Ethanol Production Facility
Posted by: kmikeym
What is awesome for Oregon is awesome for Portland:
Pacific Ethanol Opens 40 Million Gallon Production Plan
Pacific Ethanol has opened the first ethanol production facility in Oregon. Ethanol is a biofuel comprising 10% of all gasoline sold in the city of Portland.
Stephen Colbert: Portland is a communist, hippie stronghold!
Posted by: Matt McCormick
A New Bridge!
Posted by: kmikeym
I am incredibly excited about the idea of a new bridge over the Willamette. The Oregonian says:
Portland's first new bridge in 34 years could be a 30-story, white monument climbing from the Willamette River into the skyline and standing in contrast to the many steel truss structures that define bridge city.
The span would carry light-rail and streetcar service, bicycles, pedestrians and possibly buses. But it would have no cars -- a testament to a generation that built one of the nation's most coveted transit systems.
The article says that a "committee of design and civic activists picked a bridge type called a 'cable-stayed' structure."
Some examples and an explanation of cable-stayed bridges exist on Wikipedia.
Oregon Curbs Payday Loans
Posted by: kmikeym
OPB reported in March that Oregon had more payday loan shops than McDonald's. With annual fees of 300% to 1000% payday lending has become a $40 billion annual business which preys on the poor.
This past summer The Legislature eradicated triple-digit interest rates on consumer loans in Oregon with a vote Wednesday that payday and car title lenders say will seal their demise, reports the Oregonian. Republicans, who don't mind businesses that exploit the poor, objected to the bill. But thankfully there are more Democrats now, so they lost.
Oregon's new law just might help wipe out the whole industry. From Forbes:
Shares of Advance America Cash Advance Centers Inc. slipped to an all-time low Friday after the payday lender said it will close more than 100 stores, mainly because of regulatory clampdowns in two states.
The Spartanburg, S.C.-based company said it will close 31 stores in Pennsylvania and 45 stores in Oregon. This decision stems from a Pennsylvania ruling suspending payday lending in that state, and an Oregon law limiting fees and interest on payday loans.
Advance America issues payday loans, or short-term loans to be repaid on the customer's next payday. These loans are typically issued to people with low incomes, and have attracted scrutiny from lawmakers concerned about allegedly predatory and usurious lending.
So Portland's future awesome (well, Oregon in this case) just might be awesome for everyone.
The Housing Authority Buys The Grove
Posted by: kmikeym
Via the Oregonian:
Commissioners Randy Leonard and Erik Sten asked the housing authority to buy the single-room occupancy hotel in a letter dated Sept. 27. The city will reimburse the agency for the sale price, according to the letter. The city may also help pay for repairs and other work needed at the hotel.
The Grove, at 421 W. Burnside St., has been the target of a city task force led by Leonard that is committed to cleaning up low-income residential hotels in Old Town-Chinatown, as well as downtown.
Leonard brought in Portland police, the fire bureau and building inspectors to force changes at the Grove. The city cited the hotel, where tenants have strewn garbage that attracts cockroaches, for more than 480 code violations.
The sale is expected to close in two months.
Wow. So Randy Leonard has a task force involving the police, fire bureau, and building inspectors with a mission of cleaning up low-income residential hotels. The tactic seems to be to overwhelm the building owners with code violations and then offer to buy the building and give it to HAP.
Presumbably they warn the owners to get things cleaned up first, and if that doesn't happen they "shock and awe" them with code violations? What are the other possible targets of this task force? It seems like Randy could clean up downtown and expand HAP at the same time.
