This Week in the Mercury
Monday, May 25, 2009
News / Neighborhoods Leonard Tries Jedi Mind Trick On Lents Baseball
Posted by Matt Davis on Mon, May 25, 2009 at 10:14 AM
City Commissioner Randy Leonard knows what's good for Lents. At least, that seems to be the essence of an extensive dual posting on Leonard's blog and Blue Oregon this morning called The Jaws Of Victory. As in, snatch defeat from the...
The problem? While Leonard has been trying to portray the Lents neighbors as overwhelmingly supportive of a baseball stadium (based on a poll taken last year before anybody mentioned how the stadium might be paid for), the neighbors aren't now so supportive of taking over $40 million from their urban renewal fund to pay for the stadium. Not when that money would otherwise go toward sidewalk improvements, business subsidies and affordable housing to improve the neighborhood. In fact, the more Leonard has tried to convince them baseball's a good idea because he says it is, the more they've bristled at his foot-stomping approach. From Sarah's post covering a meeting with Lents neighbors last Wednesday night:
When a neighbor asked Leonard to get specific about the “nebulous economic development” the stadium would bring, Leonard responded, “Your language betrays your position. The benefit isn’t nebulous at all.”
I don't know about you, but if a City Commissioner answered one of my questions by saying my "language betrayed my position," instead of actually, you know, answering my question, I'd be pretty furious. Still, with an economic impact study yet to be completed, you can't help admiring Leonard's political chutzpah.
LEONARD: "These aren't the economic impact numbers you're looking for."
Leonard's post this morning tries to explain why his zealous advocacy for Lents since he joined city council in 2002 means he knows better than the Portland Development Commission and Lents neighbors how to renew their neighborhood. PDC's urban renewal plans haven't worked, he argues. The results "have not materialized." Urban renewal is "a thoughtful approach, but one that relies on a variety of forces outside of the control of the Lents neighborhood and the PDC."
Opinion is divided over the success of PDC's urban renewal effort in the neighborhood. But even if it's not been as successful as people hoped, I don't buy the argument that Leonard knows better than PDC how to inject a little rocket fuel into the mix. But the best mind trick of all is this one, where Leonard tries to sell the baseball stadium to Lents neighbors as a way of stopping the "downtown elite calling the shots in this city." Given that the stadium is primarily being proposed to benefit a billionaire who lives in Lake Oswego and likes to dine at an Italian Restaurant called Riccardo's, I have to confess my open-mouthed awe at Leonard's attempt to squeeze a blue-collar-uprising argument into the mix. Still, he tries it with all the subtlety of a copulating elephant:
The Lents neighborhood has brashly and correctly drawn attention to years of the downtown elite calling the shots in this City, often at their expense—or worse yet, without even considering them. With the push to put our City’s storied 100+ year old baseball franchise in Lents with a first class public stadium facility, the admonitions of the neighborhood have yielded the degree of attention and relevance that they have so famously fought for. Finally winning its turn in the driver’s seat, the question that the Lents community will grapple with in the coming weeks is: Did they really want what they were fighting for, or did they just want the fight?
Like our shared hero Winston Churchill, Leonard has never been one to allow logic, reasoning or economic analysis to get in the way of making a passionate argument. But this part of his blog post really does take the cake. If I follow:
a.Downtown elites have always controlled the future of Lents.
b.Leonard is not representing the downtown elite, even though he's in bed on this deal with Merritt Paulson, who is unarguably downtown elitism personified and has even employed former mayor Vera Katz as a consultant to get the deal pushed through at considerable cost.
c.Lents neighbors should rebut downtown elitists and take control of Lents by doing what Paulson wants.
d.We must fight ourselves on the beaches! No...wait...fight Paulson on the beaches! No...that's not right...
Churchill's speeches may have won the war for Great Britain. But it was only after you Americans stepped in to help. And I suspect the commissioner's unusual line of argument, coupled with what appears to be an attempt to take the moral high ground may end up inflaming the situation rather than getting Lents neighbors to agree with his perspective.
2
Public process is such a downer isn't it Randy? Why can't everyone just see that you know better than them, and get out of your way?
