[May 7th, 2008]

WINNERS

1. A federal effort to save salmon by getting rid of hungry sea lions on the Columbia River turned into a mini-bloodbath when unknown gunmen (boaters?) shot six sea lions that were trapped, pending the pinnipeds’ possible one-way trip to Sea World. Hard to say who benefits more[b]: heartless sea-lion haters, or animal-rights activists who have raised hell about the trapping.

2. Visitors to national parks won’t be able to shoot the wildlife, or their whiny hiking companions—but they may be able to carry concealed handguns if a new Department of the Interior plan to ease gun restrictions moves ahead. That’s good news for gun-toting campers who’ve been itching to pack heat along with their granola (“Gordo, Get Your Gun,” WW, Feb. 20, 2008). If Osama bin Laden is hiding in the woods near Crater Lake, he’s got more than bears to worry about.

3. Pay attention, presidential candidates. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) was vindicated last week when his sweeping universal-healthcare bill got a clean bill of financial health (“Sicko and the Senator,” WW, July 11, 2007). A Congressional Budget Office report revealed the proposal, if implemented, wouldn’t lead to more initial spending at the outset and would actually lead to long-term savings.

LOSERS

1. Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, Oregon’s top elections officer, has a problem. More than 80,000 voters have switched party registration this year, and Bradbury’s office said last week more than a third of them will get two ballots. For a state that touts its leadership in voting technology, that’s just embarrassing.

2. Portland mayoral candidate Sho Dozono dropped at least $46,000 to hire a top-flight direct mail firm. So heads were scratched last week when his campaign lit arrived at some mailboxes in Gresham and Troutdale. Dozono also landed in hot water because his restaurant hadn’t paid back rent—not a tactful move when you’re running for mayor and your landlord is the city (see “Garden of Eatin’,” page 40, for more).

3. Add Cascadia, the tottering edifice that is Multnomah County’s provider of mental health services, to Chairman Ted Wheeler’s list of headaches. The county and the state sped up their schedule of payments to Cascadia in hopes of buying the troubled provider more time to straighten out its finances.

4. Portland-based, sustainably branded sportswear company Nau said it would close operations. As first reported on Friday at wweek.com, Nau failed to raise sufficient green. On the upside, Nau clothes owners, hang onto your threads—they may be collector’s items.