Monday, October 2, the first round of pre-election campaign finance reports will be released by the secretary of state’s office, officially revealing who is throwing money at this November’s slate of ballot measures. But even before that report is released, it appears evident that progressive groups will be fighting an uphill battle. This election cycle, […]
Scott Moore
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Smoke ‘Em While You Got ‘Em
Pioneer Square Smoking Ban Moves Ahead
Last week, news broke on the Mercury‘s Blog Town, PDX that City Commissioner Dan Saltzman was planning to push through a ban on smoking in Pioneer Square. Now, all that’s left for the ban to move forward is approval from the square’s managing board and a sign-off from Saltzman. While the downtown square is technically […]
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To the Rescue?
PBA Beats Its Competiton
Since 1997, the Portland Business Alliance (PBA) has held a contract with the city to provide security and maintenance in downtown parks—when that contract ended earlier this year, the city sent out a request for proposals to renew the agreement. Unsurprisingly, the city is poised to hand the contract right back to the PBA in […]
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Splitting the Left
Lines Are Drawn on Campaign Reform
For more than six months, a political battle has been brewing in the state over possible reforms to the way campaigns are financed. But the fight isn’t unfolding along traditional conservative/liberal lines—instead, the war is among progressive groups. Measure 46 would amend the state constitution to allow the state legislature (or voters through the initiative […]
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Hall Monitor
Biodiesel Redux
You gotta hand it to City Commissioner Randy Leonard—when he said he was going to give the trucking industry plenty of chances to give their input on the city’s biodiesel mandate, he wasn’t kidding. Thursday, September 14, Leonard convened an open powwow with “stakeholders” to talk about moving forward on his alternative fuels package—giving truckers […]
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Brading vs. Minnis
The Hottest Fight in the State Just Got Hotter!
Perhaps more than any other race this election cycle, the political fight for East Multnomah County will determine the future of the state. Can challenger Rob Brading wrestle Oregon’s destiny from the hands of conservative incumbent Karen Minnis? Or will the state inch closer to becoming red? Here’s how it’s shaping up. Oregon’s House District […]
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Smokescreen
Saltzman’s Public Smoking Ban?
If City Commissioner Dan Saltzman gets his way, by next month you could be looking at 30 days in jail and a $1,250 fine just for smoking in Pioneer Courthouse Square. Saltzman’s proposed ban on smoking in the square—which is technically a city park—now needs only his sign-off as parks commissioner to take effect. (Insiders […]
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Hall Monitor
Blood from a stone
Last Monday, September 11, former firefighter and current City Commissioner Randy Leonard paid a visit to his compatriots at the Portland Firefighters Association—to ask them for money. He was looking for support for the city’s proposed reform to the Fire and Police Disability and Retirement (FPD&R) system, which will be on the ballot this November. […]
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‘Inadvertent’ Zoo Racism
… And the Union Goes Ape Shit
On Friday, September 1, the local chapter of the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA Local 483) sent an open and damning letter to the Metro council, asking it to reprimand a new zoo supervisor—for a bumper sticker. In the letter, the union explained that Joe Sebastiani, the new elephant barn supervisor, arrived for […]
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Downtown Insecurity
PBA: Better Than Their Competition?
Within the next couple of weeks, Portland City Council is expected to decide on renewing the Portland Business Alliance’s [PBA] contract to provide security in downtown’s “urban core,” potentially giving the group the contract to secure and maintain Waterfront Park as well. In the process, the PBA has gained an odd ally. The contract has […]
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Hall Monitor
Thanks for nothing
With two commissioners out on “vacation,” and with many city staffers gearing up for the Labor Day weekend by doing as little as possible, last week city hall was something of a ghost town. That may explain why nobody from the city ever responded to the plight of Jewel the circus elephant—who’s hobbling to town […]
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Yellow Bikes: Version 2.0
The Return of Bike Sharing?
Yellow Bikes may not exactly be making a comeback, but if City Commissioner Sam Adams’ office gets its way, a new and improved bike sharing system may soon be appearing on Portland streets. Years ago, Portland helped pioneer the Yellow Bikes program—based on a model from Amsterdam, the project aimed to provide Portlanders with bicycles […]