Governor Ted says this is the beginning of a Democratic dynasty in Oregon state politics. Meanwhile, Blazer fans are talking playoffs now, championship soon.

Talk about getting ahead of yourself.

It ain't pretty.

Greg Oden's already started rockin' the house.

They've adjourned the Oregon Legislature "sine die," meaning "without a day" -- without a day specified for reconvening. Down in Salem, they pronounce this "seinie dye," which of course is not how the Latin is supposed to be pronounced. The correct pronunciation is something like "see-nay dee-ay," but if you try to correct the representatives from the southern and eastern parts of the state, they just reply, "Only them Eye-talians say it like that." So seinie dye it is.

However you say it, this time around the whole "sine die" concept is, like so much that comes out of government these days, a straight-up lie. Actually there is a day that they all have in mind down there to reconvene, early in 2008. It's all part of the move toward annual sessions of the Legislature, which at best is an end run around that pesky little document known as the State Constitution. Oh well. They don't get paid much, and we get what we pay for, and so if they want to have some more meetings in Salem, let them. It's better than them heading off with the beer guys to Maui again.

They got a handful of good things done down there this time around -- for a change -- but it was by no means a blockbuster session in terms of accomplishments. The pundits all seem to be taking a deep breath before digging in and compiling a complete scorecard. I'm definitely in that camp as well. It will take a while to read what they actually passed and sort it all out.

To me this may be the Democratic Party's one and only chance at complete control of the state government for a while. Some of what they did -- particularly the Measure 37 "fix" -- was brave but is going to hurt legislators in unsafe districts. What's more, three long-time senators are already packing it in -- Brown, Walker, and Gordly -- and there may be more to come. Walker barely won the last time around, and the Democratic margin in the House is, of course, razor-thin.

Many probably think that there will be a Democratic landslide in the 2008 Presidential election, and that the Oregon Legislature will be swept along once again in that movement. I fondly hope that both of those projections come true, but at the moment, I wouldn't bet a nickel on either of them.

Vladimir: "Broussard was the mastermind -- he blackmailed me into doing it."

Emilie: "I'm still here."

Judge: "Ms. Boyles, before you testify again, I think you'd better get a lawyer."

Emilie: "Good idea, Judge."

Jurors: "I knew I should have called in sick."

Opie: "You see? The system is working."

Fireman Randy: "Can't wait to get mine!"

Call me crazy, but I've got a feeling that free tickets to Blazer games aren't going to be as easy to come by as they have been in the recent past. With the addition of man child Greg Oden and the casting off of sleazy Zach Randolph, the Rose City hoopsters are poised to surge in popularity. If prima donna Knick point guard Steve Francis is really going to play here, that could mean big trouble from a chemistry point of view, but it wouldn't hurt to have somebody on the dang team over the age of 30. And if the Blazers are going to ship him out somehow and get the killer outside shooter that they so desperately need in his place, even better. Portland also gets Channing Frye, a big young forward who could contribute substantially but is more likely to wind up floating around at the Ime Udoka level -- respectable, but not a star.

Duck fans are crying that Dan Dickau and Fred Jones are apparently headed to New York (where they'll be chewed up and spit out), but let's face it, neither is a major talent. Now Darius Miles needs to bow out of Portlandia gracefully. If he doesn't, when he inevitably shows up out of shape and acting like a bum, it would be a great morale move to waive him, plain and simple.

It surely appears that the Portland team's management is contemplating another serious move or two in the short term. But nothing's certain until it's finalized. For now, Oden is definitely coming and Randolph is most likely leaving. Jail Blazer Ho Nights at the Vintage Plaza are over. I'll toast to that.

Meanwhile, did you know that college players who declare themselves eligible to be selected in the pro draft and don't get picked can't go back and play in college if they've hired an agent (which they'd have been crazy not to do)? That's just plain awful.

