Portland Mercury

News BREAKING: Metro Takes Aim to Kill CRC Support in 2011

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 12:47 PM

At a Metro Council meeting on Tuesday November 2nd, Councilor Robert Liberty introduced a little amendment to the group's regional transportation plan that could actually turn out to be a bombshell.

The amendment "Sunset the Columbia River Crossing Project by September 1, 2011" (pdf) proposes that the Metro Council's 2008 vote supporting the $2.6-$3.6 billion bridge project expire in 2011 if the project has not secured local, state and federal funds. Metro's straw poll vote on the amendment at the meeting showed overwhelming support for the idea: six thumbs up and Rex Burkholder's thumb sideways.

The notes from the meeting are revealing:

(1) What was the purpose of the amendment; to kill the project by subterfuge or to force a realistic assessment of the prospects for funding the project and the tradeoffs it would require to not advance other projects? For most of the Councilors the answer was the latter.

...

(3) What would be the legal impact of the amendment, near term? Might the amendment have an unintended consequence? Staff could give no clear answer to that question. Staff did note that there was a precedent for removing a major highway project from the [Regional Transportation Plan] after it had been approved, the Mt. Hood Freeway.

(4) What would be the political impact of the amendment? Would it compromise the agency or region’s ability to secure Federal funding for the project? Different Councilors had different perspectives on this issue.

(5) Why was this amendment appropriate now coming 14 months after the project had been endorsed by the Metro Council? The subsequent events that some Councilors found persuasive in this regard were the failure of the Oregon Legislature to identify funding for the project, despite earmarks for other large highway projects; critical statements made by Congressman DeFazio and Baird and the recent mayoral election in Vancouver.

After listening to the CRC staff pitch their slimmed-down 10-lane bridge to state legislators yesterday, Environment Oregon's Brock Howell noted that having Metro's support for the bridge project sunset in 2011 would effectively kill the project. Howell says the funding timelines for the bridge looking grim. Here's why: to get a lot of the federal funding on board, the CRC needs to have its light rail funds secured. But funding for light rail will come from a Vanouver area sales tax, which Vancouverites will vote on in 2011 at the earliest, though the vote could be pushed to 2013 or 2014.

If the project doesn't have the light rail funding in the bag by 2011, it can't get the federal funds in the bag by 2011 and the expiration of Metro's support would send the project back to the drawing board.

The Council decided to table the amendment for now, but will bring it up at the CRC bigwig's Project Sponsor's Council meeting in two weeks.

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News Good Morning News!

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 9:15 AM

Oprah Out: The star of Bee Movie and The Princess and the Frog is quitting her talk show to focus more on her own cable network.

Jobs Jobs... Jobs? Watchdog group points out stimulus jobs were claimed in congressional districts that don't exist, among other embarrassing errors.

Catholics vs. Obama: Catholic bishops are none too happy with Mr. President for his pro-choice stance on the healthcare bill. A national day of action against the anti-abortion Stupak amendment is on December 2nd.

Cannabis College: Detroit opens school for aspiring medical marijuana horticulturalists.

Dirty Government: Washington DC has the highest STD rate in the country.

Secret Prisons: Are there secret CIA black sites in Lithuania?

King of the Underworld! Michael Jackson makes a miraculous appearance in someone's ultrasound:

Abstinence Porn: Twilight's New Moon opened last night, allowing ecstatic crowds to squeal and Newsweek to run probably the worst lead sentence in the history of writing: "Like vampires, culture wars never die, but like werewolves, they sometimes change shape."

Purse Snatchers: Police bust West Linn designer purse rip-off ring.

WOOOLLLVES!: Video shows wolves are back in Eastern Oregon.

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News / Cops Saltzman Suspends Chasse Cop For Beanbag Shot On 12-Year-Old Girl, Updated With Video

Posted by Matt Davis on Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 4:47 PM

Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman has overruled Police Chief Rosie Sizer and ordered the suspension of Portland Police Officer Christopher Humphreys, after he shot a 12-year-old girl in the leg with a "less-lethal" beanbag round on Saturday night.

The action has outraged the Portland Police Association, whose president, Scott Westerman, stood in front of 37 fellow cops outside the Justice Center on SW 2nd, to protest against Saltzman for "trying to be the police chief."

"When the Police Association first heard about this, the idea was to remove Officer Humphreys from the street, but Saltzman overrode that," Westerman told the media this afternoon. "With no police experience, he overrode a 25-year bureau veteran and ordered the suspension of Officer Humphreys."

