This Week in the Mercury
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Media / News "We live in Lake Oswego. We like Riccardo's."
Posted by Matt Davis on Thu, May 21, 2009 at 5:39 PM
Timbers owner Merritt Paulson has been discussing his restaurant taste with the Oregonian's MIX section. I didn't know he lived in Lake Oswego, and have never been to Riccardo's—where this evening, a filet mignon with portabello mushroom and rosemary demi-glace costs a mere $48. Although to be fair on the man, Penne Alla Vodka is only $21, and I eat at restaurants far more expensive all the time.
The reason I'm really interested in this, though, is that I WISH I WAS MERRITT PAULSON. It seems like the man is being irresponsibly lowbrow with his cash. He wears oxford shirts and chinos all the time. Bleh. Where are the tailored suits from Adam Arnold!? And there's no way I'd be seen dead in some Italian joint in Lake Oswego with a billion dollars in the bank. I'd be on the plane to Paris tout de suite, where I'd buy a few cravats before dining at a Michelin starred fish restaurant. What is it with really rich people being afraid to splash it about?
I suppose I'd find out if only I had the chance to become nouveau riche and then, after a generation, cultured...maybe a bit taller, too...all that good nutrition in childhood...then eventually would come the opportunity to talk in broad terms about economic trends, culture, society...putting my "skin" in the "game"...
I sleep very easily at night saying, "I'm presenting an opportunity the city may choose to accept and take advantage of, or may choose it doesn't want to do it." This opportunity represents $65 million in private investment; that's a lot of skin in the game. I think there's a knee-jerk reaction to not spend money on rich sports owners; this has not been a city that's embraced pro sports like other cities have, and you can't do pro sports without some public investment and infrastructure. We have public investment in libraries and zoos and colleges and all sorts of things that private parties benefit from, but eyebrows are more raised in sports. There's definitely an interesting mentality that I find here [in Portland], which is very progressive and forward-thinking but there is a certain resistance to change.
I'm just jealous, here. Straight up jealous. That's all. Merritt if you want to buy meet for a very expensive lunch somewhere downtown one day I will gladly interview you at length on some of these questions. But I am curious: Why would anybody for whom money is no object choose to buy a soccer team? In Portland, Oregon? Why not a race track in Kentucky? Or a castle in Biarritz?
2
Serious answer: No, but I've stood up and done it. And I shook hands with the guy last week. I'm hoping we can go halves on this expensive lunch somewhere and really get to know each other.
4
Do we really need to explain to Paulson what the difference is between building a public library and building a stadium to house his private business?
5
Brilliant comment 'Blabby'! Sadly, I think we'll need to explain. He's fond of studies (subtext: that support his agenda). I'm sure we can find one.
Has anyone ever sat down and talked with Merritt and his father Henry 'Hank' Paulson about bailouts? Private conservative business people like them always bash big government, but they sure do cuddle up with govt. types as soon as they need help.
Has anyone ever sat down and talked with Merritt and his father Henry 'Hank' Paulson about bailouts? Private conservative business people like them always bash big government, but they sure do cuddle up with govt. types as soon as they need help.
6
Oh no! Portland doesn't like SPORTS as much as other cities, and isn't as willing to help privatize profits and socialize risk for wealthy team owners. Will no one think of the SPORTS?
Maybe if said wealthy team owners didn't come across as condescending fucking twats every time they open their mouths we'd be a little more open to suggestion.
I can't believe he actually equated having a MLS team with supporting a library, zoo, and college. My only wish is that he sells his teams to someone who isn't a complete asshole so I can consider going to a game again.
Maybe if said wealthy team owners didn't come across as condescending fucking twats every time they open their mouths we'd be a little more open to suggestion.
I can't believe he actually equated having a MLS team with supporting a library, zoo, and college. My only wish is that he sells his teams to someone who isn't a complete asshole so I can consider going to a game again.
7
Oh no! Portland doesn't like SPORTS as much as other cities, and isn't as willing to help privatize profits and socialize risk for wealthy team owners. Will no one think of the SPORTS?
Maybe if said wealthy team owners didn't come across as condescending fucking twats every time they open their mouths we'd be a little more open to suggestion.
