Memo to Metro: The hotel boom is long past over (Jack Bog's Blog)

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on July 11, 2008 1:32 PM. The previous post in this blog was A crying need. The next post in this blog is Have a great weekend. Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

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Friday, July 11, 2008

Memo to Metro: The hotel boom is long past over

Among the ironies of their forcing Portland taxpayers to pay for the Convention Center hotel is the fact that it couldn't come at a worse time.

Posted at 1:32 PM | Permalink

Comments (9)

No you don't understand - as soon as a white elephant is identified, it is the job of the local governments to throw as much money at it as possible. Witness light rail, street cars, a 4.1 billion dollar interstate bridge that has the same number of lanes to carry cars as the bridge we presently have. Remember, it doesn't have to work, it just has to 'sound' good (the liberal mantra). Reminds me of the Navy, work it might, shine it must.

Wave bye-bye to more tax money. When they get done with that batch of tax money they will find ways to pick more money out of your wallet. Government sanctioned pick pockets - gotta love it.

Posted by native oregonian | July 11, 2008 2:19 PM

Uh, sorry, that's there and not here, Portland is different!!! This will never happen to us because we are smarter.

Posted by Steve | July 11, 2008 5:30 PM

After repeated and escalating failures at Cascade Station, Beaverton Round, SoWa and others Metro and their municipal clones never waiver. Instead they claim their approach is sound and that it just takes time to work out.

They're wrong, incompetent and dishonest.

In no particular mixture.

This costly CC Hotel is nothing but more of their make believe world where they know what they are doiong.

I remember Dave Bragdon a few yeasr back talking about Light Rail on the 20th anniversary of Eastside MAX. He said we need to do something about MAX, people have to drive to it to use it.

Do something about it?
That must have meant build more of it?

Posted by Ben | July 11, 2008 6:07 PM

It seems like one of the main reasons Portland proper thrives at all is the amount of federal dollars and state government dollars thrown to it in addition to cityhall's expanding indebtedness. It would seem like the federal government has other fires going on now, and should be looking to pull back subsidies from Portland proper. The same goes for the state of Oregon.

Posted by Bob Clark | July 11, 2008 6:31 PM

To build upon Ben's observations regarding Metro: remember when they were pitching a vote to expand the Convention Center? If we just doubled the space, the big conventions would come rolling in, bringing untold millions of dollars to Portland. "Trust us on this", they said.

We didn't. We voted against expansion.

Metro did it anyway.

Posted by Max | July 11, 2008 8:14 PM

Max has it right. That headquarters hotel will be built no matter what the construction cost or the operating losses. Hoffman Construction and the landowners in the Lloyd District want the hotel, so it will happen. The public and taxpayers are irrelevant. Just wait, the Metro Council will approve building the hotel within 3 months.

Posted by Musician | July 11, 2008 9:08 PM

"That headquarters hotel will be built no matter what the construction cost"

We have proof of that mindset.

Sam Adams said that it doesn't matter what SoWa costs, we have to do it to stop sprawl.

He's an idiot.

Posted by Ben | July 12, 2008 1:17 AM

By the time the Convention Center hotel is finally built, regional population will have grown by 1 million people, every street will have a slow and silent streetcar, SoWa condos will be full, and Sam Adams will be the first openly gay U.S. senator, and Randy Leonard will be governor.

Posted by Garage Wine | July 12, 2008 7:26 AM

Where are the environmentalists, the city councilmen, the metro consulars on this convention center hotel issue who believe in reducing the carbon footprint where ever we go?

There is little difference in their concerns about the Columbia Crossing causing pollution, carbon negatives than there is in encouraging convention goers flying into Portland, leaving vapor trails, eating up excessive carbons and staying at a taxpayer subsidized hotel with a huge carbon footprint. Lets be fair and equitable in seeing this hypocrisy.

