People around here are so completely unaware of their surroundings it boggles my mind. They don't notice (or don't care to notice) pretty much anything. Just a few moments ago, I'm sitting outside on my lunch break, beautiful weather, people sitting all around me. Suddenly, a loud roar emerges from the distance, gaining momentum until a ferocious VROOOOMMM sounds overhead, revealing a tightly knit pack of F-18 Blue Angel Hornets, locked tight into formation. So low, they're BAREly over the tree tops. Only thing that would have made them louder is if they switched on their afterburners to reach the speed of sound. But did anyone around me notice? Nope! Not a single person looked up from their phone. Literally no one. I was the only one of maybe 10 people that even bothered to look up. That's just crazy to me.

Why did you spend $50 to see Melissa Villasenor if you're going to say out loud your worse version of her jokes? Why would you do your hair and leave Lake Oswego to openly talk about a text you received while the woman with the microphone is talking? Just enjoy the damn show and let others do the same. Wearing a black leather jacket to a comedy club does not make you classy.

GOOD MORNING, SUNDAY! It's the perfect time to catch up on some of the great reporting and stories the Mercury churned out this week! (PRO TIP: If you despise being "the last to know," then be one of the first to know by signing up for Mercury newsletters! All the latest stories shipped directly to your email's in-box... and then... YOUR HEAD.)

• New Research Finds No Link Between Measure 110 and Overdose Deaths

A study published this week found no evidence of a correlation between Oregon's Measure 110 and overdose deaths. Researchers note that fatal overdoses are on the rise nationally, due to fentanyl, but not because of public policy changes.

• POP QUIZ PDX!

See if you can correctly answer this week's sassy-ass trivia Qs about Dame's exit, sketchy police chiefs, and co-worker robots (stealing your sandwich out of the break room fridge).

• Facing a $32 Million Shortfall, PBOT Leaders Issue Grim Forecast for Portland’s Transportation Future

Budget issues that have long plagued Portland’s transportation bureau (PBOT) are catching up to it. Without immediate help from City Council, hundreds of jobs are at stake, as well as beloved community programming and basic maintenance operations.

• THE TRASH REPORT

Let's go, trash pandas! 🦝 It's time to dig into the hottest gossip. This week: Striking strikers, missing jets, and Chris Pine doing hot yoga (pant, pant, pant)!

• Eight Fascinating Things We Learned in Poison Waters’ Drag History Class

The PCC class taught by Darcelle XV Showplace co-host Poison Waters goes back far further than her 35 years of drag performance—we took the class to give you a taste.

• Portland Police Union Settles False Information Lawsuit Brought By Former Commissioner Hardesty

Hardesty's lawsuit stemmed from 2021 leak of false information by police and the police union that erroneously implicated her in a hit-and-run crash. A settlement was reached after a judge ruled the union president's actions were not protected speech.

• HEAR IN PORTLAND

NYC rap duo Armand Hammer heat up Polaris Hall. Plus, PDX Pop Now! for fall, and Dame D.O.L.L.A shot a video in Portland's Rose Test Garden with Rexx Life Raj. Get your hot music news here!

• Oregon Cartoonist Breena Bard Draws a Climate Change Story From a Middle-School View

A new graphic novel from Oregon Book Award-winning cartoonist Breena Bard takes on climate change and shows practical ways kids can participate in activism—even if they don't want to march.

• Red Door's Streamlined Evolve Experience Is Ready for the Road

This hot button theatrical production about police (and the public they interact with) is not trying to entertain. That doesn't mean it's not engrossing.

• Don't Miss the Next Hilarious TWO EVILS Comedy Game Show

Get your tickets NOW for the next (and hilarious) edition of TWO EVILS—the live comedy game show! Hosted by Arlo Weierhauser and Kate Murphy... plus super special guest KYLE KINANE! 😍😈

• SAVAGE LOVE

Should one warn their sex partner before doing poppers? Dan Savage sniffs out the truth.

WOW, THAT IS A LOT OF GOOD READIN'. I hope you didn't have any other plans this weekend! Dig in, and remember: Producing all this hard work costs moolah—so please consider contributing to the Mercury to keep it all coming! Thanks!

We don't need any more upper middle class mediocre straight white men in this city. You are an entitled shit bag who lacks empathy for people who aren't attractive and don't center you constantly. You might have been able to fool our boss and coworkers because they are all from California but you'll never be able to fool true Portlanders. Drinking at the Nest and going to punk shows doesn't make you a local. Giving an actual shit about this place and the people who live here does.

I know we're all tired exhausted from crisis after crisis confronting crises outside of our control. Criminal policies backed by capitalistic lords are keeping us all poor, but do not forget to be true and be kind be loving be accepting be caring and keep on shining. No one can take that away from us.

Last week, leaked emails revealed Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) director Millicent Williams planned to spend half a million dollars to reverse safety elements on a downtown protected bike lane on Northwest and Southwest Broadway Street. Williams expressed urgency in her plans, while appearing to keep them obscured from the public, and asking if the changes could be made overnight. 

The proposed changes—which were met with “shock and disbelief,” both from PBOT staff and community advocates—have since been reversed. But a feeling of distrust lingers. Commissioner Mingus Mapps, who oversees PBOT, maintains he hadn’t been briefed on the plan, but advocates are skeptical. 

The controversy came at an inopportune time for PBOT, which is dealing with a $32.6 million budget shortfall that could result in massive service cuts and hundreds of job losses in the next fiscal year. 

The community temperature was made evident at a Sept. 26 budget work session, where Williams sat in front of protest signs demanding her resignation while she asked City Council to better fund Portland’s transportation system. The protesters joined the budget work session to ask for accountability from Williams and Mapps.

Williams was hired to the PBOT director’s seat this summer, joining the bureau in July after a monthslong search for new leadership. After the public backlash against her proposed changes to Broadway, advocates began to voice their concerns about the direction PBOT is going with Williams at the helm. 

The turmoil has raised concerns about how transportation leaders will handle the ongoing budget crisis. Chaotic budget management could cost PBOT capital grants in the future, cutting off yet another income stream from the financially-flailing bureau. 

The story of the Broadway bike lane 

Active transportation advocates have long been concerned about the direction PBOT is headed and where the bureau’s priorities lie. In recent months, conversations between Portlanders and transportation leaders about increasing traffic fatalities on Portland’s streets and budget allocation have become heated. So when word got out that newly-hired PBOT Director Williams wanted to make changes to one of the city’s longest protected bikeways, the mood was ripe for backlash. 

Broadway is a high-crash street on both sides of the river. The parking-protected bike lane downtown extends more than 20 blocks between the west side of the Broadway Bridge and the Portland State University campus, offering separation between car and bike traffic— a recommended practice for making streets safer for all road users. 

Previous segments of the Broadway bike lane were completed on the southern and northernmost stretches of the street in 2009 and 2020, respectively, but the middle segment—covering the corridor from SW Harvey Milk to Clay Streets—was just finalized in October last fall. 