WESTERMAN: OUTRAGED ON BEHALF OF THE POLICE UNION

WESTERMAN: OUTRAGED ON BEHALF OF THE POLICE UNION

Saltzman has declined comment on the move, personally, instead, leaving Police Chief Rosie Sizer to read from a written statement on the 15th floor of the police bureau this afternoon. Sizer also released video of the incident to reporters.

"After reviewing the video," she said, "I am troubled by it. Officer Humphreys has been placed on administrative leave and I have directed the Internal Affairs Division to conduct an immediate and full investigation into whether the use of force was justified under the totality of circumstances and whether the application of the beanbag at close range was consistent with the bureau's training." Full details on this story, including video of the incident, after the jump.

News / Cops BREAKING: Sizer To Give Press Conference About Chasse Cop Humphreys

Posted by Matt Davis on Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 3:37 PM

Police Chief Rosie Sizer plans to announce something about Police Officer Chris Humphreys—the cop in the Chasse case—at 4pm at the justice center.

Rumor is that Humphreys was involved in another controversial use of force incident over the weekend, and that a suspension may be looming. We'll have details from the scene.

The Police Union is already up in arms, and plans a press conference immediately following Sizer's, at 4:15.

BAD APPLE? HUMPRHEYS ILLUSTRATION BY BRETT SUPERSTAR

You can read more about Humphreys in this story from earlier this year.

UPDATE 3:38 PM: Sizer has place Officer Humphreys on administrative leave pending an investigation into his alleged use of a beanbag gun on a 12-year-old girl over the past weekend. Details to follow.

News / Politics Bradbury: "Blown Away" by Gore Endorsement

Posted by Matt Davis on Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 2:31 PM

2010 Gubernatorial candidate Bill Bradbury had a fundraiser with Al Gore at the Left Bank Building on NW Broadway earlier this afternoon.

SUBTEXT OF BIG PINK ARROW: SUCK IT, KITZHABER

SUBTEXT OF BIG PINK ARROW: "SUCK IT, KITZHABER"

Press were excluded from the event—which attracted 439 people, according to campaign manager Jeremy Wright—but Bradbury himself was available to the media afterward. As revenge for not being allowed into the fundraiser, or access to the Vice President, I was considering asking Bradbury questions about climate change, pretending to have confused him with science fiction author Ray Bradbury, until he caught on. "Do you think the earth will be much hotter," for example. "Like, 451 farenheit warmer?" Or "Will Earth be more like Mars? Like, we'll be writing Martian Chronicles if global warming doesn't stop?"

But I lost my nerve. Instead, I asked Bradbury was whether he felt rumors of bad blood between Gore and his opponent, John Kitzhaber, may have had more to do with Gore's endorsement in next year's primary than anything else. "I'm aware that there was some bad blood between Gore and Kitzhaber," said Bradbury. "But Al Gore doesn't normally make endorsements in Democratic primaries. I don't think it's a case of "gotcha back, Kitz," as much as people might like to think it is."

BRADBURY: CLIMATE BUDDIES WITH GORE

Bradbury said he was "kind of blown away" by Gore's "resounding endorsement" of his candidacy. "He and I have worked together before on climate stuff, and he gave a very strong endorsement. I'm humbled, and very proud of it, it's like, look, we really have this responsibility to be part of the solution."

So I asked for a couple of priorities on global warming, should Bradbury win election as Governor. He said "we need to stop being 40 percent reliant on coal," saying we need to close PGE's Boardman coal plant, which Sarah Mirk has done extensive reporting on, for example, in this piece on "Oregon's Filthy Secret."

Trouble is, closing Boardman isn't up to the Governor. It's up to the three-person public utilities commission. How would Bradbury influence that? "Well, you make the appointments, don't you," he said. "It's something that the Governor's voice needs to be very strong about."

Another priority for Bradbury's green agenda? "In California, the energy commission just adopted a rule on energy consumption for these 42 inch flat-panel HDTVs," he said. "They use two to three times the electricity of an old-fashioned tube television, and in California they just made a new rule that says we need to reduce their energy consumption by 50% by 2013." "There's a company called Viseo that produces flat screen TVs that already meet that standard," Bradbury continued. "It's not true that it can't be done, it's just that Sony and Panasonic have chosen not to meet the standard. So I think we should follow California's lead there, just as we have on tighter pollution standards."

