Letters to the Editor

CANVASSING CREDIT

DEAR MERCURY—Canvassers will definitely be invited back
to Election 2009, when the most effective political persuasion
technique will again affect the outcome [“Not Invited Back,” Feature,
Dec 25, 2008]. Are you glad a pro-environment, pro-universal health
care Democrat is our junior senator and not Gordon Smith? Thank a
fucking canvasser.

-Robby Kunkle

OFFICER BLUSH

DEAR MERCURY—RE: “Not-So-Public Humiliation” by Matt
Davis in the Portland Mercury [News, Dec 18, 2008]. I believe it
is about time the cops are subjected to some humiliation, perhaps a
good measure of it, for them to know how we feel when they humiliate us
whenever they have an itch to do so. If they don’t have anything
meaningful to do, let them please stay in those expensive buildings we,
the people, have built for them.

-Anonymous

YOUNG AT HEART

TO THE MERCURY VIA VOICEMAIL: This is for Ann Romano. My name
is June Acosta, June Potter Acosta is my byline. I’m a writer, and an
old woman by the way, 84 and still working at it. But here on pg. five
of the January 8 Portland Mercury, under Friday, January 2 [One
Day at a Time] she mentions “800-year-old director Ridley Scott.” Now,
what does she mean by that? What do you mean by that, Miss Romano?
Possibly it’s an obscenity to be old? There’s that implication. I
resent it. I am 84, still functioning well, and my most important cause
is to exemplify that old age can and should mean a continuation of
solid intellect, creative abilities, and memory.

EARLY TO BED…

DEAR MERCURY—In [Ezra Ace Caraeff]’s piece about
recession and the possible effects on the local music industry [“Of
Money and Music,” Music, Jan 8], not one promoter mentioned the
adjustment to their business thinking that would get me out three to
four nights a week: starting shows earlier. Let’s face it, promoters
are missing a big demographic of music lovers who simply can’t go out
two to four nights a week because shows start too damn late. I wake up
at 5 am each morning to go to work. My aging body is steadily losing
the fortitude to arrive at a venue at 9 pm, wait around until
maybe 10 pm for the openers to begin, and then hope the
headliner comes on stage around midnight. Very few promoters advertise
a consistent starting time for live music to begin, and rely upon a
dependable, yet small demographic of committed folks to support them
regardless of lapses in professionalism (starting late, running out of
PBR, having shitty service, etc.). I would hope earlier shows would
allow venues to concentrate their all-important liquor sales efforts on
happy-hour, dinner-time, and pre-midnight sales rather than continue
perpetuating the fallacy that the bulk of their sales need to occur
from midnight-1:30 am. I went to an AMAZING Saturday night show this
past weekend; I paid an $8 cover, bought four drinks, tipped, and
purchased $30 worth of merchandise. But when I looked around during the
headliner’s third (albeit long) song, there were only about two-dozen
people still in the venue at 1:20 am. The venues and artists have the
opportunity to make a cultural shift that will increase their viability
in a crappy economy if they choose to. It would just take time,
communication, and some consistency. I, for one, would be more than
happy to support them more often, especially during the workweek,
should they make that decision.

-Willie

CONGRATULATIONS TO WILLIE for presenting us the opportunity to
prove to June that we are not ageists, by awarding a proponent of early
bedtimes the Mercury letter of the week! Willie scores two
tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater and lunch at No Fish! Go Fish! where
the soup is quite easy to gum.