Celebrate the finally-a-reality domestic partnerships on Monday night at Holocene, at a party hosted by Basic Rights Oregon.

From executive director Jeana Frazzini:

Finally, I hope you are ready to CELEBRATE! If you’re in the Portland area, please join us at Holocene this Monday evening from 6 pm - 11 pm for the first of what I know will be many joyous toasts to a fairer and more equal Oregon.

Holocene’s at 1001 SE Morrison. Like all Holocene events, this one is 21+, but BRO says there are family-friendly events in the works.

Yesterday was a little nutty, what with a federal court making history in Oregon. Apologies for the delay, but here are the mayoral candidates, answering this week’s question:

Multnomah County is facing an $18 million budget shortfall, which will make it exceedingly difficult to provide adequate mental health, drug treatment, and addiction services. Though social services aren’t under the city’s jurisdiction, the issue impacts our city. How would you, as mayor, find creative ways to fill the gap?

I promise you, however, that it was worth the wait—this week, Sho Dozono’s joining the party. This might be the first time you can compare Dozono and Sam Adams side by side on an issue, as Dozono—up until this point—has been focusing on soliciting public financing contributions, not his platform.

(As always, catch up on past questions and other races at portlandmercury.com/2008. And email me with questions!)

James Lee was first to respond.

Jim Lee
Position sought: Mayor
Website: blogmayor.com
Public financing status: Not participating

Commissioner Lonnie Roberts told me that Multnomah County needs to find $100 million to replace the Sellwood Bridge. (Sounds high to me, but let’s go with it.) So I spoke with staff people for the bridge project and asked if Sam’s $460 million streets and roads program provided any money for a new Sellwood bridge.

Answer: No.

Multnomah County has primary responsibility for our Willamette River bridges, even though they are a great regional asset. This huge financial load greatly impacts the County’s ability to provide vital social services, including mental health and treatment of addictions.

I strongly disagree with Sam’s approach in matters like this. In a lifetime of doing physical science I have learned that the VAST PROJECTS SYNDROME is exactly the wrong way to solve problems. Science advances by tackling specific anomalies, current problems, the most pressing one first. Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Obviously the City of Portland could and should help Multnomah County greatly with financing the new Sellwood Bridge. Even 10% of Sam’s $460 million over a decade or so for a new Sellwood Bridge would mean that the County could redirect substantial money toward seriously underfunded social services.

Sometimes an indirect approach to a problem is the best approach. My approach in this situation addresses two serious problems effectively. Sam’s approach addresses neither.

We all benefit from physical infrastructure, like bridges. But we all benefit from good social services too.

Jeff Taylor
Position sought: Mayor
Website: portland123.com
Public financing status: Participating, has not submitted any contributions

Here we go again! More shortfalls, higher taxes, no accountability, no results for taxpayers.

When I ran for Mayor in 2004 and came in 5th with nearly 3,200 votes, I advocated we first had to cut waste. Multnomah County is at 3/4 Portland so this impacts Portland greatly.

I would work with Multnomah County to allow my "Grey Berets", my senior citizens to find the waste to pay for these programs without increasing any more taxes.

I also advocated using the waterways like the Willamette and Columbia Rivers like we did 150 years ago with several ferries that could be turned into evening entertainment on the water, possible casinos, with monitoring. This would give us a PERMANENT source of funding for schools and such social projects. The ferries and water taxis could be used in the day to reduce traffic congestion.

Taxpayers and Business Owners in Portland and Multnomah County are being taxed to death. We are not on parity with other Oregon counties and cities.

Now the City and County want to saddle us with higher water and sewer bills. It never ends. It should now.

Most taxpayers in Multnomah don't even realize they pay each year in their property taxes to run Wapato Jail, but the county uses the money for other things not what the voters voted on.

Why have so many citizens and business left Portland and Multnomah County? For the above reasons!

Had Enuff? Volunteer and VOTE JEFF
Jeff Taylor
portland123.com

Sam Adams
Position sought: Mayor
Website: samforpdx.com
Public financing status: Not participating, capping contributions

In theory, Multnomah County and the City of Portland provide distinct services. The County provides social services while the City builds and maintains infrastructure. Substance abuse treatment? See the County. Sewers? Contact the City.

In practice, the missions interrelate and frequently overlap. For instance, a person suffering from mental illness would be directed to the County for assistance. However, when the County lacks resources to provide that assistance, that person may end up – tragically – with the City’s police force.

It stands to reason, then, that the County and City need to better collaborate on budget development where there is overlap. An example: during my tenure as the former mayor’s chief of staff, it became apparent that the County and City were duplicating Willamette and Columbia River-related public safety services, e.g. patrols and rescues.

When Portlanders elected me to serve on their city council, I asked Mayor Potter to tackle this issue. We’ve worked in a collaborative manner for more than a year and I’m pleased to report we’ve streamlined the response effort. Both jurisdictions now have a clearer sense of when each is to respond and how. The end result: better, more timely response at reduced cost to taxpayers. It’s a win-win outcome.

More broadly, the County and City need to partner to tackle challenges of mutual consequence. By example, Multnomah County owns and operates Sellwood Bridge over the Willamette River. The bridge, as you likely know, has outlived its intended life, and must be replaced. On a bridge safety scale where 100 rates perfect and 0 represents system failure, the bridge scores 2.

In theory, replacing the bridge is the County’s burden. In practice, however, the City owns the roads that lead to the bridge, and neither the roads nor the bridge can serve the public’s needs without the other. The City’s residents and businesses on both sides of the river, quite simply, need safe passage.

That’s why County Chair Ted Wheeler supports my efforts to improve the safety and maintenance of Portland’s major streets, and I support his efforts to seek contributions to bridge replacement from around the region. Much of the bridge’s traffic begins in and/or heads for nearby Clackamas County.

Collaborative budgeting and collective leadership are examples of creative solutions where the City can help the County meets its mission, and - just as importantly - vice versa.

Sho Dozono
Position sought: Mayor
Website: shoformayor.com
Public financing status: Turned in 4,010 contributions and request for certification on 1/31

Editor's note: Dozono's response came in past deadline, but was submitted before this post went up.

Mental health, drug treatment, and addiction services have been hurt by poor government management and our leaders choosing the wrong budget priorities. The fact is that Portland and Multnomah County taxpayers send more resources to the state than any other region and we don’t get our fair share back. My first priority as Portland’s Mayor would be to put Portland’s fiscal house in order. Simply put, city government has wasted precious resources on pet projects and lost money through mismanaging projects like PGE Park and the Tram.

Mayoral leadership begins first and foremost with locating budgetary waste, and ensuring that our tax dollars are spent wisely. We need to restore fiscal discipline in this city, end the back-room dealing and change the way this city does its business.

Second we have to recognize that the city and counties’ legislative agenda in Salem are disjointed, and as a result they are not bringing our fair share back to this region which serves as the primary engine of economic growth in the state. The city and county should team-up in Salem. Last legislative session, Washington County secured a “share-back” of the economic benefits that had generated through business recruitment or business expansion. We need to get the same break for our taxpayers.

These issues need a creative problem solver, a bold decision-maker, and a forward-thinking leader with the expertise to advocate for the least advantaged among us.

Kyle Burris
Position sought: Mayor
Website: site not up yet
Public financing status: Not participating

Kyle reports that he's ill this week, and can't participate.

Craig Gier
Position sought: Mayor
Website: myspace.com/craiggierformayor
Public financing status: Not participating

Did not respond.

Vladislav Davidzon
Position sought: Mayor
Website: ourportland.org
Public financing status: Not participating

Did not respond.

Beryl McNair
Position sought: Mayor
Website: none
Public financing status: Participating, did not submit any contributions

Did not respond.

