"This isn't fun and games. Don't bring your Little Mermaid sleeping bag."

This guy should really take himself more seriously.

"What am I supposed to do, spend my whole summer coming back and playing pretend activist on a mountain?"

That's exactly what you are proposing to do.

Note that he seems to define "success" as some sort of confrontation with police, but when he actually provokes one he will act shocked and indignant and say "can you believe these gestapo tactics?!"

My Little Mermaid sleeping bag is pretty badass, I'll have you know.

Massive civil unrest as a response to the Zimmerman verdict = Awesome!

Peaceful civil disobedience to highlight a half billion dollar scheme to line the pockets of politically connected insiders, and double our water rates = bad, bad, bad (won't somebody think of the innocent grass?!!!)

What about the poor grass? If people in Portland are OK with city Hall messing with our water again so they they can get friends some contracts then just stay home and watch TV. I do not not want my drinking water messed with. I heard willamette water tastes great this time of year. Drink up.

These guys are adorable!

Wasn't Jessie quoted as saying he wants to see old ladies maced? Sounds like a great leader. Lookout Gandhi!

I didn't think Sponberg could look any more ridiculous after his recent interviews in the Merc and WW, but events of the last weekend proved me wrong.

Armchair psychoanalysis ahead: I don't mean to goad Sponberg on, I think he actually fits a really dangerous personality type of extreme narcissism and a pretty casual/juvenile attitude towards morality and violence, and I think it's inevitable he'll paint himself into a corner where he justifies violence to protect his own ego.

Hopefully Sponberg and others like him grow the fuck up and realize that there isn't much middle ground between doing nothing and doing everything. When you just kinda do something it ends up looking like this weekend's pathetic yard party.

In this case, it's either a sophisticated lobbying effort, seeking an injunction in the courts, or a massive and sustained protest. If you can't plan and execute any of those, maybe stay home and don't embarrass yourself.

I apologize for not being Alexander the Great or Atilla the Hun. I am no great strategist. I'm just Jessie, a guy trying to save our water. That's it.
My job is to generate dialog. The exact same dialog that is taking place on this page right now. If anybody has any great suggestions on how to proceed, I am all ears.
I just know that these reservoirs are getting more attention than they have in the last decade.

If I can't bring my Little Mermaid sleeping bag, I don't want to be part of your revolution

Why don't the protestors take this up themselves with Wyden/Merkley/GreenBikePin et al.? I assume they're all aware of the situation and if they wanted to do something about it, you think they would have by now.

By the way, this is a little like Jehovah's Witnesses coming to your house and refusing to leave until you stop celebrating Christmas and birthdays.

the only thing lamer than this 'action' is all the media attention it's attracted.

Who is Joe Glicker?

http://whoisjoeglicker.wordpress.com/

I don't give a shit who Joe Shmoe is.
Jessie, no one really wants the damn things covered.
Trying to make this out to be some stupid conspiracy, as MBr or Spindles would have you believe, only makes you look even more foolish.
Some folks don't believe they should have to pay taxes either, and sometimes they even get away with it for awhile.
Our local politicians have put this off again and again, listening to the will of the people.
I really believe they tried their best.
You guys are looking increasingly like you just want to pout and pout and get into it with the cops.
Have fun getting arrested dumbass.

Well, it does take quite a bit of fresh clean water to grow that awesome grass Portland is so well known for. That and a little TLC.

"Why don't the protestors take this up themselves with Wyden/Merkley/GreenBikePin et al.?" We have. They won't listen. And so when your leaders refuse to listen it is time to take to the streets to try and force them to listen.

Mt Tabor is on so many levels not "the streets".

Justin: I was under the impression that the point of the protest was to get the city to ask those parties to intervene. It sounds like they've already taken a pass, so what can the city do about it? Water quality is a pretty good thing to fight for (not to mention that unfunded federal mandates are bullshit), but I have no idea what the protesters think the city can do in this case. They've fought the EPA mandate for five years and lost.