Those sound like concrete enough proposals to me. It will be interesting to see if the Kitzhaber campaign chooses to make climate change a key campaign point, now, or whether they're just willing to concede it to Bradbury and focus on jobs.

News Read The Goddamn News

Posted by Matt Davis on Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 11:38 AM

PUNCHED IN THE HEAD: New allegations of a rough pattern in jail discipline.

Illustration by Ryan Jacob Smith

SMUGPOCALYPSE NOW: Despite record unemployment, Portlanders are happier than ever to live here.

LEAVING RANDYLAND: Willamette Week should apologize for its desperate feature on a certain City Commissioner.

BICYCLE RACE: Nonprofit investigates Portland's biking racial gap.

PUT GOOD MONEY INTO POLITICS: We suggest three possible Political Action Committees for your $50 tax refundable donation this year.

Read the goddamn news.

News Good Morning, News!!

Posted by Matt Davis on Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 10:31 AM

BACKFENCE!!! They have a great lineup of panelists tonight at 7:30 at the Mission Theater, including: KAROL COLLYMORE (Political blogger, ace mac and cheese cooker and "politically reckless" former senate and house candidate) AND FATBOY ROBERTS (Recovering Radio Personality). It's $10, and promises to be fantastic. You should go.

TASERING A TEN YEAR OLD!!! Arkansas cop gets suspended.

FIGHT CLUB AT TEN Breaking: Brad Pitt has got considerably less cut, in the face, over the last decade. This is a tragedy. Also, hair:

NORTON, PITT: IF ONLY ED HAD MARRIED ANGELINA, HIS CAREER WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SHOT

AL BORE!!! Be more interesting!

PORTLAND SPIRIT OWNERS BITCH ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING!!! The wivver's getting higher, says Dan Yates, an outspoken Republican and owner of the Portland Spirit. It's gwobal warming...build the bwidges higher! Reminds me of one of the Al Gore counter-counter-protesters' signs, last night:

CINDY'S SUES CITY FOR $1MILLION!!! Check out the story in the Metro section of today's O about the owners of Cindy's filing notice to sue City Commissioner Randy Leonard over his HIT squad. They are Dan Cossette, a convicted cocaine dealer, and Michael Wright, a convicted cocaine dealer and convicted murderer. I would imagine the city's attorneys will enjoy alluding to such issues in voir dire, asking jurors such theoretical questions as, "would a murder conviction undermine somebody's credibility, in your eyes?"

STOP MOVING HERE!!! Oh. You did. I didn't mean it. We need you. Keep moving here!

NEWSPAPER DISTRIBUTORS TIED TO ORGANIZED CRIME!!! In New York, Jay. In New York. Please don't "confuse" my shoes with cement and drop me in the Willamette!

"What if a group of white supremacists want to buy the cover?" Creative Loafing sells its cover for charity. We already did this. Because we're THE FUTURE OF MEDIA IN PORTLAND^TM.

PALIN, OR VAMPIRES!!! Which is more annoyingly over-exposed?

THE WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY!!! Critics of medicare and social security trucked out the same criticisms for those programs back in the day as the Tea Baggers are using on health reform. Nicholas Kristoff (who is from Yamhill county, by the way) says boo sucks in the Times.

Good day.

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News / Politics / Green Al Gore Is A Liar

Posted by Matt Davis on Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 8:37 PM

Seriously. That’s what the Americans For Prosperity tea-baggers were shouting at the passing traffic outside the Keller Auditorium this evening:

Fortunately they had some competition from some other folks ironically protesting Oregon’s $10 corporate minimum tax: “$10 fogs up my monocle,” said one. And then, “Global Warming raises all yachts.” Or “Screw polar bears. My poodle needs a manicure.”

Dude himself certainly flogged a lot of books tonight. “I am Al Gore, I used to be the next President of the United States,” he said, introducing himself to laughter. “You think that’s funny?” he asked. Funny! Buy the book…

“In the three and a half years since I published An Inconvenient Truth, I have held 30 summits and gathered the leaders in the world to talk about a solution to the climate crisis,” he said. “This book really represents their generosity in explaining their insights.”

Did I mention you should buy the book?

“If we were to decide in this generation to take for granted all the hard work of previous generations, and then give the back of our hand to all generations following us,” he said, “that would be the most immoral choice that any generation on the planet has ever made.”