Not everyone was happy with the design change. Some business owners expressed anger about the new street configuration, especially along the southwest segment of the corridor. Management at the Heathman Hotel on SW Broadway at Salmon Street was particularly upset, airing concerns about the apparent “operational challenges” presented by the new bike lane to the media—and to PBOT leaders. 

It’s unclear when PBOT first considered making changes to the Broadway bike lane. But reporting in BikePortland revealed Williams asked PBOT staff to begin working on a new design in mid-August. An email she sent to PBOT staff on Aug. 21 referenced the need to be “responsive to the concerns shared by the ‘downtown’ community” and stressed urgency, stating “doing nothing is not an option.” 

PBOT staff developed a list of potential actions for Broadway. Then, in early September, they created a ‘Broadway briefing book’ for Commissioner Mapps and his staff. In a September14 email from Williams, PBOT staff were directed about the planned changes, which included returning curb-tight parking to Broadway everywhere north of SW Salmon Street. The change would require people biking to ride between moving car traffic on one side and a door zone on the other. 

As behind-the-scenes information was revealed and subsequently circulated on social media, PBOT was suddenly in an unforeseen public relations storm. Ultimately, Williams issued an apology and retracted the plan, telling PBOT staff she “moved too fast…and it cost us trust.” PBOT has now announced a new plan for the Broadway bike lane that doesn’t remove the parking protection and is much more favorable to bike safety advocates.

Transportation advocates celebrated the news that PBOT won’t be moving forward with plans to roll back protection on the Broadway bike lane. But to some, the damage has been done. Advocates are skeptical about Mapps’ claims that he wasn’t informed about potential changes, and concerned about the quality of communication between City Council and PBOT. 

Williams’ email detailing her plans for the Broadway bike lane states the director developed the plan “after consulting with Commissioner [Mapps].” But as soon as news of the plans got out, Mapps and his staff said they hadn’t been briefed on a plan, and maintained that position in a statement to the Mercury this week. 

“I have stated from the beginning that I asked PBOT to explore options regarding the Broadway bike lane. I have received mixed feedback on the efficacy and impact of that infrastructure,” Mapps wrote in a September 26 email to the Mercury. “I have not had a formal or final briefing from PBOT about the list of options.”

Williams told the Mercury in an interview this week that she and Mapps have different communication styles. 

“Because [of that], there can be the presumption that there's some conflict,” Williams said. “It's unfortunate that the interpretation of that communication… created a narrative because there were pieces of a conversation that people were not privy to.” 

Bigger than Broadway 

Advocates say regardless of what happened behind closed doors regarding the Broadway bike lane, there are other reasons to be concerned that Mapps and Williams aren’t strong enough advocates for transportation safety and will easily cave to business interests. 

At a Sept. 21 PBOT Bureau & Budget Advisory Committee (BBAC) meeting, several members addressed Williams after she issued an apology to the committee. BBAC member Kara Helgren said she felt under Williams’ leadership, PBOT is not “really committed to finding safer ways for people to use streets.”

“I’m also really concerned about what looks like dishonesty coming out of either PBOT or out of Mr. Mapps’ office,” Helgren said. “I don’t know how easy it’s going to be to trust you that our input [on the budget] is going to be respected.”

Williams told the Mercury she “wouldn’t say the business community [or anyone else] has an outsized voice” when it comes to getting PBOT’s ear. 

“But as a bureau, we do have to ensure we're thinking about every part of the community. If we find ourselves placing facilities that restrict access, or keep users from being able to park and go into a business with relative ease…there's an impact to that,” Williams said. “The goal is not to close businesses. Businesses employ people, businesses help families keep food on the table…it's a bigger conversation. It's about the social contract we have with the community to make sure that we're servicing well.” 

As PBOT leaders work to figure out an exceedingly dire budget outlook, the back-and-forth about already-constructed transportation projects could jeopardize future funding opportunities. 

At a City Council meeting on Sept. 20, Sarah Iannarone, executive director of The Street Trust, expanded on the fiscal ramifications of such decisions. 

“Our concern extends far beyond this stretch of curb [on Broadway] to issues of governance and fiscal responsibility within the bureau as related to the grant applications under discussion today,” Iannarone said. 

She elaborated, adding that PBOT is currently seeking federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for active transportation projects on 82nd Avenue and in the Lower Albina neighborhood, including to construct protected bike lanes on East Broadway. 

“The current proposal to remove the protected bike lane along W. Broadway, which directly connects to the bike lanes for which we are applying for federal funding along E Broadway, raises a significant question: why would the federal government fund infrastructure installation that PBOT might later decide to remove?” Iannarone said. “It's difficult to imagine why USDOT would entrust PBOT with their money when there appear to be issues locally with project planning and implementation as well as fiscal responsibility.” 

Oregon Metro, which distributes much of the federal funds PBOT uses for new projects, may have had their interest piqued by the Broadway debacle. In a statement to the Mercury, Nick Christensen, a spokesperson for Metro said the agency is “monitoring how PBOT implements grants awarded by Metro and paid for through federal funds.” 

“These are competitive grants that help address our region’s limited transportation funding, and it’s imperative that jurisdictions that are awarded grants follow through on the grant commitments.” 

The Broadway bike lane was funded with $4.5 million of Regional Flexible Funding Allocation (RFFA) grants administered by Metro, and matched with $600,000 from PBOT’s General Transportation Revenue fund. 

Amid all the budget chaos,  the city is also gearing up for government changes under the charter reform measure, which will do away with the siloed bureau form of government and give every city elected official a chance to strategize about transportation solutions. 

But the changes won’t occur until 2025, and until then, people hope transportation leaders won’t abandon active transportation needs for perceived political gain. 

“As the city is currently structured, the need for us to be able to get political support—literally votes in order to move something forward—is an incredibly delicate dance,” Williams told the Mercury. “That does not necessarily mean that just because the political will to do something is not there, that we won’t push for something to happen. It's a balance. Some things are easy pills to swallow and others less so.” 

In an email statement to the Mercury, Mapps wrote he “understands the importance of fostering a transportation system that accommodates the needs of every road user.” 

“While PBOT’s ongoing budget crisis is undoubtedly painful, and the constraints are significant, our goal remains to deliver a more accessible, equitable, and safe transportation system for all,” Mapps wrote. 

The city of Portland faces a legal challenge over its new ordinance prohibiting unhoused people from living or resting in most public spaces.

A class-action lawsuit filed Friday, September 29 by Oregon Law Center, asserts the city’s restrictions on homeless camping are unconstitutional, cruel, and impossible to comply with. 

A city ordinance approved in June imposed new rules requiring people living outside to pick up their tents, sleeping bags, and other belongings, and remove them each day from 8 a.m to 8 p.m. Those who don’t comply face a written warning, then a potential $100 fine or up to 30 days in jail.