Live from the Rose Garden as the Portland Trail Blazers take on the New York Knickerbockers Basketball Squadron.

The current Knicks roster is known for being quite possibly the most underachieving team in basketball history, with selfish play on the court and sexy sexiest activities off the court. But do you know what New York has that Portland does not? No, it’s not a coach who talks about “bitches,” it’s the tubby ball of fun that is Zach Randolph. Tonight marks the return of Z-Bo, the first time he’ll be back in Portland since the draft day trade that sent the former Blazers’ leading scorer to New York, in exchange for some fresh towels, that rare Billy Ripken baseball card, and a new basketball pump.

Pre-Game
I love watching the Knicks... lose. They are like the Yankees of basketball—the Evil Empire major market team with a roster full of over-paid players—except that they always lose. Their coach, he was the one giving the "bitch" lecture, is the captain of this sinking ship, and they are a franchise that won't be getting any better anytime soon. It's great.

Meanwhile, Portland is home to an all-star, their first since Dr. James Naismith put a ball of rubber through a peach basket. Brandon Roy was announced as an all-star reserve yesterday, which means he's going to New Orleans later this month. I'm assuming the game is not being played in a FEMA trailer, but I can't confirm that as of right now.

In the pre-game shoot-around, the Blazers were giddy to reunite with Zach and get a few hugs in. Hugging Zach Randolph? I image it's like hugging this.

First Quarter:
11:17 - Zach shoots, he scores! He's going to earn that trip to the champagne room at Dolphin II. 2-2 tie.

7;43 - There is a lot of scoring going on tonight and the guest of honor, Randolph, has been a part of it all. Too bad for him, he's been on the wrong end of the baskets. LaMarcus Aldridge has 8 points, all of which have come while being guarded by Randolph. 12-4 Blazers. Also, the team just had a moving little tribute to Aldridge and Roy, their two all-star representatives. The crowd is giving them a standing ovation, despite Smashmouth's "All-Star" being the unfortunate musical choice on the PA.

4:45 - The shot clock broke. I assume Renaldo Balkman's hairdryer blew a circuit somewhere, so now the PA announcer has to countdown the seconds during the game. It's kind of cute, like when you are doing the 3...2...1 countdown while shooting hoops in the driveway as a kid. 14-11 PDX.

2:45 - Zach for three! Revenge is sweet for the doughboy. 19-18 Blazers.

0:01 - Tiny Nate Robinson hits a jumper at the buzzer, and the Knicks—THE KNICKS!—have the lead after one quarter. That ain't right. 28-24 NYC.

Second Quarter:
9:40 - Zach is loving this. To a chorus of boos, every time he goes near the ball, Zach has been shooting lights out. 13 points so far for Z-Bo, meanwhile Portland is still in the same haze they were in the other night versus Cleveland. It's okay, LeBron is gone now. He can't hurt you any more. 32-24 Knickers.

8:00 - Four minutes into the quarter and the Blazers have yet to score ANY points. At all. If Blaze came out here to do a trampoline dunk, he'd miss. 32-24 Manhattan.

6:32 - Still no points. PANIC!!!! 36-24 Bad guys.

5:00 - In a nationally televised game, it's a little embarrassing when our shot clocks keep breaking. Evidentially the hamster in the wheel that provides the power for this shoddy small market operation has given up. Another timeout while everyone looks around confused. 38-31 NY.

1:52 - Things just got good. Roy got pummeled (no foul!), David Lee of the Knicks had a reversal one-handed dunk (no way!) and Roy recovered with a three from the corner. The Blazers have gained back a little momentum. 44-38 Knixxx.

0:20 - Losing to the Knicks is embarrassing. It's like dropping a game to the Washington Generals. This sucks. 49-38 New York.

Halftime:
Time for a frosty Orange Drink™ in the media room while I look at the game stats: Out-rebounded 26-17! No steals!! 41% shooting!!! I just spit my frosty Orange Drink™ all over my keyboard in disgust.

Third Quarter:
12:00 - Hey, free Chalupa coupons are a mere 62 points away!

9:55 - Portland has New York right where they want them: 15 points ahead. 55-40 NYPD 9/11 Never Forget.

7:37 - And just when I diss the Blazers, and make a 9/11 joke, they coming roaring back. Blake with a long three, and it's 57-49 Stevie Knicks.

5:41 - Martell Webster with a mighty three-pointer and it's down to a 5 point lead. Make that a 2 point lead, Roy just hit one from downtown. Wow. 61-59 Nikki Stixx Knicks.

4:24 - New York, you might want to guard the All-Star. Brandon Roy with a coast-to-coast steal and dunk. This is a 19-4 Portland run. 61-61 tie.

2:11 - Greg Oden's dog is named Charles Barkley McLovin'. I AM NOT MAKING THIS SHIT UP! 65-61 Knickeroos.

0:28 - Zach shoots an airball shot pass, and New York gets another easy bucket. 69-63 sKnickerDoodles.

Fourth Quarter:
12:00 - I am a professional, but if Portland loses this game, I will throw myself in front of Darius Miles' car.

9:36 - Remember when James Jones hit every three-pointer he took? Yeah, me too, those were the days. James, and the rest of the Blazers, are ice cold from long range. There have been 5 misses this quarter alone from beyond the arc. Unless you want my mangled corpse in the sparkling grill of Miles' whip, there better be a comeback. 71-63 Nueva York.

5:53 - Malik Rose (yes, he's still alive... I think) just flagrantly fouled a breaking away Jarrett Jack, but he got off the hook. The good news for him: It was a foul, but not a flagrant. The bad news: He's still Malik Rose. 75-70 Big Apple.

3:07 - Nothing gained, still a five point lead for New York, and time is running out. I have a feeling I'll be drinking this game off somewhere. 79-74 If You Can Make It Here, You Can Make It Anywhere.

1:44 - Chipped a whopping one point from the lead, but they need points, and fast. 81-77 NY.

0:50 - Zach for three... oh hell no! It's a two point lead, less than a minute left, and Portland has the ball. Are the Blazers going to pull it off? Or are they just fucking with our devoted hearts? Sometimes being a fan is hard work. 81-79 Knicks.

0:34 - Brandon Roy had a gorgeous look at the basket, but his 8-footer rimmed out, and now the Red & Black need to hold the Knicks' offense. Also, that last sentence marks the first time the words "rimmed out" have been used in this paper without appearing in a Savage Love column.

0:17 - Jamal Crawford misses, and the Blazers have the ball, the clock, and a chance to win, tie, or shame the franchise and lose this game.

0:05 - TRAVIS OUTLAW YOU MADE A SHOT AND I AM FORCED TO TYPE IN ALL CAPS. AAAAAAHHH. 81-81 tie. Now the Blazers need a stop on defense.

0:00 - Friends, we are going to the 5th Quarter, Overtime!

Overtime
5:00 - Not to pop my blogger jersey (for real, I wear one), but the Blazers are undefeated in overtime games that I blog. Is there a less impressive stat than that one?

3:17 - Brandon Roy goes all Juggernaut and bowls his way in for a layup. 83-83.

2:08 - TRAVIS OUTLAW YOU DID IT AGAIN, YOU MADE MY ALL CAP BUTTON GET STUCK AFTER WATCHING YOU THROW DOWN THAT RIDICULOUS DUNK. Oh, there it goes, fixed it. 86-85 Blazers (their first lead in a long time)

0:59 - Travis Outlaw, this time in proper case, just pulled down a rare offensive board, and the Blazers have a chance to add to their measly one point advantage. 86-85 Portland.

0:46 - Jarret Jack, who usually spends all game padding his turnover stats, just sliced the lane and hit a clutch layup. Hot damn. 88-85 PDX.

