Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

The Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood overwhelmingly passed a resolution last night opposing the installation of a wireless antenna by Clear, a Internet service provider that seeks to blanket the city with its network.

Earlier this month, the neighborhood association held a contentious meeting in the Beaumont School library off of Fremont on the subject.

“The emotions were a little less high,” said Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood Association President Al Ellis, speaking to the Portland Observer by phone this afternoon.

Ellis said that a motion to oppose the installation of the tower was put to a vote by about 80 residents of the neighborhood. It passed with only one dissenting vote.

The motion opposed the tower on grounds that it was in a residential neighborhood, would contribute to noise, and Clear’s slow approach to addressing neighbors concerns. It also suggested that Clear hadn’t made every effort to install an antenna in a non-residential area.

A representative was not present at the meeting, said Ellis.

Rebekah Belle
503-288-0033

The Lund Report is reporting that Regence Bluecross Blueshield gave $70,000 to defeat ballot Measures 66 and 67.

The measures, which raised taxes on the wealthy and corporations, passed successfully this week.

It’ not clear why Regency would join a group known as Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes, when none of their top executives are on the list of donors, and the measures did not include non-profits- especially when it was such a heated campaign.

Regence is one of the few, if any, non-profits to give money to the opposition campaign. Measure 67, which increased corporate taxes, makes no mention of non-profit organizations.

“Regence BlueCross BlueShield was the only health insurer that made a financial contribution to the opposition campaign. It gave $50,000 to the Portland Business Alliance PAC between July 21, 2009 and Jan. 26, 2010, and another $20,000 to the Oregon Associated Industries PAC, according to reports compiled by Common Cause, which delineated the campaign donations.”

Support for the campaign included The Coalition for a Healthy Oregon, with nine Medicaid managed care plans, the Oregon Health Care Industry, and the Nurses United PAC with the largest donation coming from CareOregon, which contributed $50,000.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

The state of Oregon has officially dropped the name “food stamps” for a federal program aimed at making sure people have adequate access to nutritious food that has its origins in the Great Depression.

From the press release:

In January, Oregon officially changes the name of its federal food stamp program to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP). Oregon joins 26 other states making this change to emphasize that nutritious and healthy foods are within reach of low-income households.

In fact, the term “food stamps” has become a bit of a misnomer as recipients now use debit cards charged with federal money at grocers that accept them.

Oregon has seen the number of people using the program swell during the Great Recession, with one in six people enrolled. More people are expected to take advantage of the program as the economy stays stubbornly soggy.

More from the press release:

While the name has changed, the purpose of the program has not. SNAP benefits supplement a family’s overall food budget, but are not intended to entirely cover it. For people with little or no income, SNAP benefits can make the difference between choosing healthy foods or those that have little nutritional value. SNAP benefits continue to be used to purchase foods such as breads and cereals; fruits and vegetables; meats, fish and poultry; and dairy products. Alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, non-food items, vitamins, medicines, pet foods and other items are not allowed.

“The new name, Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, highlights nutrition as a key ingredient in the recipe for being healthy and staying that way,” said Vic Todd, administrator of the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Self Sufficiency Programs. “The SNAP program has a direct influence on the overall health of Oregon’s low-income households. It is especially true for those households with children — and children make up about 40 percent of all SNAP benefit recipients.”

With the new name come new resources for families. For example, the SNAP program now offers, among other nutrition resources, a “Healthy Family Guidebook” that provides money-saving menus, recipes, and tips on buying and serving healthier foods. The guidebook is available at www.nal.usda.gov/fsn/Loving/HealthyFamilyGuidebookEnglish.pdf.

To be eligible for SNAP benefits, a family must have income less than 185 percent of the federal poverty level and meet other qualifications. For a family of four, the income limit is less than $3,400 per month. The maximum benefit for a household of four totals $668 per month. The overall average SNAP benefit per household is approximately $250 per month.

Approximately three-fourths of all SNAP households have some form of income, which results in the actual benefit level received being reduced from the maximum. In Oregon more than 675,000 people benefited from this program during December 2009.

