Portland City Council meets at 9:30 to discuss the Moda Center term sheet that was lightly updated yesterday afternoon. I'll do my best to have some notes from the discussion. Tune in! www.youtube.com/live/lhyLba_...

Portland City Council AM Session 08/12/26

YouTube video by eGov PDX

youtube.com

Adapted from Keep Going: A Guide to Organizing When It's Hard by Ellen David Friedman. Find it at labornotes.org/keepgoing 🐦

Today! Join us at Legacy Meridian and hear from JWJ's Healthcare Committee who be speaking in solidarity with the tech workers fighting for fair wages, strong working conditions, and a fair deal!

Portland Jobs with Justice@jwjpdx.bsky.social · 7d ago

📢Rally for Respect at Legacy Meridian Park Let's show Legacy that we are united with caregivers and Meridian Park workers deserve respect, fairness, and a voice in their workplace. 📅Wed, August 12 at 5:30pm 📍Legacy Meridian Park (19300 SW 65th Ave, Tualatin actionnetwork.org/forms/rally-...

I love that at the last minute people are acting like $2M on the table as a starting point in this negotiation is a hugely significant amount of money lol

Alex Zielinski@alexzee.bsky.social · 1h ago

What to know before today's Portland City Council term sheet vote. (One thing NOT mentioned: New proposal on the table today to ask Blazers for $2M in annual rent as part of starting negotiations)

"And which bloc holds the power in 2027—the moderate bloc, more a ***product of defensiveness than setting an agenda***, or Peacock, a generally much more organized caucus that usually votes in lockstep—could hinge on just one seat this fall." 💀 finally Sophie is clocking it lmaoooo 🤣🤏🏾🤏🏾🤏🏾

Willamette Week@wweek.com · 17h ago

The three socialist councilors, in a joint statement about the weekend canvas alongside the Democratic Socialists of America and the Working Families Party, were blunt about their desire to unseat just one of the three moderates up for re-election.

The Fight for Abortion Rights Was Won in the Streets Half a century ago, feminists won Roe v. Wade with mass demonstrations and a sweeping national vision. A veteran of that movement argues that today’s fight requires the same strategy. jacobin.com/2026/08/femi...

The Fight for Abortion Rights Was Won in the Streets

Half a century ago, feminists won Roe v. Wade with mass demonstrations and a sweeping national vision. A veteran of that movement argues that today’s fight requires the same strategy.

jacobin.com

An overwhelming 92% of American have either delayed or totally abandoned medical care because of how expensive it is, according to a new survey.

JWJ's Faith Labor Committee & AFSCME 1790 Present: Sunstone Way Worker Fundraiser It's a Potluck! RSVP below! Suggested donation: $20 Tuesday, August 18th from 6 - 7pm Grant Park Church (2728 NE 34th Ave) Questions? Email tania.ahmed93@gmail.com ✅RSVP: actionnetwork.org/events/afscm...

Update from @trimet.org today: Without additional revenue, TriMet's budget deficit will ultimately force the agency to cut in excess of 33% of its total service by 2030 or 2031. This is what a 31% service could look like:

It's not interesting, it's corruption.

Portland Jobs with Justice@jwjpdx.bsky.social · 2d ago

“The timing of the contract certainly is interesting. We were actively being lobbied at that time” by the Sport Oregon-backed “We Are Rip City” coalition, Singleton told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Monday.

I spy… a union town! Everything that makes Portland a wonderful city to live in or visit is brought to you by working class people, and don’t forget it!

🚨PHD economist JC Bradbury of Kennesaw State University studies stadium deals, and says the Moda deal on the table is NOT a market-rate deal, as the mayor and others have said, but rather a total outlier, where the people have to sign the check without knowing what they’re even paying for.

Unless you ride a bike or are on MAX.

Chuck Slothower@chuckslothower.bsky.social · 22h ago

Interstate 5 southbound will close Sept. 11 for up to five weeks while roadwork goes on, ODOT announced. Congestion could back up into Washington and onto local streets in Portland, and commutes could take two to three times as long a usual, per ODOT.

The basic unwillingness of leaders and the Blazers to come correct has been exhausting the patience of the people of Portland.

J.C. Bradbury@jcbradbury.com · yesterday

It is beyond absurd to suggest that hiring a former Blazers executive to bargain for the County is not a conflict of interest. He's currently a consultant who markets his "strategic advisory services to owners and executives in sports."

Here's Councilor Ryan, way back in June. And here are his votes on the amendments last week: Nay, Nay, Nay, Nay, Nay, Nay, Nay, Nay, Nay, Nay, Nay www.youtube.com/live/GF-Hf0N...

