Randy Leonard has gone nuts.
At least that’s what many are saying about the city commissioner’s
push to bring Major League Soccer (MLS) to Portland.
“From what I’ve read, about 80 percent of comments on the
Portland Tribune‘s [recent story] were opposed [to the idea].
They’re saying the inmates have taken over the asylum at city
hall,” said Steve Maser, chairman of Leonard’s MLS task force, at
its meeting last week.
Leonard is still negotiating a deal with Merritt Paulson,
owner of the Portland Timbers soccer team and the son of Hank Paulson
(don’t say: “chief architect of the global financial crisis”; do say:
“former treasury secretary”), over private funding for the plan. In
theory, Paulson Jr.’s sports company, Shortstop, will pony up
enough dough to make it worthwhile for the city to take a risk on MLS.
But the deadline for the city’s application to the league is
mid-March, leaving little time for Paulson to write a check big
enough to convince city council.
Currently, Paulson is suggesting that the city use $85
million of public money—financed through a combination of
urban renewal funds, bonds, and other debt wizardry—to
renovate PGE Park into a soccer-only stadium, while building a
new stadium for the Portland Beavers minor league baseball team,
which Paulson also owns.
Leonard still has to convince his council colleagues of the deal’s
merits, however, and that will be tough. Dan Saltzman’s chief of
staff says there are “serious financial considerations,” while
Nick Fish says bluntly: “Eighty-five million dollars is too
much to pay to elevate our soccer team by one division.”
Leonard wants his fellow council members to “be open-minded” about
the deal, and “listen to the facts.”
Yet as the facts stand, it’s not difficult to see why some think the
deal is a flight of fantasy. Nationwide, only three MLS teams are
currently making money, and the last time Portland took a risk on
renovating an arena was back in 2001, when the city borrowed $35
million to fund the earlier renovation of PGE Park. The city still owes
$28.5 million on that deal, after predicted profits failed to
materialize.
And did I mention that last week, state economist Tom Potiowsky
predicted a $3 billion hole in Oregon’s general fund over the
next two years, or that the City of Portland is about to declare a
fiscal emergency?
At best, it’s a case of bad timing. At worst… pass the
lithium.
“From what I’ve read, about 80 percent of comments on the Portland Tribune’s [recent story] were opposed [to the idea].”
Well, setting aside for a moment my own views on the proposal, on any given day, I’d venture to guess that 80 percent of the comments on the Tribune web site about anything are negative, doesn’t matter what topic.
I realize the Mercury only gives you, like, 200 words for a story, but this is remarkably slipshod, fact-free reporting — all abbreviated comments and hunches but no details.
Here are some to mix in with your flippant bullshit:
1) 80% of the people who testified in front of the City Council task force on Tuesday night were in favor of the deal. They were stakeholders in the community: Jobs for Justice, youth soccer representatives, Lents community boardmembers, soccer fans from all walks of life. Not just sniping commenters typing fact-free venom. This is like the difference between going to the polling place to vote and yelling “rock on!” when Lars Larson and Jack Bodganski rant.
2) The deal doesn’t expose a dollar of the existing general fund or tax stream for these costs, and the ownership group is agreeing to guarantee the bonds. The Paulson group has met the task force and the public money worriers more than halfway; in fact, it’s more like 90% of the way from its initial position. And remember: PGE Park is a publically-owned facility. If it isn’t upgraded, and if, as is possible virtually every year, the USL contracts and the Timbers’ nearest rivals are in Minnesota and Texas, the city stands to lose the team and all revenues from it, and it will make the Memorial Coliseum look like a thriving jewel. This isn’t a threat; this is a reality of minor-league sports.
3) The previous renovations to PGE Park were principally for seismic upgrades and ADA access compliance. The previous ownership group failed to make a profit on either the AAA Beavers or USL Timbers. The current owners make profits on BOTH and have been servicing the previous group’s debt. And they have increased revenue and attendance with each year.
4) The profit model for the proposed MLS team is based on projections of 15,000 attendance. The USL team averages 9000 for regular league matches and 11000 for exhibitions against higher-level opponents. The Seattle MLS team sold 20000 season tickets in its first year. Portland can hit 15000 easily. Tickets will be cheaper than the Blazers’ average price, and it has no competition in the summer.
But look here: I’ve already written more facts than you. Is that cheating?
I realize the Mercury only gives you, like, 200 words for a story, but this is remarkably slipshod, fact-free reporting — all abbreviated comments and hunches but no details.
Here are some to mix in with your flippant bullshit:
1) 80% of the people who testified in front of the City Council task force on Tuesday night were in favor of the deal. They were stakeholders in the community: Jobs for Justice, youth soccer representatives, Lents community boardmembers, soccer fans from all walks of life. Not just sniping commenters typing fact-free venom. This is like the difference between going to the polling place to vote and yelling “rock on!” when Lars Larson and Jack Bodganski rant.
2) The deal doesn’t expose a dollar of the existing general fund or tax stream for these costs, and the ownership group is agreeing to guarantee the bonds. The Paulson group has met the task force and the public money worriers more than halfway; in fact, it’s more like 90% of the way from its initial position. And remember: PGE Park is a publically-owned facility. If it isn’t upgraded, and if, as is possible virtually every year, the USL contracts and the Timbers’ nearest rivals are in Minnesota and Texas, the city stands to lose the team and all revenues from it, and it will make the Memorial Coliseum look like a thriving jewel. This isn’t a threat; this is a reality of minor-league sports.
3) The previous renovations to PGE Park were principally for seismic upgrades and ADA access compliance. The previous ownership group failed to make a profit on either the AAA Beavers or USL Timbers. The current owners make profits on BOTH and have been servicing the previous group’s debt. And they have increased revenue and attendance with each year.
4) The profit model for the proposed MLS team is based on projections of 15,000 attendance. The USL team averages 9000 for regular league matches and 11000 for exhibitions against higher-level opponents. The Seattle MLS team sold 20000 season tickets in its first year. Portland can hit 15000 easily. Tickets will be cheaper than the Blazers’ average price, and it has no competition in the summer.
But look here: I’ve already written more facts than you. Is that cheating?
Sorry for two posts. I got fooled by very slow upload.
This is no public/private partnership. This is an $85 million public subsidy for a centimillionaire and his rich man’s hobby. If we are going to subsidize $85 million worth of private construction, then lets build sidewalks and bike paths so kids can get more exercise and walk/bike to school without walking in the streets.
Hank Jr. is following the Hank Sr. playbook: Wall Street takes home the million dollar bonues while they tank the global economy…When the inevitable unwind happens, they keep their millions and we socialize their losses to “protect the economy”.
Fuck him and the Gucci carpet bag he rode in on.