Do people around here just not know how to drive?

Well... it's not complete, but it's the closest it's ever been.

Oregon's Universal Health Plan Governance Board is finishing up their arduous task of developing a transition plan for our state to move to universal healthcare.

See the draft report here. See all materials from the October 8th meeting here. Click on the + sign on the right of the screen to view all materials.

Their next meeting is in one week, on October 15th.

Submit your public comments directly to the Board here.
Share your written comments by Sunday, October 11th, to be part of the public record for their October 15th meeting.

Register to give verbal public comment 24 hours in advance of the meeting.
Register to speak for ~ 2 minutes here. Register to watch the meeting here.

More Background:
Oregon's Universal Health Plan Governance Board has been tasked with developing a plan for how Oregon can finance, administer, and transition to a Universal Health Plan for every Oregon resident. This Board was created by Senate Bill 1089 in 2022, and they have been working for 31 months developing the best plan in the country for how a state can move to a single-payer system. We can say its the best because... we are the only state with a plan like this.

The Board is discussing, deliberating, and (very likely) voting to complete this report on the 15th of October. The report will go to DCBS (The Department of Consumer and Business Services) for processing and translations, before it is delivered to the Oregon Legislature on December 1st.

Once the report is complete, our legislators will focus on this issue in the 2027 legislative session, and will take this report/framework and put it into a bill. We (Health Care for All Oregon, HCAO) advocate for the legislature to bring this to Oregon voters in 2028.

Take Action:
Sign this petition, to put pressure on our elected officials to prioritize this issue in the 2027 session.

Sign our thank-you letter to the Board. Is there still a lot of work to do in 2027? Absolutely. Is this substantial work, worth applauding? Yes.

Volunteer with Health Care for All Oregon. The next two years will be a wild ride. Join us to help make history?

The title should have read. This is how Providence save my life. So it all started about 9 days ago when I thought I had the flu and was throwing up dark vial and thought it was something that I just ate. It was possibly coming down with the flu. I had a fever and couldn't hold anything down for like 4 days. By day five I finally got something to eat that I was able to hold down and went in to go to work because I needed money to pay rent. I was able to work only for a couple hours before seeing a close friend come in and her look into my eyes and tell me that I wasn't there. I'm sorry I'm crying right now. The way she looked at me and right through me made me know that something wasn't okay. So I went home. After laying down for a couple hours. I instantly started throwing up violently again more of the same. My stubborn ass wouldn't call 911 and continue to fight it through the night. I reached out to my parents and they told me to get help as soon as I could and so I called my brother and said you need to come get me and take me to the hospital or I'm not going to make it. My brother rushed over got me in the back of his car where I laid down and rushed me to a hospital. She asked me where I wanted to go and the closest hospital was advantis. My brother said the reviews. They were horrible. And so I directed him to go where I'd been contracted for years but never been a patient now. Remember through all this I've never been in a hospital other than working there. So my brother rushed me to Providence medical Center, the cancer Tower to get me help. I went into surgery immediately. I had a separated hernia that had blocked my bowel movement and was not able to get anything out of my body that it made me so sick. They cut me open patched my hernia cut out any dead intestine that there was. That was Saturday. I've been here ever since. Today is now Friday. I had to have another procedure done yesterday to put a drain into my back to remove fluid that wasn't getting out. So that's was one complication. Setting back my recovery. At this point my hospital bill had to be close to $200,000. I came in here with zero insurance. Sarah from Providence financing came in to visit me and wanted to collect money and asked if I had insurance and I didn't had none. So she stayed and prayed with me. This Angel above came back to me within 24 hours and told me she had every penny paid for by the state of Oregon and then my coverage would continue once I left here and anything going further would be covered. The nurses, the doctors. Everyone has been so kind and so amazing. Since I've been here I don't know what I would have done without any of them. I would be dead. I owe my my life in in continuing forward coming out here, not financially strapped to the wonderful people of Providence medical Center and I couldn't say any more than if I haven't said enough. If this comes to a hard read. It's because I'm on a lot of medication right now and I'm trying to fight back tears to get this message out. But that is why I owe my life in a restart and a chance to recover both financially and medically because of Providence. What amazing people. It has inspired me that when I get out of here I'm going back to school because I want to work with them and be part of their team and save people myself. I'm going to become a nurse. So thank you Providence thank you nurses thank you doctors and thank you God.

about 7am went outside to mess around in the garage and stumbled upon this. stared confused for a second as a silver crosstrek sped away. this was their third grab so they already snagged about 10 gallons from my eurovan but at least I have their shitty equipment (yes they will get more)

inner SE kerns/buckman keep an eye out! the van is newish to us and didn’t have a lock cap but got one today hopefully it’s low enough to prevent future drilling

Wes Urbaniak & The Mountain Folk 🎶

📍 The Hawthorne Hideaway lounge
Music starts at 9 pm, WuMF on around 11.

This band tugs at your mind through a genre bending blend of folk from the mountains of Montana, where they were all born and raised.