0:38 - Nate Robinson, who lives in a tree with the other Keebler Elves, just hits a runner, and it's a slim one point lead. 88-87 Blzrs.

0:13 - Roy miss. Roy rebound. Roy score. Then Roy foul. 90-87 Blazers with tiny tiny tiny Nate Robinson on the line. First shot: He misses! Second shot: He hits it. 90-88 with the Knicks about the start foulin'.

0:11 - Jarrett Jack on the line to put this damn game away. Hits them both. 92-88 PDX. They win this game, I am drinking to celebrate.

0:05 - Brandon Roy just completely a triple-double (his first in his career), a nice little feather in the All-Star cap. 94-88 and THE BLAZERS HAVE JUST WON. Not the prettiest of games (they almost lost—to New York!—but a win is all that counts.

You can download your domestic partnership form here, on a page that notes the law took effect today. Bring it—notarized—to the county building starting on Monday.

Multnomah County Commissioner Jeff Cogen’s staff had earlier volunteered to be on hand to notarize forms, which could still be the case on Monday. You know the drill—I’ll keep you posted.

UPDATE: In the comments, Cogen’s chief of staff Marissa Madrigal says they’ll be ready on Monday morning to notarize away…

We are so excited this decision came finally came through and will absolutely be ready with our notary stamps on Monday morning. A reminder to couples who might need notary services, you DO need to bring identification or we can’t notarize unless we personally know BOTH of you.

I just spoke with Karynn Fish at BRO, who says they’re planning to hold a public celebration on Monday evening. Details to follow—their staff is meeting tomorrow to make plans for that, and for making sure Monday runs smoothly, and as soon as I have more details, I’ll post them. (Also, I was told 8 am is the take-effect time on Monday, but this statement says 9 am… look for clarification on that later.)

Here’s their statement:

Court Ruling: Domestic Partnership Law Will Go Into Effect Monday, February 4th

Committed, Caring Couples Throughout Oregon Will Get Rights, Protections

A federal court has ruled that Oregon’s domestic partnership law should go into effect, as it was originally scheduled to do on January 2, 2008.

“We won this case on the merits,” said Jeana Frazzini, Executive Director of Basic Rights Oregon. “But the real winners today are the thousands of caring, committed couples who will have access to the rights and responsibilities of domestic partnership.” Basic Rights Oregon had intervened in the case to assist the state in defending the law.

Judge Michael Mosman ruled at 4:25 PM today that opponents of domestic partnership did, indeed, fail to gather the necessary signatures to place the law on the ballot for referendum. “Today the court validated what we’ve known all along - that the support for domestic partnerships in Oregon is strong, and these out-of-state anti-gay groups were trying to cheat Oregon’s election system because they failed,” said Frazzini.

The law takes effect immediately, so county offices will begin to issue domestic partnerships on Monday morning at 9 AM. While domestic partnerships fall short of full marriage rights, they do provide important protections like hospital visitation rights, the ability to make medical decisions for an ailing partner, and estate inheritance.

“These rights are so basic, yet they have been denied to thousands of Oregon couples like my partner and me, who are willing to make a commitment to each other and do the hard work of a long-term relationship. It’s time for basic fairness for all Oregon couples,” said Representative Tina Kotek (D-N/NE Portland).

Today’s ruling, however, is not likely to bring a close to the battle. The Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, a right-wing group who files anti-gay and anti-choice lawsuits around the country and who filed the Oregon suit, has said they will appeal the ruling.

“It’s too bad that these out-of-state groups are so determined and desperate to undermine equality in Oregon,” said Frazzini. “But we will continue to prevail because Oregonians don’t share their narrow-minded views. Oregonians support domestic partnerships and want to see all families protected.”

As soon as the hearing let out, I dashed over to city hall to catch Sam Adams, and find out what I’d missed all day about the street fee.

Adams says that after Leonard filed his objection to the recently passed fee ordinances, he put the other measures—the triplet version—onto next week’s agenda. Those measures don’t currently contain the compromises struck with Paul Romain and the gas stations and convenience stores he represents—compromises that cost about $75,000 a year, but save those businesses some fees—but Adams said he plans to honor his end of the bargain, and will issue a memo indicating the council’s intent to add those.

If he were to amend the triplet of measures now, that would hold them up an extra week, and Adams says he wants to get them through with enough time to put any possible referral onto the May ballot, saving the city the possible expense of a special election. “They have shown that they will do anything to prevent them,” he points out, and he wouldn’t be surprised if the triplet measure is in fact referred. Splitting it back into three, however, should save it from a single subject challenge that could hold it up, Adams says.

“I have no doubt that I can’t trust them now,” he says. “They’ve lost all credibility with me, they’ve lost all credibility in this building.”

“They went back on their commitment. In my 23 years of public service, I’ve never seen such a dishonest tactic,” Adams says, “hanging everything on an ‘s.’” He’s referring to Romain’s assertion that the oil industry lobbyist had pledged not to refer “the measures,” plural—but did launch a referral after Adams put the three back into one under “pressure from the mayor,” according to Adams. “He’s our mayor, I try to keep him happy.”

Given the mayor’s earlier request to recombine the measures into one, will he support this repeal of that single measure, and vote for the triplet? “I sent him an email today asking for his support, and haven’t heard back,” says Adams.

I don’t know if anyone made it down to the Multnomah County Building before it closed at 4:45, but never fear—you can register as domestic partners on Monday morning starting at 8 am. I’ll be in touch with Basic Rights Oregon over the weekend to find out all the details—they’ve got a few all nighters ahead of them, mobilizing volunteers and baking pies to celebrate.

I’m going to get my butt down there ASAP to register with my partner. The plaintiffs say they will appeal, and for all I know, they’ll do it Monday afternoon and some how block the law again.

I asked attorney Austin Nimrocks (there on the right) if they planned to do anything that might block the partnerships from taking effect Monday a.m., and he said they “haven’t decided an exact course of action.” (BRO’s attorney Margaret Olney says an emergency stay over the weekend is “unlikely.”)

Jeana Frazzini, executive director of BRO, was surprised by the swift ruling—she’s not sure when she and her partner will register. “We hadn’t even talked about it!”

Frazzini (to your left) adds that the anti-gay activists still plan to do a repeal effort, which could launch any day. And they’ll likely appeal this ruling to the 9th Circuit. The fight is definitely not over—but it’s a sweet, sweet victory for now.

Scott Moore called Secretary of State Bill Bradbury with the news, immediately. You could hear his response over the phone—”Woohoo!” (Perhaps Moore didn’t tell him that Judge Michael Mosman called out the SoS for the not-very-well-articulated standards when it comes to signature verification. I asked Moore about it later, and he said it’s something they’re looking at.)

Stay tuned… and if I can liveblog from the Multnomah County Building on Monday morning, you can bet I will.

Old Town neighbors wrote a wish list this morning for things they want to see in the city’s new homeless access center, marking what appeared to be a shift from internal division over the siting of the center, to negotiation with the city over its various elements, wherever it eventually goes.

TRACKING THE CHANGES: Old Town developer Doug Obletz writes the wish list with neighbors’ input this morning…

The list aims at linking the development of the Homeless Center to other, private development in the district, including an Uwajimaya supermarket.

At this point, I think all the neighbors are expecting the center to proceed on block 25. That’s a development from the uncertainty of the last few weeks, since their initial meeting with City Commissioner Erik Sten, on January 9.

The question now seems to be whether the neighbors can cooperate enough to negotiate effectively as a coalition with the City. Despite obvious tensions, today’s meeting felt optimistic on that front.

