alexzee.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

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submitted 4 days ago • 1 comment

It’s official: After months of negotiations and debate, Portland has a budget.

submitted 9 days ago • 5 comments

"As a candidate, Nathan Vasquez wielded allegations of mistreatment of female employees against his predecessor. Now he’s on the receiving end as the county’s top prosecutor."

submitted 11 days ago • 3 comments

Everything old is new again. This is a response to a group of a few hundred people.

submitted 13 days ago • 56 comments

The budget vote all but wrapped up a monthslong process that tested the new 12-person council’s ability to work together. Ending in a tense showdown between weary councilors, whether or not they succeeded at this test is... unclear.

submitted 16 days ago • 1 comment

Reporting from hour 7 in council chambers during day two of the city's budget adoption meeting. A lot of tweaks around the edges of Wilson's $8.6B spending plan. Big remaining question: How will councilors fill a self-inflicted $700k budget gap? TBD.

submitted 16 days ago • 2 comments

Today in: "Bespattered with memes"

submitted 17 days ago • 4 comments

While rent-fixing algorithmic programs has been a hot (& seemingly novel) topic in Portland City Hall this year, the city has quietly been relying on algorithmic software to set water rates since last year. It could save ppl money, but the privacy risks are hazy. @katekaye.bsky.social digs in:

submitted 18 days ago • 1 comment

City councilors met with PPB Cheif Day today to discuss policies to keep police from cooperating w/feds, if they’re sent to PDX protests in the future. Councilor Avalos: “We are operating under a fascist regime. It’s my responsibility to propose new laws and policies to protect our constituents.”

submitted 18 days ago • 12 comments

A cycle of tumultuous firings & political neglect has reduced Portland's Tribal Relations office to a shadow of its former self. Indigenous Portlanders & Tribal officials see an opportunity to get the program back on track, if the city is willing to listen. My story w/ @nikabartoosmith.bsky.social

submitted 19 days ago • 0 comments

It happened again.

submitted 22 days ago • 4 comments

Donuts, pizza, bar charts, emojis -- of all the things Portlanders used to visualize ranked choice voting last year, it turns out mango lassi is truly the best way to explain RCV.

submitted 22 days ago • 2 comments

You can find the the audio version of this journey at the top of the story. Obligatory sounds of splashing/glee.

submitted 22 days ago • 0 comments

Hello, it's me, a somewhat cynical political reporter trying to do more "fun" stories. I swapped City Hall with the Willamette River last week for this one:

submitted 22 days ago • 1 comment

The original financial settlement proposed to the council was $2 million. After testimony from a dozen community members, including descendants, all 12 councilors voted to increase the amount another $6.5 million.

submitted 22 days ago • 7 comments

City says it needs to raise the parks levy tax rate from $0.80 to $1.60 (per $1k property value) to maintain current Parks & Rec services. “It’s a hell of a thing to tell a taxpayer ‘We want to give you exactly the same thing tomorrow as we give you today, but you have to pay twice as much for it."

submitted 25 days ago • 10 comments

Tired: "A Fire Sale of Portland’s Largest Office Tower Shows How Far the City Has Fallen" Wired: w/ @jrlsilverman.bsky.social www.oregonlive.com/business/202...

submitted 35 days ago • 2 comments

The Fair Housing Council of Oregon will retreat from some Oregon cities after losing its federal grant. The group investigates — and litigates — housing discrimination claims. @jonathanmbach.bsky.social reports:

submitted 32 days ago • 0 comments

Portland is in the process of figuring out who responds to what type of emergency call when. @jeremiahhayden.bsky.social breaks down the fatal risks of not ironing out the details ASAP:

submitted 32 days ago • 1 comment

According to the algorithm, it's been 11 years since I was first On The Radio -- with my wonderful now-coworker (and former @xrayfm.bsky.social star) @jennchavez.bsky.social:

submitted 36 days ago • 0 comments

Yesterday's marathon council meeting ended with a undeniable (yet drowsy) bang: The final amendment moved $1.9 million in new funding Mayor Keith Wilson had earmarked for police into the parks maintenance fund — which Wilson had proposed cutting by $7 million starting in July.

submitted 37 days ago • 3 comments

For those curious about Portland's hourslong budget meeting: Councilors started discussing their 120 budget amendments around 3:30. Since then, they've made decisions on 20 of them. (They legally have to wrap this up by midnight.)

submitted 37 days ago • 3 comments

DOJ has dismissed cases against police depts in Minneapolis & Louisville -- and closing police investigations in six other jurisdictions. Portland, which is under a DOJ settlement for police misconduct, is not mentioned (yet).

submitted 38 days ago • 0 comments

Cool news for those following today's budget mtg, which begins at 9 am: Council admin staff are planning to work until at least midnight today.

submitted 38 days ago • 2 comments

It's election day in Oregon! The focus is largely on schools: who sits on their boards, their construction costs, etc. Don't miss out.

submitted 39 days ago • 0 comments

My punishment for writing about city council having too many meetings last week: tomorrow’s council meeting is anticipated to run over TWELVE HOURS. Some stage-setting:

submitted 39 days ago • 3 comments

Administrative lapses in a key Portland anti-displacement policy is leaving affordable apartments vacant for months at a time, costing housing nonprofits and delaying access to stable housing for prospective renters. @jonathanmbach.bsky.social reports:

submitted 40 days ago • 0 comments

Many fans expected the Trail Blazers would be sold after Paul Allen's death in 2018. Now, it's unclear who might buy the team and what that could mean for its future in Portland.

submitted 43 days ago • 0 comments

A day center for homeless Portlanders is set to close. It was featured prominently in then-mayoral candidate Keith Wilson's campaign, and its leaders say he promised them support once elected. They now feel used.

submitted 43 days ago • 3 comments

Portland City Council's journey to improve its new meeting structure / form of gov't continues:

submitted 44 days ago • 0 comments

The state's expecting $500M less to spend than anticipated -- a pot of money that Mayor Wilson's hitched his proposed budget to. @dirquez.bsky.social breaks it down:

submitted 45 days ago • 1 comment

Today in: An 100% perfect critique of extractive reporting.

submitted 46 days ago • 0 comments

Make time for this two-part series by Monica Samayoa & Tony Schick on how Oregon may not be the renewable energy champion it purports to be.

submitted 46 days ago • 0 comments

Councilor Clark is outlining this proposal at this morning's committee mtg:

submitted 47 days ago • 0 comments

Gavin Newsom is calling on local governments in California to ban tent camps on sidewalks, bike paths, parklands and other types of public property. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/u...

submitted 47 days ago • 6 comments

Remember in December, when former commish/mayoral hopeful Rene Gonzalez threated to sue the city?

submitted 50 days ago • 2 comments

Councilor Steve Novick has a renewed plan to solve Portland’s budget woes: tax the rich. On Thursday, Novick proposed expanding a tax hike on companies that pay their chief executives vastly more than their rank-and-file workers as “a way to recall corporate America to its glorious roots.”

submitted 50 days ago • 7 comments

Just delighted to see the phrase "who is himself a giant pickle" in a lawsuit story.

submitted 51 days ago • 1 comment

Council plan to boost sidewalk construction/maintenance in east and SW Portland is set in stone (concrete?). TBD: How they'll pay for it.

submitted 51 days ago • 1 comment

The CEO of Showers Pass/Vvolt has e-bikes ready to sell, but they're stuck in China in the wake of President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policy and tariffs.

submitted 53 days ago • 0 comments