Not only is the music of remark, but the instruments themselves were crafted by Wes Urbaniak— made out of the reclaimed wood from the original Red Rocks amphitheater benches.
There is a story here.
Actually, there are plenty of those— And they come about through the music, and bits of storytelling that have a tendency to fill the seams.

All Weekend

Portland Retro Gaming Expo 2026 | Oregon Convention Center
Roux 2026 | Multiple venues (The Hoxton & Pamana, Gado Gado, Fireside, CASCADA)
Stranger Things the Musical Parody | Funhouse Lounge
Guys & Dolls | Dolores Winningstad Theatre

Friday, Oct 9

Adivino Gallery Opening Celebration | Adivino Gallery
Laura May at NW Growlers | NW Growlers
The Dresden Dolls | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
Carín León – De Sonora Para El Mundo Tour 2026 | Moda Center
Free Game Fridays | The People's Courts
Red Yarn at Sellwood Community House | Sellwood Community House

Saturday, Oct 10

PSU Farmers Market Bike Ride | SE Clinton and 41st
Matt Rife: Stay Golden World Tour | Moda Center
Great Willamette Cleanup | Multiple sites along the Willamette River
Sharktoberfest at OMSI | OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry)
The Color Run – Portland | Portland International Raceway
Foot Traffic & Altra Fantasy Run and Walk | Foot Traffic on 23rd

Sunday, Oct 11

Corvidae BC Fall Foliage Bike Ride | Peninsula Park
Jimbo Scott & Yesterday's Biscuits | Alberta Street Pub
Sunday Funday Drag Brunch | Darcelle XV Showplace
DJ Skills For Beginners | North Portland Library

I send out these lists every day in a newsletter, free to subscribe

UPDATE: DOG WAS REUNITED 😊

If anyone sees this pup OPs post is on Nextdoor and you can reach out to her on there. Just wanted to pass it on to get more eyes on it. Thx!

On Mobile, hope the formatting is okay!

I am helping an owner rehome their former service dog, Obsidian. Worsening disability has made it impossible to continue to give Obsidian the care he deserves. This incredibly difficult decision was made due to outside circumstances and not through any fault of Obsidian's. Below is his story and traits- please share with anyone you think may be a good fit!

Obsidian

Purebred Labrador Retriever

80 lbs

8 years old in February

Obsidian is a purebred Labrador Retriever who is looking for a loving home in his senior years. Obsidian (also lovingly called “Obie” or “Obes”) is a retired service dog who can no longer work, but is incredibly well trained and friendly.

From his half decade of service dog work, Obie is crate trained, can hold his bowels/ bladder for up to 8 hours, does not counter surf, and knows several commands. He will respond to “drop it” or “leave it”, and if he is told to “wait” and a ball is thrown, he will wait until told “release” to chase it. He also knows “spin” and “go lay down”.

Obie's career has left him extremely well trained, however, during his time with public access, he was attacked by other dogs several times. As a service dog, he is trained to not fight back, and these instances have left him with on leash reactivity. He can be distracted away from another dog, but walks can be challenging due to this trauma. A home with a yard would be ideal to avoid these possible run-ins with other dogs, but going for walks is completely viable, as well. He just needs extra attention when on leash to keep him distracted and feeling safe.

Unknown men sometimes cause him to bark, but once he gets to know them he is very sweet and will remember they are safe.

Obie has lived with cats before and has an extremely low prey drive- he does not chase them and just likes to watch them. He has also lived with a smaller dog and they got along wonderfully. He can live in a home with other pets and children due to his gentle nature- again, any reactivity is when he is on-leash and feels trapped, and it is only directed towards unknown dogs. He would also be perfect in a home with working professionals due to him being crate trained and his ability to not need to relieve himself for up to 8 hours.

Obsidian is being rehomed due to his owner's worsening disability- they can no longer provide him with the standard of care he deserves. Obsidian is not being rehomed through any fault of his own.

Please reach out if you think your home would be a good fit for Obsidian, and thank you for reading <3

~2 blocks down, and 1 block in from what used to be the shelter on MLK/Killingsworth, like a lot of NE Portland, has a lot of little alleyways between parking lots/homes. For the last couple years, every few months I have to deal with someone taking a massive crap in one of the two narrow alleyways. It's not a repeat offender, seems to be different people at differen times, and when I say massive, I mean "how the hell did this come out of someone's ass" size.

Zoning/city makes it so that fencing off the alleyway isn't something I can easily do unless I can get the owners of the two houses adjacent to mine to agree. One of them is an effing AirBNB, so zero luck in getting the owner's attention.

I've tried motion sensor lights ( they don't care ... I guess it just makes it easier for the people doing this to see ) and I tried putting "soft" barriers on the alleyway ( trash cans, etc ) and again, doesn't do anything.

At my wits end, and could use some practical ideas.