All the press were in the nosebleed seats. There was no wi-fi, of course. “Did you see that naked PETA chick?” asked one of the news anchors, about another protester outside—she wants Gore to become a vegetarian and was handing out fliers quoting Paul McCartney. “I just talked to her for a while so I could stare at her tits.”

Meanwhile, I wished I had one of these, like the dude from the O:

But I didn’t. So, Al Gore looked like this:

“We’re at the front of a rollercoaster and we’re in the front seat,” said Gore, launching into the usual Al Gore lying crap, about evidence for global warming being “unequivocal:” “To those who want to still reject that scientific concensus, I’d say, okay, but help us become less dependent on foreign oil,” he said, to applause.

We’ve had more forest fires and more lightning strikes, said Gore. People are dying. Global warming is terrifying. It’s all driven by greed. We’ve got to stop it!

And then this: “For every one of us 6.8 billion people on the planet, there will soon be one billion transistors per person,” said Gore.

That's a lot of transistors!

There were no other surprises.

News / Bikes BREAKING: BTA Director Scott Bricker Fired

Posted by Matt Davis on Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 12:03 PM

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance has fired its executive director, Scott Bricker. Here's a great, somewhat mood-inappropriate photo of Bricker from last year:

"He was let go," says Mary Roberts, Board Chair for the organization."The board decided, and it was a very difficult decision. We really thank Scott for all of his work, and we would not be here without his contribution over the last 11 years."

"The whole ecosystem for bicycling is moving out of it really being just about the bike to it being a much bigger agenda," says Roberts. "Bicycling really becomes about transforming a whole city and state, and so we're really looking to find an Executive Director who has worked on that stage."

Bricker has no future job lined up. He was told this morning at a meeting with the board, says Roberts. He has so far declined comment.

The BTA says it's now launching a "national search" for a new Executive Director.

Roberts says the BTA plans to "push much harder" for the bicycling agenda across the state, from now on.

"This is good news for the community and the state," she says.

Update, 12:15:

"The way I'm looking at this, I think that leadership within an organization is not black and white," says Bricker. "And bicycling has a lot of leaders in it already. What I think I brought to the organization was being a great partner and continuing to build the leadership overall in the community.

"It's a board's role to hire and fire an executive director," Bricker continues. "But this is their choice. The upshot is that a new person will take charge of the organization and walk into a strong, vibrant and financially solid organization. The staff is really energetic, and the board is strong and really opinionated. I feel really strong about the service I provided over the last 11 years, the organization is in great shape. From my personal standpoint, I've been doing this for a long time, and this was the most challenging role I had at the BTA. I feel wonderful about my accomplishments, and I'm looking forward to some vacation for myself and my family. I plan on volunteering for the tax measures that are coming up, and then on seeking opportunities in the public policy arena."

In 2008, the BTA had a significant financial loss. "Some of that was cash, some of it was accounting. But in 2009, we're actually going to have a really solid year," Bricker says. "While there's a lot of opportunity for financial growth, from my standpoint, that's not one of the things driving this."

"I think the board wanted someone else to lead the organization," he says. "They just wanted someone else, and the reality is is it's their choice, and leadership is a key aspect to that."

Update, 12:20:

"I've had mixed feelings about the direction that the BTA was going, definitely," says Jonathan Maus, editor of BikePortland.org. "I don't think there was the right vision, that the BTA was capturing the spirit of the community the way they can, and I think some of that can be attributed to the leadership."

"When was the last time the BTA had a rally at city hall?" asks Maus. "When did they last disagree with the mayor on a point? When did they last push people to really comment on the bicycle master plan? And when two people died in October it was the community that responded, and the BTA hasn't always been that quick to respond on these issues. They've clearly taken a more disengaged approach, in the past. What Bricker told me in the past was that they had a nuanced position, and I feel that given the place we're in in Portland right now, we need a really engaged advocacy group to push the city that's really getting comfortable with biking, and the BTA, I think, has thought that being strong, means you're losing your seat at the table. But I think there's a way to be strong and still stay respected."

"I think a lot of the community were disappointed that the BTA wasn't more of an advocate in the Columbia River Crossing process, too," Maus continues.

"I hope it's a realization at the BTA board about the changing nature of bike advocacy in general," says Maus. "Maybe they're recognizing that they need to hasten that shift in the way that it happens in Portland. We need to start looking beyond the "bicycle" in the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, and not continuing to segregate out bicycling from other modes of transportation advocacy."

