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WINNERS
1. Police union official Tom
Mack narrowly survived a recall vote that was spurred
by cops angry about his criticism of top brass after the
May Day melee. The push had the tacit approval of union
president Greg Pluchos, who lost his best chance to knock
Mack out before the two probably face off in October.
2. Parkrose rebel and vice crusader Jennifer
Young is off the hook for allegedly pepper-spraying
a 15-year-old high-school student in the face. Unfortunately,
the girl's mother--the only witness to the act--was herself
later arrested for prostitution. The Multnomah County DA
dropped charges against Young.
3. Last year Oregon Republicans blocked a bill to
regulate the usurious car-title loan industry, which charges
interest of up to 360 percent. Now elections records show
that Select Management Resources, a sleazy--make that allegedly
sleazy--Georgia-based title loan company, gave the GOP $39,000.
No payoff, say Republicans--just a fortuitous coincidence.
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LOSERS
1. A PSU population forecast released last week
shows the city holding onto its middle class but at the
expense of families with school-aged kids. That's bad for
Portland Public Schools, whose enrollment will slip
15 percent in the next decade, leading to wrenching decisions
about school closures.
3. By postponing its long-awaited stream-protection
rules, Metro all but ensured that there will be no expansion
of the urban growth boundary this year. Fuming homebuilders
vow they'll take their case to the Legislature.
3. The poster bird for old-growth forests, the northern
spotted owl, continues along the path of the dodo. In
a fun little bit of bio-bureauspeak, the scientists brag
that the rate of decline has slowed. Translation: Not as
many are dying as before the Northwest Forest Plan. Problem
is, the rate is still three times higher than predicted.
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