Many youngsters love a snack called "Veggie Booty." Around our place we called it "kiddie crack" for a while. But it turns out, the people who make it are not good people. First they were busted for lying about what was in the stuff. Now there's a salmonella outbreak -- dozens of toddlers sick as dogs from eating this trash.

It's time for Robert's American Gourmet to pack it in before they do any more harm. I know one household that will never contain another one of their products. If ever there was a need for a national boycott of all products made by a particular manufacturer, this is it.

State Sen. Vicki Walker, my favorite politician in this fair state, says she's dropping out of the Legislature and planning to run for Oregon Secretary of State. "I feel I've plateaued," she says. She has my sympathies; I've felt that way many a night myself.

A reader sends along these photos, which he tells us (and he's always reliable) are "from a drug house raided by Mexico's special organized crime task force":

That ain't hay!

I hope Kevin Durant keeps his nose clean. Up in Seattle, it's been a most interesting week for the police bureau.

Just microwave those plastic grocery bags.

Forget those eco-roofs -- how about solar panels on a bunch of county buildings? That's what Multnomah County's about to get into under a deal unveiled yesterday by new County Commish Jeff "Little Big Pipe" Cogen.

Of course, there's a small catch -- always is, around these parts. The panels will be owned by a private company, and the county will still have to pay for the power they generate, just like it pays for juice now. All that's in it for the county taxpayers is that they will own the panels after they're 10 years old and the all the alternative energy tax credits for the private investors have dried up. Still, it should mean free power for the county at that point.

Hmmmm... O.k., I'll buy that (somewhat skeptically). Now let's talk about who's getting rich on this deal. Is the transaction going to be marketed in an open process, to the highest bidder? Or wait... don't tell me... we've already got the investors lined up?

The way things work in Portland, I wouldn't be surprised if some Peter Kohler or Tom Walsh types wind up being our new ecological "saviors." Indeed, I'll be surprised if it isn't somebody on Steve Janik's speed-dial.

Yesterday I reported that at tonight's speech at Portland State by fired Seattle U.S. Attorney John McKay, admission is free. In fact, as a reader alertly pointed out, that is not true. I thought otherwise because of an e-mail message that had been sent to people at my place of work offering free admission. That offer was good only for members of that group.

However, we do know that the sponsors of the event want a packed house, and so if you can't afford the tickets (I believe they are listed as $25 and $15), you may be able to plead poverty at the door and get yourself in without paying. It may depend on how many paying ticketholders show up.

Apologies for the confusion.

Racially balanced schools. Boy, Tony Scalia's getting everything on his PDA to-do list done faster than I ever thought he would.

Wild times in Hot Springs, Arkansas. A local cop who was busting some kids for skateboarding went a bit nuts while doing so. Too bad for him, one of the kids had a video cam going. And there's this thing called YouTube...

Try not to catch it.

A condo tower where Lincoln High School is now? Sure sounds like it. In today's WW, all the code words are there:

[A]t Lincoln High School, where parents and community members are in the initial stages of re-imagining the downtown campus as a mixed-use hub of city services and possibly other offerings such as housing. Lincoln, with about 1,500 students, needs at least 14 new classrooms on its Southwest Portland campus. Words like "green" and "sustainable" color the current discussions. But don't break out the champagne just yet; this is a plan for a planned plan. Principal Peyton Chapman says the committee is thinking "big" with a vision beyond Lincoln.

A reader writes:

While walking our dog at the school, my wife found a discarded homework assignment for a middle school student. It was a project proposal called Peopling the Nation. The project is a research project with two components: first, the family/ancestry aspect; and second, the historical/cultural aspect. The student should describe what he/she expects to learn about each one. The proposal was due January 2, 2007. Written, apparently by the teacher, was the only comment on the assignment - "late".

