Isaac Laquedem

How many new convention center rentals would the headquarters hotel produce?

Also, before it pungles up $XX millions for a convention center hotel, Metro might read its economic study and my post of August 22 (showing that Metro's own study says the convention center hotel will at best be less than half full), and consider this question. If the new hotel increases overall room-nights in Portland by 104,000 per year, and if each room-night represents one happy conventioneer, so that for an additional 173 nights per year we have 600 additional conventioneers in Portland, how many more rentals would the convention center get? Put another way, how much convention space does a convention of 600 people rent? My sense of the convention center specs is that a 600-person convention doesn't need even one-quarter the facility, even with one area set up as a classroom for 600 (the most space-hungry use), another area set up as a banquet room for 600 (also a space-hungry use), and a third area for exhibitors to have booths.

One more bit of due diligence in studying the Convention Center hotel

One thing that Metro should do on its own, if it decides to continue studying whether to subsidize a convention center hotel, is to find out what other cities have used the same market consultant to support building a convention center or a hotel, and check whether the consultant's predictions for these other cities have come to pass.

It might be instructive to go read the studies that Denver used to support building its convention center hotel (which I think has 1100 rooms, not quite twice the size of the one proposed for Portland), look at the predictions, and compare them to actual occupancy, before it gets seduced by the projections that it's been given for our hotel. Not, you understand, that I already know what Metro will find.

Apparently I don't look like a terrorist

Wanting to test out my new high-tech passport, I recently drove across the Canadian border at Blaine. I had figured that heightened security measures would lead to long lines, so I was pleasantly surprised when I made it from the back of the line to the Canadian border guard in only 10 minutes. The guard asked me five questions: where I lived, the purpose of my trip, where I was staying, how long I would stay, and whether I was bringing anything. I answered, she said "Thank you," and I drove off. Only later did I realize that she hadn't asked to see my passport or anything else with my name on it. My passport remains pristine and unstamped. I'm curious whether our border guards will be equally informal when I return.

Governor Kulongoski at Fort Clatsop, unleashed

This summer's most unusual criticism of Governor Kulongoski comes from an unlikely source, Bow-Wow! Dog News, which describes itself as a monthly newspaper for dog lovers on the Oregon and south Washington coast.  In the June issue, its editor, Trish Nevan, reports that in April the Governor's wife, Mary Oberst, arranged a hike at Fort Clatsop on the Fort to Sea Trail for some family members and friends.  Parts of the trail prohibit dogs.  A few days before the hike, Ms. Oberst called Fort Clatsop to ask for permission to bring their dog, named Hershey, for the hike.  Permission was granted.  The governor and a family friend each brought their dog.  Ms. Nevan tells what happened on the day of the hike (I've abridged her story slightly):

Less than 100 feet down the trail, the park ranger noticed the two dogs race past everyone with typical dog enthusiasm.

Oops.

The ranger said something to the effect of, "Oh hey, sorry, but dogs have to be on leash on the trail -- park rules, you know."

It was at this moment that the governor's happy demeanor changed. Apparently he had no intention of holding onto his dog's leash for six miles.  He was no longer a happy camper.

His wife offered to walk Hershey on leash.  The park ranger offered to hold onto the dog's leash.  But the governor refused.

After a few awkward moments of stalemate, Gov. Kulongoski made an executive decision. He asked if the ranger was required to accompany their party along the trail (answer: no) and then dismissed the park ranger from the group just so he could break the Fort to Sea Trail's rules about dogs without getting caught.

How many dog owners have hedged the rules regarding leash laws?  Probably most of us.  However, using political clout to get special permission to bend a rule is one thing, disregarding the rules totally is a disappointing character flaw in anyone, especially someone in public office.

I missed this story when it first came out in Bow-Wow! Dog News, and learned of it only when the Cannon Beach Gazette reprinted it on August 23.  The Governor's office didn't respond when asked for comment, and rightly so: there's a time and a place to exercise restraint.

Who will be our next attorney general? Richard Viguerie has some ideas

Somehow this blog (along with no doubt thousands of others) has come to the attention of Republican strategist and fundraiser Richard Viguerie, who sent me a copy of his open letter to President Bush about the successor to Attorney General Gonzalez.  Mr. Viguerie proposes ten names, which I reprint here with his comments:

Chris Cox, Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) since 2005. Received his JD from Harvard Law School. Associate Counsel to President Reagan. Member, U.S. House of Representatives, 1989-2005.

Miguel Estrada, nominated in 2001 to U.S. Court of Appeals for Second Circuit (D.C.), but filibustered by Democrats.

Jim Gilmore, former Virginia Attorney General (1993-1997) and Virginia Governor (1998-2002). From 1999 to 2003 chaired the Congressional terrorism commission known as the Gilmore Commission. Chairman of the Republican National Committee in 2001-2002.   

Edith Jones, nominated by President Reagan and now chief judge of U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The other finalist for the Supreme Court vacancy given instead to David Souter. Had the honor of being named one of five worst judges in Texas by the liberal Texas Observer.

Ed Meese, Ronald Reagan’s distinguished Attorney General. Though retired, he is active with the Heritage Foundation and would undoubtedly agree to serve his country again for a 17-month interim term.

Ted Olson, U.S. Solicitor General 2001-2004. Assistant Attorney General in the Reagan administration. Successfully litigated Bush v. Gore. Wife Barbara K. Olson was passenger on hijacked airplane on 9/11.

Priscilla Owen, federal judge on U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Previously a justice on the Texas Supreme Court.

Charles W. Pickering, Sr., appointed by President George H. W. Bush to U.S. District Court for Southern District of Mississippi. In 1976, he chaired the subcommittee of the Republican Platform Committee that called for a constitutional amendment to overturn Roe v. Wade.

William H. Pryor Jr., Alabama Attorney General from 1997 to 2004. Presently a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Rick Santorum, former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, where he was chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.

Paul Harvey gets catty about Katie Couric

I occasionally hear the high and sprightly voice of eternal (he started broadcasting in 1933, sic) radio broadcaster Paul Harvey at midday when he reads some tidbits of the day's news.  He's always gentlemanly and courteous, so I was surprised when his old-school persona slipped two days ago, to be replaced by a touch of cattiness about Katie Couric, whose ratings aren't justifying her generous contract with CBS. 

Mr. Harvey said:  "CBS News has sent Katie Couric to Baghdad, where she's broadcasting from outside the Green Zone.  Who says CBS doesn't know how to get out of a long-term contract?"

Senator Craig steps on the wrong toes

Under Senator Craig's stated theory, shouldn't he have been in a stall in the women's room instead?