VanPortlander

You’re going to get more streetcars, whether you like it or not. Just ignore the fact they don’t really relieve congestion. PDOT will be holding a series of meetings about future streetcar planning.

On a sorta-related note, my sister was in town last weekend from Phoenix. I asked her how long it takes her to get to work, and she told me a little less than half an hour, noting that it was very fast despite how far she lives from her office. Why? In Phoenix, they build roads. Imagine that! Building transportation infrastructure which can meet the demands of the people… what a concept!

I was skimming through a post on BlueOregon about the peace rally when I noticed this bit:

Interesting deal…

…my youngest daughter had to be coaxed into going. The deal I finally struck with her was all about quid pro quo… She would come to the Peace Rally & March with me and I would go to the very last showing of her highschool’s production of Fiddler on the Roof later that evening.

To me it seems strange to equate attending his kid’s achool play with attending a political rally…

And speaking of that rally, I have to ask: what was the point? What was accomplished? Thousands of local folks oppose the war, but we already knew that, right? Yes, I’m cynical about it, but was there any benefit other than feeling good?

Sho Dozono was just certified for public financing in the Mayor’s race.

Now that the circus surrounding that adventure is over, let the real campaign begin.

I haven’t been following the Democratic Senate campaigns in Oregon that closely but this morning’s news that Steve Novick is having a beer (Left Hook Lager) brewed for his campaign is pure marketing genius. Tap into (pun intended) the fact that Oregon is a microbrew powerhouse while also making a good-natured statement that his artificial (hook) hand isn’t something to be ashamed of or hidden.

A couple days ago John McCain called me personally (because I’m Just That Important) to chat about voting in Washington’s primary election, which is next Tuesday. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I already voted, and that it wasn’t for him. I’m not too sure if that would have changed his message, which seemed strangely prerecorded.

I figured that makes this as good a time as any to recap the situation with Washington’s role in the presidential process. As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, if you’re a Democrat, the Washington primary is symbolic. Your party has chosen to completely ignore the primary and only use the caucuses, and your Democratic senators are going to ignore the will of the people as well. Despite the fact that Washington Democrats caucused solidly for Obama, both of Washington’s Senator Superdelegates have said they’re voting for Clinton. If you’re a Republican, the primary is halfway meaningful in that the Republican party will use the primary results to choose half of its delegates, which are probably all going to get behind McCain at this point anyway. But if you want to get your Republican ballot counted, get it in the mail by Tuesday.

I got lost (figuratively) on TriMet’s website the other day and ended up on their Terms of Use for the TriMet website. Good stuff. Typical legalese, except for one section which caught my eye: the linking policy, where TriMet spells out the conditions upon which you are permitted to link to their website.

Say what? They must be new to the internets. Maybe there’s some rust on the TriMet tubes and they don’t quite get the message? It’s the internet. Folks are going to link to you. And absent any other specific legal statutes, they can do so in whatever way they choose.

From TriMet’s linking policy:

The appearance, position and other aspects of the link may not be such as to damage or dilute the goodwill associated with TriMet’s name and trademarks or be displayed in any manner that is likely to cause confusion among the public or disparage or discredit TriMet;

Heh. I guess I’m probably going to get in trouble for doing this: TriMet is clueless.

As the TurboTax and Oregon kicker saga drags on, I have a thought. It’s a possible long term solution to the problem. It won’t help the folks who got screwed last year, or the folks that are in the midst of filing this year.

I’ve read Jack’s continuing coverage of the issue, which started with a software bug and has now progressed to what appears to be the state Department of Revenue not meeting IRS requirements for tax notifications.

What if Intuit (the company that makes TurboTax) were to wash its hands of the issue by declaring that the combination of Oregon’s tax system and Oregon’s Department of Revenue is too screwy to support? Sure, there’d be a big revenue hit, but they wouldn’t have egg on their face again… and it might serve as a wake-up call to the goofiness which is the Oregon tax code.

I wonder if anyone from the Portland Mercury, who brought the whole duct tape fiasco to light and led the effort to rip up tape last year, was invited to be a duct tape dignitary?

Today, a bunch of folks stood in line so that they could register as domestic partners, and become a little less unequal.

Remind me again why it is that the government has an interest in who one partners with?

As has been already reported by every other local blog, this afternoon a judge lifted an injunction which was preventing Oregon’s new domestic partnership law from taking effect. Starting immediately, gay couples can now register as domestic partners which will provide them with a limited set of benefits.

I’m happy for folks who can now get registered and get some benefits. Some is better than none. But I do have to wonder if this is really just a partial win. It was a victory for civil rights when blacks and whites were allowed to ride together, using any seat on the bus.

With this ruling, gay couples can now get on the bus. Maybe in the future they’ll be allowed to sit in the same places as straight couples.