City Commissioner Erik Sten essentially promised $350 of urban renewal money to the neighbors at a meeting on January 9, if they could simply agree to have the center on Block 25. Yet today's meeting was the result of a vote on Tuesday, when members of the Old Town Neighborhood/Visions Land Use Committee voted to shift the city's focus back to looking at block 25 instead of an alternative block.

Are you confused yet? I have a feeling the neighbors are, and I most certainly am. Perhaps that's part of Sten's master plan—to not only bribe, but tire and confuse the neighborhood into submission. Well, it appears to be working...

Continued arguments opened this morning's meeting about whether block 25 is the best choice for the center. For example, Doreen Binder of Transition Projects, Inc, had a raised-voice exchange with Stephen Ying of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, after asking why the Chinese community is so fixated on block 25, when the redevelopment money that comes with the access center from the city can be used to redevelop the entire district.

"I'm looking at all the other properties," Binder said. "This is your opportunity to devlop those buildings."

"That's why we're coming to the table now," Ying responded.

"We did try," said Rebecca Liu, also of the CCBA. "I personally did try, but every private owner has their own issues. It's cultural, it's about family, and also legal, too. We were hoping to find a developer to come into Portland and redevelop Chinatown just like the redevelopment of Chinatowns in California and Texas. That's why we're focused on block 25. Because it's life or death for Chinatown. Do you want a Chinatown, still?"

Developer Doug Obletz, who came to the meeting armed with a 17" Powerbook and projector, a Venti Starbucks coffee, and a Blackberry, was accused (along with another developer, Michael Menashe) of trying to hijack the engagement process to negotiate a piece of the access center pie for private developers, by one of the lead developers of the access center.

"I'm sitting here listening to you direct this conversation, obviously, in your own self-interest," said HAP's assistant development director, Betty Dominguez. "I'm really having difficulty having you sit here and have this conversation over our heads."

There's no doubt Obletz has a lot to gain from being involved in the negotiations. He has a deal with Uwajimaya, good through to the end of this year, to develop next to the Goldsmith blocks, on SW 5th.

Obletz later responded: "I view these other private investments as needing to occur at the same time as the access center is built. If you don't invest simultaneously, then we'll have lost the opportunity to redevelop this neighborhood."

But PDC's Peter Englander laid out the political position for the neighbors, in an attempt to stop the arguing.

"Everybody be quiet," he said. "Everybody comes to this meeting with two interests. You all have self and community interests. I know you do. I know you all want to rebuild Old Town Chinatown. I'm telling you that in some elements the train could be leaving the station. I think there's pretty darn strong momentum towards block 25, but all we have to work on is, where do you guys want to position yourselves as a neighborhood?"

That didn't stop some present from continuing to protest the lack of public process in the siting of the center. "There is no public process where people can really participate in a realistic way," said Planner Kathryn Krygier.

"I think we're being offered a deal that exchanges money for public process," said Paul Verhoeven of the Saturday Market. "And you may not like that, but if you start demanding a more thorough public process, the dollars start to shrink."

So the neighbors came up with their wish list, which included guarantees from the city about preserving a balance of affordable housing in the neighborhood, and certain assurances about the new center. Here's a draft version of that list, a full and final copy of which is expected Monday morning:

1.PDC and City council re-affirm a commitment to the Old Town/Chinatown Visions Plan of 2003.
2.PDC and City council re-affirm a commitment to no net loss or gain and 50/50 balance of social service/market rate housing in the district.
3.City will work with Old Town to incentivise new market rate housing developments.
4.Good neighbor agreements and management plans for the new access center.
5.The City will review its plan to locate a proposed women's shelter at 11 NW 5th Ave.
6.PDC and Hap should look at cheaper options than investing $1.5m in interim improvements to the Grove Hotel on Burnside.
7.There will be specific parameters for the development of block 25, including: limiting the size of the homeless center; internal queuing; quality design; TPI's temporary facility will be destroyed after the new center is built; adding Chinese cultural and community facilities; making sure there's housing to replace the 70 units at the Grove hotel; focusing on housing targeted at 30-80% of median income.
8.The existing TPI site at NW 5th and Glisan will be redeveloped to attract viable commercial use.
9.PDC will commit money to support other private developments in Old Town, at the same time as it develops the access center. These include the Goldsmith Blocks, the Ankeny-Burnside area, the Fish Block Market and/or Workforce Housing, the Louis Lee Block Workforce Housing, the Medford Hotel redevelopment, and the Portland Mall/Pearl District Pedestrian Connections on Davis Street.

As of 10 seconds ago, according to Mercury news editor Amy Ruiz, who has been down at the Federal Courthouse all day. More soon! Hooray!

You’ve got about 10 minutes to get down to the licensing office and get hitched! They close at 16:45!

A federal judge has surprised observers by suggesting he is going to make a ruling on domestic partnerships for gay people within 30 minutes, this afternoon.
DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS: Coming very soon to an Oregon near you…?

Judge Michael Mosman has told those gathered at Federal Court that he will rule on whether to uphold a delay to domestic partnerships legislation after hearing final rebuttal from the plaintiffs, “barring something extraordinary.”

We had expected the judge to delay a ruling at least over the weekend. Amy Ruiz is down at the courthouse and we’ll let you know as soon as any ruling occurs.

So far, Amy says the judge has been tough on both sides. But I’ll bet you $10 he’s about to let gays get hitched. What timing, for a Friday night celebration!

That’s right, Blogtown readers. Just because you don’t comment on these highly interesting legal blogumns, doesn’t mean they’re not important. No no, it means you’re probably too stupid to understand what they’re about, or too self-interested to care. Well scroll on, loser. That’s right…

Now. Today, as promised, is the second of this week’s double dose of Breaking the Law. It’s been a while since we had the Youtube theme by Judas Priest, and since only those with brains are still reading, here it is, for the sake of boosting our collective morale:
JUDAS PRIEST: I play it on a loop while I write these…

Remember, these are allegations, not facts. I’m writing about pending litigation that is yet to go to court. Patricia Robinson of SE Portland is suing attorney Marsha Morasch of M.Morasch and Associates, alleging racial discrimination. Robinson is a former employee of Morasch—a family lawyer—and while herself caucasian, is “married to a spouse of African-American heritage,” according to the suit. Robinson started working for Morasch on July 28, 2006 as a receptionist, and was promoted to be a legal assistant shortly afterward, working under Morasch.

At some point during the month of August, Defendent Morasch became aware that Plaintiff’s spouse was of African-American heritage, and that Plaintiff and her spouse were experiencing temporary marital difficulties. Therafter, said Defendant disparaged Plaintiff’s spouse, encouraged Plaintiff to divorce her spouse, and made periodic and repeated remarks to Plaintiff concerning her spouse’s integrity and character, as example, telling Plaintiff on one occasion, that she was concerned that Plaintiff’s spouse, quote, “might force you to embezzle.” In another instance, said Defendant declared to Plaintiff that, “a staff member being married to a black man doesn’t look good for the firm.” Said Defendant also told Plaintiff that Plaintiff was not to blame for being a “n———er lover.”

Robinson wants $100,000. Meanwhile, Morasch’s attorney, Kari Furnanz, responds:

Ms. Morasch has worked for many years providing high quality domestic relations legal services to all members of society. The allegations made against her in this case are completely inconsistent with her character, behavior and personal values. She strongly denies those assertions and intends to vigorously defend the case.

So there you have it. Hopefully now you can avoid similar pitfalls for yourself, readers, by keeping any vehement racism bottled up. Remember, racism in the workplace is a bit like being gay in the Army, here in America: Don’t ask, don’t tell, and everything will be just fine.