The ordinance has yet to be enforced. City officials said they’re allowing extra time to train police on enforcing the new rules, and allowing time for education and outreach to those who would be impacted.

Attorneys say it’s unreasonable to expect someone living outside to pack up all of their belongings each day and try to find somewhere to go for 12 hours. 

“As our Complaint shows, this ordinance is cruel and unreasonable,” Ed Johnson, director of litigation for the Oregon Law Center, stated. “It is a huge step in the wrong direction. We need to solve homelessness. Instead of focusing on proven solutions like more affordable supportive housing, rent assistance tenant protections and other services, this ordinance makes it a crime to be homeless. It criminalizes the people that have already been left out and punishes them with jail and fines for simply trying to survive.”

Under the new ordinance, campsites are prohibited on public property, walkways, and all areas within 250 feet of schools or childcare centers, construction zones, environmental overlays, and existing Safe Rest Village or safe park sites. The city created fliers and a color-coded online map showing which areas are off limits, but stopped short of posting signage. 

Oregon Law Center's complaint notes the ordinance provides "an incomprehensible list" of where people can't camp, but provides no guidance on where a person would go for basic acts of survival, like sleeping, resting, or staying warm and dry at night.

When the Portland City Council approved the ordinance in June, Mayor Ted Wheeler noted the ordinance would focus on education and outreach during its initial rollout. He said the goal is “to connect people with services, not to impose punishment.”

James Duncan is one of five plaintiffs named in the lawsuit. Duncan, 40, has disabilities, including epilepsy stemming from a traumatic brain injury, anxiety, and PTSD. He’s been homeless for most of the last four years. Duncan said he collects cans and bottles for money to afford food and medicine since he and his wife split up and he lost his job. 

“I do not understand where I can sleep under the new ordinance,” Duncan wrote in a declaration included in the lawsuit. “I don’t think that I’m allowed to sleep in the MAX, and, even if I could, there’s no service from midnight to 4 a.m. I sleep during the day because it’s safer and there are more people around, and since I’ve been robbed and beaten up in the past, I’m afraid to sleep at night.”

Duncan said if he gets arrested for violating the new ordinance, it would be virtually impossible for him to function in jail with PTSD.

Another plaintiff, Karen Engelhardt, said she grew up in Vancouver, Washington, and graduated from Evergreen High School, before attending community college in Vancouver and later, Chico, California. 

Engelhardt, 46, sells ink drawings outside Powell’s Books in Portland for money, but has no other income. She said she’s been homeless off and on for the last decade. She’s on waitlists for housing, but in the meantime, she worries what the new rules will mean for her, and doesn’t know where she could sleep without breaking the law.

“I don’t know where I could put my belongings between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. every day,” Engelhardt wrote. “I know there is a storage container under the Steel Bridge, but it’s not open until 8 p.m. at night on any day. If I go to jail, I’ll have no way to make a living or stay in touch with Home Forward and other possible housing leads.”

Like Engelhardt, critics say people living outside likely won’t be able to tell which areas are off limits, and the ordinance could lead to heavy police profiling of unhoused residents. 

Others say the city’s new policy will only deepen disparities for Portland’s most vulnerable residents.

“As the saying goes, ‘when America catches a cold, Black folks get pneumonia,’” Nkenge Harmon Johnson, president and CEO of the Urban League of Portland, wrote in a declaration accompanying the lawsuit. “The housing crisis in our region has impacted Black communities harder than others."

In the legal declaration, Harmon Johnson said the Urban League is “deeply saddened” by the city’s ordinance and expects it to cause harm to those already struggling without housing, especially Black people.

“We restate our long-held stance on this issue that the banning and criminalization of homelessness will only prolong the City of Portland’s homelessness problem, not solve it.”

Oregon lawmakers passed legislation in 2021 that dictates any local law regulating resting or keeping warm and dry outdoors on public property must be "objectively reasonable" regarding time, place and manner restrictions. The legislation went into effect this year.

Attorneys with the Oregon Law Center requested a temporary restraining order Friday, and want a preliminary injunction to put Portland’s ordinance on pause until it undergoes legal review by the courts. 

In its request for a restraining order, the Oregon Law Center notes the state law around homelessness restrictions “was passed to protect people living outside from fines and jail.”

There are bountiful fall feels throughout the events we're recommending for this weekend, from the 19th Annual Widmer Brothers Oktoberfest to Portland Cider Co.'s Apple Pressing Party and from Fall in Love with Lents: Really Free Night Market & East PDX Art Fest to a Mid-Autumn Carnival hosted by HeyDay and Portland Cà Phê.

Lez Stand Up : In-the-Round
Gather 'round, ladies and theydies: Your fave queer comedy show will return for another installment, with special guests Ally J, Quinne Salameh, Kirsten Kuppenbender, and Two Evils co-host Arlo Weierhauser hitting center stage. (Literally—they'll perform in the center of the room, so you can fulfill your dream of seeing a comedian from both the front and the back.) On top of being a barrel full of queer chuckles, the show is a great excuse to check out the new-ish Siren Theater space on Mississippi. LINDSAY COSTELLO
(Siren Theater, Boise, $15)

Your contribution to the Mercury supports our editorial team. We try to ask unobtrusively, but there have been a couple surveys where an overwhelming number of readers said we should remind them more. The Mercury believes in Portland and smart, local journalism—we also like fun, sex, and staying curious about one another. Without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

Good Morning, Portland! What a week. It looks like we've mostly cleared the atmospheric river, but we have officially entered rainy season now. So no matter what a forecaster tells you, it could rain AT ANY TIME. Weather reports? Those are for big rain. But a little, powerful rainstorm? Could happen any time. Portlanders please join me in zipping up and zipping into rainwear and THE NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:
• What a week of fierce Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) discussions. On Wednesday, New Editor Courtney Vaughn wrote about at study by the CDC, released Wednesday, that found no correlation between Oregon’s drug decriminalization law and rising overdose deaths. She recently updated the story to note that newer provisional data exists, but has yet to be finalized. "Health researchers say they'll continue to look at the latest available data, and update their analysis, but caution the rates of change alone aren't enough to tell what impact, if any, Measure 110 had on those overdoses."

• But just because the data suggests Measure 110 isn't to blame, doesn't mean Portland isn't reeling from the fentanyl crisis along with the rest of the nation. Associated Press reports that the Portland Police Bureau are investigating a number of recent overdose patients who were children. Since June, police say that they're aware of 10 children who have required care for suspected overdose—and fentanyl was a suspected drug in nine of those cases. The exact drugs involved haven't been confirmed by the Medical Examiner's Office at this time, but police say they're concerned.

• Soon to be traded Blazers point guard Damian Lillard wrote a sweet note to the city about his impending move to the Milwaukee Bucks:

RipCity Forever ❤️… Dame Time has run out 🫡 pic.twitter.com/Rnm8oT5qF7

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) September 28, 2023

• In your local music news this week: The postponed PDX Pop Now! is ready for fall, NYC rap duo Armand Hammer tour through Polaris Hall, and Dame D.O.L.L.A features in yet another soft focus music video shot in a Portland rose garden. 

