Night Cabbie | Murmurs BOXERS' REBELLION Faced with an outcry from the progressive left, some members of the Portland City Council are backing away from their support of the Portland Joint Terrorism Task Force and making it clear that they're happy to let Mayor Vera Katz scoop up what has become a political turdpile. On Nov. 22 the council unanimously passed an ordinance allowing the Portland Police Bureau and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to cooperate on the task force aimed at combating domestic terrorism. As WW reported last week, the ordinance originally stated that the task force would target political activists "responsible for Right Wing and/or Left Wing movements."Led by City Commissioner Charlie Hales, council members quickly swapped the political activity language for "acts of criminal terrorism." That wasn't good enough for one group, led by the ACLU of Oregon, which notes that an underlying "memorandum of understanding" still sounds as if the PJTTF wants to know whether local activists wear boxers or briefs. "We're very concerned about targeting and identifying people based on political activity and not their conduct," says Andrea Meyer, legislative director of the ACLU of Oregon. "We'll be looking at this very closely." Critics of the proposal want the council to rescind the agreement, and some commissioners are leaving that option open. Hales, the police bureau's newest and harshest critic, says he wants the bureau and the FBI to detail how they plan to administer the task force. Erik Sten, usually a fast friend to the civil-rights crowd, admits that he screwed up by not going after the agreement more forcefully on Nov. 22. Sten and Dan Saltzman would like further public discussion of the agreement but don't see that happening without Katz's approval. Both Saltzman and Jim Francesconi stress that there needs to be cooperation between the PPB and the FBI but that the task force can't uproot public confidence in its ability to openly protest. The mayor, meanwhile, is digging in. "It's not going to be rescinded," says Sam Adams, Katz's chief of staff, referring to the agreement. FBI spokesman Gordon Compton says this is much ado about very little. "If people are just out there holding political rallies, they have nothing to be concerned about," he says. More pressure will come at the Dec. 6 City Council meeting, as seven people have lined up to criticize the task force, including Todd Olson, a former member of the city's police oversight panel, and Janet Wolf from the League of Women Voters. --Philip Dawdy Pass the Food Stamps, Sugar A victim of domestic violence who sought help from the state's Adult and Family Services office is suing the state, accusing her former caseworker of demanding sexual favors in return for benefits. Bobbie Jo Ford, 28, applied for emergency assistance from the Hillsboro branch of the Adult and Family Services division in January as a result of domestic violence. But her caseworker, Sergio Villalobos, "contaminated the social services contract" between Ford and the state with a "pervasive atmosphere of sexual innuendo and sexual advances," according to the lawsuit, filed in Multnomah County last week. In particular, Ford claims that Villalobos frequently said she "owed" him for the special favors he was doing her; made constant comments about her clothes being sexy; urged her to wear a tube top as a skirt; kissed her in his office; took her to see American Beauty, where he attempted to grope her; and asked her to show him her breasts. Ford was afraid she would lose her benefits and custody of her daughter if she did not play along with Villalobos' requests, according to the lawsuit. When she finally spurned his advances, she says, he retaliated by docking $40 a month in discretionary payments. AFS spokesman Jim Sellers told WW that Villalobos was dismissed from the agency in June but would not say why. He also said he could not comment on the pending litigation. "[Villalobos] stepped over the line, kept stepping over the line, and that was hurtful," said Ford's attorney, David Paul. "It's very important in social services to maintain boundaries." Contacted at home, Villalobos told WW he had no comment on the lawsuit. --Chris Lydgate STOP THE PRESSES! Rather than bashing the evils of global capitalism on the anniversary of last year's Seattle WTO riots, students at the University of Portland last Thursday lamented a more localized concern--a possible shortage of journalists. About three dozen sign-carrying University of Portland students rallied to show their displeasure over a Nov. 22 faculty senate vote that canned the school's journalism major. Professor Barbara Gayle, who heads the University's Department of Communication Studies, pushed to have journalism reduced from a Bachelor of Science degree to a track within her department. Gayle says the university, which is reviewing all of its academic programs in preparation for re-accreditation, can't afford to hire sufficient journalism faculty and has never adequately supported the 15-year-old program. "Our goal in changing the journalism major to a track was to bring the department more in line with other majors," Gayle says, explaining that journalism majors currently take fewer required courses than other students. Clinton Vining, a senior journalism student and the news editor of U of P's award-winning student paper, The Beacon, doesn't buy Gayle's argument. He and other supporters of the endangered program note that the number of journalism majors has risen from 6 in 1996 to 38 this year. "It's a stab in the back," Vining says of the faculty senate's decision. "After I spent $80,000 to go here, they tell me my major isn't very strong and never has been." Mick Mulcrone, the university's only full-time journalism instructor, worries that downgrading the program will deter top students interested in journalism from coming to the North Portland campus. "I hope I'm wrong about that," he says. Although the senate vote is final, journalism boosters retain a glimmer of hope, in part because of the coincidental business strategy of one of the University's most generous alums. Bob Pamplin Jr., who holds two degrees from the U of P, gave $10.8 million to the university last year and is