Shocking new revelations in the James Chasse Jr. lawsuit.
Matt Davis
Matt Davis was news editor of the Mercury from 2009 to May 2010.
Posted inPolitics
We Have Half An Economic Development Strategy!
As Mayor Sam Adams has been pointing out frequently over recent weeks, Portland hasn’t had an economic development strategy in a decade. But it does, now! (Sort of…) Last year, 39,550 people moved to the Greater Portland area. At the same time, the Greater Portland area lost 38,510 jobs. We’re expecting unemployment as high as […]
Posted inMedia
New Documentary On City’s Secret List
Tiffany Kimmel and Taimi Arvidson at the University of Oregon have produced a first class exploration of the city’s secret list program. We first started examining possible constitutional issues in the Mercury last year. Here’s the documentary: There’s also a feature article on the program at the university’s website. I prefer the video, personally: It’s […]
Posted inNews
Protest At Wyden’s Office For Obama’s Public Health Insurance Option Tomorrow
Readers of the Mercury can count on this reporter never to trade access to your politicians for straightforward reporting on their positions and ideas. Meanwhile, you may have seen scant criticism of Oregon Senator Ron Wyden’s health insurance reforms in other local newspapers of late. His plan is “too radical,” according to the lede in […]
Posted inNews
Save On Insulation For Your Single Family Home
Distracting Cesar Chavez renames aside, city council has been remarkably productive on the important issue of sustainability today. This morning, it signed a contract to have six streetcars produced right here in Oregon. And this afternoon, council has voted to establish the Clean Energy Works Portland program, which will allow Portlanders to borrow money in […]
Posted inNews
Take A Ride Down Cesar Chavez Boulevard
Update, 1:54pm: Apologies for the somewhat emotional tone of this post. Sitting in council watching this debated for what even Commissioner Leonard admitted felt like the 20th year was surprisingly frustrating! The basics: Council voted five-zero to rename 39th avenue as Cesar Chavez Boulevard this morning. Here’s what happens now: The Auditor shall notify owners […]
Posted in$$$
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Corey Feldman has won the weird contest. But consider a culture that produces a eulogy like this:
Posted inNews
Mayor: “Portlanders Are A Fair Minded People.”
I had to race round the corner for a meeting after writing about this morning’s recall submission, but had to rush out to take a phone call from the mayor at 11am, inquiring if I had any questions on today’s events. The mayor’s staff aren’t allowed to speak on his behalf about the recall under […]
Posted inNews
Recall Kicks Off
Recall spokesman Jasun Wurster officially filed to recall Sam Adams at the city auditor’s office this morning with 13 media outlets (including the Mercury) looking on. “There’s a lot of you,” said Wurster, talking with the press in the eerie silence after filing his documents. “If only I were in a band I feel like […]
Posted inNews
Gay Loggers For Jesus
Thanks to the comic book store guy on 53rd and Sandy for giving me a sense of perspective on the resignation of Sarah Palin yesterday. “She’s got the left nervous, everyone’s wondering what she’s going to do next,” I said. “She’s going to give us all some very big laughs,” he said. Point being: The […]
Posted inPortland
RIP Bonnie Tinker
TINKER: Reportedly died yesterday… Blue Oregon is reporting that raging granny Bonnie Tinker was killed yesterday in a bike accident in Virginia. Tinker put most Portlanders to shame when it came to standing up, or sitting down, for what she believed in, and she has appeared regularly in this paper’s news section since I joined […]
Posted inNews
Rape Allegations: Another Side Effect of Big Soccer?
Three or four Portlanders may still be unaware, but the Rose City is going through some pretty intense troll wars soul-searching over the value of Major League Soccer right now. More here. Economists say MLS is unlikely to make Portland any actual money, so the mayor has been pushing soccer as an “amenity” for the […]