• It's Friday, so tickets are about to go on sale. Make sure to grip Dinosaur Jr. at Revolution Hall and / or Y La Bamba at Wonder Ballroom before they sell out. Oh, and... a THIRD Tina Fey & Amy Poehler was just added for the Portland stop on their Restless Leg tour.

IN NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
• The nation's longest serving woman Senator Dianne Feinstein has died at age 90. In the past year, Feinstein had been increasingly criticized for her reluctance to retire from her position as California's senior senator—in February, she announced she wouldn't run for reelection in 2024. Feinstein had an incredibly long career in public service and holds a number of titles related to the advancement of women in politics, among them: first woman mayor of San Francisco, first woman senator of California, first woman to chair the Senate Rules Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee. It has always struck me as particularly galvanizing and / or tragic that Feinstein was the person who found Harvey Milk at his desk, after he was assassinated by Dan White. She announced the news of the killings. Feinstein was a complicated political figure who notoriously carried a gun in her purse, but also fought for gun control. Known for her quips and quick remarks, she was a master at deflecting the rampant sexism she faced. In '95, the Los Angeles Times related a story which became a famous instance of Feinstein:

Though Feinstein was known to carry a handgun in her purse, she afterwards became a proponent of gun control. In 1994, Feinstein exchanged words with National Rifle Association member and Idaho senator Larry Craig, who suggested during a debate on banning assault weapons that "the gentlelady from California" should be "a little bit more familiar with firearms and their deadly characteristics." She reminded Craig that she indeed had experience with the results of firearms when she put her finger in a bullet hole in Milk's neck while searching for a pulse. 

• Today's big national story should honestly be GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, although we also mentioned it yesterday. Just because we've had shutdowns before doesn't mean they don't suck for government employees (many won't be paid), military service people (nothing currently set up to paid them during the shutdown, but we usually do), and the parts of national parks that don't enjoy being covered with garbage (goats are fine with it). This bit of recurring political theater is expected to kick off on Saturday. We salute the journalists bravely fighting to describe our nation's latest shutdown in ways that feel fresh, because it's important, they're actually pretty disruptive, and end up costing taxpayers more money.

• The Supreme Court is set to look at whether US states can individually demand social media companies (Facebook, TikTok etc.) regulate content found on their platforms. This is the one about can you kick off hate speech, not the one about can the governor have TikTok on her government phone—although they're thinking about looking at the latter soon.

• There were a few bright points that got me through this week, and one was the slow permeation through popular culture of comedian Brian Jordan Alvarez's "Sitting Is the Opposite of Standing." I've been a fan of Alvarez since 2016's The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo, and this generous little ditty is like another gift Alverez has given the world. Here's the original and some of my favorite riffs on it so far:

🎶 sitting 🎶🗣️🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/k2R0RTX95N

— Brian Jordan Alvarez (@brianjoralvarez) September 10, 2023

I’m weeping @mmonicamartinn
(SITTING cover by icon Monica Martin. Ben Darwish on piano!) pic.twitter.com/vJKqq00Cr4

— Brian Jordan Alvarez (@brianjoralvarez) September 23, 2023

Wow @selfkentered pic.twitter.com/rQaqbCAWbO

— Brian Jordan Alvarez (@brianjoralvarez) September 21, 2023

Wow @hipstermermaid pic.twitter.com/OO6UwmMBwX

— Brian Jordan Alvarez (@brianjoralvarez) September 23, 2023

Just in time for “stick season,” folk troubadour Noah Kahan has dropped dates for his We'll All Be Here Forever tour. Indie pop gem Arlo Parks will bring her Soft Machine tour to Portland next spring. Plus, perennial indie rock kings Dinosaur Jr. will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their fifth album, Where You Been. Read on for details on those and other newly announced events, plus some news you can use.

MUSIC

Arlo Parks
Crystal Ballroom (Mar 9, 2024)

Celtic Woman 20th Anniversary Tour
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (May 14, 2024)

Daði Freyr
Wonder Ballroom (Mar 24, 2024)

This week the rains returned, bringing with them cooler temperatures, and a desire to expand our record collections. Get on your raincoats, because there's plenty of shows we still need to get out and see. For starters, the postponed local music fest PDX Pop Now! finally pops off in early October, and we're eagerly anticipating a visit from NYC rap power duo Armand Hammer. Hot off the news of Blazers point guard Damian Lillard being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, let us take in his excellent feature on a recent Rexx Life Raj track. This is the music deluge, Hear in Portland!

Upcoming local event(s) featuring local artist(s).

Summer in Portland isn't complete until we've danced to music by local artists in a Central Eastside alleyway at PDX Pop Now! However, this year—the fest's 20th year—organizers announced that the forecast for its August dates looked way too hot for fans to safely shake it. PDX Pop Now! postponed its backstreet blast until October 6-8. Now in fall, the survey of excellent local music crops up not only at the Electric Blocks, but North Portland venues Red Fox and Specks Records and Tapes. The bill looks forthcoming, but Portland-based emcee Bocha and the emotive pop-punks of Nonbinary Girlfriend are already onboard. If you haven't checked on this year's comp yet, you'll also want to give that a listen. Like a good PDX Pop Now! comp should, it starts out Devo and danceable with art punk rockers Buddy Wynkoopth—who we hope to see joining the lineup soon.

<a href="https://pdxpopnow.bandcamp.com/album/pdx-pop-now-vol-20">PDX Pop Now! Vol. 20 by PDX Pop Now!</a>

New release(s) from a Portland-relevant artist.

It's been over a month since Dame D.O.L.L.A. released his fifth studio album Don D.O.L.L.A, and should you worry there's no more music on the way from the soon-to-be-former Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, then let your ears rest on these verses and your mind feel peace. Named for Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell, a deeply-talented ball player—and subject of the 2003 documentary Hooked—who fell into drug addiction and crime before his career could take off, the anthem from Berkeley singer and rapper Rexx Life Raj focuses on perseverance in a way that feels less like gloating and much more like a pep talk. Among Dame's verses, "I’m the one who been the one / but they ignored me / poured into myself / instead of poor me," particularly aligns with Raj's catchy, inspirational chorus "I had to walk in my greatness / to step in my greatness." Even if the track didn't glow up, we would have still loved the new visual, which was directed (as so many videos have been lately) by local videographer Riley Brown. It's impossible to not notice the visual's relationship with another video featuring Dame, Tobe Nwigwe's “Mini Me,” which dropped almost exactly a year ago. While Nwigwe directed that video himself, both are built on soft focus shots of Portland rose gardens. “Hook Mitchell” showcases our Rose Test Garden, interspersed with views of the downtown skyline so rosy every building could be Big Pink.