rapidly building a media empire. Pamplin declined to comment on whether he plans to get involved. --Nigel Jaquiss Murmurs THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING US * Like a wily alley cat, Mike Pippi seems to have landed on his feet once again. After a hasty exit from the Regional Arts and Culture Council earlier this year, Pippi is reportedly in line for a new post at Portland State University, where he would be in charge of the Institute for Animation Studies. * Times may be tough for Jeff Grayson, but the former top pension investor was recently seen holding court at Castagna, one of P-town's spendiest restaurants, with his wife, Susan, and another couple. Eyewitnesses say Susan signed for the meal. * It's nice to get a little pat on the back for being generous. It's even nicer getting a full-blown massage. That's what eight people found out Sunday when the Finlandia Spa on Southeast Belmont Street kicked off its Hands for Hunger program, raising more than $400 for the Oregon Food Bank. The spa, in conjunction with the East/West College of Healing Arts, is offering discounted Sunday massages ($40 for a full hour) with all proceeds, including tips, going to the food bank. Call the spa (231-7991) for details. * Ouch! In its Dec. 5 article on potential Republican gubernatorial candidates, the state's largest daily newspaper tossed in a paragraph about Democratic prospects, naming U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer while omitting state Treasurer Jim Hill, the only Democrat who's officially announced his candidacy. * Speaking of omissions.... In his touching salute to the 150 most important Oregonians in the The O's 150th anniversary issue, Jonathan Nicholas managed to honor personal friends and that great humanitarian, the Jantzen Diving Girl, while ignoring the one major artist that Oregon has produced: Mark Rothko. A graduate of Lincoln High, a figure in Portland's theater scene and a young artist who had his work first shown at PAM, Rothko didn't quite make the O's grade. But here's a link: Rothko was also a paperboy in town. * Calling all beauticians: The Oregon Health Licensing Office is trying to track down 3,700 former barbers, hair stylists, facial technicians and nail technicians who hold expired cosmetology licenses to warn them of impending doom--if they do not renew their permits by Jan. 1, they may have to retake their exams. Traditionally, preening professionals had five years to renew an expired license, but new rules recently shortened that to a mere two years. State officials worry that former license holders who want to return to the beautifying business may be caught with their clippers down. * Operation Double Dan? One of the rumors around the Sheriff's Department these days is that the reason Dan Oldham was shifted from Dan Noelle's executive assistant to public information officer is to give him greater visibility and familiarity with the press--in preparation for a second County Commission run. (Oldham finished third in the May primary race for the District 4 seat that Lonnie Roberts just won.) And Noelle could certainly use an ally should he choose to seek the county chair slot in two years. So will Oldham run again? "I could do that, certainly," Oldham says without skipping a beat. "You never know, especially if the sheriff becomes chair." Baying at the Dogs When Bloodhound Gang comes to Portland next week, throngs of teens and twentysomethings will pack the Roseland Theatre. But camped outside, on the corner of 6th Avenue and West Burnside Street, a loose alliance of Asian Americans and other offended activists will be voicing their objection to lyrics they say are racist, misogynistic and irresponsible. Fans of the band's mainstream hits may not have caught the lyrics of songs like "She Ain't Got No Legs," which follows a courtship with a quadriplegic, or "Yellow Fever," a stereotype-laden tune about Asian women. Amidst street performances promoting Asian pride, the group will hand out song lyrics to the controversial "Yellow Fever." They hope young concertgoers will take issue with lines like "Oh me chinky she's so kinky/ got me hot like Nagasaki." "They say they shouldn't be taken seriously, that it's all in fun," says event organizer Leslie Lum. "But their lyrics are fodder for hate crimes." After David Geffen pulled "Yellow Fever" from album release four years ago, Bloodhound Gang's lyricist, Jimmy Pop, defended it. "The whole song is about how I want to bang an Asian girl," he told Rolling Stone. "I just don't know how something like that could breed hate." Organizers of the Portland demonstration say they're not trying to censor the band. "They have a right to freedom of expression," stresses Lum. "Well, so do we." --Christie Scotty   Night Cabbie BY Willie Milkis willie_milkis@hotmail.com TENTH AND STARK. It's a quarter to three on a Sunday night, and I pull up to two nice-looking young people waving their hands at me. This isn't right; they look and dress like fresh-faced college students, so what are they doing out here this time of night? They get in back and tell me to go to Dugo's. They're very polite, almost to a fault. They're even having a debate. He reaches up and taps me on the shoulder. "Excuse me, sir. Can you die from smoking cocaine?" I drop them across the street from Dugo's, and he gives me 10 bucks to wait. I watch them walk around, obviously trying to score. The street's fairly deserted and they search for awhile before coming back. "Plaid Pantry on Burnside, please." Still earnest and polite. On the bridge I ask what they're looking for. "Heroin," says the girl. "Do you know where to get any?" "No," I tell her, "but I've picked up a few pathetic drug-dealers from there, so you're probably on the right track, no pun intended." The Plaid is deserted too. The guy goes in to use the ATM, and I turn around to look at the girl. She's got just the beginnings of the look. Her skin doesn't look quite real anymore, and she's got fine, unnatural wrinkles around her eyes. On our way out of the parking lot we see a promising derelict approaching. "Get out of the cab to talk to him." She does, then he gets in and I take the three of them over the Burnside again. They give me 20 bucks and disappear under the bridge.