From this reporter's perspective, an event at the Bagdad theater earlier this year certainly captured the "complacent" spirit of the biking community that Maus may have been referring to. I even wrote a column on the subject. But who's going to pet Portland's kittens, from now on?

Bricker says he's going to continue to be active in Oregon policy, and good luck to him.

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News BREAKING: City Claims Controversial New Defense In Chasse Death, of “Excited Delirium.”

Posted by Matt Davis on Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 11:02 AM

Attorneys working for the City of Portland are claiming a surprise new defense in the 2006 death in custody of James Chasse jr, a man with schizophrenia: That Chasse died of “excited delirium.”

“Excited delirium” is a controversial medical term often associated with deaths in police custody where a Taser has been deployed. We quoted state medical examiner Karen Gunson on it last year, in preparation for a lengthy feature on Taser use by Portland cops:

Likewise, there is controversy around the existence, or otherwise, of "Excited Delirium," a cause of death often associated with Taser deployment, but not recognized by the American Medical Association. Oregon State Medical Examiner Karen Gunson tells the Mercury "I don't actually think the term is controversial," meanwhile Dalia Hashad, director of the USA program for Amnesty International, says "we need to ask why the person died, not make up the term to explain the situation."

Indeed, Gunson has ruled, in the past, that people died of excited delirium, despite controversy around the term. For example, she did so in the 1998 death of Richard "Dickie" Dow, a man suffering with schizophrenia who was crushed by a pile of police officers. The city ended up paying out $380,000 in that case.

In the Chasse autopsy, however, Gunson ruled out excited delirium as a cause of death, ruling instead that Chasse died of blunt force trauma to the chest, caused by another person or a fall. Gunson has since been quoted in depositions saying Chasse's 26 breaks to 16 ribs were most likely the result of kicks or a "dropped knee" by cops. Gunson found 48 separate abrasions or contusions on Chasse's body, including 16 possible blows to the head. Chasse would most likely have lived if he had been given proper medical care, Gunson said.

If the city has procured experts of its own who are willing to say that Chasse may have died of excited delirium, then their testimony will run against that of the state medical examiner.

The city’s new excited delirium defense also appears to have come as a surprise to Tom Steenson, attorney for the Chasse family. Court documents show that Federal Court Judge Garr King granted Steenson extra time to consult with his own medical experts during a phone conference on November 12—Steenson now has until December 18 to respond with expert testimony of his own, with a trial still tentatively scheduled for next March.

It is against the city attorney's policy to comment on ongoing lawsuits, and Steenson declined comment this morning.

"It looks like the city is grasping at straws," says Jason Renaud with the Mental Health Association of Portland, an outspoken critic of the city's response to Chasse's death. "It's fairly clear from the forensic evidence that Chasse died of blunt force trauma, resulting from the brutal beating by the three police officers. We can also see from the video evidence and testimony that he was unconscious at times after the Tasering, and that he was denied proper medical attention."

"Continuing to defend the indefensible erodes and degrades the authority of our leaders in city hall," Renaud continues.

Update, 3:34pm

"Excited delirium was a term invented to try to blame deaths in custody on something other than police interaction, but in almost all cases the people would not have died if the police had not used violence on them," says Dan Handelman with Portland Copwatch.

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News Good Morning, News!

Posted by Wm.™ Steven Humphrey on Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 9:55 AM

Iraq figures out yet another way to delay democracy.

Somali pirates try to attack a U.S. ship, and have their assess handed to them by the red, white and blue! USA! USA! USA! (Yeah, I'm not sure why I'm thrilled either.)

In Michigan, many camped out to be the first in line to get Sarah Palin's new book, and… wait. This just in… those people thought they were in line for Twilight: New Moon.

President Obama will not be reading Sarah Palin's new book, because it could be regarded as an assassination attempt. (It may BORE him to death! HAR!!)

Al Gore is coming into town today, and the anti-environment nutbags are celebrating by scribbling asinine graffiti on the wall of the Keller Auditorium.

The space shuttle Atlantis "slipped beautifully" into the international space station, which immediately filed a sexual harassment suit.

Two southern California cities have banned the declawing of cats—which seriously, is a stupid, barbaric practice. Disagree? Then allow me to pull out your fingernails.

Happy birthday, Mickey Mouse! Also, happy birthday, Oscar from The Office!

