Exactly one year ago this week, on March 15, 2006, city council voted to renew Portland’s controversial Drug- and Prostitution-Free Zones for another year, inserting new protections aimed at balancing neighborhood safety with civil liberties. In case you don’t have a calendar in front of you, that means it’s time for council to revisit the […]
Scott Moore
Posted inNews
Show Me the Money!
Does Potter Lack the Cash to Pass Charter Reform?
Since last week, money has been pouring in to fund the charter reform debate, but so far, it appears to be largely one-sided—and Mayor Tom Potter’s pro-strong mayor campaign is coming up short. So far, Portlanders for Accountability—one of the groups opposing the government charter change—has reported bringing in $34,000, all from unions like Laborers’ […]
Posted inBooks
Microcosm Publishing Moving to Indiana
Last week, local publisher/zine emporium Microcosm announced it was ditching its store in North Portland and moving all of its mail-order business to Bloomington, Indiana. Founder Joe Biel chalked the move up to gentrification, calling recent condo developments “sickening” and “disturbing.” In an interview last Friday, Biel offered up more nuanced reasoning. MERCURY: Are you […]
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Hall Monitor
Busting the budget
For the past two weeks, city council has been embroiled in budget hearings like a five-headed municipal Santa Claus, poring over the list of who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. Unlike all the meager years past, though, when most bureaus were handed sacks of coal, the city actually has some money this year, making […]
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Black Exclusion Zones
Are Drug-Free Zones Targeting African Americans?
The City of Portland’s problema-tic Drug- and Prostitution-Free Zones may have just gotten a lot more troubling—new data released by the police bureau possibly reveals that the “exclusion” zones are overwhelmingly targeted at African Americans. The report, obtained by the Mercury on Tuesday, March 6, shows staggering racial discrepancies in the way exclusions are used […]
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Burnside Road Bump
Planning Commission Says No to Couplet
Last week, the proposal to turn W Burnside and NW Couch into two one-way streets (a “couplet”) hit a road bump—the Portland Planning Commission voted 3-1 to recommend that the city not go forward with the decade-old idea. In December 2006, Commissioner Sam Adams unveiled his proposal for the Burnside/Couch couplet, which would stretch from […]
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The Holy War Room
Evangelicals Plot Their Global Takeover—In Portland’s Backyard!
“Let’s get one thing straight, evangelicals do not want a theocracy.” After two days of being surrounded by right-wing Christian leaders bent on taking over America, these were the words that finally sent my good humor spiraling into collapse. I had spent hours listening to a dozen conservative heroes talk about their plans to put […]
Posted inNews
State of War
Lawmakers Call for Iraq Pullout
Since the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, nearly 80 Oregon soldiers have been killed and many more wounded—but in the wake of President George W. Bush’s plan to send even more soldiers into battle, the state legislature is gearing up to say, “No more, thanks.” Along with other lawmakers, State Representative Chip Shields has […]
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Hall Monitor
Team Potter
For weeks, the backers of Mayor Tom Potter’s charter reform package have stayed silent, except for a peep here and there from the ever-popular thinkers at the Portland Business Alliance (PBA) and the Oregonian. PBA board member Sho Dozono helped scrape up money for a poll, but so far it hasn’t been released. Last week, […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Unsafe at Any Speed
Shining a Light on Ralph Nader
In the wake of the 2000 presidential election disaster, Democrats got in line to take turns kicking Ralph Nader in the groin, blaming him for the victory of George W. Bush. He was an easy target—and as the horrors of the Bush administration grew clearer, it became even easier for Dems to blame Nader rather […]
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Hall Monitor
Sweat Stains
Braving cold gusts and the threat of rain, around 100 activists rallied in front of city hall Monday morning to send a message to the city commissioners: Stop buying products from sweatshops! (There was also some Spanish in there, but I’m as monolingual as I am glib.) Unfortunately, Monday happened to be Presidents’ Day, and […]
Posted inNews
Adams v. Oregon
City Commish Sues for Equality
With civil unions still nowhere in sight, and discriminatory state laws still in abundance, Basic Rights Oregon (BRO) has a new star in its fight for equality: Portland City Commissioner—and unabashed media darling—Sam Adams. Early last year, BRO embarked on a new strategy, launching several lawsuits against the state to get equal treatment for same-sex […]