To learn if you might be eligible for SNAP benefits, visit your local DHS office. You may also go online to the new Oregon SNAP Web site at www.snap.oregon.gov/. DHS also partners with SafeNet, 1-800-SAFENET (723-3638), to help people find local resources such as food pantries or other assistance.

Portland’s 82nd Avenue as seen through the windshield of a Portland police officer on patrol for prostitution and anything else that may come his way. Photo by Jake Thomas.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

The unmarked Ford Crown Victoria police cruiser takes a sharp turn from Stark Street onto 82nd Avenue in southeast Portland. The pattern of cheap hotels, strip clubs, and Asian food restaurants that mark the landscape blur by as the car speeds up.

It’s a damp, frigid Friday night. But the police are still present in a part of the city that has grown notorious for prostitution and meth use.

The officer I’m with, who asked not to have his name in the paper for safety reasons, has been on the vice beat for about a year and half. He has a friendly and chipper demeanor, not unlike a school teacher who wants to be on good terms with his students, but isn’t afraid to send them to detention. He knows the regulars along the strip. He knows which ones are drug users and prostitutes, and he wants to make his presence known.

“One of the main things we use is just our visibility,” he says, as his gaze shifts from people walking on the street to his laptop attached to the console, which makes beeping noises as it scrolls out a feed of indecipherable police code. To his side, an AR-15 rests against the barrier between the front and back seats.

Officers on the vice detail essentially drive around less-than-savory parts of town looking for women who suddenly jump into cars, loiter at bus stops, or people known for past offenses.

After doing two laps up and down the avenue, the officer makes an abrupt turn right-hand turn onto a side a street, parking the car and springing from his seat.

He approaches a woman on the sidewalk. She’s wearing a thick-down jacket with the hood pulled over her head, white Nike sneakers, and jeans. If she’s a prostitute, she’s not doing a very good job advertising.

The officer asks for her name, and where she’s going. She replies that she is going to a bar from a friend’s place while keeping her arms close to her torso to keep warm. She seems confused as to why she’s being stopped on such a cold night for no obvious reason.

After he’s satisfied her story is true, he concludes the conversation with, “have a good night,” before climbing back into the police car.

The officer explains that he makes anywhere from one to six arrests on any shift. The prostitutes he encounters have different stories and backgrounds. Just yesterday, he cited a 60-year-old woman who just got out of a bad divorce. Some have drug problems. Some have housing problems. Some are being trafficked. Some just think it’s cool.
“I’m not sure if there is one profile, you know?” he says.

After making a trip down 122nd Avenue and a few more laps around 82nd, the officer makes an unannounced u-turn in the middle of an intersection and flicks on his lights.

There’s trouble at an assisted living facility near Mt. Tabor. He’s been there before, and seems very relaxed as he weaves in and out of traffic before speeding through a residential area.

We get to the front entrance of the care home and are buzzed in through the lobby by a staff member. We board the elevator with a staff member wearing scrubs and tied back black hair. She seems almost amused at the sight of the officer.

“You’re looking for Mr. who?” she asks.

The officer says that he’s on an emergency call, just as the woman hits the button for her floor.

“Do you understand that I’m on an emergency call?” says the officer, who is annoyed at being delayed.

“Oh, sorry,” she replies.

On the fifth floor, a 93-year-old woman in a night gown with disheveled hair sits on a bed. She’s already scared off her roommate, and has allegedly assaulted a staff member. Her son “isn’t dealing with it,” and staff and officers are trying to figure out what to do with her.

“I’m not going to go back to the hospital,” she cries.

“You’ll maybe like it better,” says one of the officers.

“I wish they would have killed me right away,” exclaims the woman, who looks like she’s just woken from a deep sleep.

This is nothing new for the officer I’m with. The police have had calls in the past from the facility for things that usually don’t require police presence, and the officer shows his annoyance while talking to a woman with ruby-red hair who’s in charge.

“Well, I can’t have my staff assaulted,” she says finally.

Meanwhile the other officers have calmed the nursing home resident and are helping her into her coat while waiting for an ambulance. With the situation under control, it’s back to cruising for hookers.