The staff of Providence St. Vincent Medical Center here in Portland don pink gloves and DANCE THEIR ASSES OFF to raise awareness for breast cancer. KA-UTE!! (It also raises my awareness that the Mercury is lagging way behind in office dance videos.)

News Tax Amnesty: One More Day!

Posted by Andrew R Tonry on Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 1:56 AM

In case you're like me and haven't filed taxes since, oh, I don't know, 2004, you probably want to take advantage of Oregon's Amnesty Program. Here's the thing: it ends tomorrow. Don't fret:

All you have to do is send in your application by Thursday, November 19th. The two page form is available here. Assuming it's accepted (and why wouldn't it be?) you'll have another two months to prepare your actual taxes.

The amnesty ought to save you (and me) a fortune*. And really, everybody wins: Oregon gets to pocket a little otherwise unexpected revenue as truants avoid some penalty. Unfortunately there's no way to send in an application online—so print that sucker out and get it postmarked NOW!**

*Terms are relative.
** Or move into a bus, pirate electricity, join an Anarchist collective, start scavenging dumpstered computer parts, bagels and spoiled wine, and make your living off the grid.

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$$$ / News Oregon Unemployment—Slightly Better, But People Are "Giving Up" Looking For Work

Posted by Matt Davis on Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 11:20 AM

New statistics on Oregon's unemployment level out yesterday suggest the state may be moving out of the worst period in its unemployment history. Statewide unemployment is now at 11.3 percent, according to the Oregon Employment Department, down almost a full percent from 12.2 percent in May, at the peak of unemployment.

“It looks like this could be the beginning of a positive trend,” says Christian Kaylor, a workforce analyst with the OED. “Certainly the worst seems to have passed, although I would want to see the trend continue for three to six months to make sure we don’t have some kind of double dip situation.”

Portland's Metro area accounts for more than half of the statewide data, and the Portland figures are due out early next week, so this is a good indicator for Portland.

Kaylor says Oregon has tied its worst unemployment in history, in 1983. "It looked like we were going to pass that number, now it looks like we won't, that we just matched it," he says.

But the country as a whole is now on the 24 month anniversary of losing jobs every month. "That's incredible," says Kaylor. "It's happened in previous recessions for six to 12 months, but for 24 months, that's unheard of."

Unemployment figures may be down, but continued net job loss in the Portland Metro area isn't reversing along with unemployment, either. In the last 12 months, the Portland Metro area has lost 60,800 jobs, which accounts for 5.9 percent of all 975,800 jobs. The unemployment rate peaked in May, "but even since then, we have lost 14,000 jobs in the Portland Metro area," says Kaylor.

So, while the unemployment rate is falling, those numbers suggest people may be leaving the workforce—deciding to stop looking for work, or physically leaving the state. "People may be deciding to go live in their mom's basement, take anti-depressants, and play X-box," says Kaylor. "They have essentially given up."

But there are options! "You could go back to school, or you could join the military," he says.

Analysts expect national net job loss to end in early 2010. "That point is coming," says Kaylor. "But then the scariest question is, when are we going to start seeing these jobs coming back? People talk about 2011, 2012, and 2013, and it gets pretty scary when we're looking that far out at when businesses are going to start hiring again with robustness."

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Media / News Local Journalism On Think Out Loud

Posted by Matt Davis on Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 9:19 AM

In advance of the OPB-sponsored "We Make The Media" conference this Saturday, there's a discussion of THE FUTURE OF MEDIA IN PORTLAND^TM on OPB this morning. Listen live, for the next 40 minutes.

News Good Morning, News!!

Posted by Matt Davis on Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 7:59 AM

CRASH OF THE PAPARAZZI ECONOMY!!! Photos of Brangelina, Britney, and company are worth 31 percent less this year compared to last.

BAILOUT BEATING!!! A new report criticizes Treasury secretary Timothy Geithner for not negotiating harder with AIG creditors.

OBAMA IN CHINA!!! He wants a "strong dialog." No surprise there.

ONLY 13 PERCENT OF ABORTIONS PAID FOR BY PRIVATE INSURANCE!!! The Wall Street journal probes the impact of the controversial Stupak amendment.

LEVI JOHNSTON SKIPS FULL FRONTAL!!! Some "porn star" you are.

JANUARY JONES!!! "Can't act," says Defamer. Burrrrrn.

$250K FOR FLIPPING THE BIRD!!! Titans owner is fined for swearing at a game on the weekend. Football is so weird.

VIAGRA FOR WOMEN!!! Pill makes girls' sex drive soar, says The Sun.

