease the wheels and slide this thing through while nobody is looking?