City Commissioner Sam Adams was having none of it. Sitting in council chambers last Wednesday, Adams stared at an elderly man who was struggling to make his case. The man, Lowell Patton, wanted to develop his property—wooded acreage that hugs Boones Ferry Road and nestles near Lewis and Clark College. Patton’s attorney plainly stated that […]
Phil Busse
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And Another Thing!
DFZ: Bah, Humbug!
This holiday season, have you been wondering what to buy that white-bread middle-age businessman in your life? Here’s a quick test to determine whether a gift membership to the Portland Business Alliance (PBA) is appropriate: Would your recipient rather spend Thursday evening (a) shopping downtown, or (b) attending a city meeting in support of civil […]
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Nazis, Jack, and… BLECH!
Succinct Reviews for the Discerning Cinephile
Wilby Wonderful is repeatedly described in its press materials as a comedy—albeit a dark comedy, a bittersweet comedy. This is pretty misleading, as the
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Funnier Than a Real Republican!
Harmon Leon Gets Into (and Under) the Skin of the Enemy
Harmon Leon is a standup comedian. His shtick is aping certain personalities—usually ones far flung from his urban, liberal, hipster real self—and “infiltrates” the other cultures of America. He volunteers for security detail during the Arnold Schwarzenegger gubernatorial race. He meets up with a white supremacist group in northern California as an eager recruit. And […]
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Terrorists and Rocket Ships
Succinct Reviews for the Discerning Cinephile
Paradise Now dir. Abu-Assad Opens Fri Nov 11 Fox Tower Paradise Now‘s mere premise—the story of two Palestinian men who have been selected for a suicide-bombing mission—raises both expectations and eyebrows by taking on an incredibly tense, controversial subject from a frightening perspective. The film is worth seeing for its apparently realistic portrayal of who […]
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No More Smiley Face!
Can Bad Press Take Down Wal-Mart?
The timing couldn’t be worse for Wal-Mart. With bad press piling up against the corporate giant, this week filmmaker Robert Greenwald’s latest documentary, Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, comes to Portland. Using interviews from former employees, the film outlines the company’s dreadful and careless business practices. Unlike Michael Moore’s documentaries, which often rely […]
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Cop, Judge, and Jury
Residents Fight Back Against DFZ
“I know that the police need tools, but I want to make sure that it’s balanced with community interest,” explained Mayor Tom Potter to a largely African American audience. “With that,” he added, “I’ll take my seat so I can listen.” And listen he did. On Tuesday evening about 150 people gathered in a North […]
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Brother, Spare Some Optimism?
Can the City Really End Homelessness?
Recently, city hall announced its “10-Year Plan to End Homelessness.” The gist of the plan is to transition city and county services from temporary fixes—like overnight shelters—to more lasting solutions like permanent housing and stable employment. The plan is certainly ambitious enough. The mayor’s office promises that by the year 2015 the city will have […]
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Project Feel Better
The Mayor’s Inexact Science of Policymaking
Last week, Mayor Tom Potter announced a five-point plan to clean up an alleged crime problem downtown. His plan establishes a curfew in the Park Blocks (9 pm!) and gives the green light to cops to crack down on aggressive panhandling. It also tosses some funding toward drug treatment programs. The goal for this crackdown, […]
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Finally, Some Good News!
Judge Puts Brakes on Measure 37
The timing seemed too perfect: 1000 Friends of Oregon, the state’s foremost land-use protection organization, planned to celebrate its 30th anniversary last Saturday, October 15 at the Convention Center. The event had been scheduled for months. It was suspected that keynote speakers there would talk about the impact of Measure 37, which passed last November […]
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In Other News
BIKE SAFE! Six years ago, a city worker began to dress up those stick figure bicyclists that adorn bike lanes around town. He painted flowing blond hair on one of the bikers, while another carries a briefcase. One holds chopsticks. For years, those icons have been a quirky reminder that the city and its residents […]
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They Promised… But Did They Deliver?
Mayor Potter and Council Member Adams Get Their Mercury Report Card
Last summer, as local candidates for city hall were clamoring for precious votes, the Mercury hosted a series of three town hall forums. For each, we asked the candidates to provide five specific promises for projects they would accomplish during their first year in office. Cleverly, it was called the “You Promised!” series. At each […]