Hat tip to Blue Oregon. Have a great weekend!
Politics
Posted inBooks
Reading Tonight: Thomas Frank at Powell’s
There’s a great reading tonight at Powell’s, with Thomas Frank, author of The Wrecking Crew, his book about conservatives in Washington, D.C. who have misgoverned to the point where the federal government is nearly in ruins (hello, privatizing and outsourcing to contractors!). I had a great interview with Frank last week, and we talked about […]
Posted inHomo
Take That, Homophobes!
This morning, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the anti-gay activists who’ve been whining that the state unfairly tossed out signatures from their initiative petition, which–had they collected enough valid signatures–would have put the new domestic partnership law on hold until the voters had a chance to weigh in this November. The court […]
Posted inNews
Peterson’s Survives
It’s official, city Commissioner Dan Saltzman has saved Peterson’s, with Nick Fish and Sam Adams’ help. “Many appreciate what a 24 hour downtown convenience store brings, but there are also concerns about the element that has been attracted to the stores,” says Saltzman. “But it is my hope that we’re turning a new leaf here, […]
Posted inMedia
NW Institute For Social Rage
UPDATE, 3:30pm: I should stress that in no way am I implying that these students had been bought off financially, to make their film about Milepost 5 a certain way. I do feel, politically, that by lending credibility to the students’ efforts by being on the board of the institute, Sam Adams must have been […]
Posted inPortland
Overwhelming Majority of Public Speak Out Against Sit/Lie Ordinance
It’s official: Almost everybody hates the sit/lie law. As predicted, the mayor’s Street Access for Everyone oversight committee listening session this afternoon was separated into ten groups, each attended by a facilitator who presented back to the larger group at the end. This made it difficult for me, as a reporter, to listen to all […]
Posted inPortland
Portland: The City That Pays People to Pretend To Listen While The Mayor’s On Vacation
In a city where people are paid to listen, but the real power brokers never have to show up, let alone open their ears, you have the illusion of public involvement. It’s an insult to all of us, and we should all speak out. Mayor Tom Potter can talk all he likes about “involving the […]
Posted inPolitics
Street(s) Renaming Update
Commissioner Sam Adams just called, to clarify a few things around street renames. He’s about to file a resolution for next week’s city council meeting, appointing a panel of three historians who will vet street rename proposals–both the ones for Cesar Chavez and Douglas Adams–and re-committing the city to following the rename process outlined in […]
Posted inNews
KKK Makes Election Invite
The Ku Klux Klan just sent us a press release. And boy, it’s a doozy.Filled with ambiguous incitement and race hate. But bloody bizarre. And I thought you might be interested. On August 7th, Pastor Thomas Robb, National Director of The Knights Party (aka Knights of the Ku Klux Klan) issued an invitation to presidential […]
Posted inMedia
Generation Y-Bother: I’m Bothered
There’s a great little unsigned editorial in today’s Oregonian replicated on the newspaper’s blog with Bob Caldwell’s byline, that you might have an opinion about. It’s focused, using the somewhat desperate example of Wayne’s World, on “Generation Y-Bother Getting My Own Place.” But rather than focusing on what Caldwell describes as a “striking new social […]
Posted inPolitics
Mannix Writes On Mandatory Minimums
Republican Senator Kevin Mannix has blogged today about the topic of last week’s Brewhaha, his controversial mandatory minimum sentencing ballot measure that could mean harsh sentences for first time offenders, without the probability of drug treatment. His post is remarkable, if only for its Miltonian logic: But, what taxpayers want is to save their own […]
Posted inPolitics
Portland City Government Caption Contest
Amy’s off being on the radio this morning, so I thought I’d muse on City Government more widely by posting this image, and asking you to suggest who the individuals depicted might be. Don’t all rush at once.