Some upcoming music buzz to put on your radar.

If you saw the hip hop power duo of ELUCID and billy woods at Pickathon in 2022, you're already amped to hear Armand Hammer is touring through the area again, supporting their new album We Buy Diabetic Test Strips, which drops September 29 via Fat Possum Records. Much like the name suggests, Diabetic Test Strips unpacks overlooked societal ills, presenting them inside a cavernous and echoing soundscape—it's like you're hearing ghost stories about the US medical system (appropriate). Every pre-released track we've heard so far is good, but "Trauma Mic" stands out for ELUCID's unforgettable quips like "There's no healing in the light / White Jesus got jokes," and billy woods' phrases about cold fingers that you can feel: "Any one of you bums could be Jesus / Fingers numb, tryna work the light / That white like Mother Theresa / Hype when I first laid eyes on Bathsheba / Bust down, middle part, big laugh, she still called grass 'cheeba' / Missionary 'cause I know God see us." (Polaris Hall, 635 N Killingsworth Ct, Mon Oct 9, 8 pm, $25, tickets here, 21+)

Okay... uh. The Zombies are playing a Music Millennium in-store next week. Yes, '60s-era hit-cranking British rock band the Zombies. Pioneers of baroque pop bangers, like "Time of the Season," "She's Not There," "Going Out of My Head," and "Tell Her No," the Zombies. You've been hearing their songs in movies for most of your life... the Zombies. Those guys. As they're touring in support of their new record Different Game, it's worth mentioning that they're also playing Aladdin Theater on October 3, a venue which will have vastly better amplification than a record store. But IDK I've always found in-store performances kind of exciting. And FREE. ( Music Millennium, 3158 E Burnside, Wed Oct 4, noon, FREE, all ages)

WHAT'S UP, SMARTY TROUSERS? It's time once again to put your brainy-brain to the test with this week's edition of POP QUIZ PDX—our weekly, local, sassy-ass trivia quiz. And this week, you'll be answering questions about ROBOTS... COPS... AND ROBOT COPS! Plus some other non-robotic cop questions for those who think about other stuff besides robot cops. (I am not one of those people. 🤖)

But before we continue... HOW DID YOU DO ON THE PREVIOUS QUIZ? I would grade you "medium excellent!" And I especially enjoyed your answer for what we should do with Portland's know-nothing (but loud-mouth) billionaires. (Though they would probably die of fright at the prospect of living on $47K per year! 😂)

OKAY, TIME FOR A NEW QUIZ! Take this week's quiz below, take our previous pop quizzes here, and come back next week for a brand spankin' new quiz! (Having a tough time answering this quiz? It's probably because you aren't getting Mercury newsletters! HINT! HINT!) Now crank up that cerebellum, because it's time to get BRAINY!

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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! It'll be a nice, drizzly autumn day. It'll be nice and sunny this weekend, though, so hold tight if you're into that sort of thing. And onto the NEWS!

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is deep in the red, and they're therefore issuing a big CODE RED to City Council and all city residents: if they don't get about $32 million in funding before the next fiscal year, the bureau will have to cut about a third of its services. On the chopping block: more than 100 jobs, programs like Sunday Parkways, and, uh...landslide repair? PBOT officials went to City Council on Tuesday to ask for some help, but City Council members—Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Rene Gonzalez in particular—don't seem too keen on allocating more money to our city's transportation system if it means taking anything away from the cops. It's only the beginning of next year's budget season, so we'll see what happens. In the meantime, read the Mercury's story to learn more. 

• Well...it's finally confirmed. Damian Lillard is leaving the Portland Trailblazers to join the Milwaukee Bucks, and Portlanders everywhere (even ones who don't pay, like, that much attention to basketball) shed a tear. Unfortunately, that's pretty much all the sports commentary I'm equipped to offer. But I wish him luck.

Get your tickets NOW for the next (and hilarious) edition of TWO EVILS—the live comedy game show! Hosted by @ArloCW and @katemurphys... plus super special guest @kylekinane! 😍😈https://t.co/ELoOlgT3V0

— Portland Mercury 🗞 (@portlandmercury) September 27, 2023

• Obama was in Portland (well, Beaverton) yesterday visiting the Nike HQ, and nobody knows why. New Nike Air Obamas coming soon? It seems to be a top secret affair. Maybe he just wanted to buy some shoes at a 40% discount.

With possible strike looming, Portland Public Schools, teachers union face $200M gulf https://t.co/DUcWNfaPax

— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) September 28, 2023

• Portland City Council approved a five-year, $750 million Climate Investment Plan yesterday, funded by the Portland Clean Energy Fund. The plan will bring more trees to Portland's streets, as well as electric bike rebates and clean energy retrofits for housing and businesses. It's a drop in the bucket compared to what's going to be needed to solve the climate crisis, but it's a pretty solid first step, and a bright spot in Portland's current government woes. 

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• In order to fix overheated and dying coral reefs on Florida's coast, scientists will let loose an army of Caribbean king crabs into the ocean nearby. These crabs feast on macro algae, which has been "choking reefs" and making it even more difficult for them to recover from deadly marine heatwaves. As this Vox article astutely puts it: "Not all heroes wear capes. Some are crabs." 

• As the start of October looms this weekend, the U.S. government nears ever closer to a shutdown. As you may recall from past government shutdowns, which seem to be a pretty regular occurrence in this day and age (though the most recent one was during the Trump administration), this will have a big impact on basic government functions and millions of employees won't receive paychecks. If you're wondering who to blame, look no further than the flank of far-right House Republicans and weak-willed Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who can't seem to get them in line to come to a budget agreement. 

• Irish actor Sir Michael Gambon, best known for playing Dumbledore in most of the Harry Potter movies (he took over the role after the death of his predecessor Richard Harris), has died at age 82 after a bout of pneumonia. Sad! 

SAG-AFTRA and the studios to resume talks https://t.co/EV2oZc3SZ4

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) September 28, 2023

• At last night's second Republican presidential debate, contenders called out their rival Donald Trump, who was notably absent from the stage. None of their remarks about him were very strong, though. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the former president “hides behind the walls of his golf clubs and won’t show up here to answer questions like all the rest of us are up here to answer.” Christie also issued the epic burn of calling Trump "Donald Duck." (I bet he feels really roasted.) Nikki Haley, however, issued a referendum on the truly crazy Vivek Ramaswamy, saying “honestly, every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber for what you say.” (Haha.) This is all such a mess, but what else was anyone expecting?

• Finally...in honor of Sea Otter Awareness Week:

          View this post on Instagram                      

A post shared by Monterey Bay Aquarium (@montereybayaquarium)

Portland transportation insiders have long been sounding the alarm: the city's transportation bureau is in financial free fall. But most Portlanders haven’t been in the loop about the budget crisis threatening city streets. The issue has remained mainly in the jurisdiction of Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) staffers and city planning wonks. 

