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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Expect a mostly sunny week ahead with a chance of showers on Wednesday, but otherwise highs will start around 68 today and by Saturday it might reach… 78? Sorry, thong! You’re not getting packed away just yet! And now? Let’s pack away some NEWS.
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• My friends, we are now solidly in ELECTION SEASON, and Portland is a political town with candidates coming out of its butt. (That’s a good thing, by the way.) However! It makes it a little tough to sort them all out and know who you’re voting for, right? That’s why the Mercury is providing you with a handy-dandy candidate tracker, offering tons of short bios about the candidates in the District 3 and District 4 races, as well as the candidates for county commissioner District 2. (Pssst… our news team worked their collective asses off on these, so please show your appreciation by making a wee contribution to keep their good work coming, and using our tracker when you’re making your vote! That’s a good American, right there!)
• In an interview with KGW, Mayor Keith Wilson said he is refusing to support three city councilors for their views on abolishing the current corrupt and racist system of policing. “I have a litmus test, and I can’t in good conscience endorse anybody who advocates for the abolishment of our police,” Wilson told KGW without a single iota of nuance, adding “I cannot support somebody with that belief system.” However, he apparently can commit to supporting a police and justice system that flat-out refuses to make the necessary changes that would end the historic mistreatment of people of color while substantially improving public safety? Sounds like Wilson all right… and something to remember when the time for his re-election rolls around.
• Dozens of protesters on bikes gathered and rode around the Moda Center on Sunday to demonstrate against the deal the City of Portland is making with billionaire Tom Dundon, the owner of the Blazers. The city is primed to give the out-of-town rich kid $120 million along with an extra $275 million over the next two decades to spruce up the arena (though Dundon’s crew has been reticent to say exactly what they’ll use the money for). Organized by Sunrise PDX with an assist from the local Democratic Socialists of America, protesters at the Moda event said that the city needs to renegotiate the deal, focus on keeping public schools open, protect teachers, and finish their ongoing contract talks with city union workers. Looming in the not-so-distant future is a December deadline for the Blazers and city to come to an agreement on the term sheet, or risk losing the $365 million in bonds promised by the state to help fund renovations. Portland City Councilor Angelita Morillo, who attended the event with councilors Mitch Green and Tiffany Koyama Lane, said, “We are now standing at the precipice of making a multi-million deal with your taxpayer dollars for a billionaire who can very easily afford to do this on his own.”
• As you may have noticed, the landscape for climate funding has turned bleak since President Trump returned to office. But Portland’s dedicated clean energy fund has stood out as a remaining source of income for emissions reduction efforts—and other communities, including Eugene, have taken note. In November, Eugene voters will weigh in on a clean energy fund proposal similar to the one in Portland. The measure has found significant support—BUT! (And you probably saw this coming) It’s also garnered opposition from business lobbyists locally and statewide. Measure opponents (everybody wave “hi” to Andrew Hoan of the Portland Metro Chamber) have been actively deriding the Portland Clean Energy Fund, citing its supposedly negative effects as a prime reason Eugene should avoid passing a similar measure. No, I’m not sure why these people can’t mind their own business… but apparently it’s impossible for them. Anyway, check out our Taylor Griggs excellent deep dive on the topic.
• Today in things that make you go “hmmmm”: Apparently the state thinks there could be shenanigans afoot, because the office of Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield has subpoenaed records relating to the Made In Old Town (MIOT) organization, who received several millions of dollars in public money to create a sneaker manufacturing hub in Old Town, purchasing two buildings in the process. However, the project eventually fell apart due to what the MIOT folks called “economic uncertainty” (which led to the group defaulting on a $7 million loan), and no one ever moved into the two buildings. Rayfield’s Charitable Activities Section has requested the records for the deal from the Old Town Community Association—though Rayfield’s office is remaining mum about whether or not they suspect something snakey is going on. (Wonder if it has anything to do with former, and controversial Old Town leaders Jessie Burke and hubby Jonathan Cohen—who were working on the project when it imploded, and then abruptly skedaddled out of town? HMMMMMMM. Sounds like this story could eventually get verrrrrry interesting!)
IN NATIONAL AND WORLD NEWS:
• The ceaselessly corrupt President Trump is up to his old bullshit once again, this time refusing to send congressionally approved money for social services that would benefit “refugees, asylees, and other non-citizens,” according to the White House. Despite the fact that one of the primary jobs of Congress is to allocate money to various federal programs, Trump is trying to circumvent the body by withholding a total of $810 million—and according to the Government Accountability Office, that’s illegal. Even worse, with the end of the fiscal year rapidly approaching, Congress will be unable to respond to the president’s manipulations, and the money will go unspent… including the $15 million that was promised to a Justice Department team whose job is “preventing and resolving racial and ethnic tensions, incidents, and civil disorders.”
• In other Trump corruption news (that never seems to stop) a former White House attorney says it “could be an impeachable offense” for the president to use taxpayer dollars to produce and air television ads promoting the president’s agenda. This includes a recent ad in which Trump says, “Together, we will defeat communism, socialism and Marxism in America,” and in another tells voters that “We will rout the fake news media, and we will liberate America from these villains once and for all.” (He’s starting to hurt my feelings!) Both ads have disclaimers that say “Paid for by the U.S. Government,” and according to the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, public officials are banned from using taxpayer money to pay for campaign ads. But as we now know, pesky laws don’t apply to Trump.
• A powerful nor’easter storm continues to pummel and flood low-lying areas in New Jersey and New England, alongside heavy rains up to four inches and surging ocean waves which are dangerously flooding some areas and knocking out power for thousands. While meteorologists are predicting an end to the rain, officials are warning of a high tide on Monday that could exacerbate matters for coastal residents.
• RIP to AEW wrestling star Benjamin Satterly, also known as Pac, who has died at the age of 40. Satterly previously wrestled with the WWE, using the name Neville, and was known for the explosive power he brought to the ring. The cause and circumstances surrounding his death have not yet been disclosed.
• And finally… regarding those attempts from the mayor and his rich pals to drum progressives out of political office, here’s what the funders of these smear campaigns are acting like right now:
