Roughly a year and a half ago I had this exchange:
So I set aside this space.
I originally envisioned this as a place for me to talk about Portland (Oregon) politics. I was frustrated by the existing conversation, both online and on the street. It felt (at least to me) to be wildly reactive—careening from anarcho-leftist to deeply conservative and back again, based mostly on vibes, and rarely grounded in facts, data, or history. Why wasn’t there anyone doing something—anything—better?
Needless to say, in the subsequent 18 months, I’ve done absolutely nothing with it (this space, that is).
And yet. To quote an excellent children’s book: “Questions are tricky, and some hold on tight, and this one kept [Mort] awake through the night.”
So I’m kicking the tires on it again.
Who am I?
I’m just a guy. Another middle-aged White guy with a Substack.
You probably want to know a little bit more, so here it is:
My partner and I are transplants from the East coast but have lived in Portland for the last 12 years, first as renters and now as homeowners. I’m employed in business/tech and she’s employed in healthcare. We have a kid and a cat. Neither the kid nor the cat are employed because they are a kid and a cat, respectively, and thus freeloaders. I follow city politics relatively closely and have spent several years on various neighborhood and coalition boards.
Should you listen to me? I have no idea. You decide.
I don’t intend to be a regular blogger. I don’t know if I’ll post more than once or twice a year. I don’t know if it will be only about Portland or more expansive. I’ll do whatever gets me writing periodically. But whatever this becomes, I hope you find it useful.
And if you don’t? Sorry. At least it’s free?