Back on the strip, two women are walking northbound. Against the faint glow of street lights the two look like an amorphous black blob.

But the officer recognizes them. He abruptly pulls into a parking lot on a side street. His fingers fly across the keyboard like a possessed spider, typing in commands into the keyboard. A mug shot of a woman with a battered face wearing a defeated expression instantly appears on the screen.

By now the two women have congregated with another woman and two bearded men, one of them in a wheelchair, outside of a convenience store. The police cruiser quietly creeps up on the crowd. Everyone is completely oblivious to our presence, except for the man in his wheel chair who begins waiving his hands and bobbing his head, as if to warn the others.

“Virginia,” says the officer, whose firm voice pierces the cold air and the conversation the group is having.

“Yes sir,” replies a woman, whose opens her eyes as wide as they will go, revealing an expression that looks almost like she’s having a religious experience.

“You been using?” asks the officer.

“No, sir,” she says.

“You been drinking?” he asks, who again receives a “no, sir.”

“But you do use meth,” states the officer.

The women, clearly rattled, launches into a story of how a friend’s bike was stolen and she has a cold.

“I’m going to suggest you go home,” the officer says to the woman, who continues with her story nervously. He repeats his suggestion again, adding a firm “now.”

Just after dispersing the crowd and returning to the strip, the officer quickly pulls over and leaps from his seat to confront another woman walking down 82nd Avenue.

He asks where she’s going, and is told she’s headed to a friend’s house from a bar.

“I’m just really cold,” she says.

“What not take the bus?” he asks, a question she doesn’t have a good answer.

He asks if she’s ever been arrested.

“I’ve never had a cop ask me if I’ve been arrested before,” she says.

“Well, you never know,” he replies.

After running her ID, it comes out she had. The woman says it’s hard to explain and launches into a story of how she got involved with a car theft when she was 14.

The officer thinks he recognizes her and probes further before asking is she has condoms on her.

“I’m one of the ones out here that aren’t doing that,” states the woman emphatically.

That’s enough for the officer.

“Have a good night,” he says before climbing back into the car

A crowd of people gathered into Life Fellowship Church on North Lombard Street to express that their discontent with the closure of the North Portland Police Precinct. Photo by Jake Thomas

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

Just half year after the city merged the North Portland Police Precinct with the Northeast Precinct for cost saving purposes, residents are still uneasy with the change and feel that their community is less secure.

Last night, residents gathered at the Life Fellowship Church on North Lombard Street to express their concerns about the issue to the top brass who oversee safety issues in the city, including Police Chief Rosie Sizer, Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman, Multnomah County District Prosecutor Mike Shrunk, and North Portland Police Jim Ferraris.

As the crowd trickled in, an overhead projector displayed a quote from Sir Robert Peel, the founder of the London Metropolitan Police Force, which read, “The police are the public, and the public are the police.”

Chris Duffy, the chair of the Arbor Lodge Neighborhood, moderated the event taking questions from the audience.

“We want to be a solution to the problems we are facing,” she said, before turning the microphone over to Sizer.

Sizer makes the case that things haven’t changed all that much since the precinct closure and trends are overall positive. Photo by Jake Thomas

Sizer described the process leading up to the precinct closure as a “painful conversation,” but hoped that the audience would keep in mind that there had been positive advancements in public safety and that not much had changed since the restructuring which was completed last summer.

Crime across Oregon has been dropping for years, and north Portland has been no exception, she said while bringing up statistics on the overhead projector to make her case.

She also pointed out that more people are looking to the police bureau for employment with the down economy.

“A bad economy is a good sign for police hiring,” said Sizer, who added that the bureau was at almost full staffing.

Ferraris told the audience that the number of officers for the area once covered by North Precinct was about the same, and the police were largely meeting their goal of responding to calls within five minutes.

However, there have been a few blips in what have been otherwise relatively positive trends.

Ferraris said that the area had seen an uptick in burglaries and car theft, but that these were largely due to two prolific criminals who had been taken off the street. After one suspect was arrested burglaries in the area dropped by 76 percent, he said.