If the bureau doesn’t receive a life raft, however, the extent of PBOT’s money woes may soon become much more apparent to the public. Right now, bureau leaders face a financial outlook requiring $32.6 million in budget cuts in fiscal year 2024-2025—nearly a third of the bureau’s $99 million annual allotment for general transportation resources. Much of the funding shortfall is due to a dramatic decline in revenue from parking fees over the past few years.

At a Sept. 26 budget work session with Portland City Council, PBOT officials laid out grim projections for the future if something doesn't give. The message? If the city's transportation bureau falls, no Portlander will be left unscathed. 

In the budget work session, which came ahead of the city's 2024-25 budget planning season, PBOT leaders made their case for more financial help from the rest of the city by spelling out what's at stake. 

On the line: hundreds of full-time jobs, critical maintenance work, beloved transportation programs like Sunday Parkways and the Transportation Wallet, and much more. The only way out is to raise revenues—or divert funds from other city bureaus and programs. 

"There is no way to cut $32 million from PBOT's budget without deeply undermining Portland's transportation system," Commissioner Mingus Mapps, who oversees PBOT, said at the budget work session. “We can cut services or we can raise revenues.”

But city commissioners and Mayor Ted Wheeler aren’t keen on either of these options. 

In May, Wheeler—arguing Portlanders were tired of the city’s high cost of living— tried to gut a council-approved, 40 cent parking fee increase that would’ve brought PBOT $24 million in much-needed revenue over the next five years. Mapps was able to negotiate approval of the parking fee increase, but at only 20 cents, cutting that revenue stream in half. 

The parking fee debacle was emblematic of PBOT’s precarious situation and reignited urgency around addressing the bureau’s budget woes. PBOT leaders realized not only were the majority of Portlanders unaware of the transportation budget crisis— it also hadn’t made its way into the water cooler chatter at City Hall yet. 

Backing up a bit: Revenue from gas tax and parking fees—PBOT's biggest moneymakers—has been in rapid decline since the beginning of the pandemic. There’s also been a historic drop in State Highway Fund monies available to the bureau. Because of this, the bureau has depleted $63 million in reserves since 2019. And the crisis is just beginning. 

In an effort to get ahead of its financial woes, PBOT has made budget cuts totaling $20.5 million and eliminated 60 full-time positions over the last five years. But those actions haven't been enough. As transportation advocate and PBOT Bureau Budget Advisory Committee (BBAC) member David Stein told the Mercury in May, it was time to “blow it up.”

“The longer PBOT appears to be functioning, the longer people like Mayor Wheeler are going to be able to make decisions based on [that appearance],” Stein said. 

Over the following months, the BBAC, which normally breaks for the summer, met regularly to figure out exactly what they could “blow up” to make the extent of the crisis known. PBOT also conducted surveys, trying to get a read on the transportation programs Portlanders find most valuable and which might be sent to the chopping block. 

“In summary, our key takeaways from the feedback we've received…are to focus on the transportation service areas that support maintenance, community safety, and livability,” PBOT Director Millicent Williams said at the budget work session. 

The first place for cuts: internal payroll. PBOT currently employs more than 1,000 employees across all divisions. A $32.6 million budget cut would require eliminating 127 full-time positions, mostly impacting business services and the PBOT director’s office (33 positions eliminated), maintenance operations (31 positions eliminated), parking and regulatory (23 positions eliminated), and policy, planning, and projects (24 positions eliminated). Due in part to a hiring freeze, 39 of the 127 positions on the line are currently vacant. That means 88 full-time employees could be laid off as soon as next spring. 

Next would come drastic reductions in PBOT services. One of the most notable areas where the bureau would cut services is within maintenance and engineering. Pavement maintenance, graffiti abatement on PBOT property, and vegetation management would be eliminated. Street striping would be reduced to twice a year, and snow plowing would only take place on primary routes. One proposed cut that got a lot of attention at the budget work session: emergency repair work—including landslide repair.

“I don’t see any planet on which you could cut [landslide and emergency repair work],” Wheeler said. “I mean, if a landslide happens on West Burnside or something, you're not going to attend to it? What does that mean?” 

PBOT Interim City Engineer Todd Lines responded, saying "we need to come up with the funding [for fixing landslides]." 

“They'll sit there,” Liles said. “Some landslides require retaining walls to construct; those are getting very expensive with the cost of inflation. It's tremendously expensive to fix.”

“Sorry I asked,” Wheeler replied. 

Liles also said PBOT wouldn’t be able to maintain its Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ramp construction program—which the bureau is bound to by a 2018 legal settlement. 

“Are you suggesting we break that settlement?” Wheeler asked. 

Liles said no, but that PBOT will “need to find additional funds to construct those ramps.” 

The interaction appeared to be a eureka moment for Wheeler about the purpose of PBOT’s presentation at the work session. 

“So let me read between the lines: You're saying this is what it looks like, but you're in no way advocating for this,” Wheeler said. “You're lighting a fire under us and saying we need to find an alternative to fund these.” 

PBOT would also cut major components of its parking and regulatory program, including parking district support, parking meter repairs, and the derelict RV program, which removes abandoned RVs from Portland streets. Six parking enforcement officer positions would be eliminated. 

In any given year, PBOT receives a substantial share of its funding from parking-related revenue. Even though parking revenue is dropping for unforeseen reasons—for instance, that people now take fewer car trips downtown because of the pandemic— the drastic cuts to the bureau’s parking management services would only perpetuate the cycle of financial disarray. 

Then there’s the community programming cuts. Such a drastic budget cut would mean the end of bike, pedestrian, transit, freight, and ADA coordination and engagement, public plaza maintenance and street activation, and popular, beloved community programs like Safe Routes to School, Sunday Parkways, Transportation Wallet, and Biketown for All. 

All in all, as PBOT Director Williams said at the budget work session, a $32 million cut would mean the end of PBOT “as you see it today.”

“Transportation and transportation-related infrastructure is so present, it's practically invisible. From the moment that you walk out of your door, you are interacting with our transportation system,” Williams said. “Portland's ability to deliver even the most basic transportation services is at risk.” 

New revenue streams 

PBOT leaders have emphasized the need for long-term, sustainable sources of revenue that don’t rely on fossil fuel infrastructure like gas tax and parking revenue. But the urgency of the current situation calls for immediate reshuffling, and PBOT needs City Council support in order to stabilize the budget. 

Tools the city has at its disposal include parking fees, a street fee, street damage fees, and general fund support. City Council could also restore Utility License Fee (ULF) payments to PBOT—fees collected from various agencies, including water, sewer, gas, electric, and cable, as rent for the use of the right of way. Although the program was set up to benefit PBOT, which owns much of the city’s right of way, most of the ULF revenue currently goes to other bureaus. 

If ULF payments were restored to 1988 levels, PBOT could access $25 million in annual funding, at the expense of other bureaus. PBOT leaders also want access to the city’s general fund. The suggestion didn’t go over well with most of City Council, due to concerns it would reduce public safety programs paid for by general fund dollars. 

