Jack Bog's Blog

Put that in your parking study

2010-02-09T14:48:16Z

From a Seattle soccer fan site, we get this projection:

Portland have sold 5,000 season ticket deposits and but there is little doubt they will be able to fill every seat of PGE’s intended 24,000 capacity when MLS kicks off in Oregon in 2011.

I'll bet that when it comes time to talk to the PGE Park neighbors about parking, the numbers won't be quite so big. Meanwhile, Little Lord Paulson offers this refreshing sip of Kool-Aid:

"This is bigger than the Pacific Northwest being the hub of soccer in North America," Paulson said. "This is about soccer finally taking hold in the country. You know, for years people have asked, 'When will the world’s biggest sport finally matter in America? When will all those kids who play soccer actually watch soccer?' And I tell you that that time is now. Don’t get me wrong; there’s a lot of work to do on and off the field. But we’ve hit that tipping point."

Linchpin City! I have no doubt that he'll sell lots of tickets for his "major league" (by U.S. standards) team. But they'll have to have a league to play in, and as a long-term proposition that's quite shaky.

Klingon interpreter needed

2010-02-09T12:54:55Z

I can't quite make it out, but I think this says that the close-in east side of Portland is about to get parking meters and Greg Goodman parking garages. Not to mention apartment towers and national chain retail storefronts. Out go those dirty, unwanted industrial payrolls! Good times in our multi-modal Mecca.

Cha-ching! More pork for Hoffman Construction.

2010-02-09T03:12:24Z

The Goldschmidt lieutenants at the Port of Portland sure know how to ladle it out to those guys. I can't believe we're building a new headquarters for the Port -- its second in 11 years -- in the midst of a recession teetering on the edge of a depression. What a waste of money.

The more, the merrier

2010-02-09T01:26:20Z

Here's a new news source for Oregon. At least, it's new to me.

Another Portlander hits the big time

2010-02-08T21:26:08Z

I had never heard of this one until now.

Even Fatter Tuesday

2010-02-08T20:17:48Z

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

No blue hair

2010-02-08T18:31:14Z

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?

Portland water bonds sold, but were they legal?

2010-02-08T12:11:18Z

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....

Whatever the wisdom of the massive, expensive borrowing may be -- a topic worthy of a post of its own -- an important question is whether the city followed proper procedures in issuing the bonds. Looking over the transaction, an argument can be made that it didn't -- that the process by which the bonds were authorized and issued violated state law. And it wouldn't be the first time that the city pulled such a stunt in connection with water bureau borrowing. 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 was it. The purposes of the bonds for the water system "include... additions, improvements, and capital equipment that facilitate supply, treatment, transmission, storage, pumping, distribution, regulatory compliance, customer service and support." That could mean just about any building, installation, or piece of equipment imaginable, couldn't it? It could be a new reservoir, a dump truck, squirting gargoyles, a target range for the bureau's soon-to-be-armed guards, or a stuffed moose head for the wall of the bureau chief's office. The City Council supplied an awfully vague description of the proposed use of the borrowed money; it encompassed virtually everything that the water bureau does, and virtually any kind of asset that the bureau could buy to do its job. And they even threw in the word "include," which opens things up even further. 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.

Portland appears on Super Bowl telecast

2010-02-08T03:04:04Z

Memories of U

2010-02-07T22:52:38Z

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!

Doo process

2010-02-07T15:37:32Z

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.

In his pew

2010-02-07T06:21:18Z

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."

Hot wheels

2010-02-07T06:07:11Z

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.

If you say so, I don't wanna do right

2010-02-07T03:27:52Z

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.

That time already

2010-02-06T23:17:06Z

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.