Both Saltzman and Shrunk pointed out that crime has been going down despite the bad economy, which they, in part, attributed to citizen involvement.

But this didn’t satisfy the residents in attendance.

During the question and answer session, a number of residents, writing in their questions on pieces of paper that were read by Duffy, said that they’ve seen less of a police presence in their neighborhoods and have had a harder time getting service.

One business owner on Lombard said that they used to see a police cruiser roll by several times a day. Now they only see one once a week.

Another business owner had a break in, and had a frustrating time getting an officer to come by.

One resident in the Kenton Neighborhood called in after their home was broken into and was flatly told that there was no officer available.

“Where are our north Portland officers?” questioned one resident.

Several other questions noted that they are more likely to hear police sirens or buildings vandalized than officers on patrol.

“If you don’t feel like you’re getting good service, there’s a couple of avenues available to you,” said Saltzman, who pointed out that citizens can directly call precinct commanders.

The bureau is looking at a 2 percent cut for the next budget that will be considered by City Council this spring. Each official said that it was important for people to come out and make sure that the council understands that they want to make sure that this service is funded.

Natasha Mendoza
503-288-0033

The Oregon Department of Human Services and the newly-formed Oregon Health Authority want low-income Oregonians to know that that they have the opportunity for to get on the Oregon Health Plan, which had its funding increased last legislative session to cover an additional 35,000 low-income adults. However, DHS estimates there are approximately 140,000 Oregonians whose incomes would qualify them for this coverage.

“Although OHP cannot help everyone who needs it, we’re happy that the list is open and more people will be able to get the health care they need,” said Carole Romm, director of community partnerships and strategic development for DHS.

The state is trying to keep access equitable, so anyone who contacts the state will be added to the OHP reservation list. This reservation list will be the source of monthly drawings for health care coverage. People who qualify and whose names are drawn will be able to join the OHP Standard insurance coverage.

To add your name to the list, visit www.oregon.gov/DHS/open or call 1-800-699-9075.

You can also go to a local DHS office, local county health departments, most hospitals and health care clinics to request a reservation packet.

The next drawing from the current list of names will be Feb. 1. Drawings will be held on a regular basis until all funded health care coverage spots are filled. Once a person’s name is drawn, he or she will be sent an application to apply for the health plan. Eligibility is based on strict income limits of less than the federal poverty level. This is based on the number of people in a household.

The OHP is part of the new OHA. The OHA is the central location for publicly purchased health care in Oregon. The agency, created during the last legislative session, aims to lower costs for everyone in the health care system while increasing access to care and improving the quality of care. As part of the reform efforts, the 2009 Legislature also passed health care funding for all Oregon children.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

Here’s a sneak peak at President Barack Obama’s first State of the Union address.

Drawing on his considerable rhetorical skills, Obama touches on some familiar themes, like curtailing government spending and health care.

But he also talks about a newer issue: our lost faith in each other:

We face big and difficult challenges. And what the American people hope – what they deserve – is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to work through our differences; to overcome the numbing weight of our politics. For while the people who sent us here have different backgrounds and different stories and different beliefs, the anxieties they face are the same. The aspirations they hold are shared. A job that pays the bill. A chance to get ahead. Most of all, the ability to give their children a better life.

You know what else they share? They share a stubborn resilience in the face of adversity. After one of the most difficult years in our history, they remain busy building cars and teaching kids; starting businesses and going back to school. They are coaching little league and helping their neighbors. As one woman wrote to me, “We are strained but hopeful, struggling but encouraged.”

It is because of this spirit – this great decency and great strength – that I have never been more hopeful about America’s future than I am tonight. Despite our hardships, our union is strong. We do not give up. We do not quit. We don’t allow fear or division to break our spirit. In this new decade, it’s time the American people get a government that matches their decency; that embodies their strength. And tonight, I’d like to talk about how together, we can deliver on that promise.

…

By the time I’m finished speaking tonight, more Americans will have lost their health insurance. Millions will lose it this year. Our deficit will grow. Premiums will go up. Co-pays will go up. Patients will be denied the care they need. Small business owners will continue to drop coverage altogether. I will not walk away from these Americans. And neither should the people in this chamber.

