Medical marijuana users are angry about a recent Oregonian editorial that claimed to get to the root of the pot-dispensary measure by saying it’s just a cloaked step in a quest toward legalization. Clearly they didn’t read this reporter’s recent article on the debate. From the editorial: Forget the euphemisms — what after all, is […]
Stefan Kamph
Posted inNews
Banning Bags, Banishing Chasse
Today’s morning city council session was a study in contrasts, a back-to-back showcase of Portland’s strengths and weaknesses. First, the passing of a resolution aimed at eliminating plastic shopping bags statewide—introduced with all the self-congratulatory cooing that you’d expect from a city government that sees itself as a beacon of sustainability. Then, something the city […]
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City Club Takes on Portland’s Bridges
Flickr user “parks.” The City Club of Portland is a local institution that allows a venue for wealthy and/or important people (and the rest of us, in theory) to commission studies of local trends and governance, and adopt recommendations for how to fix stuff that isn’t looking too hot. On Friday, July 30, the club […]
Posted inNews
Cannabis Café to Reopen on SE 82nd
Soon you will be able to buy a cheap used car and get smoked out by some kindhearted volunteers, all in the same couple blocks of SE 82nd Avenue. The original Cannabis Café opened in November 2009 at 700 NE Dekum Street. It allowed medical marijuana cardholders a place to light up for free in […]
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Sunday Reading Material: Afghanistan Leaks
Big news today. The whistleblower website WikiLeaks has released around 92,000 classified reports from Afghanistan that detail hundreds of civilian deaths, every logged IED (improvised explosive device) incident over five years, and growing suspicions among NATO forces that Pakistan and Iran are aiding the Taliban insurgency. Wikileaks obtained the data, covering the time period from […]
Posted inNews
Mayor Takes Bag Ban Proposal Statewide
Sam Adams just called to let us know that he’s setting aside his push for a citywide plastic bag ban to give state legislators a chance to enact a statewide ban. He’s changing the proposed city ordinance to a draft resolution, which the mayor’s office is submitting today for review by city council. When the […]
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City Releases Outside Audit of Chasse Case
The city auditor’s office has released a report prepared by an outside firm, the OIR Group, concerning the death in police custody of James Chasse Jr. in 2006. Chasse suffered multiple broken ribs and injuries at the hands of cops who apprehended him at NW 13th and Everett, was taken to jail rather than to […]
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Suing Over Failed Petition: Good Citizen or Bad Sport?
As we reported yesterday, the chief petitioners behind Initiative Petition 50 (which seeks to assign legislative redistricting to an appointed body of retired judges) are suing the secretary of state for disqualifying too many signatures, which will likely keep the initiative off the ballot this fall. The initiative was written by Kevin Mannix, though he […]
Posted inMedia
Daniel Schorr is Dead at 93
The legendary newsman and NPR commentator covered the Cold War, Watergate and the formation of NATO after World War II. He’s worked in newspapers and radio, and I remember hearing his distinctive voice on the radio from an early age. I only wish I had been around to see him breaking stories a few decades […]
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County Commissioners Adopt East Portland Plan
EAST PORTLAND: No, you can’t have a streetcar. Here, have this nice logo, though! You can talk and tweet about bioswales or bike lanes till you’re blue in the face, but the fact remains that East Portland—much of which wasn’t annexed by the city until the 1980s or 90s—remains neglected, lacking sidewalks, parks, or social […]
Posted inBikes
Need Some More Bike Drama? No? Whatever.
Dan Christensen Today on the people–who–hate–bikes beat, a TriMet bus driver is placed on administrative leave for posting a call to kill a bicyclist on his blog. This isn’t Al M, mind you (he’s not allowed to podcast from the driver’s seat anymore). This time it’s Dan Christensen, who was named one of WWeek‘s “Best […]
Posted inNews
Prohibition Deja-Vu: Should Oregon Sell Pot?
In this week’s article, “Growing Pains,” I explore some of the different factions of the marijuana-reform movement. Some people, like the backers of an upcoming ballot measure, want to sell medical pot in dispensaries across the state. Others, like Madeline Martinez and NORML, want across-the-board legalization. Martinez had her own initiative that failed to make […]