MORE TASTELESS MOCKERY

RE: The Mercury's cover art on the January 26 edition, which advertised various articles, including a feature about sex trafficking.

GREETINGS, MERCURY—I am a little put off by your recent cover that demonstrates your trafficking article. What is this guy with the wig, the cheesy leather glove, and the silly expression on his face? I find this to be offensive and a tasteless mockery.

-Sam

AYN RAND-LICIOUS!

RE: Last Supper's review of Tanuki's new location [Feb 2], and owner Janis Martin's interest in the author Ayn Rand.

"Objectivist" is how people who think that they are smarter than they actually are describe themselves. Ayn Rand was a smart person who greatly overestimated her own intelligence. Her fiction is asinine. Tanuki is fucking delicious.

-posted by Mark Twain>Ayn Rand

Honestly, I can think of people who deserve my dining dollar more. I'd like to know this kind of stuff about every business I patronize.

-posted by Me

"Me": (1) I am no one's "disciple." (2) I have admiration for Rand as a pioneer in human rights at a time when her positions were very unpopular. (3) I am NOT and never have been a supporter of Ron Paul. (4) I am not a libertarian. 5) Minimum wage at my establishment is $12 an hour because I believe all my employees deserve a living wage. (6) I believe in giving generously and often of my time and resources to charity because it is the right thing to do. So, "Me," perhaps you won't come to Tanuki because of what you've read here, [and] that can be your choice. If what I've written makes sense to you, though, and you do choose to give us a try I hope you'll say hi and maybe we can have a drink together.

posted by Nuki

NOBODY RIDES FOR FREE

RE: "Cabbie Crackdown" [News, Feb 2], about the unfair treatment of cab drivers.

I'd like to clarify this sentence: "Since drivers are independent contractors, companies can legally pay them less than minimum wage..." Taxi drivers don't work for taxi companies and don't collect any wage at all. We make our money by collecting fares from passengers. Taxi companies make their money by charging drivers for taxi services such as car leasing, dispatch, and so on.

The key to changing this dynamic is to assign taxi permits to drivers, not to taxi companies. I have sent a proposal to city staff at the revenue bureau in hopes that this idea can be fully examined and debated. The full proposal—known as the Prodan Legacy Permit proposal in memory of a recently deceased driver—should be posted on our website by the end of this week and can be viewed at cabdriversalliance.com. Hopefully it will also get an airing at the next transportation board meeting to be held at 1:30 pm on February 22.

-posted by Red Diamond, Portland Taxi Drivers' Representative

SOMETHING FOR NOTHING EATERS

RE: "The Nothing Eaters" [Feature, Feb 2], in which Matt Stangel investigates sensory-deprivation float tanks.

MATT FREAKIN' STANGEL!!! This is possibly the most perfect written description of a float experience I've ever read! Thank you for giving me something to pass along to my friends to supplement my own experience when they ask why I enjoyed it so much. Of particular note at Float On: their volunteer program. For those unable to spend $40-60 on something so holistically therapeutic and amazing, you can volunteer there to earn floats. I hope their earnings can continue to support this program.

-posted by amazonfemme

CONGRATS, AMAZON FEMME, you win this week's Mercury letter of the week, with two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater—no volunteer labor necessary! Float on, you crazy diamond.