Over two decades, the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. facility accumulated violations for releasing excessive smoke, harmful gases, and chemical spills — including 2 million pounds of black liquor in 2020.

"Right now what I expect is 83 retirements"

Just going to toss this into the timeline. No reason. The Trump EPA is currently considering a rule to eviscerate federal regulations that govern chemical emergency prevention and response. (Because, of course.) The comment period closed a couple of weeks ago. 1/2

After listening to my reorganization plans for litter boxes in the kitten room, cute foster kitten Tommy decided that he would like to hear more about the details and schedule.

I don't think we're quite grasping the abject horror of this particular disaster. I know there's a lot still unknown about the incident, but I'm also sure that there's a lot going unsaid about it too. Families and first responders have all my sympathies. (🎁)

The only other thing on the agenda was "Committee Chair updates" in which @councilorkanal.bsky.social previewed upcoming attractions. And basically, there is A TON of work needing to funnel through the Committee of the Whole. The backlog is likely well into the fall already.

The "as we do every year" part is famously a definition of insanity

Oregon should impose 200%

The Speaker here with three posts showing the issues and the stakes in the upcoming midterm and gubernatorial election. But then she drops such a weak closing here. Oregon Democrats need to have more to offer than a generic "will continue to work hard" because it ain't enough.

Portland's citizenry is remarkably engaged for having a city government that doesn't understand community engagement and does it badly. That position will continue to be cursed until the city figures some stuff out.

A year into the 5-year parks levy and there's still no plan -- for funding, or facilities, or maintenance, or partnerships. With a still-interim Director. Without leadership, or a plan, everything is much harder to do.

"The objective evidence here comes close to establishing that but for Abrego’s lawsuit, the Gov would not have indicted him. The reopening of the investigation, Blanche’s unrebutted statements, and Singh’s sustained oversight together support that inference."

While I very much would like to do a very thorough cleaning of the smelly litter boxes in the kitten room today, circumstances pertaining to Government and my love for the Unites States of America do no allow me to do so.

Also, if I'm understanding this slide correctly, a "3.1% load to system average" because 80% of police and fire retirements are timed to take advantage of the dumbest loophole in the city.

It's FPDR Friday, so let's take a look at the 97 pages of Board Materials for next Tuesday's May 26, 2026 FPDR Board Meeting. www.portland.gov/fpdr/events/...

Repost. No reason.

Bumping this from exactly a year ago, and I still believe this wholeheartedly. In the full month between now and the final votes for budget adoption, many of the 6-6 frustrations this week can easily turn into 7-5 wins if the battle lines soften a bit and some quiet and creative negotiations occur.

Raskin's idea of a rotating panel of random appeals judges for selecting cases is a great one. Indeed, I've long thought that "The Supreme Court" itself should be a rotating panel of appeals judges rather than a fixed nine.

Yeah, all this will blow over.

Congrats to @councilordunphy.bsky.social, bringing the best amendment last.

It's getting late. The clock is ticking.

Here's a cracking B-side from The Psychoactive Administrators #johnpeel #johnpeelbandnames

I have no inside information whatsoever, but it seems to me that most, if not all, of the Council's 6-6 votes today seem like they should have been avoidable, if only key Councilors would talk with each other and negotiate the outcomes they all seem to want. Mutually assured failure so far.

Okay, my apologies, I take it all back. I can now see how the CBPA will need so much damn money -- dealing with complaint after complaint full of petty and malicious nonsense like this from the PPA is going to be expensive.

Here’s foster kitten Danny listening to me explain the differences between contingencies, set-asides and reserves. #explainingthingstokittens #explainingthingstocats

Side note for the ivory tower eggheads at the legislature, the newspapers and the Ethics Commission: the cursed serial communications rule in the open meetings law made this approach unnecessarily difficult.

I guess we'll see how it goes, but huge hopeful props to @councilordunphy.bsky.social and his team for what appears to be a much-improved and thoughtful approach to the budget deliberations this year. Many lessons were learned last year, obviously.

I was very glad to see this highlighted in the @rosecityreform.bsky.social report. IMHO, this is a serious flaw in the implementation of the charter reforms. Large contracts and intergovernmental agreements need checks and balances. And we don't have any. 1/ rosecityreform.org/pace-of-poli...

if you’re curious to see how PDX biz landscape thinks about taxation, check out the general bed wetting occurring on my LinkedIn post here

Many people are saying ...

As always, Marc has a very persuasive thread. I still think it will be challenging to spend a full allocation this year while still setting up the program, and I still think it will be difficult to sustain the level activity over the long haul. But Marc's got great ideas with great perspective here.

It takes a village.

A quick comment on "management bloat" while I procrastinate the increasingly necessary cleanup in the kitten room. I went back to this series of posts from the transition days. At the time, I thought DCA's were being misunderstood, duplicative, and overpaid. I think maybe I was only half-right. 1/x

Daring the Council to cut a fire engine is a tactic that's going to backfire (lol) big time. Indeed, one thing for certain in the collection of budget amendments being proposed, "management bloat" will be the clearest budget loser this year.

Ordering the 54 City Council budget amendments from best to worst for the sole purpose of avoiding kitten room cleaning for a while.

NW, NE, SW, SE, N, S

Still waiting for comment on all of this from Cliff Bentz (R-Louisiana). Surely he has an opinion.

Another day, another dais. Presented today on behalf of Multnomah County Department of Community Services's budget, which retains all filled union positions for four divisions at the county.

I actually pre-gamed this morning's Council public works worksession by watching the (excellent) water bonds discussion at the end of yesterday's marathon meeting.

We haven't had them a week, but this evening is already in the running for this litter.

The Portland Metro Chamber's lawsuit to defend PCEF is still in the spitballin' stage probably

Gotta listen to the one person who testified! Direct link. www.youtube.com/live/O2u6rXG...

One thing I think is at the heart of so many pieces about Portland is a belief that if people want to move, then it indicts an entire place. They operate from a position that other places are better. In the O story, a man says he'd prefer Idaho or Utah. Great. Those places are nothing like Portland.

Serious threats to life and limb in the kitten room.

Your move, Oregon

I feel like I'd want a tab on who, if anyone, agrees that "corporations are people". But an interesting (unenjoyable) polling question.

These two kittens in particular don’t really understand the gas tax. #explainingthingstokittens #explainingthingstocats

Day two of the fosters in the kitten room. They are all quite cute and hilarious.

A very lengthy article about "complicating Democrats's strategies on the midterm" due to a 6 cents per gallon increase. Meanwhile, the Republican war strategies are costing more than 2 DOLLARS per gallon. cc: Rep. Paul Evans (D-Loserville)

I remain (weakly) ambivalent about the whole thing, but I also (weakly) agree with this thread. Somebody should tell us what we'd get for our money other than the Blazers not leaving. 1/2