TOW TROUBLE

RE: “RV Camping Has Exploded on Portland Streets” [News, July 12]. “No one can pinpoint a definite reason, but RV living has exploded in Portland, apparently increasing at a faster clip than homelessness in general,” wrote News Editor Dirk VanderHart. In response, Portland Police “say they have authority to snatch up occupied RVs they believe pose significant health or safety challenges, evicting residents and mandating payment before the vehicles can be released from impound.”

The reason is that housing is no longer affordable. If any city or county doesn’t want people living in their vehicles, they need to raise incomes or lower housing costs so everyone can afford housing. These policies of instant towing are not solutions. It takes away someone’s home, thus causing homelessness. It’s the worst policy I have ever heard!

Erik Blair

Most of these campers are one step away from living in a tent, which means most don’t have the money to go to an RV park to empty their black water (sewage) tanks at a legal waste disposal site. Many of these RVs are broken down and can’t move.

There have been a bunch of complaints to the city that many are emptying their tanks into storm drains. That means the untreated sewage is flowing into the Willamette. You want to go take a swim in that? Common sense, and the simple need for municipal sanitation, dictates that these need to be immediately removed as a public health hazard.

Or perhaps you’d prefer a side of cholera to accompany your swim at Poet’s Beach.

Jarhead


THIRD REQUEST

RE: “One Day at a Time,” Ann Romano’s weekly roundup of news and gossip.

THIRD REQUEST

Dear Portland Mercury Legal Dept,

My name is Colin Swartz and I’m a Portland resident and professional writer. Ann Romano has a column called “One Day at a Time.” Ann Romano was Bonnie Franklin’s character on the ’70s sitcom One Day at a Time. This leads me to believe Ann Romano is a pseudonym. There is never any photograph of Ann Romano in the Portland Mercury, print or website (that I have seen).

• Does Ann Romano ever make any public appearances?
• Who is Ann Romano?
• What is his or her real name?
• How do I reach this person?

I have some questions.

Thank you.

Colin Swartz

ANN ROMANO RESPONDS! Colin, you found me! I am married.


FOMO

RE: “The Party Review,” Daniel Martin Austin’s column in which he... well, reviews parties.

I love reading “The Party Review.” But how does D. Martin Austin get so many invites?!

Confused and Envious

D. MARTIN AUSTIN RESPONDS! Being generally irresponsible opens up a fanciful world of social opportunities. Additionally, if you write a blog or column about parties, those invites just come pouring in. Best of luck!

Confused and Envious, we can’t help you with party invites, but we can help you get out of the house: You just won the Mercury’s letter of the week—and two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater!


DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS

A story in last week’s Mercury, “Finding the Perfect Brunch for You” [Feature, July 12], incorrectly listed the hours for Portland’s beloved steak house/strip club, the Acropolis. The Acropolis opens at 10:30 am, not 7 am. We regret the error. “Of course,” adds Santi Elijah Holley, who wrote our piece about the Acropolis, “if someone were to show up at the Acrop at 7 am, that person likely has much bigger disappointments in his life than this.”


Letters and comments may be edited for space. Email us at lovenotes@portlandmercury.com.