Kenneth Huey Portland’s mayor’s race just got its second look at polling, and it’s pretty similar to the first. As with a KATU poll released in early April, polling results commissioned by Oregon Public Broadcasting recently show state Treasurer Ted Wheeler with a commanding lead in the race to be the city’s top elected official. […]
Election 2016
Posted inPolitics
Why Trump’s Candidacy Could Be a Great Thing for Elizabeth Warren (and, Maybe, the Populist Left Too)
Elizabeth Warren: Currently taking on Donald Trump more forcefully than any other Democrat. Office of Elizabeth Warren The New York Times is noticing that Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren is “one of the few high-profile leaders in either party to repeatedly challenge Mr. Trump with clarity and directness”—their recent Twitter fight being a prime example of […]
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The Mercury Endorses: Chloe Eudaly for City Commissioner, Position 4
A THEME came up in nearly every one of the Mercury‘s endorsement interviews: housing. Something else came up, too: housing. And every once in a while, a candidate would mention one of their pet projects: housing. Those running for office in Portland know what voters are interested in. And Portlanders—many of whom are facing the […]
Posted inElection 2016
Trump Started a Fight with the New Mayor of London
“Hey, where’d everybody go?” Andrew Cline / Shutterstock.com We’re getting a little preview of how world leaders will respond to Donald Trump when Americans elect him as president: a resounding, “Ugh, no.” London’s new mayor Sadiq Khan recently expressed concern that he might not be able to visit the United States if Trump’s Muslim ban […]
Posted inNews
The Mercury Endorses: Sarah Iannarone for Mayor
Mercury Staff MAN THIS WAS A FUN mayoral primary. Late last year, this race looked like a sleepy, run-of-the-mill contest between two white, Ivy League, Lincoln High grads trying (largely in vain) to pinpoint a difference between themselves. But then the race got messy, turning into an old-school populist scrum. Mayoral forums were interrupted—repeatedly, by […]
Posted inPolitics
The Most Interesting Thing About Hillary’s Speech Transcripts
“I’ve got a secret.” a katz / Shutterstock.com Republican opposition researchers have whipped themselves into a frenzy over Hillary Clinton’s Wall Street speeches, and here’s what they have to show for it so far: nothing. We know that Hillary made around $12 million for various speeches over the last few years. We know that three […]
Posted inElection 2016
This Week’s Letters to the Editor: Whiny NIMBYs! Rent Control! And DONALD FREAKING TRUMP!
LEO ZAROSINSKI RE: “Shake Up the City” [Feature, April 27], the Mercury‘s May 2016 endorsement guide. Thank you for your well-presented recommendations for the May election, a very important one for Portland and America. You don’t serve your candidates well, however, when you negatively refer to “NIMBYs” several times in the article. Who are NIMBYs? […]
Posted inNews
Where Candidates Stand: Homeless Camping
Kenneth Huey There’s been so much said over the course of this year’s primary that it can be tough to keep everything straight. We’ve laid out reasons for our picks in local races at length (and you should read them right now). But maybe you’re a more a-la-cart-style voter, or a one-issue type? For you, […]
Posted inNews
The Mercury Says: Vote YES on Measure 26-173 (Gas Tax)
THERE’S SO MUCH ANGER and mistrust around transportation cash in this city, but the fact is, nothing substantial has been done to help fix Portland’s deteriorating roads in decades. The mercurial street fee Mayor Hales and Commissioner Novick tabled in early 2015 got a lot of people upset, but the needs it sought to address […]
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The Mercury Endorses: Sharon Meieran for Multnomah County Commission, District 1
THE COUNTY COMMISSION’S always been that important, boring provider of justice and social services whose political intrigues—absent the occasional bout of sheriff incompetence or sex scandal—are often overlooked. Ever seen some of the resolutions they bring up at those commission meetings? Countless hours of the public’s time each year are spent declaring things like “Volunteer […]
Posted inElection 2016
Clinton Campaign Accidentally Makes Pro-Trump Ad
“Why, I never.” a katz / Shutterstock.com I was lying naked in bed last night, my partner dreamily slapping my ass when he said, “You know what the problem with Hillary is?” There was no salvaging the mood at that point, so I rolled over and said, “What?” “She’s Margaret Dumont,” he said, referring to […]
Posted inNews
Truckers Are Lashing Out At an Attempt to Make Them Pay For City Streets
Commissioner Steve Novick is hustling to prove he’s serious about making heavy trucks pay for Portland roads. And trucking companies showed yesterday they’re serious about pushing back. As Novick’s plan to reap $2.5 million from trucking outfits that operate within city limits came before Portland City Council for the first time, council chambers swelled with […]