Once again, the fine editorial staff at the Mercury has let me write a cover story about a disaster. This new piece—which Steve Humphrey lovingly refers to as “more disaster porn”—looks at what might happen to Oregon’s communications networks when the “Big One” strikes. It also examines what Oregon telecoms are doing, or not, to […]
Nathan Gilles
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Bankers Attack Credit Unions Over New Program
For years, banks have had it in for credit unions. And this year’s round of legislative fisticuffs is no exception. Oregon bankers, big and small, local and not, are behind three Oregon House bills targeting the state’s credit unions. Of these, HB 2486 is the most extreme. The idea behind the bill backed by the […]
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Quaking Communications
Oregon’s Telecoms Aren’t Preparing for the Big One
Oregon’s telecoms aren’t preparing for the big quake.
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Beth Ditto Didn’t Show Up At Her Arraignment, But Her Lawyer Did
Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Beth Ditto—real name Mary Beth Patterson—the Gossip singer arrested over the weekend on suspicion of disorderly conduct decided against personally attending her arraignment hearing this morning. In Ditto’s place was her lawyer, Thomas Coan, who handed Multnomah County Judge Steven Todd a written statement from his client. The statement was not […]
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Iraq War Turns Ten. It’s the tenth anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War and Reuters is reporting a series of car bombs have killed at least 50 people. Chem Warfare Finger-Pointing. Syrian rebels and President Bashar al-Assad are each blaming the other side for launching a chemical weapon near Aleppo. Blast Kills Seven. […]
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The Arts Tax Debacle Continues
It looks like the Portland Arts Tax, approved by 61 percent of voters last fall, is having still more trouble. In a press release issued earlier today by Mayor Charlie Hales’ office, the city is now saying the arts tax’s legal language “contains a significant flaw.” And it’s a flaw that could make folks who […]
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Really Tiny Thing Found! Scientists are saying they’ve found the Higgs boson particle that elusive subatomic rascal that’s expected to help explain why matter has size and shape. In a far less divine development… Got Pope? Yes, we do. Yesterday, following a lot of smoke the Catholic Cardinals chose a new pope. Southern Man. Said […]
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Audit Says Portland Is Worth Less Than It Used to Be
The city’s most recent financial audit is in. And auditors, once again, are warning the city is losing value. As in, a lot of the stuff it owns—like an old car or house gone to seed—is worth less and less every year. During the Portland City Council meeting last Wednesday, March 6, Jim Lanzarotta of […]
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Millions for Wind Farms? Following an Oregonian investigation, the Oregon Department of Energy is reconsidering the $30 million in tax credits it approved for wind farm developer Caithness Energy. US and Taliban Colluding? That’s Afghan President Hamid Karazi’s claim. During a recent press conference, Karazi accused the US and Taliban of working together to justify […]
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Arkansas Bans Abortions at 12 Weeks. Yesterday, Arkansas lawmakers adopted the country’s most restrictive abortion ban (and the biggest challenge to Roe v. Wade) to date by outlawing abortions past the 12th week of pregnancy. This follows a failed veto attempt by Gov. Mike Beebe. And now for something totally different… Something For the Ladies, […]
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Union Organizer Comes Clean About Sex Crimes
We can now confirm that a commenter’s post identifying the subject of a recent Mercury story as a sex offender is true. David Neel, a union organizer, was fired from his job at a call center run by the Fund for the Public Interest, Inc., in part, he claims, because of his union organizing but […]
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Trashed Arts Tax: A Very Unscientific Look at How Many Portlanders Will Pay
(It might not look like it, but there were four in there. I dug) It’s two nights ago, and what do I find after a long day of slaving over a warm laptop at the Mercury? Why, a pile of discarded arts tax mailers. That’s right. A pile of thrown-out mailers exhorting Portlanders to pay […]