“No to War! No to Oppression!” The above anti-war message was delivered to me via a sad-looking pink poster. I pulled the poster off a light pole and hung it in my office over my desk. I look at the poster every day when I sit down to work, and every day I wonder how […]
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Bike Me, Boss!
A Long Running Labor Dispute Grows Uglier
A long-simmering dispute between bike messengers and their bosses boiled over last week, when eight of nine bike couriers from Transerv went on strike. Culminating months of labor disputes–including what messengers call a sabotaged IWW union election in August–downtown Portland businesses saw packages rerouted Thursday and Friday as bike messengers refused to deliver. The messengers […]
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Dog Gone!
Local Resident Says Police Recklessly Shot His Dogs
Police spokesman Brian Schmautz claims that officers usually use pepper-spray to defend themselves against aggressive dogs. But on October 1, two officers pulled out their guns and shot two Rottweilers in southeast Portland. The incident has stunned nearby residents, especially the dogs’ owner, Gerry (last name withheld.) He and his dogs were simply minding their […]
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Prematurely Endorsing
Vote Early (and Often)
Perhaps because it’s not a presidential election, more is at stake this November. Currently, the Democrats control the US Senate, but these elections may tip that balance. A Republican-controlled Senate would most likely expedite President Bush’s agenda–major tax cuts for corporations, a war in Iraq, conservative anti-abortion judicial appointments. This Friday ballots are mailed to […]
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Coming Out for Civil Rights
Gay Oregonians Set the Record Straight on Sen. Smith
Last Thursday, about 100 protesters with handmade posters gathered outside Senator Gordon Smith’s office to set the record straight on his relationship to gay Oregonians. The protesters were angry about a recent campaign commercial that features an appearance by Judy Shepard, mother to slain hate-crime victim Matthew Shepard. They accused the senator of exploiting a […]
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Losing Faith
Has the FBI Cried “Terrorist” Once Too Often?
Last Thursday, the local branch of the Joint Terrorism Task Force made national news when they arrested two men and a woman from southeast Portland. In a press conference later that day, Attorney General John Ashcroft indicated that they were a “terrorist cell” plotting a jihad against the United States. He hailed it as “a […]
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No News Is Good News
Police Mind Ps & Qs at Critical Mass
About 80 police and 1500 bicyclists prepared for last Friday’s Critical Mass as if readying for the big Friday night football game. With both hot-headed rhetoric and promises not to yield to the other, each side geared up to square off. At the previous Critical Mass one month earlier, the bicycle ride dissolved into chaos […]
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Don’t Fence Me In!
Council Mulls Over Drug-and Prostitution-Free Zones
Like invisible fences, the borders around the city’s so-called exclusion zones set aside large swathes of land where accused drug dealers and prostitutes cannot set foot. For the past decade, these zones have been used by neighborhood associations and police officers to kick out the bad elements from designated sections of Portland. It is a […]
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Peace Through Assassination
One Bullet vs. Thousands of Lives
While President Bush may be scratching his head in wonderment over why the international community isn’t jumping on the “Invade Iraq!” bandwagon, the answer is squarely under his nose: It’s Not Their Problem. Nevertheless, Bush continues to wave his arms frantically in the air, yelling “C’mon guys! It’ll be fun!” like the neighborhood kid nobody […]
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Sit Down and Take a Load Off
Demonstrators Want To Reclaim Sidewalks
Angry about a pending pro-logging bill in Congress, 10 protesters had planned to set up an overnight vigil at Sen. Ron Wyden’s Portland office last Sunday. But shortly after parking themselves on the sidewalk adjacent to his office, five squad cars arrived and one officer instructed them to get off their asses in 30 seconds […]
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Peeping Toms
City Council Kisses Up to Task Force
Last Wednesday, 55 activists, run-of-the-mill citizens, and middle-of-the-road political organizers outlined their concerns about an ongoing collaborative effort between the FBI and local police, known as the Terrorism Task Force. Many fear the Task Force is being used more to monitor local political organizations, rather than to chase down bad guys. Each year, City Council […]
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Stuck With an Epidemic
the Growing Hep C Problem
“I hate to share needles,” says Jack, a well-spoken 21-year-old who has lived on and off Portland’s streets for the past several years. “But,” he continues, “sometimes it’s that or not get high.” He smiles slyly and spreads his hands in front of him, as if explaining an irrefutable point. “It’s not a tough decision,” […]