This Week in the Mercury

I Love Television™

Columns

I Love Television™

Into the Donkey Abyss


Up & Coming

Music

Up & Coming

Highlights in Music the Week of February 9-15



  |  

Monday, March 8, 2010

News / Politics / City Hall Leonard Vs. China Over Tibet

Posted by Matt Davis on Mon, Mar 8, 2010 at 10:56 AM

Not content with taking on City Commissioner Dan Saltzman over a foie-gras purveying former firefighter, City Commissioner Randy Leonard appears to be setting the City of Portland up for nuclear war with China this morning.

LEONARD: SNOWBALLS, NUCLEAR WAR, ITS ALL THE SAME TO HIM
  • LEONARD: SNOWBALLS, NUCLEAR WAR, IT'S ALL THE SAME TO HIM

Leonard read a proclamation to celebrate Tibetan Awareness Day last Wednesday in city council. The Commissioner plans to fly Tibetan flags in his office on Wednesday, March 10, and a celebration of Tibetan culture is also planned.

But last week members of the local Chinese community, at the request of the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco, came and met with Commissioner Leonard and were expressing their "deep concerns for the city's recognition of Tibet awareness day," says Leonard's chief of staff, Ty Kovatch. "Including raising questions about whether Randy should travel as part of the city's sister-city delegation to China in June."

That was followed by a request from the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco to meet with Leonard at 1pm this afternoon. And then this morning the Consulate called to request that the meeting be moved to the University Club, out of concern that the meeting could draw protests if it happened at City Hall.

"We're not going to the University Club for two reasons," says Kovatch. "Number one being that Randy has a busy schedule and they requested a meeting with us, not the other way around. And number two, Randy wears jeans, and is therefore not allowed in the University Club."

"It strikes me as interesting that the Chinese Government would be so invested in discussing this issue with the City of Portland," says Leonard's chief of staff, Ty Kovatch.

President Barack Obama recently drew Chinese ire for meeting with the Dalai Lama. Update, 3:30pm: More from Leonard's blog.

 

Comments (11) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment
1
God, PLEEEEEEEASE let the Chinese arrest him in June.
Posted by Blabby on March 8, 2010 at 11:04 AM · Report
2
I hope he tells those robots to suck it and get the hell out of Tibet. Not that they will or anything.
Posted by Beer Batter on March 8, 2010 at 11:21 AM · Report
3
So it's not enough that the Chinese own our debt but we have to defer to them now on the first amendment? Frankly, they can suck it.
Posted by Suburban Porn King on March 8, 2010 at 11:57 AM · Report
4
Haha. How dare they buy the financial products that we sell to them!

Seems reasonable for their government to question our government for openly supporting what are, in their opinion, rebels and dissidents. Obviously Saltzman doesn't have much real international impact, but China probably feels like they need to be seen being disproving.
Posted by Reymont on March 8, 2010 at 12:54 PM · Report
5
Let's put some context to this: China, the country illegally occupying Tibet, illegally drilling for oil in a genocide zone in Darfur and illegally searching for natural gas in Central Asia, now wants to tell the City of Portland it can't celebrate an educational and cultural day.

I say: Hey China, go fuck yourselves, or we'll send Randy BY HIMSELF to visit in June.
Posted by Bronch O'Humphrey on March 8, 2010 at 1:38 PM · Report
6
Illegally? Where do you get "illegally" occupying Tibet? Please cite the law.
Posted by Reymont on March 8, 2010 at 1:54 PM · Report
7
We're all going to be China eventually so this is probably just splittin' hairs.
Posted by Suburban Porn King on March 8, 2010 at 3:11 PM · Report
8
It's amazing how many of the Free Tibet people know nothing about the actual facts over there. And instead base their judgment on things China did during the Cultural Revolution forty years ago, instead of things they're doing now.
Posted by Stu on March 8, 2010 at 5:49 PM · Report
9
yeah it is pretty amazing people don't know whats going on there now...cuz it's still pretty ridiculous. the cultural revolution has long passed, but things are still not right. Things didn't get magically fixed overnight and since freedom of speech is still something that's not availble to everyone, i think it's still pretty obvious what the facts are over there. pretty sure people judge they facts over whats happening now, or else we really wouldn't give a flying fuck about it. well illegally referring to colonizing already established countries, its something that's happened in the past in various examples but that doesn't make it any more right.
basic bottom line, we do things our way. chinese laws do not and shouldn't have an effect on us and the way we run our stuff. if you wanna start complying to their rules you better be ready to start shutting up
Posted by babycakes777 on March 8, 2010 at 7:16 PM · Report
10
to hell with the chinese. they are oppressors and they are not even cool. i say nuke em.
Posted by sukaluka on March 9, 2010 at 2:09 AM · Report
11
Who needs nuclear war when you have Randy Leonard and his ceremonial axe?
Posted by Will Radik on March 9, 2010 at 8:57 AM · Report

Add a comment

Our Friends

Our Enemies

/images/adoftheweek.gif

ad of the day

The Handyman Pro - Your Honey-Do Specialist
Don’t let our name fool you. The Handyman Pro, LLC is a repair and remodel service provider with over 25-years experience. We cover all aspects of construction and repairs for residential and commercial clients.go


post an ad

All contents © Index Newspapers, LLC

115 SW Ash St. Suite 600
Portland, OR 97204

Contact Info | Privacy Policy | Production Guidelines | Terms of Use