…

Rather than fight the same tired battles that have dominated Washington for decades, it’s time for something new. Let’s try common sense. Let’s invest in our people without leaving them a mountain of debt. Let’s meet our responsibility to the people who sent us here.

To do that, we have to recognize that we face more than a deficit of dollars right now. We face a deficit of trust – deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years. To close that credibility gap we must take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to end the outsized influence of lobbyists; to do our work openly; and to give our people the government they deserve.

That’s what I came to Washington to do. That’s why – for the first time in history – my Administration posts our White House visitors online. And that’s why we’ve excluded lobbyists from policy-making jobs or seats on federal boards and commissions.

But we cannot stop there. It’s time to require lobbyists to disclose each contact they make on behalf of a client with my Administration or Congress. And it’s time to put strict limits on the contributions that lobbyists give to candidates for federal office. Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests – including foreign companies – to spend without limit in our elections. Well I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, and worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, and that’s why I’m urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong.

I’m also calling on Congress to continue down the path of earmark reform. You have trimmed some of this spending and embraced some meaningful change. But restoring the public trust demands more. For example, some members of Congress post some earmark requests online. Tonight, I’m calling on Congress to publish all earmark requests on a single website before there’s a vote so that the American people can see how their money is being spent.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

Memorial Coliseum opened up its doors last night to hundreds of people wanting to catch a glimpse of some of the proposals to redevelop the Rose Quarter.

The Rose Quarter Stakeholder Advisory Committee was scheduled to hear five minute presentations from groups who pitched an idea to re-shape the Rose Quarter.

Before the presentation, the public was invited to sip organic iced tea while visiting the tables of various groups who have big ideas for Memorial Coliseum.

The Portland Trail Blazers’ Jumptown, a year-round entertainment district, has a solid shot at being adopted. It’s one of the more developed proposals, has the backing of the Portland Winter Hawks (who share Memorial Coliseum), and already have the development rights.

But there’s still a number of other proposals you might not have heard about. Here’s a couple:

Coliseum Gardens

Tricia Tillman stands next to a table displaying her vision for the Coliseum Garden.

Tricia Tillman, an administrator with the Multnomah County Public Health Department, and Debb Lippoldt, the executive director of Growing Gardens, want to turn Memorial Coliseum into a giant greenhouse.

Tillman explained that the coliseum, under their proposal, would be used to advance urban agriculture and secure a supply of local food for the city.

Calling it “Portland’s 21st Century Victory Garden,” after the gardens Americans were encouraged to cultivate during WWII, Tillman said it could be used to advance research and education of how we grow our food, and find new alternatives.

Lippoldt said that leafy greens and strawberries would be some of the things grown in coliseum, and would use advanced techniques to cultivate food- even growing vegetables on the walls.

Environmental History and Future Museum

Portland State University Anthropologist Virginia Butler wants Memorial Coliseum to become a world-class museum.

Portland State University Anthropologist wants Memorial Coliseum transformed into a museum that encompasses pretty much the entire history of the Portland area going back tens of thousands of years to when ground sloths and elephants roamed what would become the City of Roses.

She explained that the Missoula Floods that passed through Portland 15,000 to 20,000 years ago went right past what is now Memorial Coliseum.

“We are standing right next to it,” she said, of where the ancient flood once ran.

Butler said that the museum would show Portland’s links to other parts of the world like China and Australia, and would be a must-see for visitors coming through Portland.

It would also look at the region’s human past, including the historic African American neighborhood Jumptown, which was displaced by the coliseum.

“It was more than just jazz clubs,” she said.

Vision into Action

Roger Anthony and his group, Vision into Action, want the Rose Quarter to be a place that reflects the values of Portlanders.

A group of activists argues that the Rose Quarter should be a community center in every sense of the word.

Roger Anthony, board president of the Rose Community Development Corporation and member of Vision into Action, explained that former Mayor Tom Potter initiated a “visioning” process for the city while in office.

Anthony’s group seeks to put the basic community-based principles that came out of the process into action.