5
i would like to ask Randy a question in relation to this bit of his essay: "...the same plan that has left Lents in a “just about ready” condition for the past 11 years".
now i'm not trying to be dense or disingenuous, but has any developer or business or whatever in the last 11 years been offered anything close to the deal that Paulson is being offered? i'm guessing the answer is no, but i am honestly interested in understanding just what is on the table at this point.
if the answer is no, then Lents and the rest of the city need to rise up in protest over this. $40m in secured loans or whatever should go an awfully long way to creating opportunity in the area. a baseball stadium in no way will bring any economic stimulus of note.
now i'm not trying to be dense or disingenuous, but has any developer or business or whatever in the last 11 years been offered anything close to the deal that Paulson is being offered? i'm guessing the answer is no, but i am honestly interested in understanding just what is on the table at this point.
if the answer is no, then Lents and the rest of the city need to rise up in protest over this. $40m in secured loans or whatever should go an awfully long way to creating opportunity in the area. a baseball stadium in no way will bring any economic stimulus of note.
6
It's pretty obvious that Randy Leonard and Sam Adams have been playing kissy-kissy with the Paulsons because they want to rocket themselves out of Portland and into the national the spotlight. What better way to do that then to cozy up to a Wall Street insider and former Treasury Secretary? Who cares if you have to demolish a veteran's memorial or steal money from the poor people in Lents? It's like the initiation rites for a gang, where you are asked to beat or kill another person to prove your loyalty. Adams and Leonard are more than happy to oblige the Paulsons. Thankfully, we have three commissioners (Nick Fish, Amanda Fritz, and Dan Saltzman) who are looking out for Portland. Don't let the gangsters hurt our city.
8
As to why one set of grandiose speechifying would be more effective than another set, I think its obvious that Churchill was the superior Jedi.
9
Guess what, Randy has a female German Shepard called Rosie.
They say dogs resemble their owners. Would she be excitable, aggressive, snarling, unpredictable, nervous, and with a name like that, perhaps a fan of roses, even neon ones? Maybe Rosey is even semi-deranged like some of those dogs are rumored to become in old age?
All this personal ad hominem stuff needs to stop.
So let's turn to Dan. Ooh, he has a Cocker Spaniel, also rumored to become nasty in old age, rumored to savage babies, etc.
How about Amanda? She has three cats, at least one of whom I think is black (Jet). Now, here I feel a warm trust for local government starting to spark in my system...
They say dogs resemble their owners. Would she be excitable, aggressive, snarling, unpredictable, nervous, and with a name like that, perhaps a fan of roses, even neon ones? Maybe Rosey is even semi-deranged like some of those dogs are rumored to become in old age?
All this personal ad hominem stuff needs to stop.
So let's turn to Dan. Ooh, he has a Cocker Spaniel, also rumored to become nasty in old age, rumored to savage babies, etc.
How about Amanda? She has three cats, at least one of whom I think is black (Jet). Now, here I feel a warm trust for local government starting to spark in my system...
10
Leonard Jedi mind tricks to date:
1)Think out loud interview:
"Sam's a bastard for lying to everyone"
vs
"the only people who really care voted for Sho"
(Statements said back to back, implying only people who voted for Sho care about being lied to...the fuck???!!!)
2)Pushed for a neon rose which was pretty much universally unpopular as an idea
"I want this to be anchor for the Rose Festival, please vote for it in spite of popular resistance"
vs
"people just don't like it becauses the design is old-fashioned, and I now have to protect the identity of the poor designer and shield him from all the meanness directed HIS way" (ie, motherfucker tried to pin the whole problem on the poor artist's design...)
3)baseball aggression tactics:
"this is the best thing that could ever possibly happen to Lents"
vs
"lents is being oppressed by downtown forces opposed to baseball"
(Implying Lents PEOPLE are pushing for baseball, noone from downtown is pushing THEM for baseball...)
Such a brilliant politician! He is blazing an arc through the sky! WE CAN HARDLY KEEP UP WITH HIS THOUGHT PROCESSES..
1)Think out loud interview:
"Sam's a bastard for lying to everyone"
vs
"the only people who really care voted for Sho"
(Statements said back to back, implying only people who voted for Sho care about being lied to...the fuck???!!!)
2)Pushed for a neon rose which was pretty much universally unpopular as an idea
"I want this to be anchor for the Rose Festival, please vote for it in spite of popular resistance"
vs
"people just don't like it becauses the design is old-fashioned, and I now have to protect the identity of the poor designer and shield him from all the meanness directed HIS way" (ie, motherfucker tried to pin the whole problem on the poor artist's design...)