While you’re making the First Friday rounds tonight, stop by the Launch Pad Gallery (543 SE Oak) for their 3rd annual Love Show, which promises to be a “psychic counterweight to a visual/advertising world completely consumed with heterosexual coupling, pink hearts, diamonds and chocolate.” I suspect that my personal psychic counterweight to Valentine’s Day is going to involve 1) wine; 2) Weeds; and 3) talking to my cat like he’s a person—but hey, to each her own.

In our third annual salon-style open-call group show about love taking place this February we aim to create a visual dialogue about love in it’s many incarnations and interpretations, be it self love, sorrow, lust, confusion, hope, bitterness, gentleness, deception, romance, imagination, jealousy, true love, young love, love lost, parental, filial, adversarial love, the surrounding abundance of love or love as the unknown….

Last years Love show had over 100 people in it working in painting, drawing, photography, collage, printmaking, sculpture, poetry, video, song, text, textile and the like. This year, we have 118 people signed up, the only limitation being that work must be 2ft x 2ft or smaller- so far, the images we’ve seen are awesome, and it only gets better from here, with an overwhelmingly strong showing of free standing sculpture!

Featuring:
Maniacal world dance tracks by DJ GLOBAL RUCKUS
A special love-themed set by TRY MY CABBAGE of the PAN ZEN Konspiracy Nettwyrk
and live music by the love-filled LARRY YES (for those of you who missed him at this past month’s opening)

Live performances begin around 7:30 pm and continue through out the night, get there early to see it all!

The year? 1995! And Adina Howard was getting the sexy party started with her one-hit wonder “Freak Like Me.” While the song is riddled with West Coast livin’/LBC cliches, it’s hard to deny that Freak is a classic ’90s R&B slow jam. Highlights: That hooky chorus with the girls yelling “PUMP! PUMP!” The ending refrain of “One to the two, to the two, to the three/Adina, do you want to get freaky with me?” as well the video featuring silver-clad dancers humping a wading pool. (Plus, check out the girl with the nails. You know she’s gonna get freaky.)

Need more freak flag flying? Check out End Hits, the Mercury music blog.

Three reasons.

1. “Some $18 million in tickets have already been pre-sold for Disney’s 3-D Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert movie, which opens tonight at midnight,” says Entertainment Weekly.

2. “Disney registered the following domain names just the other day: NationalTreasure3DVD.com and NationalTreasure4DVD.com. This means that, yes, most likely plans are already underway to shovel out two more National Treasure sequels,” says Cinematical.

3. This.

Amy is down at Federal court, following what happens in the lawsuit to make gay “marriage” legal here in Oregon.

Ms.Ruiz just phoned with this scintillating update: They’ve listened to two witnesses, handwriting experts, for both sides. And they expect to hear arguments on both sides of the case starting at about 2pm. Amy expects to be stuck down there until at least 3 or 4pm.

I’m sorry this couldn’t be more detailed or frankly, exciting, but thanks to arcane rules about blogging from inside the courthouse, Amy’s stuck with having to dash outside every hour or so and make a phone call. Seriously, what’s next, you have to show up there in your Flintstones car? GET A WIRELESS CONNECTION, people.

This just landed in our I-anonymous box:

Anonymous goes back to the terrorists that filled the Boston harbor with tea; the negros that refused to be seated in the back of the bus. We are the worthless that stormed the Bastille then decapitated an empress, and communists that brought down the iron curtain.

The anonymous masses have always been vilified by those that have everything to lose. Anonymous has everything to gain. Will we be the generation of apathy? No. We must take our world back.

Today the enemy is The Church of Scientology. They wish to suppress, dominate, oppress, terrorize and control. They have poisoned the most weak and then sold the same poison as a cure.

To clear the planet is to destroy anonymous, to destroy the disbelievers, to destroy their own followers. and to destroy You.

Now is the winter of our discontent. The church as always fought the few, the divided. Anonymous is the many. We are one hundred thousand strong. We can be a million strong, but only with you.

On February 10th, at the 12th hour of the day, anonymous will assemble around all the Churches of Scientology in the world and demand that they be demolished. That their prisoners be released, that they cease to torture, brainwash and terrorize their followers and those who know the truth.

Join us, and take a stand for the freedom of knowledge, the freedom of faith, the freedom of our world. We cannot forgive what they have done. We cannot forget Lisa McPherson. We are a hundred thousand legion.

709 SW Salmon St Portland, OR 97205 2-10-08 12:00pm (bring a mask)

We’ll probably show up with a video camera.

And no, I’m not joking, and apparently, neither is she. If you can bear the strident Republican screeching, check out the video (it’s worth it just to hear the flummoxed hosts’ reactions).

Fans of the Jimmy Kimmel Show already know two things: 1) that he’s been in a long lasting relationship with comedian Sarah Silverman, and 2) he regularly bumps megastar Matt Damon off the show in favor of lesser known guests. Well, it’s pay back time for both Sarah and Matt in this HEEEEE-LARIOSO music video aptly entitled, “I’m Fucking Matt Damon.” Please watch, and enjoy. Seriously, this is up there with “Dick in a Box.”

Amy got extremely muddy Wednesday night, covering the Rally for Equality for Blogtown readers. Be sure to thank her in the comments. And check out video footage, taken by the Mercury’s videographer, Vincent Caldoni:
RALLY: Muddy, wet, IMPORTANT…

Amy’s at Federal Court today, watching the lawsuit unfold to see whether civil partnerships may indeed become legal, after a last minute delay was foisted upon them in late December by out of state anti-gay groups. Watch the video for some background, context, and a lot of cheering. Makes you proud to be an Oregonian transplant, I swear.

Yet another reason has surfaced to tar and feather Giusto: as he was closing jails due to lack of funds, he was also giving his top commanders free company cars, letting the public shouldered hundred of thousands of dollars for gas and car bills.

In Baghdad, two mentally disabled women were made into human bombs and let loose in a pet market, where they exploded, killing 73 people.

The presidential race isn’t just working its way into every corner of American life—the rest of the world is all in a dither too. In Germany, some are saying Obama is “the black JFK,” and (in a German accent), “He is young, charming and sexy!”

In a situation straight from Kill Bill, Russian model cum body guard to the rich, Anna Loginova, was killed in Moscow by a car thief.

-Jenny Furniss

Not content with exploiting other bloggers’ content through its Reddit service, Vanportlander, whose blog I’m increasingly enjoying, has a post today about the O, trying to recruit neighborhood bloggers. Two questions: Will they be paid? And how do the O’s professional writers feel about this?

It feels skeezy, to me. Very skeezy. Also, about three years too late. Still, anything to keep the paper from going under, eh fellas?

Pfork is reporting that Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy has unleashed a slew of new tour dates in support of Colin Meloy Sings Live!, which will be out on April 8th via local labels Kill Rock Stars (shiny CD) and Jealous Butcher (fancy LP).

Save your pennies for the merch table, because in addition to all the usual goodies (Colin Meloy signature windbreaker, Decemberists pantaloons), there will be a tour-only release, the Colin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke EP (where does he think of these clever titles?) for sale.

And just like Cooke, at the end of the EP, Meloy will be gunned down in a hail of bullets at the Hacienda Motel.

Tour dates after the jump.

MP3:
Colin Meloy - Everyday Is Like Sunday

End Hits: Nothing but Colin Meloy updates and Morrissey covers.

04-07 Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa
04-08 Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
04-10 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
04-11 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
04-12 Charlottesville, VA - The Satellite Ballroom
04-13 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
04-15 Somerville, MA - Somerville Theatre
04-16 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall Of Williamsburg
04-17 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall Of Williamsburg
04-21 Chicago, IL - Park West
04-22 Milwaukee, WI - The Pabst Theater
04-23 Madison, WI - Barrymore Theater
04-25 Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall
04-26 Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre
04-28 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre
04-29 Santa Cruz, CA - The Rio Theatre
04-30 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
05-02 Seattle, WA - Showbox
05-03 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom

(all shows with Laura Gibson opening)

I scheduled this blog post last night, because I can’t blog with a stone tablet and chisel—the only things, apparently, I’m allowed to bring into today’s federal court hearing on the domestic partnership referral effort. Seriously, check out the court’s rules:

So no liveblogging from me today. But I plan to sneak out of the courtroom during every break and send a homing pigeon back to the office call the office, where Matt Davis can relay the message to the rest of the world.