Join us tomorrow as the Techs at Legacy Meridian Park rally for justice and a fair contract! Rally at 5:30pm! ❤️📢

Portland Jobs with Justice@jwjpdx.bsky.social · 7d ago

📢Rally for Respect at Legacy Meridian Park Let's show Legacy that we are united with caregivers and Meridian Park workers deserve respect, fairness, and a voice in their workplace. 📅Wed, August 12 at 5:30pm 📍Legacy Meridian Park (19300 SW 65th Ave, Tualatin actionnetwork.org/forms/rally-...

Mamdani is out here telling billionaires they can't skirt civic responsibilities is the energy I need from every Democratic legislator. PERIODT

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani@mayor.nyc.gov · 2d ago

If it looks like an Amazon delivery and drives like an Amazon delivery, then it's an Amazon delivery, right? Not according to Amazon. Big companies like Amazon have built a vast network of subcontractors who deliver their packages while shielding them from accountability.

The very fact that elected officials defend hiring someone so obviously unfit for the job reveals how in the tank they are for the team. No wonder Dundon behaves the way he does. He knows he'll get whatever he wants from these pushovers. Lesson: Elect better people.

Totally. There's no other explanation for this uneconomic bs: Dundon's willing to pay a billion dollars to move team but won't pay a dime towards a 600 million dollar renovation he's demanding for the current stadium? www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2026...

Trail Blazers could face hefty NBA relocation fee if team leaves Portland

Recent history suggests the team could pay upwards of $850 million, or more, to leave Portland, though the league could reduce the fee.

oregonlive.com

At our City Council meeting tomorrow, we'll discuss and vote on the term sheet for the proposed Moda Center renovation. See the full agenda and tune in to the live broadcast from 9:30am-5pm here: www.portland.gov/council/agen... #ModaCenter #CityCouncil

What this all means is that the Council's oversight of city spending is crippled, and the only check on administrative spending is the Council's budget authority, which does not have the precision or granularity for that role. Council urgently needs to claw back some of the checks on contracting 4/4

Moreover, major contracts themselves now no longer need any sort of Council approval. (For comparison, on the Council agenda for the meeting when this repeal occurred, there were like 8 agenda items dealing with significant contracts or other agreements.) 3/ www.portland.gov/council/agen...

So now, former chapters of City Code Title 5 are found in "Portland Policy Documents" rules. The main result being, if contract rules need to be changed, the City Administrator, under rulemaking authority, can simply change them without ever going to Council. 2/ www.portland.gov/policies/pub...

A quick recent history: In November 2024, as part of the govt transition, a vast amount of Portland's city code dealing with contracting - some 300 pages - was repealed by the former Council, and it was all cut-and-pasted into administrative rules. 🧵1/4 www.portland.gov/council/docu...

Terry J. Harris@trryjhrrs.bsky.social · 4d ago

A collateral point, beyond RCNRO's very savvy recommendations for "What Portland should build instead," the City urgently needs to more deeply consider the structural checks and balances (and utter lack thereof) in public contracting in the new form of government. (Much more on this soon, I think.)

Partnership for Progress (PAC started by Vadim, Bob Weinstein, & Eli Arnold to post reactionary AI newsletters + cartoons) is closing shop to put energy behind “Go Portland Go!” — a new conservative PAC that is going to do… foie gras reactionary content? These people are so hilariously unhinged.

I'm not too fond of people who always take the path of least resistance. Because that path usually means my community gets left behind. 🤷🏾‍♀️

“The timing of the contract certainly is interesting. We were actively being lobbied at that time” by the Sport Oregon-backed “We Are Rip City” coalition, Singleton told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Monday.

The Oregonian@oregonian.com · 2d ago

Records show Jessica Vega Pederson inked the contract just days after county commissioners pumped the brakes on her initial arena renovation proposal https://mrf.lu/2x0hQ

Corporate accountability has left the chat.

Coming up this Wednesday! We'll be there, will you??

Portland Jobs with Justice@jwjpdx.bsky.social · 7d ago

📢Rally for Respect at Legacy Meridian Park Let's show Legacy that we are united with caregivers and Meridian Park workers deserve respect, fairness, and a voice in their workplace. 📅Wed, August 12 at 5:30pm 📍Legacy Meridian Park (19300 SW 65th Ave, Tualatin actionnetwork.org/forms/rally-...

The recommendations recently released by the Governor's Prosperity Council are mainly a rehash of failed trickle-down economics. We explain this and much more in this episode of The Schmidt Show PDX. Check it out!

Schmidt Show PDX@schmidtshowpdx.bsky.social · 2w ago

What should Oregon do to create prosperity? And for whom? Listen in w Juan Carlos from @ocppnews.bsky.social