Posted by lw | July 12, 2008 8:50 PM

In Vino Veritas

Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2009
Mauro Molino, Barbera d'Alba 2009
Garda Chiaretto Rose
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Vineyard 10 White
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley 2009
L'Hortus, Rose de Saignee 2010
Maculan, Pino & Toi 2008
McKinley Springs, Bombing Range Red 2008
Trader Joe's Pinot Gris 2009
Montes Alpha, Cabernet 2007
Gran Sasso, Sangiovese, Terre di Chieti 2009
Garda, Classico Chiaretto Rose
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1999
Picos del Montgo, Tempranillo 2008
Chateau de Montmirail, Vacqueyras 2008
La Granja 360, Syrah 2009
Montgras, Carmenere Reserva 2009
Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet 2008
Kirkland, Pinot Grigio 2010
Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2008
Trader Joe's Coastal Chardonnay 2009
Vieux Papes Red
Domaine de l'Aujardiere, Chardonnay 2009
Santa Rita, Cabernet, Medalla Real 2007
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Guild, Red, Lot #02 2008
Dievole, Dievolino Sangiovese 2008
Laforet, Burgogne Chardonnay 2009
Columbia Winery, Merlot 2007
Bonterra, Cabernet 2008
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2009
Maquis Lien 2006
Scott Paul, Pinot Noir, Le Paulee 2007
Cameron, Chardonnay
B.R. Cohn, Cabernet, Silver Label 2006
Graffigna, Cabernet 2005
Palo Alto, Reserve Red 2008
Menguante, Garnacha 2008
Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Felsina Berardenga, Vin Santo 1997
Anne Amie, Pinot Gris 2009
McKinley Springs, Bombing Ramge Red 2007
Vieux Papes Red
Dionysius Chardonnay 2009
Haden Fig, Pinot Noir 2009
Vega Montan, Mencia 2008
Chateau la Vernede, Coteaux du Languedoc 2007
Mount Defiance, Hellfire (White) 2008
Root: 1, Cabernet 2008
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Pinot Grigio 2009
Columbia Crest, Two Vines, Vineyard 10 White, 2008
Columbia Crest, Two Vines, Vineyard 10 Rose, 2007
Abacela, Grenache Rose 2009
Avia Cabernet 2004
Lemelson Pinot Noir, Thea's Selection 2007
Chateau de la Roulerie, Rose d'Anjou 2009
Casal Garcia, Vinho Verde Rose
La Ferme Julien, Rose 2008
Cana's Feast, Bricco Red, 2006
Hogue, Genesis Merlot, 2008
Owen Roe, Sharecropper's Cabernet, 2008
Kim Crawford, Unoaked Chardonnay 2008
J. Scott, Pinot Noir 2008
Edmunds St. John, White, Heart of Gold 2008
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2006
Stevenot, Cabernet, Sierra Foothills, "Stanford" 2000
Portuga, Vinho Rose 2009
Taylor Fladgate, First Estate Reserve Porto
Franciscan, Cabernet, Napa 2006
Chaparral de Vega Sindoa, Garnacha 2008
Quinta da Aveleda, Vinho Verde 2008
St. Francis, Chardonnay Sonoma 2008
E. Guigal, Cotes du Rhone Blanc, 2007
Edmunds St. John, Bone-Jolly, Gamay Noir 2008
St. Innocent, Pinot Noir 2006
Jigsaw, Pinot Noir 2007
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Merlot, Indian Wells 2007
Charles Shaw, Chardonnay 2008
Edmunds St. John, Bone-Jolly, Gamay Rosé 2009
Cameron, Willamette Valley Chardonnay
Il Valore, Sangiovese, Giovane, Puglia 2008
Duck Pond, Chardonnay, Wahluke Slope 2007
Kim Crawford, Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008
Domaine du Pesquier, Cotes du Rhone 2005
Cantina Zaccagnini, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2006
Domaine Matrot, Chardonnay, Bourgogne 2007
David Hill, Oregon Sparkling Wine, Brut
Chandler Reach, Monte Regalo 2006
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2008
Kirkland, Columbia Valley Merlot 2008
D'Aragon, Old Vine Garnacha 2008
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2005
Pavin & Riley, Merlot 2006
David Hill, Estate Pinot Noir, Barrel Select 2006
Castle Rock, Paso Robles Cabernet 2006
Magnificent, Cabernet, Steak House 2008
Conundrum 2008
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1998
Saint Cosme, Cotes-du-Rhone 2007
La Granja, Tempranillo 360, 2008
Santa Rita, Mendalla Real Cabernet 2006
Columbia Crest, Grand Estates Merlot 2006
Andezon, Cotes-du-Rhone 2007
Collegiata, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Troon, Druid's Fluid 2008
La Granja, Tempranillo 2008
Monte Antico, Toscana 2006
Vieux Papes, Blanc de Blancs

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Jack London - The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii
Jack Walker - The Extraordinary Rendition of Vincent Dellamaria
Colum McCann - Let the Great World Spin
Niccolò Machiavelli - The Prince
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - The Nanny Diaries
Brian Selznick - The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Sharon Creech - Walk Two Moons
Keith Richards - Life
F. Sionil Jose - Dusk
Natalie Babbitt - Tuck Everlasting
Justin Halpern - S#*t My Dad Says
Mark Herrmann - The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law
Barry Glassner - The Gospel of Food
Phil Stanford - The Peyton-Allan Files
Jesse Katz - The Opposite Field
Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
David Sedaris - Holidays on Ice
Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith
C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
James McManus - Positively Fifth Street
Jeff Noon - Vurt

Road Work

Miles run year to date: 54
At this date last year: 50
Total run in 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
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In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269