Beta Theta Mahonia
If the governor won't live in the governor's mansion, why should the state keep it? It's not that great. Sell it. Or at least mothball it. Continuing to staff it, heat it, and light it for four years, while The Retread and The Girlfriend live in Portland and Bend, makes little sense.
Not to mention, it isn't very "green."
It looks like it would make a lovely frat house for Willamette University.
| Posted at 11:44 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (11)
I think this is an early sign that he's going to be the same "no-show" governor that he was last time. Hopefully I'm wrong.
Posted by Gary | December 8, 2010 11:57 AM
I agree, mothball that house.
If I remember correctly, private funds were spent to purchase it in the first place. Aren't private funds used for the upkeep and maintenance also?
If not, then why should taxpaying Oregonians spring for 100% of the expensive upkeep of an seldom-used house, when the visiting Governor could just as easily rent a hotel room at the Phoenix Inn. That is what other visitors do when visiting Salem. And that is also what Sen. Hatfield did when visiting Oregon, and maybe Sen Wyden, D-NY as well.
Posted by Harry | December 8, 2010 12:07 PM
Yeah, great atmospherics there, Kitz: I want to be governor, but I don't want to actually live where most governing in the state happens.
Hey, I wouldn't want to live in Salem, either, but I think it looks bad for the state's chief executive to so openly shun it.
Posted by Eric | December 8, 2010 12:10 PM
Kitz and Eric: You can kiss Salem's butt
Posted by mp97303 | December 8, 2010 12:53 PM
Isn't Portland the hydra's head of Oregon, anyways?
Posted by jc | December 8, 2010 1:21 PM
Maybe he can rename Portland as the capital.;)
Posted by Lc Scott | December 8, 2010 2:12 PM
My wife was in the Civil Air Patrol in Salem during the Atiyeh days. She met the man once or twice.
The standard Governors residence at the time, IIRC, was a nice, rented, 3BR house on Summer Street in the area now known as the north end of the Capitol Mall. Unassuming, nice, well-done but not flashy, Just kind of like the Oregon I grew up in.
The idea of a "Governors Mansion" in Oregon is one I've never warmed up to. And these days, the idea of "Mahonia Hall" still gets puzzled looks from anyone I talk about it to.
Oregon doesn't really need a Governor's mansion, as charming as Mahonia Hall is. Either require the Governor to live there, or unload it. If the Gov won't use it like a home … we really don't need it.
Posted by Samuel John Klein | December 8, 2010 2:16 PM
Hey we have the best building moving company in the world here , call them up and move that sucker to the Pearl , put a parking garage under it too!
Posted by billb | December 8, 2010 3:19 PM
The State is ungovernable and now it's Capital is unlivable?
What's next? The unemployed are unemployable?
The bills are unpayable?
Posted by Ben | December 8, 2010 3:47 PM
The building of which you speak is locally known as . . . Pneumonia Hall.
Posted by Abe | December 8, 2010 4:44 PM
Maybe should be Alpha Tau Mahonia = ATM.
Posted by Mojo | December 8, 2010 8:06 PM