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Phil Busse
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They Promised… But Did They Deliver?

Mayor Potter and Council Member Adams Get Their Mercury Report Card
Avatar photo Phil Busse

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 […]

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In Other News

Avatar photo Phil Busse

wal-mart vs. trimet Ever since plans were announced to wedge a megastore in between Sellwood and Milwaukie, residents have been fighting to shut the big box down. Protests at the proposed site along SE McLoughlin Boulevard and frenzied neighborhood meetings have thus far been the neighbors’ weapon of choice. But so far those complaints have […]

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Why Not Banish Drug-Free Zones?

City Council Faces Another Civil Liberty Test
Avatar photo Phil Busse

A year ago, one of the hottest debates in recent city council history began. The mayor and city commissioners were asked to cancel their agreement with federal agents and withdraw local police officers from the Joint Terrorism Task Force. At that time, civil rights advocates were concerned that not even the mayor had sufficient access […]

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Nude Justice

Oregon Supreme Court Appreciates Strippers
Avatar photo Phil Busse

It’s taken two years, but the Oregon Supreme Court finally issued an opinion in the case of City of Nyssa vs. Miss Sally’s Gentlemen’s Club. Since first argued in front of the justices in 2003, that case has hovered over the state’s strip clubs like a threatening storm cloud. If the verdict had gone against […]

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Spare $5 For City Hall?

Publicly Financed Elections Off to a Slow Start
Avatar photo Phil Busse

For all city hall has done to make local campaigns not about money, it looks like money will be the central concern for the upcoming city council elections. In April, city council approved a plan to publicly finance candidates in city council and mayoral races. Under the new rules, any candidate who gathers 1,000 $5 […]

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Policing The Police

Yet Another Report Reveals Police Shortcomings
Avatar photo Phil Busse

Nearly Five years ago, Jose Mejia Poot tried to board a city bus, but was a few coins short of a fare. He didn’t speak English and, in the confusion, became confrontational with the bus driver. The police were called, Mejia Poot was detained, and mistakenly, he was thrown into a psychiatric hospital. After two […]

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On My Soapbox

Stay Free
Avatar photo Phil Busse

Starting several years ago, the WiFi movement began freeing internet users from cable modems and, ultimately, from corporate companies. In Portland, volunteer groups of computer nerds began setting up nodes, from which users could access and surf the net for nothing. Besides freeing users from paying Comcast $40 a month, it was a blueprint for […]

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On My Soapbox

Protect Us From FEMA!
Avatar photo Phil Busse

If anyone needs further proof regarding FEMA’s inadequacies, take a look at Portland’s own Washington-Monroe High School. A few days after Hurricane Katrina demolished New Orleans, FEMA announced that 1,000 displaced residents would make their way to Portland for temporary shelter. In response, the local Red Cross hustled to prepare the vacant school. But no […]

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Sued Into Submission

Lt. Kruger’s Anger Management Proves Costly to City
Avatar photo Phil Busse

Like a recurring bad dream, Lieutenant Mark Kruger is once again a defendant in a police brutality lawsuit. In April, the city paid out nearly $1 million in damages and attorney fees after Kruger and several other Portland police allegedly beat up and pepper sprayed anti-war protesters in 2002. This time around, Kruger allegedly grabbed […]

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Sellwood Gets Sold Out

Bad News for Wal-Mart Opponents
Avatar photo Phil Busse

For two years now, Wal-Mart has been inching forward plans to wedge a superstore between Sellwood and Milwaukie. That effort has enraged residents who believe the store will drain revenue from local businesses and devastate Milwaukie’s plans to build a stronger town center. Over the summer months, resistance seemed to be gathering momentum, gaining powerful […]

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