MARYSVILLE KIDS BACK TO SCHOOL!!! After a nasty fire.

COSTCO WILL STOP CARRYING COKE PRODUCTS!!! Because of a "nationwide pricing dispute."

CREEPY!!! It's the official Dakota Fanning aging timeline.

1999!

Shudder. Good day.

News Good Morning, News!

Posted by Wm.™ Steven Humphrey on Mon, Nov 16, 2009 at 10:19 AM

Even though they lost 1.5 billion in their third quarter, G.M. vows to repay a billion dollars in tax payer money in December. Geez! We don't hate you that much!

Obama tells a group of Shanghai students that the U.S. and China don't have to be rivals, and that our relationship doesn't have to be competitive because c'mon, we will obviously win at some point because our country is more awesome and more better and U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

After years in prison, Guantanamo Bay inmates are finally getting their day in court. U.S.A.? U.S.A.? U.S.A.?

Hey everybody! If you've been missing Sarah Palin—AND YOU HAVEN'T—get ready for SARAH PALIN WEEK™!

Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi hosts the WORST "hot chick party" EVER!! Dude, seriously! Where is your game?

"When John Hennessey was 10 years old, he was sent from a war-weary Britain to an orphanage in Australia, where he was told food was plentiful and children rode kangaroos to school." As it turns out there were no kangaroo rides—unless that's a euphemism for being beaten and sexually abused.

From the L.A. Times: "Boys born to mothers who have above-normal levels of the controversial chemicals known as phthalates in their urine are less likely to exhibit masculine behavior." Dear guys of the Mercury: This explains YOU.

In a related story, Dear guys of the Mercury: This video is for YOU.

News / Politics "The best piece yet written on the Chasse case."

Posted by Matt Davis on Mon, Nov 16, 2009 at 9:05 AM

So says the first commenter on Jason Renaud's Friday editorial at the Oregonian. I'm inclined to agree with him.

Portland Police Association President Scott Westerman says Saltzman's proposed discipline is being done for political reasons. He's right. Saltzman appears to be holding back from what would be a more appropriate and just finding for the officers — men who deliberately kicked a man in the head and broke nearly all his ribs — in order to appease the union.

So what options do we, the public, have when an injustice has occurred? We can get angry, and some of us are angry. We can become apathetic. We can pray for Chasse's family and for the officers who hurt and failed to help him.

Or we can demand accountability and justice from our elected officials. And we can remember who failed when leadership was required.

Media / News Shameless Self Promotion

Posted by Matt Davis on Fri, Nov 13, 2009 at 12:08 PM

Vote now! Currently, 66% of KXL listeners have "never heard of" us.

I'm working on my Glenn Beck face.

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News Read The Goddamn News

Posted by Matt Davis on Fri, Nov 13, 2009 at 9:37 AM

I was too busy yesterday spitting fire over bad journalism that I forgot to mention, read the goddamn Mercury news section!

GETTING AWAY WITH IT If you want to kill someone in Oregon, use your car.

ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE NEESON

HIPHOP HIGH Portland might be getting one. Apparently most of the time, kids will spend their time chillin out, maxin, relaxing and shooting some b-ball outside. Until they get in one little fight...and then what?

STANDING TALL SEIU Local 49 ain't intimidated by an arson attack.

ENTER PUPPETEERS Are state level conservatives hoping to cash in on the second effort to recall Mayor Sam Adams?

SALTZMAN IN THE WOUND Why is everybody ragging on the police commissioner?

Read the goddamn news. Also, tune into KXL at noon. I'm on the Lars Larson show with City Commissioner Randy Leonard for an hour.

Ultra-Realistic Modern Warfare Game Features Awaiting Orders, Repairing Trucks

News Good Morning News!

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Fri, Nov 13, 2009 at 9:17 AM

"9/11 Mastermind" On Trial: Guantanamo detainee and self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed will finally get a trial—and in New York, no less.

10 Lane Bridge? Transportation planners propose cutting the planned Columbia River Crossing down from 12 lanes to 10, but will the politicians approve?

Top White House Counsel Quits: Gregory Craig (...ory) supposedly quit over questions of whether he has mishandled closing GITMO.

Going Rogue: Juicy tidbits from Sarah Palin's soon-to-debut historical fiction memoir, including that McCain made her pay $50,000 for her own vetting.

How to Fix Afghanistan: Give money to the villages that need it, rather than the corrupt central government.