“I come with a sense of concern that this has come to us late in the game. And the question before us is: are we willing to take funds out of police, fire, 911, emergency response, and general emergency management in order to fund PBOT?” Wheeler said at the budget session. “You're not the only bureau.” 

Commissioner Rene Gonzalez, who oversees  Portland Fire & Rescue, echoed Wheeler’s statements.

“I will not support cutting public safety to address PBOT,” Gonzalez said. “That's not palatable at this point in the city's history from my vantage point.” 

Other options for funding include the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF), which is already planning to allocate millions of dollars to programs like the Transportation Wallet and create an electric bike incentive program. PCEF leaders, who work within the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, have expressed hesitation about taking over PBOT services in the past. Their goal is to expand programs that will help lower the city’s greenhouse gas emissions, not fill in existing gaps. 

At the end of the work session, participants acknowledged that they didn’t reach any major conclusions. 

“There are no easy answers. What I can do in my role is to be transparent with you and let you know how we are looking at the problem,” Mapps said. “I do not expect us to find any magic bullets here…today is the beginning of the dialogue.”

Are you looking for a hilarious, live comedy show where YOU can walk away with a fabulous PRIZE (or two)?

Well, you're in luck, because Mercury Geniuses of Comedy, Arlo Weierhauser and Kate Murphy, are your hosts for the most diabolical, hilarious, and EVIL live game show in town… TWO EVILS! Join Arlo and Kate as they ask a series of truly evil questions, and it’s up to our special guest contestant and the audience (who will vote on their phones) to decide which is the lesser of TWO VERY EVIL ANSWERS. Are there prizes? You bet your butt! Is there comedy? Oh, absolutely!

Plus, this episode will be Halloween-themed, and we'll be welcoming a super special guest star: the famous and hilarious KYLE KINANE! 😍

This one is predicted to sell out, SO GET THOSE TIX QUICK NOW AND HERE!

Don’t miss the most delightful and morally corrupt comedy game show of the century… TWO EVILS with Arlo & Kate!

WHEN: Wednesday, October 11, doors 7 PM / 7:30 pm show

WHERE: The Siren Theater, 3913 NE Mississippi

TICKETS: $15 advance, $20 door

Presented by your pals at the Portland Mercury!

I’m just trying to make your sandwich correctly and quickly. YOU staring at me is very distracting and RUDE! Go outside and play on your phone or some shit if you want your sandwich made fast and good. Staring at us makes us make mistakes and go slower. Like really slow. Better yet, make your own sandwich and stare in your own fucking mirror you assholes, I’m tired of your shit!

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Expect another rainy day punctuated by showers, and with the high topping out at 65. BUT! The sun will return this weekend, soooooo... I have no ending for this sentence, other than I will be happy when it does. In the the meantime: NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Bad news for Portland conservatives who HATE Measure 110: According to a new report issued by the CDC, scientific data indicates there is no link between Oregon's groundbreaking drug decriminalization measure and rising overdose deaths. Turns out that while Oregon has had a troubling surge of deaths from overdoses, so has the rest of the country and in equal amounts—and those folks don't have a Measure 110. This means local conservative billionaires (and their political enablers) are going to have to spend their money on other cynical propaganda campaigns—you know, instead of helping address the true causes of addiction. Our Courtney Vaughn has the details!

• Target announced they are closing three of their small format stores in Portland, claiming without giving proof that theft is "threatening the safety of our team and guests." (Their big box stores will remain open... because I guess they don't care about the "team and guests" there?) Anyway, they are also closing these tiny Targets in other markets including Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland, and New York City, so don't get too excited and make a new ridiculous billboard about DA Mike Schmidt, People for Portland!

Cramped, Overpriced Corporate Store with No Parking or Anything On Your Shopping List Shutting Down Due to Safety Concerns: https://t.co/5iIKjdmYdE pic.twitter.com/pzOFnERsdq

— The Needling (@TheNeedling) September 27, 2023

• Good news: Local nurses have reached a tentative labor agreement with OHSU, which will most likely avoid a strike. The 3,100-plus health care workers will receive higher wages, safer working conditions, and enough staffing to allow for dinner breaks. Sorry they had to go through all this just to get basic needs met, but... good work team!

• Other mostly good news: Thanks to a new rent cap, Oregon landlords will only be able to raise rents for tenants by 10 percent during 2024 and no more than one rent hike per year, though this cap only applies to buildings that are 15 years or older—not new construction. 

Tell Portland's Central City Task Force that you want to see Portland Street Response expanded 24/7 as promised by City Hall! #SavePSR https://t.co/lYWQ2jxu31

— Friends of Portland Street Response (@FriendsofPSR) September 27, 2023

• Portland's Bureau of Transportation is facing a major budget cut that, according to PBOT Director Millicent Williams, includes laying off 127 employees and cutting both beloved and basic services. Their funding largely comes from gas and parking taxes, but those have decreased over the years due to the increase of electric vehicles and fewer drivers on the road since the pandemic.

A new graphic novel from Oregon Book Award-winning cartoonist Breena Bard takes on climate change and shows practical ways kids can participate in activism—even if they don't want to march.https://t.co/MltMtOe7wd

— Portland Mercury 🗞 (@portlandmercury) September 26, 2023

• Query: Should one warn their sex partner before doing poppers? Dan Savage sniffs out the truth in this week's SAVAGE LOVE!

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• Sad trombone day for Trump: A New York judge has ruled that the former president "persistently" committed fraud by overvaluing his property assets by close to $2.2 billion (!). The judge also decided to revoke Trump's company from doing business in New York... and guess what? Trump was very unhappy about the news. (HEE-HEE-HEEEEE.)

With a government shutdown as few as four days away, the Biden administration has started to ration federal disaster aid, delaying the delivery of about $2.8 billion in grants so the money is available in the event of a crisis. https://t.co/qFi3AgjXvT

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 27, 2023

• The second GOP presidential debate kicks off tonight—and nope! Trump still isn't attending, which means the rest of these losers will have another attempt to pathetically embarrass themselves.

• After Biden marched with UAW strikers yesterday, Trump is going to try to convince auto workers in Michigan that he never consistently sided with big business during his presidential term, while also making things worse for everyone except the billionaire class. So good luck with that!

Matt Gaetz effectively said last night he was on the brink of filing a motion to vacate to try to oust Kevin McCarthy.

"The one thing I agree with my Democrat colleagues on is that for the last 8 months this House has been poorly led … we have to do something about it."

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 27, 2023

• American soldier Travis King—who you may remember as the man who dashed across the North Korea border back in July—has been returned to US custody. According to a North Korean statement, King made his original escape because of systemic racism within the military and "inequality existing within the American Society." (They may be lying, but they ain't wrong.)

• And finally... make Fox News mad, and "embrace the decay."

