OMFG! Why haven't we heard this before?

The Petaluma government said:

"Public agencies are not risk takers. We have a fiduciary responsibility to the public.”

What a novel idea! Our commissioners are total retards by comparison. I can see myself living in Petaluma.

It appears that Petaluma was blessed with fiscally responsible adults that made their county decisions.

“That’s a big chunk of change for us,” she said. “Public agencies are not risk takers. We have a fiduciary responsibility to the public.”

This person would never make it in Portland.

Down in Petaluma, they don't have "world class" people running things like we do.

Yep, typical oligarch socialism, and the best thing folks in Petaluma could have done was when they stopped drinking the Kool-Aid and realized that Paulson was about as trustworthy as a two-dollar watch. It still comes down to the question that you've been asking for months, Jack: if it's such a surefire deal and it's guaranteed to make money, then why isn't Paulson building it himself and keeping the money for himself, too?

It's all about risk. Nobody down there wanted to take it. Up here he's probably going to lay it on the three leading lights on the City Council, without their noticing until "it's too late to turn back now."

This seems extremely relevant and may be an important story to spread around. Send it to Nigel Jacquiss since the Oregonian would never print it.

The Winterhawks just learned a HUGE lesson about moneybags carpetbaggers. It wasn't until we were already stuck with them that someone (regretably not me) Googled the Goldsmith ownership group and found out about their own previous troubles running minor league franchises down in Arizona and California.

What a great find. He's running the same playbook now. When this thing goes through, and it will, no one in City Hall will be able to say they weren't warned.

Pdxjim - this is the CITY's deal NOT the County's. Very different orgs and very different leadership

This is all starting to remind me of one of my favorite Simpsons episodes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marge_vs._the_Monorail

There are so many disturbing parallels here. I hope this article surfaces locally and gets heavy play.

"The attraction of the fairgrounds site, in addition to its central location and proximity to the freeway, was that he would not have to buy the 10-12 acres of land where the speedway currently sits, Paulson said. He planned to lease the site from the fair for $1 a year, for an initial term of 30 years."

"Faced with the loss of the speedway, which brings in $100,000 a year, and other events, along with the cost of expanding the parking area, the fair projected it could lose as much as $260,000 a year, said manager Tawny Tesconi."

" "I feel as strongly today as I ever have that Petaluma is a fabulous location for minor league baseball," said Merritt Paulson, the 33-year-old NBA marketing executive who first publicly proposed a Petaluma baseball team two months ago."

Sound familiar? His fascination with fabulous Petaluma disappeared when the city woke up and the deal for Peregrine wasn't as sweet anymore. He headed north and quickly began mooning like a lovesick swain about what a fabulous location Portland was for soccer and baseball.

Just imagine . . . if the Petaluma deal had gone through three years ago, it might be calling itself "Soccer City USA" today!

Besides, Petaluma has never recognized greatness the larger-than-life figures who try to bring greatness to the city . . . after all, Snoopy was ejected from the World Wrist Wrestling Championship to be held in Petaluma for lacking a thumb. First Snoopy, then Little Lord Paulson. Don't they care about their international profile?

Hey forget Jacquiss send it to Nancy Rommelmann

I was recently out at the Hillsboro stadium complex, umpiring softball games. Tell me again, why wouldn't that stadium work for soccer, and then LLP can leave the Beavers in PGE park? Hillsboro would need bleachers/additional stadium on the north side, but that's a nice little complex out west.

What? No construction pork through the Portland City Council? No way!

I was recently out at the Hillsboro stadium complex, umpiring softball games. Tell me again, why wouldn't that stadium work for soccer, and then LLP can leave the Beavers in PGE park?

It would probably work fine. Although I think it only seats like 7500 with the extra grandstands put up on the other side of the field.

I would guess that if Paulson threatened to moved the Timbers out to Hillsboro though, the Portland City Council would give him a blank check.

"We have a fiduciary responsibility to the public.”

Maybe in Petaluma, not in Porkland.

George w all over again....
failure after failure after failure and daddy bails him out every time.
Creepy Sam and Randy just wish that they can be just like him, and get some of the left over crumbs from daddy.

Jesus, drop the "W" references already ... let's not forget the progressive, left wing City Council that has somehow gone gaga over Paulson and his sales pitch.

It feels like the nerds on the high school student council chumming up to the popular jock and hoping he'll invite them to the next kegger or let them sit at his lunch table. Am I the only one who sees this? Do we step in as responsible adults or let Sam and Randy (and now, it appears, knucklehead Dan Saltzman) learn this painful lesson in social development?

It steam rolls ahead, and the media aren't even curious. They just read the press releases they are given and then on to the next feature story on how to save money on your heating or cooling bill.
There's been revelations along the way bigger than this that get no attention from TV or print. The clueless Anna Song wouldn't even get off her duff and ask why the city is paying Ball/Janik a couple hundred grand for consulting on this lark when the city employs over a dozen attornies.

"We have a fiduciary responsibility to the public.”

If we get the government we deserve, it sounds like Petaluma has a good deal to be proud of. Would that we had as good.

Well, yes, I am missing the point, but I just had to see a picture of any Tawny Tesconi.

Fiduciary responsibility and a great name--why can't we find someone like that?

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20080715/NEWS/807150310?Title=Fair-fights-for-share-of-shrinking-pie

Instead we have reckless waste and Beau Breedlove.

I ws shocked - simply shocked - to learn these MORONS on the Portland City Council don't have as much as s projected budget sheet on this stadium boondogle. And these MORONS call themselves fiscally responsible? Kids running a lemonade stand can do better than these jerks