Murmurs: Kotek Opposes Corporate Tax Measure

KOTEK OPPOSES CORPORATE TAX MEASURE: The Oregon secretary of state certified Initiative Petition 17 for the November ballot on July 24. But the measure, which would increase corporate taxes and distribute the proceeds to nearly every Oregonian, already has one powerful opponent: Gov. Tina Kotek. “I am opposed to this ballot measure,” Kotek says. “It may look good on paper, but its flawed approach would punch a huge hole in the state budget and put essential services for low-wage and working families at risk.” Antonio Gisbert, chief petitioner for IP 17, told WW he hoped progressives would support the measure, which includes two concepts—the redistribution of wealth and a form of universal income—that many left-leaning voters may find attractive. But as Kotek notes, the practical impacts of the measure would be negative for the state government. Oregon corporations, which already face a high tax burden, hate it. Last year, Kotek recognized high taxes as an impediment to the region and state’s economic recovery and encouraged local leaders not to seek any new taxes for the next three years. Her opposition to IP 17 reinforces that position.

MAYOR LAMBASTS SHERIFF OVER JAIL BOOKING TIFF: On July 26, officers with the Portland Police Bureau made their first arrest of an unhoused man who allegedly wouldn’t comply with the city’s new camping restrictions. But when the cops took the man to the Multnomah County Jail, the sheriff’s office refused to book him. That’s because the jail only books for misdemeanors and felonies, not for violations of city ordinances, sheriff’s office spokesman Deputy John Plock says. That came as a surprise to all five members of the Portland City Council, including Mayor Ted Wheeler, whose office crafted the city ordinance that places restrictions on camping. (The council passed the ordinance May 8.) Wheeler chastised Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell in a Tuesday morning statement, saying he was “disappointed by the sheriff’s decision to refuse to book individuals arrested for violating the law.” The mayor’s office said no agreement between the city and sheriff’s office had been signed about booking violators of the camping rules. Wheeler urged Morrisey O’Donnell to “reconsider her position.” The sheriff said in a statement she had no intention of changing her policy. “Arresting and booking our way out of the housing crisis is not a constructive solution,” she said.

FEDS TELL COUNTY TO FIX JAIL SHORT STAFFING TO STOP OVERDOSES: The National Institute of Corrections has given the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office a laundry list of ways to stop the rampant smuggling of illicit drugs at Portland’s two jails. Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell requested NIC’s help following a surge in inmate deaths. There were 10 in 2022 and 2023, including four overdoses. NIC’s report, authored by a pair of assessors and dated July 2, was recently published on a county website. The problem is ongoing. The report says 15 inmates have been hospitalized after overdosing so far this year. Part of the problem: rampant understaffing. Three dozen corrections deputy positions are vacant, as are about 50 health care positions. “Critical tasks, such as contact searches, are not able to be completed due to the short staffing,” the report notes. To make matters worse, training was “significantly hampered” by the pandemic, forcing administrators to provide everyone with “Corrections 101″ remedial training. The NIC recommends the sheriff’s office not only accelerate hiring, but also install more cameras and create a dedicated “intelligence unit” to proactively hunt down contraband. It’s not immediately clear whether or when the changes would be implemented. The county, which runs the jail’s health department, says the report’s recommendations are “reasonable” and will address them. The sheriff’s office said it will provide “an update” in late August.

LEMONADE FROM A LEMON?: Beau Blixseth, son of Oregon’s most renowned timber baron, is looking to double his money on a troubled grain elevator beside Moda Center. Castle Arden 1 LLC, an entity he controls with Portland scrap-tire baron Chandos Mahon, has listed the 62-year-old concrete structure for sale at $6.5 million, just three and a half years after he bought it for $2.9 million. The hulking structure has been a headache for Blixseth. He had planned to ship grain from it, taking advantage of a rally in wheat prices caused by the war in Ukraine, but the Union Pacific railroad stopped service to the property because of a sharp turn in the tracks that caused derailments. Next, he and Mahon piled up shredded tires next to the terminal and loaded them onto ships bound for Asia, where they are burned for fuel. Vessels arrived less frequently after a pile of shards caught fire in May 2023, spewing acrid smoke into the Portland dawn. The pile reignited at least three times as the core remained hot despite aggressive dousing by the Portland fire bureau. Soon after, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality fined Castle Arden for piling up too much rubber. Now, Blixseth is pivoting to yet another use. “This property has tremendous future upside potential as a redevelopment for mixed-use/residential with connectivity to the Rose Quarter, adjacency to light rail and with outstanding views of the Portland skyline and Willamette River,” the listing says. The elevator is located in Albina Vision Trust’s master plan for redevelopment of the 100 acres surrounding the property, the listing says. One revenue business that has worked at the site: advertising. The largest billboard in Portland is plastered on the side of the elevator.