A scan of the page is attached. Handwritten on the page by the student was as follows:

"Abu
"12-25-06

"Before my mom had me my family lived in Somalia. In Somalia there were a war going on so my family moved to Kenya. When the war was going on it was in 1990. After three years later in Kenya my mom was pregnen the year of 1993. A boy named Abu was in the stomach. When I was coming out of the stomeck was Jan 19, 1993. Me and my family stayed in Kenya for three years intell 1996. We stayed in Kenya in the city called Mombasa, Kenya. When my family was living in Mombasa we were poor so my grandmom told my mom that I will live with her in Lamu. When we were poor we had to go to the refugee camp. Then there were American people who offered us to go to America. When we were living from Kenya my mom was pregnet again cause she was having my sister. Our family had a hard time living in Africa but if we go now we wont have a hard time.

"My project would be about how me and my family had a hard time in Africa and how hard ways in refugee camp. I will talk about how we got to America and since then how freedom was in America."

At the bottom, the parent approval space was signed and the teacher approval space was blank.

After reading the discarded assignment I wondered: Did the teacher notice Abu? Did this proposal become a project? Virtually every family if you go back far enough has an interesting, courageous or compelling story of the germination of their American journey. But the currency of Abu's story made it poignant. Abu's story is what Peopling the Nation is all about, isn't it, even if the homework is late? Was this a learning moment for the entire class? At a time when illegal immigration is hotly debated, this legal immigration story is full of promise. It seems to me Abu is going to do just fine in this country.

Still quite the piece of work. Wonder if she'll ever pay any more of the money back.

Here's one that got me thinking.

It's been nearly four months now since they raided that Portland police officer's home, where someone apparently had some sort of drug operation going. The officer was suspended at that point. Any word in our local media about what it was all about?

Nope. Still nothing.

Portlanders apparently have got only a few more days to register for sewer discounts if the stormwater off their roof doesn't run into the city's sewer system. The official version of what you need to know is here.

Meanwhile, a knowledgeable reader sends along these thoughts about the program:

This is the fulfillment of Sam "The Tram" Adams' promise to bring back the flawed stormwater discount program. Flawed because the majority of the costs of stormwater management (70-90%) are related to runoff from the public right of way, not from private property (large impervious areas such as parking lots do add to the costs, but they are already billed based on area).

This new effort is estimated to cost a few million to start up and maintain. If homeowners (there are discounts for business properties as well) claim that their roof runoff soaks into the ground on their own property, they can get a discount. Homeowners who can't do the simple downspout disconnections or afford more elaborate infiltration systems won't get the discount. Homeowners on the hilly west side, with unstable soils that are prone to sliding if saturated, are unlikely to qualify.

Stormwater rates will go up for everybody to pay for this, so getting the discount basically keeps the stormwater portion of your bill about the same as it was before the rate hike. Those who don't get the discount will be paying for those who do.

Policy analysts such as Dan Vizzini at BES know this is bad policy, but they have their marching orders. Because we all benefit from stormwater management, it really should be funded through a tax of some sort. But because of the property tax limitation, regulatory magic somehow transforms this into a user fee....

I try not to rant and rave about the Big Pipe (makes the tram and other questionable expenditures look like chump change), but at least this offers a way for some Portlanders to ease the pain a little. Of course, those who don't qualify are just SOL.

I see the little controversy in Lake O over the city's purchase of the Safeco building is morphing into a charter amendment election. Should be interesting. We could sure use some of that action up in Portland.

The fellow who was recently fired as the U.S. attorney in western Washington (one of the group of eight forced out of office in the infamous Alberto Gonzales purge) will be in town tomorrow night to give a talk. His name is John McKay, and he'll be speaking at Portland State as part of the kickoff of a new fellowships program being started up in memory of the late Sid Lezak, former U.S. attorney in our own state.

The talk will be in the PSU Ballroom and start at 7:30 p.m.

A reader writes:

They're releasing the iPhone Friday night at 6. After the markets close on the last day of the quarter. I don't know much about taxes and finance, but I know that's significant. Why, though?

Has any of our financially savvy readers got an answer?

Some people blog to get attention. Others use their theatrical talents. Check out this fellow's impressive body of work. And don't miss the fan merchandise.

