Nothing but net (losses)

I see that Oregon's governor, Tina Ko(hou)tek, enthusiastically signed the law that sets aside $360 million in state money to upgrade the Blazers' basketball arena. Right behind the Guv, squealing with delight, was the awful lame-duck chair of the Multnomah County commission, Jessica Chevy Vega, taking a brief break from inflicting new taxes on the middle class.

Then Tina gave a little lecture to the Portland City Council, telling them that they need to throw nine figures into the pot, too. This is no time for politics, said she, Tina. "Get it done."

I love it when she's so forceful. Get it done, like she does, with her "prosperity council," or her downtown Portland revitalization task farce force. So much done-getting.

It will be amusing to see the City Council book club's reaction. They're eliminating 911 operators' positions for lack of money, but they'll fork over $120 million for the benefit of the billionaire loan shark guy who owns the Blazers? That is going to be a tough sell, and it will only get tougher as we get closer to the fall. Half of the dirty dozen are up for re-election in November.

If I were on the City Council, I'd tell the Blazers that now that they're getting $365 milion from the state, they'll just have to settle for whatever amount of renovation you get for $365 million these days. Put a bird on it and call it refurbished. But that's just me.

Meanwhile, from my friend who's a long, long-time season ticket holder comes the news that the scene at the playoff games over the weekend was pretty sad. Gone was the party atmosphere that used to prevail at such moments. The team was too cheap to give out T-shirts commemorating the playoffs. Indeed, they were too cheap to hand out anything, even little flags for the fleeced sheep to wave, or placards to hold up. "The way the new owners treated fans last night was pretty insulting," wrote the friend, without my asking.

Somewhere around here I've got a Blazers lawn sign that they gave out at the start of the playoffs one year. It's hardly used, as the team's post-season that year was mighty short, and these days they usually don't have a post-season at all.

Of course, the product on the floor this year is turning out to be disappointing, too. In Sunday's game, the Portland team squandered a 17-point halftime lead and lost by 21. The Blazers scored but 35 points in the second half, at home.

They play again tonight in San Antonio, where their season will likely end. Then the spotlight shifts to the Portland City Council chambers, where no one ever fouls out and there's a 24-second clock for saying something stupid.