I can't believe he actually equated having a MLS team with supporting a library, zoo, and college. My only wish is that he sells his teams to someone who isn't a complete asshole so I can consider going to a game again.
Maybe if said wealthy team owners didn't come across as condescending fucking twats every time they open their mouths we'd be a little more open to suggestion.
I can't believe he actually equated having a MLS team with supporting a library, zoo, and college. My only wish is that he sells his teams to someone who isn't a complete asshole so I can consider going to a game again.
8
Oh no! Portland doesn't like SPORTS as much as other cities, and isn't as willing to help privatize profits and socialize risk for wealthy team owners. Will no one think of the SPORTS?
Maybe if said wealthy team owners didn't come across as condescending fucking twats every time they open their mouths we'd be a little more open to suggestion.
I can't believe he actually equated having a MLS team with supporting a library, zoo, and college. My only wish is that he sells his teams to someone who isn't a complete asshole so I can consider going to a game again.
Maybe if said wealthy team owners didn't come across as condescending fucking twats every time they open their mouths we'd be a little more open to suggestion.
I can't believe he actually equated having a MLS team with supporting a library, zoo, and college. My only wish is that he sells his teams to someone who isn't a complete asshole so I can consider going to a game again.
9
Oh no! Portland doesn't like SPORTS as much as other cities, and isn't as willing to help privatize profits and socialize risk for wealthy team owners. Will no one think of the SPORTS?
Maybe if said wealthy team owners didn't come across as condescending fucking twats every time they open their mouths we'd be a little more open to suggestion.
I can't believe he actually equated having a MLS team with supporting a library, zoo, and college. My only wish is that he sells his teams to someone who isn't a complete asshole so I can consider going to a game again.
Maybe if said wealthy team owners didn't come across as condescending fucking twats every time they open their mouths we'd be a little more open to suggestion.
I can't believe he actually equated having a MLS team with supporting a library, zoo, and college. My only wish is that he sells his teams to someone who isn't a complete asshole so I can consider going to a game again.
10
Oh no! Portland doesn't like SPORTS as much as other cities, and isn't as willing to help privatize profits and socialize risk for wealthy team owners. Will no one think of the SPORTS?
Maybe if said wealthy team owners didn't come across as condescending fucking twats every time they open their mouths we'd be a little more open to suggestion.
I can't believe he actually equated having a MLS team with supporting a library, zoo, and college. My only wish is that he sells his teams to someone who isn't a complete asshole so I can consider going to a game again.
Maybe if said wealthy team owners didn't come across as condescending fucking twats every time they open their mouths we'd be a little more open to suggestion.
I can't believe he actually equated having a MLS team with supporting a library, zoo, and college. My only wish is that he sells his teams to someone who isn't a complete asshole so I can consider going to a game again.
11
Oh no! Portland doesn't like SPORTS as much as other cities, and isn't as willing to help privatize profits and socialize risk for wealthy team owners. Will no one think of the SPORTS?
Maybe if said wealthy team owners didn't come across as condescending twats every time they open their mouths we'd be a little more open to suggestion.
I can't believe he actually equated having a MLS team with supporting a library, zoo, and college. My only wish is that he sells his teams to someone who isn't a complete asshole so I can consider going to a game again.
Maybe if said wealthy team owners didn't come across as condescending twats every time they open their mouths we'd be a little more open to suggestion.
I can't believe he actually equated having a MLS team with supporting a library, zoo, and college. My only wish is that he sells his teams to someone who isn't a complete asshole so I can consider going to a game again.
12
Oh no! Portland doesn't like SPORTS as much as other cities, and isn't as willing to help privatize profits and socialize risk for wealthy team owners. Will no one think of the SPORTS?
Maybe if said wealthy team owners didn't come across as condescending fucking twats every time they open their mouths we'd be a little more open to suggestion.
I can't believe he actually equated having a MLS team with supporting a library, zoo, and college. My only wish is that he sells his teams to someone who isn't a complete asshole so I can consider going to a game again.
Maybe if said wealthy team owners didn't come across as condescending fucking twats every time they open their mouths we'd be a little more open to suggestion.
