I’m hunkered down at the Mercury’s city hall bureau (AKA a wooden bench next to a power outlet in the hallway), waiting for Commissioner Sam Adams’ Safe Sound and Green Streets Executive Committee to finish up their 3 pm meeting. On the agenda? Well, technically I have no idea. It’s a closed meeting, and they […]
Amy J. Ruiz
Posted inNews
Hall Monitor
Summer Snooze
City hall’s taking a summer nap—except for Commissioner Nick Fish
Posted inNews
WELCOME TO THE BEST OF 1988 ISSUE
A Step Back into Portland’s Past—20 Years, to be Exact
It’s the 20th anniversary of 1988—and to celebrate, the Mercury is taking you on a trip back in time to that fateful year when… well, okay, not a lot of stuff happened. However! For those of you (and us) who have only recently arrived in Portland, a glimpse 20 years into the past reveals that […]
Posted inNews
Pump it Up
Gas Prices Increase Transportation Funding Problems
Gas tax revenues are $1 million short for the city, leaving the Portland Department of Transportation strapped for cash.
Posted inBikes
New: Bike Free Portland Blog
“Stopping the Bikenazi cold in their track. They want to win the fight for safe Portland streets by making everyone else pay for their roads, yield to their needs, and look out for their stupid stupid stupid driving. It’s time to put these idiots back in their place.” (Spotted via BikePortland.org.)
Posted inCity Hall
Just Another Wednesday at City Hall
Wow. Today at city hall was shaping up to be the Most Boring Day Ever®, with just five regular agenda items at the council meeting–the most discussed being one about an aborted contract to provide a new city computer system. Thankfully, it was also about the shortest meeting ever. After tumbling out of council chambers […]
Posted inPolitics
City’s Transportation Department Has Another $1 Million Shortfall
(UPDATE @ 4:45: Comment from Sam Adams at the bottom…) Back in May, Commissioner Sam Adams called a last minute press conference to break some bad news: Thanks to the rising cost of oil (then at a record $120 a barrel), people were buying less gas, and paying less gas tax, which meant the city’s […]
Posted inDrunk
OLCC Launches a Blog
The OLCC’s going high tech: They launched a blog this week. This has the potential to be a great blog, especially if the OLCC starts posting the nitty gritty allegations at troubled clubs (like the agency’s notes on Greek Cusina). For now, though, it’s a little wonky, delving into OLCC policies like the prohibition on […]
Posted inPolitics
My TV Debut
Check it out: I co-hosted Outlook Portland this past Sunday morning, with David Bragdon. We quizzed Steve Novick on his recent Senate bid, and he quizzed us on the Columbia River Crossing. In between, Bragdon and Novick talked about paradigm shifts in D.C., and whether a President Obama would usher in another one, a la […]
Posted inNews
Good Morning, News!
Sorry, kids: “Former Vice President Al Gore has informally announced his disinterest in returning to politics, even as a possible running mate.” Dark Knight pulled in a record $155.3 million in three days this weekend. Snap: Obama’s team wouldn’t let a New Yorker writer on their overseas field trip this week. Meanwhile, Obama’s in Baghdad, […]
Posted inNews
A Better Bridge
City Council Pushes for Green I-5 Bridge
City council approves a Columbia River Crossing proposal—with strict conditions.
Posted inNews
Hall Monitor
Elected Representatives
Elected Representatives: Aren’t these guys supposed to represent us?