Gordon Smith is a formidable foe - well respected within the powerful establishment yet still retaining appeal among the masses for his perceived moderate stances on Oregon issues like the environment and civil liberties. In addition, Smith’s affable charm is in stark contrast to Ron Wyden’s uncomfortable persona, the comparison akin to Kennedy versus [...]

If you look around the area at many homes under construction, you’ll note that builders are abandoning plans for upscale amenities and instead simply focusing on getting a house to market as quickly and cheaply as possible.  Some of these compromises are impacting builders of eco-friendly housing as the market now prioritizes price over energy efficiency. 
Against this [...]

This past week, the local grassroots “Bus Project” organization held another in a series of debates about issues relevant to our community.  The topic du jour happened to be the impact of gentrification on the city of Portland.  Use of the term, gentrification, is itself contentious, having evolved to absorb hints of racism mixed into [...]