3)baseball aggression tactics:
"this is the best thing that could ever possibly happen to Lents"
vs
"lents is being oppressed by downtown forces opposed to baseball"
(Implying Lents PEOPLE are pushing for baseball, noone from downtown is pushing THEM for baseball...)
Such a brilliant politician! He is blazing an arc through the sky! WE CAN HARDLY KEEP UP WITH HIS THOUGHT PROCESSES..
11
Funny: 2 statements.
Merritt Paulson isn't a billionaire. His father was valued around 700 million before the financial collapse. Now he's valued around 500 million. Still that's Hank...not Merritt.
You're also using a straw poll as fact. If they had used straw polls as fact Hillary Clinton would have probably lost to John McCain.
Fact is you're using a hand raiser at a neighborhood meeting that anyone could walk into regardless of where they live in Portland as a fact to how the neighborhood likes something.
Good try again Matt.
Merritt Paulson isn't a billionaire. His father was valued around 700 million before the financial collapse. Now he's valued around 500 million. Still that's Hank...not Merritt.
You're also using a straw poll as fact. If they had used straw polls as fact Hillary Clinton would have probably lost to John McCain.
Fact is you're using a hand raiser at a neighborhood meeting that anyone could walk into regardless of where they live in Portland as a fact to how the neighborhood likes something.
Good try again Matt.
12
Awww, BlackedOut. Did Merritt cry in your arms the day he found out daddy's net worth dropped from $700 million to $500 million? I guess that is why he can't afford that $12.5 million of private investment that he took off the table when the stadium was shifted back to Lents. What else can you tell us about Merritt's financials? Can you snap us some photos of any pertinent documents the next time you are over his house?
By the way, you do realize that Hank Paulson owns 20% of the Timbers, right? Oh, Merritt didn't tell you? http://www.edgeofsports.com/2008-10-23-382…
By the way, you do realize that Hank Paulson owns 20% of the Timbers, right? Oh, Merritt didn't tell you? http://www.edgeofsports.com/2008-10-23-382…
13
Oh wait...except Portland Lover you lost your perfect argument. See it's Hank who has the money. Merritt spent some time at the head of the NBA's marketing divison. While I'm sure he made good money it's not exactly the job that makes you hundreds of millions. You assume dad is willing to throw a lot of money at his kid.
I take it more on the reality side of things. I might want to start a business. My dad would probably be willing to give me some money to start said business. Hank isn't old and probably wants to play with his money. He's obviously offered a little bit but its completely bunk to assert Merritt is a billionaire when his father isn't even one.
You're such a joker.
I take it more on the reality side of things. I might want to start a business. My dad would probably be willing to give me some money to start said business. Hank isn't old and probably wants to play with his money. He's obviously offered a little bit but its completely bunk to assert Merritt is a billionaire when his father isn't even one.
You're such a joker.
14
Billionaire, Multi-Millionaire, whatever. He has a lot of fucking money and you're picking nits. Enough to buy his own little ballpark a few times over, what a crazy idea would that be.
15
Possibly the worst photoshop ever...
Btw, Bloomberg reports that Henry Paulson has a $50M stake in this project. So there goes yet another timber army talking point. (Remember the one about "This won't impact basic services?" Don't hear that one so much anymore...)
Btw, Bloomberg reports that Henry Paulson has a $50M stake in this project. So there goes yet another timber army talking point. (Remember the one about "This won't impact basic services?" Don't hear that one so much anymore...)
16
I still don't understand why there isn't a push to build the MLS stadium in Lents. East PDX = Perfect soccer territory.
17
@banana123
Well he could build his own stadium. I believe he did inquire on the possibility of purchasing PGE but since the Multnomah Athletic Club has first dibs on that property if the city wants to sell that isn't possible. Thus he's a renter. Why would a renter remodel their own apartment at their own expense? Same with the Lents spot. I can only imagine the hell that would break loose when the anti-MLS/Beaver folks started using the argument that the city was giving Paulson a park to build his own stadium. Either way it's city owned land, it will be a city owned facility and he's still kicking in money for a city owned facility. I believe $12 million at the Lents site
@Euphonius
It's no secret Hank is in for around $50 million. The difference is how you're phrasing it. You are pretending like Hank is running everything. He loaned Merritt about that much for the franchise fee for MLS ($35 million) and The other money involed ($12 million for Lents stadium etc...)