And as soon as the hearing wraps up—the court’s scheduled from 10 am to 3 pm—I’ll give you an in depth report.

The opposition’s plan to refer Sam Adams’ street fee to the May ballot might be dead before they collect a single signature, thanks to this little piece of the city charter:

Section 2-124 of the Charter provides:

At any time within ten (10) days after the passage of any ordinance which shall not take effect immediately, any member of the Council may file, in writing, objections to said ordinance, which shall be considered and voted upon by the Council at its next regular meeting. If a majority shall vote to sustain such objections, the ordinance shall be deemed repealed and shall not take effect unless again passed in the same manner as a new ordinance. If a majority shall vote not to sustain such objections, the same shall have no effect on the ordinance. The objections, together with the vote thereon, shall be preserved on record.

The objection has been filed against agenda items 178 and 179—one establishes the fee, and the other an oversight committee—by Randy Leonard, citing concerns that “that these two items may be in forms that may not be in the public’s best interest.”

By my read, that means the items are back on next Wednesday’s agenda, where the council could repeal them, paving the way to approve a three-part street fee that’s difficult—if not impossible—for opponents to refer.

And as for that three part street fee (which I’m going to start calling the triplets), the council already had a first reading and vote on them. It’s my understanding that the triplets could be put back on Wednesday’s agenda for a final reading and vote. We’ll know more on that later today.

Paul Romain, who was at the city auditor’s office yesterday, helping Lila Leathers-Fitz file the repeal paperwork, isn’t surprised. “We figured they’d do something like this,” he says. “They’re doing the exact thing that they said that they weren’t, just to keep it away from the voters.”

They’re just gaming the public, that’s all that they’re doing,” he says. They’ll pull it out, they’ll probably send off the three measures. And we won’t refer them, because we said we wouldn’t. It’s completely a game.”

The deadline for candidates to turn in their contribution forms and apply for certification as a publicly financed candidate was today. Every candidate who made a serious go of collecting the $5 contributions turned in what looks like enough to qualify (and Amanda Fritz already qualified).

The auditor’s office put out this handy update">this handy update tonight, with numbers on how many forms each candidate has submitted, how many have already been verified, and how many have been tossed out. Click on it for a bigger version.

Any candidate who’s not listed on that chart either wasn’t participating, or didn’t turn any forms in to the city.

I’ve finally caught a breather, and can post today’s candidate responses. (Also, be sure to head back to yesterday’s slate, as I’ve added candidate Tamara DeRidder. She jumped into that race mid-question cycle, so I gave her an extension.)

This week’s question:

Multnomah County is facing an $18 million budget shortfall, which will make it exceedingly difficult to provide adequate mental health, drug treatment, and addiction services. Though social services aren’t under the city’s jurisdiction, the issue impacts our city. How would you, as a city commissioner, find creative ways to fill the gap?

Chris Smith got back to me first…

Chris Smith
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: citizensmith.us
Public financing status: Filed request for certification on Wednesday

Simply saying “it’s not the City’s problem” is not just irresponsible morally but also fiscally. If the safety net of critical social services has gaping holes in it, the City often winds up paying through provision of emergency services. Often this means paying more than what non-crisis delivery of the services would cost.

But neither can we simply pick up the cost for whatever the County chooses not to pay for. What is required is to work hand-in-hand with the County early in the budget process and to hold the County accountable for its budget choices. If the County is going to ask the City to pick up part of the load, the County needs to expect that the City is going to ask for justification for the County’s priorities. If I were negotiating with the County as Commissioner, I would insist on an early, open and frank dialog throughout the budget development process. And even as I extended a helping hand to the County, I’d be asking tough questions and expecting good answers.

Jeff Bissonnette
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: portlandersforjeff.com
Public financing status: Filed request for certification today

The City of Portland's relationship to Multnomah County needs to be defined by one word: partnership. Fingerpointing and saying "that's not the city's job" is not a satisfactory way of operating. The city and the county's constituencies are marked by a great deal of overlap and both entities need to work together to ensure that their residents are well-served.

There are examples of coordination of services happening already. Commissioner Leonard's Project 57 initiative to provide city funding for jail beds within the county jail structure is one such example. The City and County need to work together to find ways to collaborate to deliver services effectively and efficiently. For instance, within the City's mission of providing affordable housing to reduce homelessness, we need to coordinate resources to address mental health and drug treatment where that is an issue in preventing Portland residents from maintaining stable housing. Potentially, there are opportunities where it would be appropriate for the city to provide resources to expand mental health and drug treatment services

As another example, the city and the county currently collaborate on a Portland Multnomah Progress Board which establishes and monitors benchmarks in key areas to ensure efficient and effective use of resources to meet shared goals. Although apparently not very active in recent years, the Progress Board needs to be a forum where the city and the county can coordinate services, identify areas where resources are lacking and figure out how to put resources into those areas.

A second area where the city and county need to focus together is that of untapped resources. During my years as a social service advocate, part of my role was to work with constituencies to bring federal resources into play by accessing federal nutrition programs and coordinating those programs with ongoing services. For example, instituting a school breakfast program or a summer feeding program helped to expand dollars flowing into community institutions and supported existing program goals for education or other support services. The city and the county need to explore how to bring either federal or state resources to bear to meet existing needs and look for ways for one to help the other in accessing those resources.

Finally, there is a strong network of private, nonprofit social service organizations working to meet the very needs on which both the city and county are focused and are working with the very people both the city and county are trying to help. The city-county partnership needs to include these organizations as well so that private dollars can be brought to bear on local needs. The city and county can work together to support the organizations as they develop foundation grant requests or private donor relationships. In this way, still more resources can be accessed to address pressing social needs in a coordinated manner. Again, partnership and coordination on shared goals must be at the heart of the effort.

John Branam
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: john4pdx.org
Public financing status: Filed request for certification on Tuesday

Yes, it is unfortunate that Multnomah County again faces a budget shortfall. The county’s ability to address our city’s social service needs has been significantly compromised after eight consecutive years of budget cuts. Given the essential nature of these services, our city council should work in partnership with the county to create strategic solutions that meet the prioritized needs of our citizens.

While the city and the county have distinct core missions, both bodies currently address certain issues. City council should consider taking the lead on such issues while the county focuses its energy on providing its unique services. For example, Hooper Detox center is currently run by the county. This holding facility for intoxicated individuals acts in concert with our police and public safety efforts. In fact, the City previously funded and ran the center. Were the city and county to put the $1.5 million-a-year center under the police bureau, the county would be able to use its resources on other services. The City would also be able to create efficiencies by incorporating this public safety work into their portfolio.

The city can also use its infrastructure development efforts to support social service needs. Urban Renewal Areas allow PDC to make crucial capital improvements – but they also divert funds from the city and county’s general funds (about $16 million for the county/year). With leadership from City Council, during the River District URA extension discussion, PDC could help alleviate some of the pressure on the county’s budget. By choosing to make capital investments that would help the county reduce its annual investment in facility maintenance, City Council could free up $3-4 million for the county to meet its social services responsibilities. Again, this investment would be a “win-win” for the city and county.

