Dead fish and coffee (maple syrup and jam)
The p.r. machinery in our state and local government in Portland and Oregon has grown to startling proportions. We have Water Bureau bumper sticker photo contests, official politician blogs of all sorts, and a press release a day from the state attorney general. "Kroger points out to returning Iraq War veteran that his shoelace is untied." Mayor Creepy has several p.r. people, all of whom no doubt have active accounts on jobdango.
Anyway, for the last month or so, the Port of Portland's flacks have been inviting us to "[w]arm up with an espresso while learning about Portland International Airport deicing activities during cold, wintry weather!" All right! Free coffee, and try to think fuzzy, green thoughts about where all those nasty chemicals go after they drip off the 757's. Not the Columbia River or Slough, I'm sure. The chemicals probably disappear without a trace.
We've gotten numerous e-mails about this "open house," and the Mrs. and I even got snail-mail invitations to it. Until today -- the very eve of the free espresso! When, sadly, we learned:
The Port of Portland’s open house scheduled for Thursday, February 5, 2009, on airport deicing activities has been postponed. A draft environmental assessment of proposed deicing system enhancements is currently under review by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Aviation Administration.Let me tell you, readers, I'm bummed. A winter sports fan, I was so looking forward to a nice hot beverage and a bureaucratic snow job about deicing.The Port apologizes for the inconvenience and will reschedule the open house as soon as possible. Watch the Port of Portland Web site for more details.
| Posted at 7:42 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (5)
is a ...a bureaucratic snow job... anything like a...
...nevermind
Posted by cc | February 4, 2009 7:53 PM
Come on Jack - are you always THIS cynical??
The Port has a pretty solid environmental record, for many years now. And this is especially noteworthy given that it provides crucial and unique services to millions of people, all while dealing with the not too clean - under the best of circumstances - businesses like marine and aviation transportation. Furthermore, the article notes that the open house is part of an EIS process, which as you know requires public open houses...
Are you actually Complaining that the POP is following the law and being transparent by contacting individuals who might be interested in finding out what is going on with those 'chemicals'? And offering free coffee as an enticement? I'm shocked!
Other agencies overuse their PR $$$ - fine, I'm with you - but this is a bit much...
Posted by Zachary | February 4, 2009 8:15 PM
The Port has a pretty solid environmental record, for many years now.
On deicing? Dream on. (Or lie on.)
Posted by Jack Bog | February 4, 2009 8:19 PM
Nice Prince reference.
Posted by Peter Bray | February 4, 2009 11:31 PM
In wider light, maybe we see a time-honored 'reverse psychology' p.r. tactic for promoting public scrutiny into bunkered redoubts. (In this case, "the Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Aviation Administration.")
As by a premature gesticulation: COME ONE, COME ALL -- SEE The ELEPHANT JUMP The FENCE!
Premeditated with knowing the Fence is NOT Jumped, the billing prefigures that whatever public pays attention then is left only to: SEE The ELEPHANT. Which was the desired public attention, to begin with but which cannot be promoted bare-faced ... lest media skip it as a 'dog bites man' item, ('See The Elephant' -- been there, done that), and/or the nonperforming p.r. firm loses its agency contract, ('never did nothin', caused no sensation, got no bookings').
Naaaah. Couldn't be. No hep local p.r. firm would so expose federal interference in its aim ... would it?
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Saaay, how 'bout that deicing toxicity at the airport? What've you heard about it?
Posted by Tenskwatawa | February 5, 2009 12:32 PM