@JoforOregon The Blazers and Moda Center generate almost $700 million per year in economic benefits to Portland and the surrounding areas. Hardly a burden on the taxpayers. Just a worthwhile investment that requires maintenance every 20 years or so.
This is the DSA co-chair. Let me summarize what he says in this video:
We’re using the Democratic Party as a ballot-access vehicle, not because we share its goals. We build our own organization, get elected under the Democratic label, caucus with Democrats when it’s useful, and push our own agenda from the inside. We see the Democratic establishment as an obstacle, not a home.
Losing the Trail Blazers would be an economic catastrophe that Portland cannot afford. We aren't talking about subsidizing a hobby; we are talking about protecting a massive economic engine that generates $670 million in annual impact and supports over 4,500 jobs.
The Moda Center is the anchor of the Rose Quarter, and without the Blazers, that district becomes a ghost town. In a city that is desperately trying to claw its way back to economic stability, voluntarily letting your biggest commercial tenant walk away isn't just negligence, it’s financial suicide.
The argument that this is a "handout to billionaires" is lazy and ignores the actual mechanics of the proposed deal (Senate Bill 1501). The funding model doesn't hike your property taxes; it reinvests the income taxes paid by the players, visiting teams, and touring artists—money that wouldn’t exist without the arena—back into the building.
We are essentially telling the NBA: "We will use the massive revenue you generate to keep your workplace world-class." That is not charity; that is basic business retention. If we don’t do it, cities like Las Vegas or Seattle will happily build a palace for our team and take that tax revenue for themselves.
Furthermore, this isn't just about the NBA anymore.
We finally secured a WNBA franchise (the Portland Fire), and its success is tethered to a viable, modern venue. If the Moda Center continues to rot as the oldest un-renovated arena in the league, we lose Tier 1 concerts, we lose the NCAA tournaments, and eventually, we lose the Blazers. You cannot have a "major league" city with minor league infrastructure.
The choice isn't between "schools or stadiums"—that’s a false dichotomy.
The choice is between having a thriving entertainment district that funds public services or a vacant concrete shell that funds nothing.
Portland is at a tipping point. We have a limited window before the current lease expires in 2030 to secure a long-term commitment from ownership.
Refusing to partner on this renovation gives them every excuse to look elsewhere. We have already seen what happens when Portland rests on its laurels—businesses leave and the tax base crumbles.
Let’s not make the same mistake with the only major professional sports team that puts this city on the global map. Renovate the Moda Center, secure the team for the next 30 years, and stop gambling with the city’s economic future.
One thing every politician has made clear - from the Governor to the Mayor to the City Council - is that they are willing to invest in the Trailblazers, and don't want to be blamed if the team leaves town.
That first part is great, but won't hold up the second part. People can cite whatever economic analysis they want, it would be a disaster if the Blazers left town, and there would be plenty of blame to go around.
@MayorKWilson@mitch4portland@jamiedunphy@TeacherTiff4PDX@pnwpolicyangel@NovickOR@GovTinaKotek@candaceforpdx
Three days ago, someone declared that I should be executed simply for telling the truth on who killed Charlie Kirk. Fourteen people liked it.
Here, I write on the epidemic of assassination culture surrounding people like @MrsErikaKirk and the research backed by it, and why Israel is such a flashpoint.
I find it interesting that Muslims are demanding tolerance when they are most intolerant political ideology on the planet.
Women are subjugated. Homosexuality is banned. Jews are killed. And conversion is required on pain of servitude or death.
We actively funded the Taliban in Afghanistan for years.
We still look the other way as Shia militias in Iraq run rampant with direct lines to the Iranian Quds force.
We placed a literal Al Qaeda commander in charge of Syria and act like it was a good move.
We are extremely cozy with Qatari monarchs that tax enslave millions and harbor terrorists from Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood, to just name a couple.
We think we can negotiate with Iran successfully this time, despite almost 50 years of evidence proving we cannot.
And we are now undermining our relationships with our very few Western leaning allies in the Middle East.
Like seriously, what the hell are we doing guys?
This is a wild victory lap.
Step 1 - essentially legalize all drugs - overdose deaths skyrocket.
Step 2 - Criminalize illicit drugs again - overdose deaths drop by half.
Step 3 - take credit only for step 2.
She isn't being lashed for singing without hijab. She is being lashed for singing.
It is illegal for women to sing in Iran.
Why? Because the sound of a woman's voice is considered "provocative" and therefore "corrupts society."
The whitewashing of this regime by western activists and podcasters is a true testimony to how morally distorted the western world has become.
You have to pinch yourself to realize that in their moral universe, these are the “good guys” who have only been “provoked by western imperialism.”
Whether you like it or not the next step in the teleology of ‘progressive politics’ is retarded, childless, over-credentialed communists in their mid 30s who can’t pay their rent demanding that rapists and murderers never go to prison.