I can't believe he actually equated having a MLS team with supporting a library, zoo, and college. My only wish is that he sells his teams to someone who isn't a complete asshole so I can consider going to a game again.
14
It's rather ironic that Paulson would make a comment equating the importance of sports stadiums to public libraries. He could be right, considering that our fearless leaders are still debating whether to build a stadium to house an unprofitable sport like MLS.
Meanwhile, the Oregon Historical Society Library doesn't have enough funding to keep its doors open, and the PSU library is facing huge budget cuts that may cost several staff members their jobs.
Apparently, we really don't value things like libraries as much as we do soccer stadiums. Way to go, fearless leaders of Portland.
Meanwhile, the Oregon Historical Society Library doesn't have enough funding to keep its doors open, and the PSU library is facing huge budget cuts that may cost several staff members their jobs.
Apparently, we really don't value things like libraries as much as we do soccer stadiums. Way to go, fearless leaders of Portland.
15
"What is it with really rich people being afraid to splash it about?"
They didn't get rich by spending their *own* money...
They didn't get rich by spending their *own* money...
16
Why didn't you ask these questions when your wife was working on a $200 million dollar publically funded stadium in Eugene? Phil Knight could have paid for the whole thing and not a single tax dollar spent on it.
http://mattdavisopenshismouth.com/2008/11/…
http://mattdavisopenshismouth.com/2008/11/…
17
Giving colleges as an example is a stupendously dumb move, but I'm totally with him on the zoo thing. There's nothing educational about a zoo that you couldn't get from a book or DVD. It's just subsidizing entertainment. Whether that's a good or a bad thing is up to you (I actually think it's a good thing within reason), but you can't argue that it's any different from subsidizing sports or arts or festivals or whatever.
19
Serious thought,
Matt maybe Merritt would have been willing to sit down with you and talk if you hadn't acted, and continue to, like a complete tool during this whole process intent on running an anti-MLS/stadium/Paulson campaign If you had engaged in balanced reporting perhaps he wouldn't be afraid that you are just gonna run an attack piece.
As for the substance here.
Is what he is saying really not true? Is anyone who has followed Portland politics seriously going to raise their hand and tell me this city is not notoriously resistant to change in any form, anti-business and obsessed with process at the expense of outcome?
As for his comparison - whats wrong with comparing it to the tens of millions of tax payer dollars we use every year at the Zoo? I never go there. I don't have kids. I think zoos are whacked as a general concept and the Zoo strikes me as a massive publicly subsidized daycare.
But, I don't mind my tax dollars going to it because it enhances the overall livability of the community but wtf is the difference between a Zoo and a Sports Stadium in terms of entertainment dollars?
Matt maybe Merritt would have been willing to sit down with you and talk if you hadn't acted, and continue to, like a complete tool during this whole process intent on running an anti-MLS/stadium/Paulson campaign If you had engaged in balanced reporting perhaps he wouldn't be afraid that you are just gonna run an attack piece.
As for the substance here.
Is what he is saying really not true? Is anyone who has followed Portland politics seriously going to raise their hand and tell me this city is not notoriously resistant to change in any form, anti-business and obsessed with process at the expense of outcome?
As for his comparison - whats wrong with comparing it to the tens of millions of tax payer dollars we use every year at the Zoo? I never go there. I don't have kids. I think zoos are whacked as a general concept and the Zoo strikes me as a massive publicly subsidized daycare.
But, I don't mind my tax dollars going to it because it enhances the overall livability of the community but wtf is the difference between a Zoo and a Sports Stadium in terms of entertainment dollars?
20
@Blabby
You haven't been contributing anything except for whatever you read on Jack Bogdanski's blog.
Speaking of which I paid my weekly visit to his blog this morning to see where you would get your next talking point Blabby. Guess what I saw? A link to the same article Matt is quoting saying roughly the same things Matt's piece does only Jack's little post came first.
Good work Matt. Now you're writing whatever Jack Bog writes. Where else do you steal ideas from?
You haven't been contributing anything except for whatever you read on Jack Bogdanski's blog.