Detroit is in Ruin: One reporter's story of a murder shows a city and criminal justice system that has fallen apart.

Zoo Snafu: An independent audit shows the Oregon zoo mishandled construction projects and over-spent their budgets. Someone's got some 'splaining to do.

This isn't "real news" but it is "funny":

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Media / News The Future of PDX Media: Of Ethics & 'Randyland.'

Posted by Matt Davis on Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 2:54 PM

BREAKING: I'll be on KXL Radio tomorrow between noon and one o'clock, as an in-studio guest of City Commissioner Randy Leonard, who is guest hosting the Lars Larson show while Larson is out of town. We'll be discussing these issues, and more. Be sure to tune in.

ORIGINAL POST:

My God, I had a good time on Monday night. The Mercury graciously paid the $85 ticket for me to attend a City Club Salon on "The Future of Media In Portland," hosted by Willamette Week editor Mark Zusman and the paper's publisher, Richard Meeker. The intimate event—I counted 21 people including myself, the cook, and the waiter—was hosted at DOC restaurant, on NE 30th and Killingsworth, and coincided with the WW's 35th birthday issue last week.

EVIDENCE: AS GATHERED BY MY SHITTY CELLPHONE CAMERA, AND GOOGLE IMAGES

"We would not have won the Pulitzer without the web," said Zusman, after the fourth course. "Because Goldschmidt got out in front of us."

And so on. But there was also some interesting dialog, which I've captured after the jump, for all those unsure about the FUTURE OF MEDIA IN PORTLAND^TM. What's that? Blinking text? Oh, trust me...that's just one idea. There are plenty of other really, really awesome ones, I promise.

News Portlanders Love the Police and City More Than They Did Five Years Ago

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 11:45 AM

So do you love Portland more than you did five years ago? A report the City Auditor's office released today says: probably yes.

According to the survey of 3,194 random Portlanders (pdf), regular residents' perception of both the police and the city government are significantly more positive than they were five years ago. Almost two-thirds of Portlanders think the city is doing a good or very good job overall, a whopping 11 percent increase over five years ago (with the notable exception of East Portland, where only 48 percent of citizens think the local government is doing a good job). Surprisingly, I think, the city government received the highest rankings from inner NE residents, where 74 percent think the bureaucracy is doing a good job.

But NE residents were also among the most critical on the question, "How do you rate the City of Portland's efforts to control misconduct by police officers?" Forty percent of North Portlanders and 43 percent of inner NE Portlanders felt good about the polices' efforts, while 22 and 23 percent, respectively, felt "bad" or "very bad" about police control of misconduct.

But overall, Portlanders 71 percent of Portlanders think the police are doing a good job—an eight percent increase over five years ago.

One of the most split results came from a question asking about how Portlanders feel about being able to influence city government's opinions. One-third said "good" or "very good" and another third said "bad" or "very bad." Though, uh, I should point out that between 60-70 percent of Portlanders didn't attend a single public meeting during the last year, so those are maybe more armchair-philosopher speculations than anything.

So what's going on here? People rated the police and the general livability of Portland higher than they EVER have during the last five years, despite the economic downturn, an investigation into James Chasse's death that took three years and the city having to slash its bureaus by 30 percent in some cases. Are people keeping a stiff upper lip in down times or is the city PR machine buzzing just better than usual?

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News Good Morning, News!

Posted by Sean Breslin on Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 8:02 AM

Obama hates all your ideas about Afghanistan, National Security Team! Suck it!

Balloon Boy's parents are going to plead guilty to charges stemming from the most elaborate April Fools joke ever! Too bad they did it in October.

Facebook is totally a legit alibi! Maybe I should check out this so-called Facebook and see what it's all about...

Ft. Hood shooting suspect apparently visited a strip club days before the rampage. No, really.

Hey, Oregon! We're just like California! Isn't that cool? I mean, the Pew Center for the States ranks us along with our neighbors to the south one of the top 10 states facing economic peril! Maybe the Beach Boys will sing about us, too!

Birther/anti-immigration nutjob Lou Dobbs is leaving CNN. ¿Por que?

And finally, Sean Hannity plans to address Jon Stewart's claims that he doctored protest footage to enhance his arguments. I'd come up with a joke, but I'm too busy laughing with glee! Here's the original clip of Stewart calling out Hannity:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Sean Hannity Uses Glenn Beck's Protest Footage

www.thedailyshow.com

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