Like I've said before. Hank being involved is sort of like if I wanted to own a business and I asked my dad for a loan. He'd probably give me a substantial amount, but the funds are not endless, by no means would my father run my business, and he would expect his money back in the end.
The amount of jealousy some of you people have over a guy having a rich father willing to invest in what his son wants to do for a living is a little pathetic.
Well he could build his own stadium. I believe he did inquire on the possibility of purchasing PGE but since the Multnomah Athletic Club has first dibs on that property if the city wants to sell that isn't possible. Thus he's a renter. Why would a renter remodel their own apartment at their own expense? Same with the Lents spot. I can only imagine the hell that would break loose when the anti-MLS/Beaver folks started using the argument that the city was giving Paulson a park to build his own stadium. Either way it's city owned land, it will be a city owned facility and he's still kicking in money for a city owned facility. I believe $12 million at the Lents site
@Euphonius
It's no secret Hank is in for around $50 million. The difference is how you're phrasing it. You are pretending like Hank is running everything. He loaned Merritt about that much for the franchise fee for MLS ($35 million) and The other money involed ($12 million for Lents stadium etc...)
Like I've said before. Hank being involved is sort of like if I wanted to own a business and I asked my dad for a loan. He'd probably give me a substantial amount, but the funds are not endless, by no means would my father run my business, and he would expect his money back in the end.
The amount of jealousy some of you people have over a guy having a rich father willing to invest in what his son wants to do for a living is a little pathetic.
19
BlackedOut, that $12.5 million of private investment is no longer on the table. The Paulsons were only willing to invest privately if Memorial Coliseum was demolished. There goes your argument about "not wanting to fix up an apartment with your own money" statement. They were willing to do that.
Also, there is plenty of private property that the Paulsons can purchase and build a stadium on with their own money. Just because the city didn't want to sell PGE Park to them doesn't mean they still can't build a stadium privately.
No one is jealous of the rich man. Rather, people are royally pissed off that a rich man from New York is trying to take a bunch of Portland taxpayers' money, including $42 million from the Lents URA and $13 to $29 million for replacement park land, so he can operate two sports stadiums for his personal profit. Why doesn't the city just operate the stadiums themselves? There is no reason for Paulson to be involved in this deal at all if the city is spending all this money. If we spend the money, then we should get all the profits.
Also, there is plenty of private property that the Paulsons can purchase and build a stadium on with their own money. Just because the city didn't want to sell PGE Park to them doesn't mean they still can't build a stadium privately.
No one is jealous of the rich man. Rather, people are royally pissed off that a rich man from New York is trying to take a bunch of Portland taxpayers' money, including $42 million from the Lents URA and $13 to $29 million for replacement park land, so he can operate two sports stadiums for his personal profit. Why doesn't the city just operate the stadiums themselves? There is no reason for Paulson to be involved in this deal at all if the city is spending all this money. If we spend the money, then we should get all the profits.
20
Tangent (because it's more interesting than the same five or so people saying the exact same comments in slightly different verbiage every sodding day):
Do you people seriously still believe that the US won the second world war for everyone else? Have a check of which county's army was the one that defeated the Germans, both sustained and inflicted the biggest losses, and was the one that reached Berlin. Here's a hint: their capital is Moscow...
The US had f*** all to do with winning the second world war in Europe. So did Britain. If you want to claim the war against Japan, have at it, but take a history lesson first...
Do you people seriously still believe that the US won the second world war for everyone else? Have a check of which county's army was the one that defeated the Germans, both sustained and inflicted the biggest losses, and was the one that reached Berlin. Here's a hint: their capital is Moscow...
The US had f*** all to do with winning the second world war in Europe. So did Britain. If you want to claim the war against Japan, have at it, but take a history lesson first...
21
@Portland Lover
The finalized deal doesn't have numbers on what Paulson will pay for Lents. Nobody really knows what that number will be. The latest article did have this little gem though, "Paulson would contribute more than $20 million to the projects." Reiterating a point. He's putting $20 million into two city owned facilities. And clearly you're having a problem grasping how stadium plans work. The city does get profits on the stadiums. The lease will go up at PGE, there will be a lease on the facility in Lents, there will be ticket taxes, player salary taxes, increased revenue to businesses located near the two stadiums, increased Tri-Met ridership, and then the intangibles like the sense of community created by a local major league sports team. I guess that whole thing where the Blazers just made the playoffs and strangers were high fiving each other on the streets totally sucked didn't it?
