Last Wednesday, July 19, Portland’s city council voted unanimously to approve a contract with MetroFi—a California-based internet company—to build a sprawling wireless network that would offer free internet access to 95 percent of the city. In the process, though, the project could spell disaster for the Personal Telco Project, the nonprofit group that’s been providing […]
Scott Moore
Posted inNews
Identity Crisis
Convicted Forger Gathering Signatures
Would you give your name, address, and signature to a convicted forger and identity thief? In the past few months, hundreds—if not thousands—of Oregonians have, in the name of democracy. Gregory Moser, AKA Ronald Phillip, who circulated petitions for a number of initiatives hoping to make the November ballot, carries numerous convictions, including theft, carrying […]
Posted inNews
Hall Monitor
Vision Quest
Last week, we chatted about Robert Hill, who got into a shouting match with Mayor Tom Potter during his three minutes of public testimony regarding Portland’s form of government. For all the yelling, it was hard to believe anyone could be that passionate about the tedious details of local electoral politics. After taking a week […]
Posted inExtras
Signature Gathering Controversy Update!
Petition Boss Tim Trickey Admits to Hiring Convicted Indentity Thief to Gather Signatures
Posted inNews
Hall Monitor
Disturbing the Peace
Anybody who still doubts Mayor Tom Potter’s ability to handle city council the same way he handled the police bureau obviously wasn’t at last Wednesday morning’s council session. During the “open communications” section (three minutes in which anyone can talk about anything), concerned citizen Robert Hill decided to take his turn from the balcony, shouting, […]
Posted inNews
Looking for Loopholes
Are Conservative Campaigns Sneaking Around Petition Laws?
Who should be held accountable? That’s the question many are asking after it was discovered that signatures for several initiative petitions were being paid for illegally. And as state elections officials continue to pore over petition sheets turned in on July 7, it’s become evident that Measure 26 (M26)—the law that forbids payment per signature—is […]
Posted inNews
The Price of Democracy
Conservative Petitions Use the Homeless to Gather Signatures—And Pay Them Illegally
Last Wednesday, July 5, amid a sea of homeless people waiting for food from the rescue mission on W Burnside and 2nd, a series of secretive transactions went down that involved the exchange of pocketfuls of cash for hot commodities. Gruff, destitute men and women lined up to hand over their goods to a thin, […]
Posted inNews
Rolling Back Big Box Plans
Sam Adams to Wal-Mart: Slow Down!
City Commissioner Sam Adams has made no secret of his disdain for Wal-Mart’s business practices—his window at city hall even displays a “No Sellwood Wal-Mart” sign, a reference to the company’s effort to put a store in SE Portland. Now, he has an idea he thinks will halt plans for yet another store, this time […]
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Hall Monitor
Feel the Noize
Last week, I prematurely ended an experiment in which I planned to work out of city hall for an entire week. The idea was that if the Oregonian‘s city reporters get to have their own bureau inside the building, then I sure as shit should at least be able to camp out on a bench. […]
Posted inNews
Chasing the Green Dream
Randy Leonard Pushes Forward on Biodiesel
Say the word “biodiesel” to just about anyone at city hall this week, and the reaction you’ll most likely get is a mixture of guarded enthusiasm and surprise. City Commissioner Randy Leonard’s new plan to mandate the sale of renewable fuel has put city staffers in a difficult position—most support the basic idea, but many […]
Posted inNews
Hall Monitor
Flex car redux
Two weeks ago, city council voted 4-0 to yank city subsidies from Flexcar, forcing the car-sharing company to reimburse the city for the money it spends on Flexcar parking spaces and other expenses. The estimated total: $100,000 per year, about half of that from lost meter revenue. Representatives from Flexcar were, to say the least, […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Drawing a Blank
Shut Up. Amy Sedaris Is My New Girlfriend
I’ll just say it: I love Amy Sedaris with all my heart. And as soon as polygamy is finally legalized, I’m going to marry her. Not only is she the sister of brilliant author David Sedaris, she’s responsible for creating one of the most smartly hysterical characters to ever grace basic cable—the grotesquely sexy Jerri […]