EXTRA WEIGHT

RE: One Day at a Time, our weekly take on gossip and politics, by author Ann Romano.

ANN ROMANO—So, in no way do I mean to insult the rest of the Mercury. But your column is THE BEST PART OF THE MERCURY. You're so unfailingly clever that my admiration stops JUST short of resentful envy.

Tessa Wright

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THERE'S A DIFFERENCE, YOU KNOW

RE: "Word Is Bond" [News, Oct 30], regarding the ongoing effort to wrest control of the water bureau from City Council, and the financial implications of such a move.

Some of the comments on this and related media stories seem to consistently confuse water rates and sewer rates. These are two entirely separate issues, related only by the fact that Portland requires the Water Bureau to include sewer rates on one combined bill. Portland's WATER rates are not particularly high in comparison to other cities of similar size and configuration. The rate shock experienced by Portland customers is almost entirely a product of the Big Pipe and related to cleaning up the Willamette River. The conflation of water and sewer rates in these discussions does everyone a serious disservice.

Posted by Buck Deaver

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CHANGE: HARD

RE: "Maybe Charlie's Not in Charge" [Hall Monitor, Oct 30], in which columnist Denis C. Theriault contemplates the mayor's deference to the police chief in matters of police oversight.

It seems to take an awful lot of courage, conviction, and public support to enact any meaningful and beneficial police reforms anywhere in this country. If only politicians were volunteers.

Posted by apheliotropic

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SAFE AS HOUSES

RE: "Murder House" [Feature, Oct 30], an account of various murders that took place in houses around Portland.

Hey Mercury, your murder house stories aren't spooky! The lack of resolution in most of the stories, I guess, was supposed to lend [an] "... and the murderer still haunts the streets to this day," sort of feel. But instead it feels like many of the writers were stretching to imagine motives and providing unsatisfying conclusions. On the plus side, the artwork was fantastic.

Posted by pecans05

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FURNISHING THE OUTDOORS

RE: "Hales Personally Emails Assurances to Developer on Right 2 Dream Too Relocation Clash" [Blogtown, Nov 1].

Hey Charlie, why don't you give the homeless all that outdoor furniture you bought in your recent poorly-thought-out bid to make homelessness invisible and city hall less accessible? I support Hoover towns. Not all homeless folk are crazy drug addicts. Families are having to hit the streets since the banks have been allowed to steal their homes. Leave R2D2 alone!!!

Posted by Teresa Roberts

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GO EAST

RE: "Pearl Group Announces Proposed Framework of Deal with Right 2 Dream Too" [Blogtown, Oct 31], regarding the ongoing efforts of Pearl District residents and developers, including developer Homer Williams, to prevent the relocation of the homeless rest area to their neighborhood.

Well, Mayor Homer Williams and the real powers in town are getting ready to shove the Right 2 Dream camp [to] the Eastside. East Portland is a place where the homeowners pay property taxes that are then used to fund initiatives that rip them off. "City council" has become shorthand for "developers' pleasure boys" or "builders' comfort lady."

Posted by Reverend Bite Me

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TOUGH TURKEY

RE: "Movie Masochist: Free Birds," a new column in which author Zac Pennington reviews terrible films, like Free Birds.

I was listening to K-EARTH 101 this morning, and when the reviewer mentioned "time traveling turkeys who want to prevent turkey murder," the DJ interjected with, "Oh, it's not some vegan movie, is it?" I remember being a stupid kid and not understanding any of the political messages in anything I watched. I wonder what the Hollywood writers were trying to tell us when, in Rock-a-Doodle, Chanticleer failed to belt out his morning song and the sun rose regardless... I gotta re-watch that movie!

Posted by ROM

FUNNY YOU SHOULD mention that, ROM, because you just won the Letter of the Week, which garners you—wait for it—two free tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater, where early '90s animation is rarely shown, though they might take a request.