Under this proposal, the Rose Quarter will host a farmers’ market year round, affordable housing, a senior center, educational facilities, a senior center, and places for multicultural groups to gather.

“It’s a lot of little components,” said Anthony.

Leave it alone

Jerry Ghiglieri wants to make sure the coliseum continues to honor veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice.

With all the talk about revamping the coliseum it can be easy to forget that it was established in 1960 to honor veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Jerry Ghiglieri, standing at a table with three American flags in the background, said that the coliseum was meant to honor veterans, and should stay as is.

“It’s all about them,” she said of veterans. “It’s why we have a coliseum: to honor them.”

She said that she doesn’t want any major changes to coliseum because doing so would detract from its original purpose.

Ghiglieri, who is active in several veterans groups, said her proposal doesn’t call anything beyond an “Irish overhaul” that would involve some basic improvements.

“It’s about following the money,” she added over why the city is in such a hurry to re-develop it.

A velodrome

A velodrome would take Portland’s bike culture to a new level.

Steve Brown and Mark Godfrey want to see Memorial Coliseum turned into a velodrome that would serve as a place where ordinary Portlanders could ride in addition to Olympic-level athletes.

Brown said that with $250,000 the velodrome could be operational in just four weeks.

“If you can ride a bike 12 miles per hour, you can ride this,” said Brown.

Both said that there is a huge demand for this sort of a facility, and it would attract big events to Portland.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

Today’s Columbian is reporting that Portland transportation planners have requested a large number of technical documents from Columbia River Crossing staff with the aim of crafting a plan for an even smaller bridge.

Last year, CRC staff proposed refinements to the $4.2 billion bridge between Vancouver and Portland that would only expand lanes to 10, and not the initial 12.

Officials in Vancouver have been adamant about expanding the number of lanes on the bridge in order to accommodate commuters.

This move has irked Vancouver’s new mayor, Tim Leavitt, who has been insistent on expanding the bridge to 10 or 12 lanes, an option that was conditionally adopted by by both city councils two years ago.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

Oregon’s junior Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley was on CNBC explaining his opposition to confirming Ben Bernanke as chair of the Federal Reserve.

Last month, Merkley was the only member of the Senate Banking Committee to vote against confirming Bernanke to a second term as one of the most powerful unelected officials in the country.

Merkley has faulted Bernanke, who was named Time’s man of the year, for not doing enough to protecting consumers and catering to the excesses of Wall Street while the stage was set for a massive economic collapse.

“I don’t think the person you want to rebuild your house is the person who helped send it on fire,” he told CNBC.

Bernanke’s confirmation has been in deep peril, as a growing number of senators from both parties have come out against him.

Here’s the video:

Natasha Mendoza
503-288-0033

Tonight the proposed re-development of the Rose Quarter lurches forward as Stakeholder Advisory Committee will listen to public presentations of the more than 95 different proposals.

Negotiations of the Memorial Coleseium’s future began in January 2009 under the direction of Mayor Sam Adams and have been proceeding ever since. The purpose of this project is to “create a vibrant, pedestrian-oriented mixed-use district that showcases leading edge sustainability practices, creates jobs and is well integrated and connected with the surrounding neighborhood.”

The City of Portland, Portland Development Commission and Portland Arena Management all agree that the new development is needed to create a vibrancy at the Rose Quarter.

A variety of different concepts were submitted to suggest what should be done next to the Memorial Coliseum. Some concepts include rock gym, a sustainability center, a shelter for the homeless, an aquarium, an open-air market, and the Blazers’ proposal: Jumptown.

The Blazers’ proposal appears to be one of the slickest and most thought out. It also doesn’t hurt that they have development rights to the Rose Quarter.

Nevertheless, concepts that have been submitted between November 2009 and January 8, 2010 will have their chance to shine at this evening’s presentation. Each individual or group will be given 5 minutes to wow the 32-member Stakeholder Advisory Committee and the general audience with their proposed concept. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and the event is scheduled to run until 9 p.m.

But you need a ticket to get in, which can be downloaded here.