And you're wrong PL...if jealousy wasn't a factor his father wouldn't be brought up constantly like he is now. Maybe if Merritt actually had a billion dollars at his disposal I wouldn't be so understanding of why he needs help from the city in the form of bonds and such that in all likelihood will be paid back and don't hurt the general fund. He doesn't have billions, he just has a dad richer than most trying to help his son fulfill a personal dream. Most of our dad's would do the exact same thing for us if they had the money or on a smaller scale if they don't happen to be worth $500 million. Like most of us though his father's investment is limited.
The finalized deal doesn't have numbers on what Paulson will pay for Lents. Nobody really knows what that number will be. The latest article did have this little gem though, "Paulson would contribute more than $20 million to the projects." Reiterating a point. He's putting $20 million into two city owned facilities. And clearly you're having a problem grasping how stadium plans work. The city does get profits on the stadiums. The lease will go up at PGE, there will be a lease on the facility in Lents, there will be ticket taxes, player salary taxes, increased revenue to businesses located near the two stadiums, increased Tri-Met ridership, and then the intangibles like the sense of community created by a local major league sports team. I guess that whole thing where the Blazers just made the playoffs and strangers were high fiving each other on the streets totally sucked didn't it?
And you're wrong PL...if jealousy wasn't a factor his father wouldn't be brought up constantly like he is now. Maybe if Merritt actually had a billion dollars at his disposal I wouldn't be so understanding of why he needs help from the city in the form of bonds and such that in all likelihood will be paid back and don't hurt the general fund. He doesn't have billions, he just has a dad richer than most trying to help his son fulfill a personal dream. Most of our dad's would do the exact same thing for us if they had the money or on a smaller scale if they don't happen to be worth $500 million. Like most of us though his father's investment is limited.
22
I must have missed something here Matt. You dismiss out of hand the survey that 900 Lents residents responded to but you cite that Lents no opposses this deal based on ????? You are once again stating your opinion (deal bad for Lents) as fact. Sorry doesnt work that way.
I also link how you, and your merry band of Merritt haters, refuse to acknowledge that this is going to be 100% publicly owned stadium. The Beavers get to rent it for 72 days a year, the community gets it the rest of the time. Thats important.
Question for all of you. If the Lents Urban Renewal Advisory Committee votes for this proposal would you then support it based on the fact that representatives of the neighborhood who are in charge of advising how to spend URD money decide its a worthy investment? Will you stop advocating for the "poor people of Lents"?
I also link how you, and your merry band of Merritt haters, refuse to acknowledge that this is going to be 100% publicly owned stadium. The Beavers get to rent it for 72 days a year, the community gets it the rest of the time. Thats important.
Question for all of you. If the Lents Urban Renewal Advisory Committee votes for this proposal would you then support it based on the fact that representatives of the neighborhood who are in charge of advising how to spend URD money decide its a worthy investment? Will you stop advocating for the "poor people of Lents"?
23
Finnegan - if the lents URA approves this plan then they should be able to move forward with one caveat: that it will affect (effect? christ, i can never figure that one out for some reason...) no other URA in the city. currently Leonard is proposing a very important change to the language of all URA's in relation to affordable housing goals. this should not be taken lightly, nor should it happen quickly and without a lot of public discussion.
personally i think they're (lents) getting a raw deal, but that's up to them to decide.
personally i think they're (lents) getting a raw deal, but that's up to them to decide.
24
Blackedout, the article you are referring to was from the Oregonian. The article questions whether the council has the support for this deal: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.s…
The full quote you are referring to is this: "Paulson would contribute more than $20 million to the projects, with the bulk of that coming from upfront rent payments and ticket taxes on both stadiums, according to earlier details of the talks."
The bulk of that will come from rent payments and ticket taxes? How is this private investment? The quote above is vague and is spin-doctored to give the appearance of private investment upon a superficial first glance.
The full quote you are referring to is this: "Paulson would contribute more than $20 million to the projects, with the bulk of that coming from upfront rent payments and ticket taxes on both stadiums, according to earlier details of the talks."
The bulk of that will come from rent payments and ticket taxes? How is this private investment? The quote above is vague and is spin-doctored to give the appearance of private investment upon a superficial first glance.
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