Finally, collaboration and coordination on a system-wide basis will better leverage resource investments for both the city and county. Coordination of the city’s affordable housing supports, with workforce development resources and the county’s children’s and public health services, will provide both the layering of services we know are powerful poverty reduction strategies while simultaneously helping to reduce redundancies and parallel system development.

Similarly, County Commissioner Jeff Cogan has proposed that the county and city work in partnership, going forward, to determine both the renewal of URAs and the creation of new ones. As a future City Commissioner who believes strongly in collaborative leadership, I believe Commissioner Cogan’s proposal is worth considering in the interest of working to ensure that as a city we are doing everything possible to provide the greatest amount of services and support to the greatest number of people.

Having shared some of these creative ideas, it is critical to note that the county’s funding challenges are more significant than what the City of Portland can solve by simply lending a helping hand. Going forward, it will be important for county leaders to raise their budgetary concerns to the state, a key funder for the county’s social services.

Amanda Fritz
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: amandafritzforcitycouncil.com
Public financing status: Certified as a publicly financed candidate

Every evening I work on the inpatient psychiatry unit at OHSU, I realize again that our current "system" is deeply flawed. Gaps and overlaps between City and County functions result in failure to provide help to human beings desperately in need, and failure to operate in a fiscally efficient structure. Taxpayers foot the bills for crisis-intervention hospital stays for uninsured patients, then people are discharged to live on the streets where they can't afford and don't take their medication, and return to the hospital sicker than before.

Too often, people search for "creative" answers while ignoring basic solutions. Portland sometimes suffers from a craving to be "innovative", when what we really need to do is to implement the strategies we already know will work. The City can help the County by prioritizing provision of affordable housing, funding emergency care in the community, and returning more tax revenue to the County by allowing Urban Renewal Areas to end.

When the City has permanent stable funding to meet its responsibility to provide housing, the County will not have to spend so much money on hospitalization. Housing is needed to get a job, housing allows people to spend time in treatment instead of on survival, housing provides a measure of safety, distance from on-street drug dealers, and insulation from the need to "get drunk to stay warm and fall asleep". I will continue to implement the "Housing First" strategy Commissioner Sten has put in place.

Multnomah County should fund community health care clinics to provide emergency services 24/7/366 (this being a Leap Year). Not only is treatment outside of acute care hospitals much less expensive, but also the clients are known to the practitioners so less time, money, and angst is wasted gathering information and performing routine tests that may already have been done multiple times. Although paying for social services and health care is a County responsibility, currently our public safety officers spend huge amounts of time attending to medical and mental health crisis management in Portland. It would be cost-effective for the City to help subsidize emergency services at community care facilities on evenings, nights, and weekends.

As noted in my response to the question on Urban Renewal Areas, spending tax money on projects like the Streetcar takes $19 million per year from the Multnomah County budget. A third way the City can support County programs is to honor target dates for ending revitalized Urban Renewal Areas, so more money is released for County services.

Voters sometimes ask me why electing a psychiatric nurse to the City Council makes sense. On my blog, I answer this question in more depth. Nurses have to be efficient, on task, and goal-directed. When process problems impact our ability to provide services, we identify the issues and work to fix the system. My understanding of the gaps and flaws in City and County services, and how to fix them, is one more reason I ask you to elect me in May.

Charles Lewis
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: charleslewis.com
Public financing status: Filed request for certification on Wednesday

Multnomah County is facing a budget crisis, in part, because of actions taken by Portland City Council in the past. City funding mechanisms like Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Urban Renewal Areas directly impact the county’s main source of income - property taxes - yet the county has very little say on implementing these strategies. The people of Portland are directly impacted by the services the county provides including: health services, county jails, county bridges, animal control, libraries, etc. There has been some criticism of the county’s budget in the past, but I believe that it has taken important steps to get its financial house in order under Ted Wheeler’s leadership. The City of Portland now needs to step and recognize its role in their budget crisis.

The City of Portland not only has a civic responsibility to make up for some of the county’s budget shortfall, but I believe the city has a moral obligation to help the county provide services to our community’s most underserved populations. It is absolutely ridiculous that the City of Portland subsidizes million dollar condos with TIF and Urban Renewal Area money – especially when those subsidizes pull money from the county and services that help low income and middle income people and families.

One of the most important things Portland City Council can do in the future is to involve Multnomah County and our schools in the creation, expansion, or continuation of any Urban Renewal Area. When used properly, Urban Renewal Areas can completely reinvigorate underserved communities. Unfortunately, I believe these incredibly powerful tools have too often been misused to help subsidize “development” that most people cannot afford. Just alleviating blight is not enough. We must use these tools to help Portland’s low and middle income families and individuals. Find out more online at www.CharlesLewis.com

Mayoral candidate Sho Dozono just turned in 4,010 contributions forms, well over the 1,500 he needs to qualify for public financing. He’s the first candidate I’ve seen who’s needed a big box to hold all of the forms. And his campaign manager reports that they were still collecting forms today—or, rather, people were bringing them in. They cut people off at 3 pm, so they’d have enough time to process the final ones and get to city hall by 3:30 to file a request for certification.

He also reports that he’s pulled in about $20,000 in seed money—contributions less than $100—from roughly 300 donors. Combine, that’s about $40K in the bank, and the city will give him another $160K if his contributions check out.

Now, it’s time for the “sprint” toward the May 20 primary. The Dozono campaign will likely secure a campaign office this weekend, and will start to focus on the issues. The short campaign is still “plenty of time to get our message out,” says Dozono. Echoing a certain presidential candidate, Dozono says the voters “want a change in city government,” and he is the change.

He and his supporters—he brought about two dozen of them today—shared a group hug, whooped “Go Team Sho,” and headed off.

Not long after Team Dozono departed, Paul Romain and Lila Leathers stopped in to file the paperwork to refer Sam Adams’ $463.7 milllion street fee to the ballot. As city elections officer Andrew Carlstrom went into the back to approve the petition and Leathers’ chief petitioner status, the two told me why they’re making the effort.

Leathers, who owns Leathers Fuels, calls the street fee a “regressive tax.”

“The voters should have the right to decide,” if the city should add it to their water bills, she says.

I asked Romain whether he gamed Adams, as he claimed Adams had gamed his group by splitting the measure into three, and making it nearly impossible to refer; Adams put it back into one once Romain pledged “not to refer the measures,” but Romain—an attorney—said what they agreed to was “very specific.” He didn’t say they’d support a single measure, and points out that in his email, he made it clear his group didn’t support the street fee.

How do they plan to win a campaign against a measure that’s backed by an 89-member steering committee that represents such diverse groups as the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and the Portland Business Alliance? Romain’s got his eye on the voters. “I can pretty much guarantee if [Adams] thought he had the votes for it, he would have referred it himself.”

Indeed, the original plan for the street fee was for the council to put it on the ballot. Adams told us last month that the decision not to put it on the ballot was “a question of leadership. I’m willing to take the heat of enactment,” even if that raised the possibility of a referendum effort. (Feeling a little warm, Sam?)

Romain says they might have petitions on the street as early as tomorrow, which gives them 28 days to collect 18,170 valid signatures.

In a bizarre twist to the “is it graffiti, or is it art?” debate, the cops have arrested Portland Gallery 19 owner Ryan Wendell Birkland for 31 counts of Criminal Mischief in the First Degree, for allegedly daubing this stuff around Portland:
PORTLAND UNITE: Is it graffiti? Or is it, er…shite…?

Police became suspicious of Birkland when they saw the “graffiti” “on display” at his gallery (sorry about all these quote marks—they’re expressing a sense of semantic doubt):

At approximately 1:23 p.m., Central Precinct Neighborhood Response Team officers arrested 31-year-old Ryan Wendell Birkland for 31 counts of Criminal Mischief in the First Degree in connection with an ongoing graffiti investigation. The investigation started several months ago when a specific graffiti started showing up on PGE poles throughout the city. Additionally, the Sherwood Field Water Tank in Washington Park was vandalized with similar graffiti and resulted in damages of $12,000.

