For our user agree- ment, click here . The best part of the deal, as voters made eminently clear last November, is that it involves no increase in property taxes. The best part of the deal for the tourism industry is that it will provide additional meeting space to keep Portland competitive with cities of comparable size that have added to their convention space. Oregon Convention Center managers estimate the center has already lost millions of dollars of business to Seattle, Salt Lake and other cities. The best part of the deal for folks generally is that we all share to varying degrees in the high-value, environmentally safe economic boost that tourism represents.
Money spent by tourists supports jobs.
It supports stores that pay property taxes. It supports the zoo, theaters, restaurants and other amenities Portlanders enjoy. It gives up mostly exhibit space that officials hope to add eventually. Major car-rental companies are the newest partners in the deal, acknowledging their link to tourism generally and the convention business specifically. Metro, city and county officials and lodging-industry representatives said they went to property taxes first because the region's voters approved the initial phase of the convention center nine years ago.