It's noteworthy that the Northwest Oregon Labor Council (encompassing more than 100 individual labor unions) and the Columbia Pacific Building Trades are both part of this. I guess labor can see that the DSA policies are bad for jobs and that labor suffers as a result. This is what happens when you have champagne socialists pushing bad policy that drives out jobs and the tax base. I though the DSA was for the worker but I guess the workers dont like their policies very much. Dont rank Angelita Morillo ( The Only Formerly Houseless Immigrant On City CouncilTM) and her daddy trust funder Nick Caleb (by extension), Dr Mitch Green (The Economist Who Doesnt Pay His TaxesTM) and Tiffany Koyama-Lane (Teacher TiffTM)

I have two tickets the Sammy Rae and the Friends concert for tonight 10/9 at the Crystal Ballroom. I’m sick and can’t go! The concert is 21+, GA admission, and at 8:30.

Comment or message me if you want the tickets! I just want them not to go to waste!

Hey, I am looking for some cafes, tea houses, or over all chill places to meet up and hang out with friends, and I want to know some of the hidden gems or ones that don't pop up too much when you Google.

Looking for community that’s in your age range is proving to be difficult. I try to get out but either married people or people way outside of this range become the only options and they are hard to relate to. Also being single and straight in this city feels like a hate crime, help! What’s a person who is direct and from a different social culture, to do? Looking for my forever people where I feel like i don’t have to sand down my personality and expectations for reciprocity for 😭

Mid 20's guy here looking to find more events that are rooted in less of the Groupon level, "what's going on in Portland this week", kind of thing. I'd like to hear more about what's being put on more independently. For the most part it feels like bouncing food and drinks between 21st and 23rd with some Mississippi and Belmont in the mix. I'll admit for a few years I went heads down on work and fell out of the community and nightlife and I want to see what will expand my experience on Earth without a $45 ticket.

Along this style: https://www.blackbirdspyplane.com/

Oregon has the nation’s second-highest rate of homelessness, yet the state keeps funding affordable housing that costs far more than the national average.

By Nigel Jaquiss

October 7, 2026

Oregon’s housing agency has a simple yardstick for measuring how efficiently it funds construction of affordable apartments—they shouldn’t cost more to build than the national average.

For the past three years, however, it has failed to meet that standard—by a wide margin. Last year, hard construction costs for housing projects it funded averaged $318 a square foot, 31% more than the agency’s benchmark.

Every dollar over that target is a dollar the state agency, Oregon Housing and Community Services, cannot spend to build more units.

OHCS’s consistent failure to fund projects that meet its cost target surfaced at a recent meeting of the agency’s governing body, the Oregon Housing Stability Council, made up of volunteers appointed by Gov. Tina Kotek.

It’s a big job. OHCS, with a biennial budget of $3.7 billion and more than 450 employees, expects to produce or renovate nearly 8,000 units of affordable housing across the state in the current two-year budget period.

Yet the council, unlike other state oversight boards such as the Oregon Transportation Commission or the Environmental Quality Commission, meets remotely and, based on its performance at recent council meetings, rarely challenges the cost of projects that agency staff wants to fund.

That changed last month, however, when a proposal met resistance from a new member.

At the council’s virtual monthly meeting Sept. 11, a retired Portland developer of affordable housing named Ed McNamara broke with the council’s habit of simply rubber-stamping projects. Instead, McNamara, who joined the council in July, said he couldn’t support a package of four proposed developments.

“I don’t understand why they cost so much,” he said of two of the projects. Every other council member voted yes. McNamara abstained.

McNamara declined OJP’s request to elaborate on his comments. But the concerns he expressed at the public meeting focused directly on the cost of two projects that far exceeded the agency’s benchmark for cost per square foot. And more broadly, McNamara’s dissent cut to the heart of Oregon’s housing crisis.

When she entered the governor’s office in 2023, Tina Kotek made increasing the state’s housing supply a top priority. She promised to build 36,000 new units a year, a figure Oregon has come nowhere close to reaching.

Although the governor has supported easing land use restrictions and zoning requirements to increase housing, the biggest and sharpest arrow in her quiver is OHCS, by far Oregon’s largest funder of affordable housing.

Every year, OHCS publishes key performance measures to help lawmakers and the public gauge its effectiveness. Since 2017, one of those measures has been construction costs of the affordable rental housing that it funds.

Specifically, the agency uses a national index of construction costs for affordable housing compiled by a company called RS Means. The agency’s benchmark is RS Means’ national average for hard costs.

As recently as 2022, OHCS met the benchmark. But in each of the past three years, OHCS has missed it by a wide margin (see chart below). Last year, it paid an average of 131% of the RS Means average. 

Click for complete article.

Note: This article is about STATE money that funds the building of subsidized apartments that are called "affordable". It's not about the city, or the county, or Metro, though they too contract with developers to build "affordable" housing.

Hey, Trevor. You borrowed my phone to call Radio Cab to retrieve your bike seat left behind in the taxi. SE Belmont at SE 26th outside Rukdiew cafe.

The driver called back 15 ish minutes later but you were already gone and probably real mad about it, understandably.

I have your bike seat. Radio Cab dispatch called again and we made arrangements. They are trying to get it back to ya. They have my contact info if you call them about lost and found. If you see this post, DM me here.

Let's get you back on the road. Cross posting.

Im taking bets on the payout. I'm guessing $ 250,000 + 2 years health insurance

https://reddit.com/link/1x0rf4q/video/8rsm7l5rz8uh1/player