During the investigation, Officer Matt Miller received several tips which led police to Gallery 19 located at 1339 NW 19th Avenue where the graffiti was on display and could be seen through the windows.

Interesting. Arresting officer Matt Miller is available at Central Precinct, where I’m headed to ask him more about the arrest. There’s more of the “work” after the jump…I’ll keep you posted.

UPDATE, 5:49pm: Officer Miller wasn’t available at Central Precinct, after all. Which is too bad. His absence may have something to do with this story from last October, but I don’t know, because Miller’s sergeant, Cliff Bacigalupi, simply told me Miller didn’t want to talk with me because I had “mischaracterized” something previously.

Obviously it’s disturbing to have such things said about one’s reporting, but I sense Miller may be a little sensitive to press scrutiny, given the fact that this particular gallery owner is currently sitting in jail with 31 counts of $5,000 bail against him, for what essentially amounts to an allegation that he nailed “art” to telegraph poles:
BIRKLAND: First amendment case?

True, he did allegedly vandalize a water tower. But I’ll be interested to see if the District Attorney will sign the complaint on the other 31 counts of first degree criminal mischief. Your tax dollars at work, people…

Welcome to a brand new episode of Easier Than Reading, your weekly music podcast that’s sort of like reading the music section of the Mercury… only easier. Join your regular host Andrew R. Tonry, along with a special surprise guest, as they fill you in on what shows you need to check out this week. Plus hear tunes from the Hugs, Southerly (pictured above), Blood on the Wall, the Seeds, Dat’r, and more. Check it out.

City Commissioner Randy Leonard is trying to move the focus off of duct tape, and onto “parade access,” but we at the Mercury know better than that. This is an issue of the sticky silver stuff!

Leonard’s committee finally has a proposal that’s ready for public comment. The proposal would “prohibit taping, painting, chalking, or otherwise marking public property to reserve space to watch the Grand Floral Parade.”

From the proposed ordinance:

The City of Portland ordains:

SECTION 1. The Council finds that:

1. The practice of marking public property and/or blocking the public right of way for the purpose of reserving space for a parade event has become a widespread practice leading up to parade events in Portland.

2. The practice of taping public property for the purpose of reserving parade seating results in high volumes of garbage and additional demands on clean-up crews.

3. The practice of using tape, paint, or objects to reserve space on public property in advance of a parade is unfair to other members of the public who have an equal right to utilize public space.

4. The practice of reserving public space for the purpose of viewing of a parade has the potential to create unnecessary conflict among citizens and impacting the ability of citizens to freely enjoy events using the public right-of-way.

It continues. Check it out here, and you’ve got until February 22 to comment to Sara Petrocine, Leonard’s staffer who’s been working with the committee about this for months.

I like books—I like the look of them, the feel, the smell—and regardless of whatever “hoverboards” and “electronic pods” this oft-rumored “future” brings, you’ll have to pry my hard copies of books and newspapers and magazines and comics from my cold, dead hands. (Heh. So claims the kid typing a blog post, who just updated his Goodreads page.)

All that said, the Bits blog at the Times has an fascinating post on Amazon’s acquisition of Audible—and what it could mean for the Kindle reading device, and reading in general.

Steve Jobs said earlier this month that Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader was dead on arrival, since Americans have largely abandoned reading.

“It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don’t read anymore,” he said. “Forty percent of the people in the U.S. read one book or less last year. The whole conception is flawed at the top because people don’t read anymore.”

Now Amazon wants the naysayers like Mr. Jobs to listen up–-literally.

On Thursday it said that it had agreed to buy Audible, the Web’s largest provider of downloadable audiobooks, for $300 million. Amazon isn’t saying much about what it will do with the company, but bringing audiobooks directly to its Web site and to the Kindle is the obvious first step.

What comes after that? How about a service that allows you to seamlessly switch from reading a book on your digital device to listening to the same book read aloud as you get in the car, or if your eyes are tired, or if you simply want to hear a crucial scene acted out? And then to switch back to the printed page?

Full entry here.

Here’s your reminder to gather around the tube tonight for the season premiere of LOST (ABC, 8 pm). In fact, I’m so excited about the return of Lost, nothing can dissuade me from watching it… even a completely IDIOTIC commercial from the idiots at the ABC promo department. Check out this promo for tonight’s show that features Sawyer and a certain George Thorogood song. It’s true… that Sawyer is buh-buh-buh-BAD!

Listening to the new Danava record—UnonoU, out on February 19th via Kemado— is akin to the image above, with each song feeling like they were birthed by the magnificent ray of godly light that fires from the open mouth of vocalist Dusty Sparkles.

His laser beam eyes are also responsible for the album’s killer cover art.

MP3:
Danava - Where Beauty And Terror Dance

Danava’s CD release show is on February 21st at Lola’s.

End Hits, were we think every band has laser beam eyes.

Yesterday, Chris Smith and Charles Lewis filed their requests for certification as publicly financed candidates. Lewis filed his without any fanfare, and Smith sent out a press release after the fact (that’s after the jump).

Today—the deadline for turning in contributions and filing for certification—Jeff Bissonnette stopped by to hand over his 1193rd contribution form. (Technically, his 1467th, but 274 were tossed out earlier for being misreported in ORESTAR. His campaign re-collected more than 230 of those, though.)

Bissonnette’s wife Melanie—possibly the top contribution solicitor of the campaign, they said—and campaign manager Terri Steenbergen accompanied him.

(That’s Bissonnette on the left, and the city auditor’s two staffers named Andrew, on the right—Bryans and Carlstrom.)

Rumor has it that Paul Romain’s folks—those that want to refer Sam Adams’ transportation plan to the ballot—might be by around 2:30 4 or 4:30 to file the paperwork. Up in Adams’ office, chief of staff Tom Miller says they’re in the early stages of deciding what to do, but “there’s nothing to report to the media.” They may have a plan by the end of the day tomorrow.

And at 3:30 today, Sho Dozono’s expected to show up to file his request for certification as a publicly financed candidate. Last I heard, he’s got around 3,500 contributions—well over the 1,500 required in a mayor’s race.

In the auditor’s office, they’ve got ten days from each candidate’s request for certification to process all of their forms and other paperwork. The clock is ticking and the pressure is on, with six candidates—Jim Middaugh, John Branam, Lewis, Smith, Bissonnette and Dozono—filing since Monday.

Chris Smith Submits 1,180 Signatures for VOE Certification This afternoon Chris Smith formally requested certification as a publicly financed candidate under the city’s “Voter Owned Elections” system. Smith, who is running for the Position 1 seat of the City Council, turned in 129 additional qualifying signatures and accompanying five-dollar contributions from registered Portland voters for a total of 1,180 qualifying contributions. Candidates running for City Commissioner qualify for an initial $150,000 in public financing from the City by collecting a minimum of 1,000 verifiable signature-contributions and adhering to a strict code of conduct when campaigning. The City Elections Officer has already verified 921 of Smith’s first 946 forms. As one of Portland’s most active citizen-leaders, Smith helped to design the initial version of the “voter-owned” system. “Public financing of campaigns represents a fundamental shift in the way communities elect their leaders and in the way potential leaders reach out to communities,” he says. “By not having to focus their energy and attention on soliciting funds from a small group of deep-pocketed benefactors, publicly-funded candidates can instead focus on connecting with the most vital and important component of elections, the people.” Smith extends his congratulations and encouragement to all other candidates seeking financing under the public system.

This sounds melodramatic, but it’s true: Playing