Speaking of which I paid my weekly visit to his blog this morning to see where you would get your next talking point Blabby. Guess what I saw? A link to the same article Matt is quoting saying roughly the same things Matt's piece does only Jack's little post came first.
Good work Matt. Now you're writing whatever Jack Bog writes. Where else do you steal ideas from?
21
Hah, Blackedout wants to run on the field and punch Matt Davis in the face because he scored a goal against his team. But he'd get thrown in jail if he did that, so instead he tries to attack his wife hoping he will stop reporting the news. Typical brain-dead Timbers Army idiot. You guys are so predictable!
Finnegan, the zoo is an educational experience. I like going to the Timbers, but that is to forget about the hardships of life, not grow as a person. Get a grip!
Finnegan, the zoo is an educational experience. I like going to the Timbers, but that is to forget about the hardships of life, not grow as a person. Get a grip!
22
@Portland Lover
Ahh...call me braindead will ya? Good one. See what I did was point out that Matt ignored a $200 million dollar publically/privately funded stadium when his wife worked on the side that was building it. U of O has a perfectly good/historic basketball stadium now in Mac Court.
When a $85 million dollar publically/private funded stadium comes up here and his wife isn't working on it he attacks everyone involved. Including the owner whom he has never actually interviewed.
That's what they call a double standard or hypocrisy. Take your pick. I did nothing to attack his wife. I just pointed out she worked on a publically funded stadium project.
The Zoo may be an educational experience for some I guess...lots of other people consider it inhumane treatment of animals.
Ahh...call me braindead will ya? Good one. See what I did was point out that Matt ignored a $200 million dollar publically/privately funded stadium when his wife worked on the side that was building it. U of O has a perfectly good/historic basketball stadium now in Mac Court.
When a $85 million dollar publically/private funded stadium comes up here and his wife isn't working on it he attacks everyone involved. Including the owner whom he has never actually interviewed.
That's what they call a double standard or hypocrisy. Take your pick. I did nothing to attack his wife. I just pointed out she worked on a publically funded stadium project.
The Zoo may be an educational experience for some I guess...lots of other people consider it inhumane treatment of animals.
23
"Matt maybe Merritt would have been willing to sit down with you..."
Matt, as Finnegan is the actual tool of Merritt Paulson, I guess if you had sat down with Merritt he would have used his own money to fund his business.
Now taxpayers will have to pay the projected to cost, including stadiums and replacement park, just under $120 million (plus $139 million interest on the 9% balloon payment loan, due in 20 years.)
Matt, as Finnegan is the actual tool of Merritt Paulson, I guess if you had sat down with Merritt he would have used his own money to fund his business.
Now taxpayers will have to pay the projected to cost, including stadiums and replacement park, just under $120 million (plus $139 million interest on the 9% balloon payment loan, due in 20 years.)
24
blackedout, I believe this has been pointed out to you during one of the thousands of times you brought up the stadium in Eugene ... but I'll bring it up again.
We are talking about the stadiums being proposed by Merritt Paulson in Portland. Matt Davis writes for the Portland Mercury. Us readers are interested in hearing about city politics. Matt Davis reports on it for us. Got it? Good.
2-0 good guys. Blackedout, go drink more beer to make yourself feel better.
We are talking about the stadiums being proposed by Merritt Paulson in Portland. Matt Davis writes for the Portland Mercury. Us readers are interested in hearing about city politics. Matt Davis reports on it for us. Got it? Good.
2-0 good guys. Blackedout, go drink more beer to make yourself feel better.
25
Awarding yourself points huh? That's sort of like high fiving yourself.
Matt is copying a Jack Bogdanski post and modifying it. That's not reporting. When the stadium in Eugene was being built Matt wasn't on the city hall beat. He was on the "news" beat. That's a broad category.
Oh and I'll be at the Avett Brothers tonight if you'd like to discuss this more. I'll be the one drinking the beer and feeling better about myself.
Matt is copying a Jack Bogdanski post and modifying it. That's not reporting. When the stadium in Eugene was being built Matt wasn't on the city hall beat. He was on the "news" beat. That's a broad category.
Oh and I'll be at the Avett Brothers tonight if you'd like to discuss this more. I'll be the one drinking the beer and feeling better about myself.
27
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