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Posts published in “Day: October 25, 2007”

Uproar in the NIA

October 25, 2007

This is hindsight now - we didn't see it coming either, so none of this is we-told-you-so - but, in hindsight, you can understand why there's such uproar and outrage about the North Idaho Adjudication, to the point that bagging it is a consideration on the table.

Our view has been and is that the NIA would be a real asset to the Panhandle, as over time the Snake River Basin Adjudication will be for most of the rest of the state. The Panhandle legislators who got the NIA pushed through - partly in return for their regional support for late-running issues in SRBA - understood that. Now the whole effort could come undone, but if it does, it will be a loss for the area and a distinct failure for the Panhandle's local political leaders.

But you can see why it's happened. On this issue of water, the North simply isn't as sophisticated as the South.

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Revolutionizing Boardman

October 25, 2007
the raceway at Boardman

Raceway at Boardman/Pacific NW Motorsports Park

We motor through Boardman (Oregon, that is, in case you're unfamiliar) periodically, and ordinarily it has not been among the high points of those trips. Nothing against the city or the people there, it's just that . . . there's a lot of flat, scenically empty miles on any side of Boardman, and we've found the area most notable for the dust storms which, to the area's credit, are duly warned about in area traffic signs.

People do live and work there, mainly in crop process and port activities, but for most of us the Boardman area isn't a destination. Or hasn't been. But that may change, because of something that happened at 2 p.m. today.

Boardman now seems poised for a long-awaited development as a racetrack destination point. From the management of the Pacific Northwest Motorsports Park: "Boardman's motorsports speedway development will officially make the leap from dream to reality on Thursday, October 25th at 2:00 PM, when state, regional and local officials join the developers of Oregon International Speedway to break ground for Pacific Northwest Motorsports Park at the Tower Road site just off I-84, exit 158. The first motorsports country club in the Pacific Northwest is expected to open to members and enthusiasts in the fall 2008."

They're talking about a massive development, including hotel space, other entertainment options, condos, golf and more.

Very ambitious. You have to keep your fingers crossed on this one, because what's needed is a large response - a substantial customer base - which would have to come from a considerable distance away. Boardman is quite a distance from a large population center - close to halfway between Portland and Boise, which in total is a full day's drive.

But it's worth crossing fingers. If it works as a business proposition, it could establish a real gem in a part of the Northwest that could use it. And in this kind of area, this kind of development really doesn't have any obvious downside.

It also could give the region's racing community something to cheer for, after their double rejections in the last few years around the Puget Sound. NASCAR may not have gotten very interested yet, but if the early economic signs look good, that could change.

and Rossi’s in

October 25, 2007
 

 

Dino Rossi family

In today's long-awaited announcement that he will run again against Democrat Christine Gregoire for governor, Republican Dino Rossi met the first two bars any challenger of an incumbent - for that is their respective roles now - has to do. But look through what he has to say, and you're left with the simultaneous impressions of, "is that all there is?" and, "we're drowning in data, what's your point?"

What we're left looking for for is this: The one or two really compelling arguments for why you gotta fire the incumbent and hire this guy. Rossi's statement was loaded with critiques of the Gregoire Administration, and included a list of his own proposals. But will voters find any of them strong enough to reverse the direction they've taken the last four years?

We're not easily finding the political version of the "killer app," instead reading through a list of arguments that can too easily bog down in details - stuff that doesn't seem very likely to grab voters by the throat, rivet them enough to get their attention.

Here are is the Rossi brief against Gregoire, from his descriptive press release on te announcement:

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