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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on July 1, 2009 10:19 AM. The previous post in this blog was Q3 '09. The next post in this blog is No fireworks in the 'Couv. Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

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Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Nutty buddy

Is the guy who's posing as mayor of Portland still talking about a Convention Center hotel? If he is, he's verifiably out of his mind.

Posted at 10:19 AM | Permalink

Comments (7)

Sam,

Didn't you learn the lesson that you don't borrow more than you can afford and more than you need, especially when the economy is down? Why do you insist that all of the other citizens in Portland join in your mistake? Unlike you, we don't have developer buddies and patrons to bail us out when times get tough.

Posted by Mike (the other one) | July 1, 2009 11:51 AM

It might be cheaper to buy a hotel in foreclosure than build a new one.

Posted by Troy | July 1, 2009 11:53 AM

If they throw more caution to the wind and cram this down our throats, and then need to fire 1000 teachers, firefighters and cops, and raise property taxes 20%, all to pay for the misadventures, politics will change permanantly in this town.

Posted by James | July 1, 2009 12:04 PM

James, I understand your anger about government entities mis-spending our money, but teacher salaries are paid by the Portland School District, which is a separate government entity from the CoP. I realize the CoP has given money to the PSD, but still... Anyway, CoP's poor budgeting is not related to PSD's.

Also, thanks to the property tax limitation measures passed by the voters, twice, property tax increases cannot increase 20% in a year, unless voters approve bond issues for new schools.

BTW, speaking of PSD, does anybody know what their total spending is? When they trumpet that they are 'short' $xxx million, they never say. Their website doesn't have it either, that I could find.

Posted by JoWriter | July 1, 2009 7:37 PM

As I suggested about a year ago, the city and PDC should scrap the idea of a conventional headquarters hotel and instead level some space between the river and the convention center, plant some firs and fast growing foliage, and open a convention center campground and RV park. You could create a pretty fancy one, with a rec center, swimming pool, volleyball court, etc., for a lot less money than a big hotel. Most conventions are held in the summer and some convention organizers might like the idea of camping out. If not, a whole bunch of other tourists would use it.

Having been to nearly a hundred conventions and even managed a few, I know that hardly anyone sleeps during conventions. The hotel room is primarily used for consummating the romance that began at free booze schmoozer.

Or if a mere campground is too low rent, why not bring up these guys to do an urban verson? http://www.treehouses.com/treehouse/treesort/home.html

Posted by Gil Johnson | July 1, 2009 9:16 PM

But...but Portland is different. Don't you know that if you've been losing at poker all night long, doubling down always works?

Posted by Texas Triffid Ranch | July 2, 2009 7:09 AM

Jo, yes, but PSD is getting $34M from local sources this year, out of a $628M budget. That pool of money can dry up with no wrongdoing by PSD. Hoever, there is wrongdoing, and it was highlighted by the David Douglas issue. It is simply that Portland siphons urban property tax revenue from overlapping taxing jurisdictions through urban renewal areas. The $34M is part of the hush money to PSD to compensate it for its share of the lost revenue. If PSD had any backbone, and a long-term outlook, it would speak out against Portland's urban renewal abuses. It has a say, and it chooses to remain quiet, so when revenues decline, it will reap what it sows. Property taxes aren't as fixed as you say, because there are several variables that affect the bottom line and the 3% rate limit is only one of them.

Posted by anonymom | July 2, 2009 11:00 PM

In Vino Veritas

Charamba, Douro 2008
Horse Heaven Hills, Cabernet 2010
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills Pinot Grigio 2011
Avignonesi, Montepulciano 2004
Lorelle, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011
Villa Antinori, Toscana 2007
Mercedes Eguren, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Lorelle, Columbia Valley Cabernet 2011
Purple Moon, Merlot 2011
Purple Moon, Chardonnnay 2011
Abacela, Vintner's Blend No. 12
Opula Red Blend 2010
Liberte, Pinot Noir 2010
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Indian Wells Red Blend 2010
Woodbridge, Chardonnay 2011
King Estate, Pinot Noir 2011
Famille Perrin, Cotes du Rhone Villages 2010
Columbia Crest, Les Chevaux Red 2010
14 Hands, Hot to Trot White Blend
Familia Bianchi, Malbec 2009
Terrapin Cellars, Pinot Gris 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2009
Campo Viejo, Rioja, Termpranillo 2010
Ravenswood, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2010
Waterbrook, Reserve Merlot 2009
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills, Pinot Grigio 2011
Tarantas, Rose
Chateau Lajarre, Bordeaux 2009
La Vielle Ferme, Rose 2011
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio 2011
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir 2009
Lello, Douro Tinto 2009
Quinson Fils, Cotes de Provence Rose 2011
Anindor, Pinot Gris 2010
Buenas Ondas, Syrah Rose 2010
Les Fiefs d'Anglars, Malbec 2009
14 Hands, Pinot Gris 2011
Conundrum 2012
Condes de Albarei, Albariño 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2007
Penelope Sanchez, Garnacha Syrah 2010
Canoe Ridge, Merlot 2007
Atalaya do Mar, Godello 2010
Vega Montan, Mencia
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir, Marlborough 2009
Portuga, Rose 2011
Revelation, Chardonnay, Pays d'Oc 2010
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 2005
Monte Alto, Tinto Reserva 2005
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Cabernet, Indian Wells 2009
Espiral, Vinho Rose
Vin-Koru, Pinot Gris 2011
14 Hands, Hot to Trot Red 2009
Rodney Strong, Cabernet, Sonoma 2009
Abacela, Vintner's Blend #11
Portuga, White 2010
La Bourgeoisie, Red 2009
Januik, Red 2009
Three Rivers, River's Red 2008
Kirkland, Alexander Valley Merlot 2008
Muga, Rioja Rose 2010
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

The Occasional Book

Neil Young - Waging Heavy Peace
Mark Bego - Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (2012 ed.)
Jenny Lawson - Let's Pretend This Never Happened
J.D. Salinger - Franny and Zooey
Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol
Timothy Egan - The Big Burn
Deborah Eisenberg - Transactions in a Foreign Currency
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Slaughterhouse Five
Kathryn Lance - Pandora's Genes
Cheryl Strayed - Wild
Fyodor Dostoyevsky - The Brothers Karamazov
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: 21
At this date last year: 52
Total run in 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269