Presented Without Tape Delay

[August 13th, 2008]

Portland’s “Fried-Chicken Killer” is the target of a new demand from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals . As first reported on WWire, the animal rights group asked Oregon prison officials last week to force convicted murderer (and fast-food lover), Tremayne Durham, onto a vegetarian diet. PETA says Durham should be switched to veggies despite his plea agreement with prosecutors in which he pleaded guilty to a 2006 murder in exchange for a feast of KFC and Popeyes fried chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, carrot cake and ice cream. No objections—yet—from PETA on the ice cream.

Environmental activist and convicted arsonist Tre Arrow gave a packed federal courtroom an earful Tuesday when he was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison for bombing gravel and logging trucks in 2001. In a rambling two-minute speech, Arrow described himself as “true to a higher power” and vowed to continue his fight to save the Earth when he’s out of prison—in about two years, with credit for time served. See wweek.com for the full story.

The César E. Chávez Boulevard Committee—re-emerging after an unsuccessful battle last year to rename North Interstate Avenue for the late Chicano labor leader—is proposing three new options to consider. According to Marta Guembes, one of the committee’s leaders, 39th Avenue, Grand Avenue and Broadway are all now under consideration for possible rechristening.

Don’t invite Commissioner Sam Adams and real-estate brokers to the same barbecue. Adams is roiling Realtors with a proposal that would eliminate an existing exemption that rank-and-file brokers have from the city’s 2.2 percent business license fee (see “A Real Break,” WW, May 9, 2007). Adams appears to have Council support for the change that he terms “an added bit of tax fairness.” Jane Leo, governmental affairs manager for the Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors, says the move is unfair to her group’s 7,500-plus members. Among the reasons? Many brokers with Portland offices do most of their business outside the city. Among her options: getting the Legislature next year to intervene. The proposal was scheduled to come to council Wednesday, Aug. 13.

Multnomah County officials aren’t alone in wondering how state Sen. Rick Metsger (D–Welches) can float the idea that the county is unconstitutionally using a local car rental tax for non-transportation projects like jail beds and health clinics. In Lane County—which funds parks and other projects with a similar tax—Chairman Faye Stewart says, “Our legal counsel feels pretty confident that...we’re on good legal standing.” As first reported in the Portland Tribune, Metsger recently set off Multnomah County Chairman Ted Wheeler by suggesting the cash-strapped county could fix the Sellwood Bridge if it used money from the local car rental tax. Now, Metsger tells Murmurs that he’d be open to considering a statewide car rental tax.

All the attention on the Beijing Olympics apparently isn’t spilling over into support in the People’s Republic of Portland for the Socialist Party of Oregon. The Oregon Elections Division notified the local Socialists last week that they’ve dropped below the 261 registered members needed (they have 180) to get a candidate who will challenge Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer in the Third Congressional District, which includes East Portland. Meantime, for more elections news on a proposed new state party that may help Ralph Nader’s presidential bid, go to WWire.

Adams and the man he beat in May, Sho Dozono, agree on something: Neither liked how the city handled a $27,000 private poll for Dozono that cost the first-time candidate his public financing. “It was confusing what I could do and couldn’t do,” Dozono told the Citizen’s Campaign Commission on Monday. Last month, Adams told the commission that its open brainstorming sessions about the poll inadvertently swayed the race. “The kinds of conversations you’re having around this table have huge ripple effects back out in the campaigns,” Adams said. (City Auditor Gary Blackmer was unapologetic: “I don’t know if you’re really suggesting, Sam, that we put this under the table.” “Oh, I never said that,” Adams replied.) In case you were wondering, Dozono is staying involved in politics as a co-chair of the Oregon League of Minority Voters.