AIRBNB âNâ BUSINESS
RE: Last weekâs Letters to the Editor [Nov 22], in which readers responded to our story âUberâs Bitterest City Council Foes Finally Have the Votes for a Crackdownâ [News, Nov 15]. News Editor Dirk VanderHartâs piece reported that Portland City Council is taking a âharder lineâ against companies like Lyft and Uberâthe latter of which has illegally operated in Portland and denied rides to passengers the company suspected of being city regulators. Also discussed: Airbnb, another âsharing economyâ company, and one frequently criticized for depleting housing stock in Portlandâa city with little housing stock to spare.
If all of Airbnb were good or all of Airbnb were bad, it would be easy to deal with this issue. But the truth is that part of Airbnb is good and part is not. Airbnbâs âprivate roomâ rentals (where the host is resident during the guestâs stay) should be encouraged and supported. These are really micro-B&Bs and do not create traffic, noise, or parking problems. At worst, they only limit the number of long-term roommate rentals. They usually offer a great value to the traveling public including friends and visiting local residents and hospitals. This is where Airbnb started and shines.
However, Airbnbâs âentire placeâ rentals (where the host is absent) should be treated as âvacation rentals.â These rentals create the Airbnb horror stories and irritated neighbors. These rentals convert month-to-month rentals for locals to short-term rentals for tourists so the property owner can make more money. In Portland, there are over 2,000 âentire placeâ listings, most of them unlicensed. Vacation rentals are not new, but have previously existed mostly in resort areas and have been heavily regulated.
There is also a grey area in between. These include accessory dwelling units, mother-in-law apartments, and vacation homes. Each city needs to decide how to regulate these based on their housing priorities.
Steven Unger
NO THANKS
RE: Matt Borsâ weekly editorial cartoon, which recently featured a joke about Roy Moore, the former Alabama state judge currently running for United States Senate who has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault, including when several victims were underage.
I realize you hate Roy Mooreâs ideology, but your latest editorial cartoon is beyond the pale of commentary. Roy Mooreâs accusers are highly suspicious, considering it is only a short time until the election anâ
The Mercury responds: Weâre going to stop you right there, dipshit. Oh, and if anyone else wants to send us creepy, handwritten, anonymous letters defending an alleged pedophile? Donât. Thanks in advance!
THE PUN POLICE
RE: âAround and Around (A Vinyl Column)â [Music, Nov 22], in which Senior Editor Ned Lannamann highlighted various vinyl releases available on Black Fridayâincluding a re-release of Willie Nelsonâs 1996 album Spirit, which Lannamann wrote was a âspiritual (no pun intended) sequel to his classic Red Headed Stranger.â
A pun is a JOKE that involves DIFFERENT MEANINGS of a word. Just reusing the word, or a form of it, is not funny or punny, whether intended or not. âExcuse my lazy writingââis that what you meant to say instead of âno pun intendedâ?
Steve Cheseborough
Steven Unger, your keen analysis of Airbnb wins you the Mercuryâs letter of the weekâand two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater, where renting a seat for a few hours doesnât hurt anybody! (Oh, and before we close out these lettersâif anyone else wants to send us pedantic emails about puns? Donât. Thanks in advance!)