Thanks for the support! I feel like even demonstrating at one store and growing from there would be a win.
To your comment, I’ve de-googled a lot in the past year as they clearly demonstrated some pretty messed up intentions and future direction starting last year with the inability to block ads and many other things. I have watched nascent white-collar tech pushback over the last 10 years as tech companies inevitably were taken over by slowing growth-need for constant growth-hiring bureaucrats rather than those looking to build something. Insane to think 25 years ago google’s motto was don’t be evil and we thought it possible they might fight against the structure of things in the US but it was all too inevitable with current law and lobbying. Whether journalists, video game employees, tech, tech consultants…everyone who has thought of themselves as “white collar” needs to quickly get onboard that they have 0 difference from a Starbucks or Amazon Warehouse or Tesla plant worker now and in the future.
Exactly the kind of thing I’m thinking of, lots of TJs shoppers are trying to not shop at some of the larger, well-known awful grocery megacorps. Or some signs, banner, etc. Not sure about leafletting/papering rules, or honestly even picketing–e.g. I’m sure they’d call the cops if we were in front of their store entrance which is likely private property so you’d have to be at the driveways where people are pulling in—which of course reduces your chance to talk/interact with people–as designed! Probably need some input from someone with union/strike/lockout advice on best practices & approaches.
Sad part is, of course, 100% of the store employees would be on board with the protest if of course it wouldn’t cost them their jobs to allow it.
Deeply supportive of reducing car trips but they rolled out a revenue stream under the guise of the environment and traffic with NO improvements to alternative infrastructure that would have enabled citizens to avoid them. So pay the toll or you can…take a bus 2 hours with a connection or 3? Take max who cut service during the pandemic and even then doesn’t run 24/7 at a usable rate due to catch 22 traffic and now safety issues that won’t be quickly fixed?
They would need to triple public transit services, availability, frequency, stops and invest in making transit work let alone not a punishment for those who would most be affected by tolling, to even begin to claim it wasn’t just a fucking cash grab. There aren’t even express MAX service, they’re all local still! Where are the express commuter bus service to the areas that would be most affected by tolling? How fucking regressive of a tax can you get?
Also, it would be administered by some Corp that would take 30% administrative off the top, fuck that we can do better.
Thanks for the view and insight. I remember growing up old folks complained about skateboards on sidewalks, then roller blades, etc. When they finally got it and cities and states started building facilities, suddenly no more problem. Agree with the narrator that giving space to do this could be good but I think part of it being cool/attractive to attendees is the illicitness, though that’s just conjecture. Probably the fact that it’s social and free is a big deal and helps attendees since the US has deliberately eliminated those spaces.
Music is as subjective as photography but I always liked the shots in this music video of Vancouver and think the song is fun. https://youtu.be/z-ChuHPPk14?si=krDU4wHTnTArlpkB
For sure, definitely since they got the 2rd draft pick it was move up or move on for both parties.
Dame can’t possibly complain about his team talent and possibilities, though Mil is not south beach I see much more chance of him winning with Giannis than Miami.
Portland got a solid haul and can move on.
Of course everyone leaves small markets, if they don’t catch lightning in a bottle like Giannis or Jockic.
Blazer owners have the only major sports team (love soccer but MLS is still not yet on the tier in America, give Messi 5 years and maybe?) In the city, seats are full and they get a playoff round or two almost every year for minimal cost, they’re very profitable and accumulating value while they setup to sell in decades for the big payoff. Throw in some tax deductions for giving away free seats that would go unused otherwise for low demand games and laugh on your tax return. When “losing” is winning.
It comes down to what normally happens when something outgrows someone, and what were in right now is still denial stage–bureau leaders, city council, the mayor and employees all just wishing they could close Pandora’s box and go back 20 years.
City employees are humans like anyone else, but their jobs are different from most in that nearly everyone is there until retirement. This has benefits, and in the case when surrounded by a rapidly changing environment, disasterous consequences.
Think about workplaces you’ve worked, if you made it 5 years somewhere, you saw good and bad bosses come and go probably, same for co-workers. This change and refresh is healthy when it comes to disrupting past practices and bringing in new perspectives. This happens much less, it at all in the public sector. Same bosses, same co-workers, same ideas, or lack thereof.
So back to our city; you have the large organizations that are structured so you have people that are mostly used to doing the same thing with the same people. Public sector employees, because they are often organized, can’t just be fired on a whim like private sector is so thrilled about, which means you actually have to get buy in from employees to make change happen.
So you have pattern-based work, high threshold to enact change with employees and managers…neither of these is an environment where change will come naturally or easily. Between “who moved my cheese” and “make me” types, your work is cut out.
ALL of the above, come under the umbrella of Portland having been one of the fastest changing cities relative to its size in the country(demographics, industry) IN ADDITION to some of the macro changes our country is currently passing as kidney stones that all cities are dealing with (homelessness as a fallout of opioid epidemic, structurally broken housing development systems that can only build huge and expemsive housing, collapsing medical service capability, etc.). For city bureaus staffed by humans who are trained to color within narrow lines, who have little chance for fresh ideas or leadership within operative bureaus, who were already ovematched with Portland’s change to a mid-sized city in the first decade of the millenia, it is incredibly unsurprising that the city has continued to sink deeper and deeper under water.
I found it weird geographic considerations came into play as much as they did and were moderated with complete subjectivity. I submitted a few threads on state or national issues that clearly would have an impact in portland as a way to have a discussion with r/portland and hear thoughts and opinions, had them removed because “not about Portland”. Also, it was obviously the biggest thread in the state so often nearby areas it made sense to post in r/portland as part of the metro area, yet mods would remove them. just insane for a “community”. Basically you could blind repost awful fucking Oregonian articles, KATU or pictures of douchebags driving on the waterfront but god forbid you stray from that.
Shocked Pikachu face, they aren’t going to replace the carts even with overpriced simulacrum?
They’re trying to sell $1m+ penthouses. Ritz F&B is doing well, you think they want any competition?
It will come as a shock to many, but the decidedly Un-Portland brand Ritz, and a real estate developer who paid Portland to not have to have a portion of affordable housing in their building amidst a housing crisis and vacant downtown doesn’t give a FUCK about this city, its roots, people or what they buried.
There was lots of green washing on Reddit when Ritz opened saying it was good for downtown and the city need spark and lots of other bullshit.
More vacant, unobtainable living space in a downtown desperate for residents to bring it back to life.