THE GRESHAM MERCURY
RE: âNew Map Conveniently Shows Entire Metropolitan Area Where You Can No Longer Afford to Liveâ [Blogtwon, Nov 1], in which Senior Editor Erik Henriksen wrote about the Residential Infill Project, a concept that could make it easier for Portlandâs wealthy homeowners to make room for the rest of us by introducing âduplexes, triplexes, and apartments... on plots of land where only one house is currently allowed.â
Gresham is the only affordable place to live on the east side, and it will probably be too expensive for most people in the next few years, once the San Franciscans and trust fund hipsters finish kicking everyone not like them out of Portland.
Totalitariland
The way to really shake up the status quo is to stop subsidizing gentrification. In 1997, Measure 50 froze many home values at their assessed value in 1995 with only a 3 percent rise in value per year.
The basic premise was sound. But what Measure 50 failed to do was to adjust the assessed value when the home was sold. That has resulted in a $200-$600 per month property tax subsidy for homeowners in many Portland neighborhoods.
Want to shake up the status quo? Rewrite Measure 50 to readjust the assessed value based on sale price. With Portland becoming San Francisco, now is a good time to do it.
R
KUMBAYA
RE: âOpinion: Privilege, Malheur, and Writing in Teressa for Sheriffâ [Blogtown, Oct 28], Nate Bagleyâs post about how, when attending a coffee shop meeting in which Black Lives Matter activist and Donât Shoot PDX leader Teressa Raiford announced her write-in candidacy for Multnomah County Sheriff, members of another group walked inâa middle-aged couple from the protest down the street in support of the Bundys. âI witnessed members of these two groups respectfully listening to each other, expressing solidarity and commonality in their experience of being oppressed by a system that favors people with money and power,â Bagley wrote.
Nate, while I appreciate your sentiments of âCanât everyone just get along?,â anyone who supports the armed occupation of public property and terrorization of an entire community is not to be equated with Black Lives Matter. Yes, we need dialogue between opposing views, but the Bundy gang does not represent rural Oregon. The Bundys are a criminal enterprise, using violence and intimidation to advance their agenda.
Itâs nice you had a âKumbayaâ moment, but maybe you need to read up on the millions of dollars of damage done at Malheur, or the trauma experienced by Harney County, so you donât confuse the issues.
Oregongal
PUNKâS NOT DEAD
RE: âCelebrate Know-vemberâ [Music, Nov 2], Music Editor Ciara Dolanâs rundown of November shows at Northeast Portland punk venue the Know, which will be relocating from NE Alberta following a 300 percent rent increase.
This bar has been existence for barely over 10 years. How is that considered old?
I never felt welcomed at the Know. Lots of white punk rockers or gutter kids staring you down. (Iâm not white, by the way.) I felt more welcomed at Joeâs Place, a predominately African American bar that had been around a lot longer than the Knowâand that shuttered its doors due to gentrification.
The Know was part of the first wave of gentrification, and now itâs caught up in the tsunami of yuppie-dom. Whites pushing out other whitesâwhat has the world come to?
OnlineSearcher
FAME
RE: Unknown! Letâs just assume itâs about everything ever written by News Editor Dirk VanderHart.
Dirk, dear. Ever heard of yellow journalism? You and the newspaper would benefit from your performing some thorough research before you blow peoplesâ lives apart for the purpose of enhancing your own fame.
No love,
Kathleen Schalk
KATHLEEN, we regret to inform you that the attention-crazed Dirk VanderHart has another piece in this weekâs paper (see pg. 6 for his rundown of the 2016 election). But to you we offer our condolences, as well as our letter of the week prizeâtwo tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater. Maybe you and Dirk can go to a movie and talk things out.
Letters and comments may be edited for space. Email us at lovenotes@portlandmercury.com.
