The Portland Business Alliance says it “cannot support” the revised $46 million Portland Street Fund unveiled today by Mayor Charlie Hales and Commissioner Steve Novick—mostly over Hales and Novick’s bid to raise half that cash through an income tax without asking voters’ permission first. “Unfortunately, the plan issued by city leaders on Monday falls short […]
Denis C. Theriault
Denis C. Theriault is the Portland Mercury's News Editor. He writes stories about City Hall and the Portland Police Bureau, focusing on issues like homelessness, police oversight, insider politics, and civil liberties. Before arriving in Portland, Denis wrote and edited for the San Jose Mercury News, covering the California Legislature and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as the city of San Jose—a real-live million-person town.
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New, “Bearable” $46 Million “Street Fund” Emerges—But Will Hales and Novick Have the Votes to Pass It?
Transportation director Leah Treat, left, and Mayor Charlie Hales listen to Commissioner Steve Novick listing safety projects that would be funded with the new revenue. Mayor Charlie Hales and Commissioner Steve Novick appear to have ironed out their lingering differences over revisions to the city’s controversial “street fee”—holding a chart-filled press scrum this morning where […]
Posted inNews
What the Portland Business Alliance Wants from the City’s Street Tax/Fee/Fund
In less than half an hour, Mayor Charlie Hales and Commissioner Steve Novick will unveil their revised plan for the Portland Street Fund (née “transportation user fund” (née street fee)). It’s a big moment, because we’ll see, for the first time, how Hales and Novick plan to balance their own differences as well as stake […]
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Panel Sides with Police Chief in Pepper-Spray Case
denis c. theriault Police Chief Mike Reese, left, sits beside Officer Todd Engstrom. A citizen panel has backed off from its insistence that Chief Mike Reese punish an officer who pepper-sprayed two homeless campers during a sweep under the Morrison Bridge last fall—accepting a compromise offer after both the chief and the cop in question, […]
Posted inNewsblast!
Good Morning, News: Uncle Sam’s Pot Kvetching! City Hall’s Dead Presidents! Republicans Who Like Science!
Right on schedule (one), here comes the sober reminder about the weird jurisprudential conflict hanging over Oregon’s decision to free itself from marijuana prohibition. The feds, led in our state by US Attorney Amanda Marshall, will be carefully watching how this all goes—looking especially to make sure legal pot doesn’t wind up helping the underground […]
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The Green Light
Oregon Says Yes to Pot, Jeff Merkley, and John Kitzhaber—but Not to GMO Labeling
Oregon says yes to marijuana, Jeff Merkley, and John Kitzhaber—but not to GMO labeling.
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Hall Monitor
A Private Regret, Aired Publicly
Is Amanda Fritz rethinking her support of the city’s police reform appeal?
Posted inNews
Oregon Legalizes Marijuana, Re-Elects John Kitzhaber, and Makes Other Questionable Decisions: Read Our Live Blog!
Welcome to the Blogtown Election Vulture’s Lair! In this post? Everything you need to know—and a bunch of stuff you didn’t—about tonight’s election results. Will marijuana prohibition die in Oregon—saving people trips across the Columbia to pay stupidly exorbitant prices for legal weed? Will we put labels lacking context on our food? How tightly will […]
Posted inNewsblast!
Good Morning, News: It’s Election Day! And the Republicans Are Coming! (Probably.)
Are you really still holding onto your ballot? Fine. Whatever. Just drop it off before 8 pm tonight—at an approved dropoff site—so that way you, too, can help settle several important questions hovering over Oregon’s future. Should we legalize pot? Should we upend our entire election system? Should we demand GMO labels on food? Should […]
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Vote, Damn You: Let’s Talk About the Oregon Equal Rights Amendment, AKA Measure 89
If you’ve waited this long to vote, there’s a good chance you’re probably not going to vote at all. And why would you? Up until this weekend, all you had to do was mark your ballot, find a stamp, and stick the thing in the closest mailbox—and you could feel okay knowing it would make […]
Posted inPortland
After Days of Worry, Right 2 Dream Too Co-Founder Surfaces, Says He’s “Okay”
Right 2 Dream Too co-founder Ibrahim Mubarak—whose whereabouts became the subject of a massive social media push this weekend, after he was last heard from Wednesday—has surfaced and is “okay,” according to City Commissioner Amanda Fritz. Word came during what would have been Right 2 Dream Too’s regular meeting with city hall. Fritz said more […]
Posted inPortland
Friends of Right 2 Dream Too Co-Founder Worry He’s Gone Missing
Word has gone out among housing justice advocates and others on social media yesterday asking for leads if someone’s recently seen Right 2 Dream Too co-founder Ibrahim Mubarak—who apparently hasn’t been seen by anyone since Tuesday or Wednesday. A Facebook update posted yesterday afternoon goes so far as to describe Mubarak as “missing.” And it […]