The Portland Observer will be at the event tonight, and will have coverage on our blog tomorrow.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

Today is the last day to vote in the special election on two tax measures meant to plug a massive hole in the state budget.

Measures 66 raises taxes on individuals making $125,000 a year and households making $250,000.

Measure 67 ups the $10 corporate minimum to $150, in addition to imposing more taxes on receipts and increasing other fees.

If the measures fail, the Legislature will be forced to make painful cuts to vital services provided by the state. Here’s our reporting on the issues.

However, opponents of the measure argue that the Legislature failed to cut wasteful spending and raising taxes during a recession will further kill jobs.

Polls show that the race is close, and could hinge on last minute voters.

You have until 8 p.m. tonight to drop off your ballot at one of these locations:

View Multnomah County Elections Official Ballot Drop Box Sites in a larger map

Marie Angele Theard (left), a Portland physician, has been in Haiti helping out with the relief effort. Photo courtesy of Medical Teams International.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

Marie Angele Theard, a physician at Legacy Emmanuel Hospital, has been in Haiti since last Wednesday helping out with the aftermath of a 7.0 earthquake that devastated the impoverished country.

“It causes me great pain to see the suffering that I see,” said Theard to reporters in a conference call with reporters Haiti, “but what helps me really is just to see the number of the groups that are helping.”

Theard, who grew up in a “very Haitian” household in Chicago, has been working long hours at a local hospital in Port-au-Prince performing up to six to seven surgeries, and making the rounds with other physicians. She said that she’s been seeing less acute wounds on people, but still noted that the problem is daunting and will require a serious commitment to address.

“I’m amazed at how quickly they dwindle,” said Theard, who has been working with Medical Teams International, of how her supplies quickly run out.

When asked about the military presence in the country, she said that it is well established and there have been few violent outbreaks while there.

Theard plans to leave this Saturday, but anticipates she will return at some point.

When asked what part of the experience will stick with her the most she responded that the children left the deepest impression on her.

“Every time I look at them I know that’s the future,” she said.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

Oregon Partnership is reporting that for the first time ever it is receiving more calls to its suicide intervention line than its drug and alcohol help line.

The non-profit, which provides help to people struggling with substance abuse or thoughts of suicide, received 18,619 calls to its Lifeline, or suicide prevention line, and 17,005 calls to its Helpline, which is geared helping with drug and alcohol issues.

The calls to Lifeline represents a record 65 percent increase from the year before.

Just last month, it received 1,777 calls.

Oregon Partnership attributes the spike in calls the bad economy.

“Unemployment continues to be at a record high, and that’s a reason for so many callers being in crisis,” said Leslie Storm, OP Crisis Lines Director in a statement. “And when unemployment benefits start disappearing, we expect the call volume to increase.”

The organization is also seeing an increased volume in calls from veterans.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

Today the Rose Festival (now the official festival of the City of Portland) announced its support for the Trail Blazers’ concept for the re-development of the Rose Quarter.

The Blazers have proposed turning the Rose Quarter, which is a ghost town when the team isn’t in season, into a year-round entertainment district called “Jumptown.” For more background go here.

In supporting the Blazers concept, the Rose Festival mentions how the concept allows for other organizations (including the festival) to continue using Memorial Coliseum. Festival organizers also liked how the design kept key architectural components that accommodate the Grand Floral Parade, which goes through the Rose Quarter.

From the press release:

One of the core strengths of the Trail Blazers/Winterhawks approach is its reverence for the architectural character of Memorial Coliseum and for community uses of the building — including the Rose Festival, OSAA competitions, and graduations. The concept ensures a long-term future for the Grand Floral Parade at Memorial Coliseum.

“We appreciate that Trail Blazers have put forth a concept for the Memorial Coliseum that accommodates one of the world’s great community events,” said Jeff Curtis, Executive Director of the Rose Festival Foundation. “The original design of the Memorial Coliseum specifically accommodated the iconic Grand Floral Parade, a key architectural and community feature that would be lost with a radical intervention of the building’s interior bowl.”

The original Skidmore, Owings and Merrill design for the Memorial Coliseum placed large doors at either end of the facility to accommodate Rose Festival Parade floats.