Fox News tried to do a bunch of scary man-on-the-street interviews about crime. It didn't go well. pic.twitter.com/49PVjwgFBB

— Kat Abu (@abughazalehkat) September 26, 2023

A new study commissioned by the CDC found no correlation between Oregon’s drug decriminalization law and rising overdose deaths. 

The study was published Wednesday, Sept. 27 in JAMA Psychiatry, a peer-reviewed medical journal. Researchers said after Oregon became the first state to decriminalize all drugs via Measure 110, they wanted to gauge the impact of the new policy. They looked at data spanning a year, from February 2021 to March 2022, and concluded overdose deaths in states with drug decriminalization laws, like Washington and Oregon, weren’t higher than those without the same policies. Researchers found fatal overdoses increased in multiple states, likely due to an influx of fentanyl.

Measure 110 was passed by Oregon voters in 2020. The law allows users caught with a small amount of hard drugs to be referred to drug treatment, rather than jail. It relies on funding from cannabis taxes to establish and pay for treatment programs.

While some have blamed Oregon’s law for a rise in drug use and overdoses, those who compared public health data across multiple states say that hasn’t proven true.

The study’s authors noted they “found no evidence of an association between legal changes that removed or substantially reduced criminal penalties for drug possession in Oregon and Washington and fatal drug overdose rates.”

The study was funded by the CDC, with aid from CDC scientists.

Corey Davis is one of the seven researchers who worked on the study. Davis works with the Network for Public Health Law and the Harm Reduction Legal Project, and also serves as an adjunct professor at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine. 

“To be clear, fatal overdoses are up in Oregon, but they’re also up everywhere,” Davis said, summarizing the data. “The question is are overdoses up more than they would’ve been without Measure 110?”

In simple terms, if Oregon’s new decriminalization law was causing more people to use and fatally overdose on drugs, Oregon’s overdose death rates would be higher than comparative states without such a law, but that isn’t the case.

Davis said typically, health researchers aren’t eager to publish study results with no notable outcomes.

“We basically found nothing,” Davis told the Mercury. “In general, you want to publish research where you found something, but I think in this context, that’s actually really helpful.”

As a harm reduction advocate, Davis and others hoped Measure 110 would help reduce overdose deaths, but it had no measurable impact.

The study is notable, especially as scrutiny of Measure 110 grows across Oregon. Critics, including local elected leaders, are quick to blame the law for an increase in overdoses and public drug use, despite data to the contrary.

Last week, a new coalition geared toward repealing key elements of Measure 110 called the Coalition to Fix and Improve Ballot Measure 110, announced it had already taken in more than $700,000 in donations, primarily from wealthy donors like former Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle, Nike co-founder Phil Knight, Jordan Schnitzer, Ed Maletis, and others.

The coalition's ballot initiative aims to recriminalize possession of drugs like heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, and make it a crime to use hard drugs in public. The initiative would also mandate addiction treatment for those in possession of hard drugs, while maintaining funds from cannabis taxes for treatment services.

The chief petitioners include Jackson County Sheriff Nate Sickler and former Oregon lawmaker Max Williams, who falsely claimed in a recent announcement that Measure 110 is worsening “Oregon’s addiction and overdose crisis.”

The Measure 110 study published Wednesday only includes data on fatal overdoses, not overdoses where naloxone or some other intervention prevented death. That’s largely because reliable data on the prevalence of non-fatal overdoses is difficult to get, and likely inaccurate. Researchers noted many overdose incidents never get reported, often due to fear of jail or other legal consequences. 

The study was also limited to the first year after Measure 110 went into effect, because that was the only data available to researchers. Davis said his team will examine additional years of data as it becomes available.

So ODOT announced its installing a bunch of new traffic cameras. Meanwhile so many of the people driving like idiots have no plates or visible registration and cops don’t enforce it. What a joke.

In September of 2020, forest fires raged throughout Oregon, claiming lives, destroying homes, and causing nearly a week of the worst air quality ever recorded in Multnomah County. Coupled with a worldwide pandemic, it was a difficult time to be creative. However in the case of cartoonist Breena Bard—whose previous work Trespassers won the 2022 Oregon Book Award—the circumstances set her on the task of writing her new graphic novel, Wildfire.

Typically squeezing in a few hours before her son began online kindergarten, Bard penned a story about a middle-schooler named Julianna, whose family must quickly pack essentials and evacuate their rural Oregon home, as a massive fire looms. Viewed through the eyes of Julianna and her younger sister, Stella, the scene unfolds with emotion. Even for the author. 

“Any time I was writing, or rewriting, or illustrating,” Bard told the Mercury, “every time I went through that scene, it brought those feelings back and made me feel really sad for those characters, even though they’re invented.” 

It still hits close to home for Bard. Although there were no official evacuation orders during Clackamas County fire in September 2020, Bard and her family were concerned enough to begin preparations to leave their home.

“I relate to Julianna in the sense that she had a safe and comfortable life, and then everything suddenly changed,” Bard said. “It was my wakeup call that this wasn’t a theoretical issue that affected other people, it was all of a sudden effecting our life in a real way.”

Things end tragically for Julianna and her family. After losing their home, most of their possessions, and even some of their livestock to the fire, the family relocates to Portland, where the members each deal with the trauma in their own ways. The sisters' well-intentioned parents put on a strong face for their children, and later join climate-change protests. Julianna, who knows the fire was started by careless boys shooting off fireworks, reluctantly joins a conservation club. 

From there, Wildfire focuses on the broader picture: How climate change impacts our lives, and what we can do—and especially what young people can do—to help stave off its effects.

“That was always a pretty important message I wanted to explore,” explained Bard. “Some of the ‘classic’ forms of activism—protests and being very loud and vocal, the things that are elevated as activism—can be really uncomfortable, especially for someone like [Julianna], who’s still processing her loss and her trauma. But that shouldn’t take you out of the fight.”

The book examines the overall human impact on the environment and, through Julianna and her new friends, shows practical ways kids can participate, whether by writing letters, volunteering, or planting trees. Wildfire also deftly looks at the destruction from the standpoint of the person directly responsible for the catastrophe, bringing to mind the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire, which burned 50,000 acres east of Portland.

Writing for middle-schoolers is a natural choice for the author. For Bard, it was the age she became immersed in books and set her on her path. And, as with Julianna, it’s a crucial time when kids are forming their understanding of the world, and beginning to find their place in it. 

Bard has already started work on her next graphic novel, which will touch on the topic of literacy by way of an old-fashioned ghost story. In the meantime, Wildfire is receiving attention for its easily digestible take on a topic that can feel daunting, and sometimes even hopeless.

“I hope the book gives kids language to talk about some of these issues,” Bard said. “And also empowers kids to know that, not only are they valued in the conversation, they’re absolutely critical.”

Breena Bard appears in conversation local cartoonist Jonathan Hill at Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, Sat Sept 30, 3 pm, FREE, all ages