Bone weary. Eyelids heavy. Can't think straight. A perfect state of mind in which to blog, actually. But the flesh is too weak. Hypnos is talking to me...

Another bar exam is on the horizon, and here in Oregon, tax is a subject that may be tested on. And so off I go to help the candidates cram.

UPDATE, 4:28 p.m.: After I drone on and on about the subject for four hours plus, I'm not sure who's more beat up -- the audience or me. But you add a hot couple of hours on I-5 from Eugene back to Portland, and there's no contest -- it's me.

The next giveaway of scarce tax dollars to the developer creeps who are wrecking Oregon: out on the coast, in Warrenton. The whole dang city is going to be an urban renewal district. Let the grim little festival of local corruption begin!

Last week, we had a thread going on the longest-lasting damage perpetrated by George W. Bush. Those of you who didn't say the Supreme Court appointments ought to check out what the Chimp appointees brought us today. Let's see -- if government violates the separation of church and state, there's no recourse in federal court. The feds can finesse the Endangered Species Act by laying off enforcement to the states. Teenage kids can be kicked out of school for holding up a sign that says something inane like "Bong hits for Jesus." And any campaign finance reform you try to pass can easily be circumvented with thinly veiled attack ads that purport to be about "issues," rather than candidates.

And that's all in just one day! We've got another 20 or 30 years of this to go. Enjoy, America. "Let's put a clown in the White House -- what difference does it make, as long as he cuts my taxes?" You are about to find out.

I'm guessing she'll be the next Oregon Secretary of State.

The City of Portland Water Bureau has turned on its groundwater wells for the summer. Ick.

Meanwhile, the recent heavy dew has caused raw sewage to flow into the Willamette again. Double ick.

Well, our complaint letters about the two Oregonian newsracks at the intersection of NE 24th and Fremont have brought about some serious corrective action. As regular readers here will recall, this is our ongoing test case to see what the rules are about newsracks on Portland sidewalks -- and to check out enforcement (if any) of those rules. While we're fussing over parade duct tape and hassling street people for sitting on the sidewalks, we think those ubiquitous streetside newsboxes are fair game as well.

On Thursday morning, we got a call (which was taken by the Mrs., as we were out of town) from Commissioner Sam Adams's office. They left a message with her to the effect that they would send someone out to take a look at the situation and get back to us.

Sometime between early Friday afternoon (we checked it out on our way home from the airport) and early Saturday afternoon (when we cruised by there again), the most offensive newspaper box -- the graffiti-littered O box on the northeast corner -- had been unchained from the traffic signal pole and removed, leaving only the untethered Tribune box:

The situation that's left on that corner is much closer to city standards than before, but to our eye the Trib box still encroaches into the "no private use" zone, which extends northward (to the left in the photo below) five feet from an imaginary extension of the property line on the lot of the corner (which would appear to be the line of the fence and brick box holding greenery, a little further back in the photo, that faces Fremont to the right):

This is a shame, because as of earlier last week, the Trib box had been moved mostly or entirely out of that zone, as we saw in this photo.

Still, as of today there are no graffiti or illegal chains, and the remaining newsrack is out of the "obstruction free" zone, which the O box was partially blocking before.

Over on the southwest corner, the other O box has been removed from its prior location:

But it hasn't disappeared -- it just moved around the corner, so that now it's on the 24th side of the intersection, rather than the Fremont side:

As you can see, it isn't tied to anything, legally or illegally, and it's clean of graffiti. But like the remaining Trib box on the northeast corner, the O box here is still well within the "no private use" zone.

It's gratifying to see these reductions in visual clutter and improvements in pedestrian access, but as just noted, we're still not sure that the O or Trib boxes are 100 percent legal. We also don't know whether the O made its moves on its own (in response to the letters we sent to them), or to what extent the city got on their case to make it happen. We're still hoping to hear back from someone at the city to get clarification on those points.

In that conversation, we're also hoping to get to the bigger issue of what specifically can be done about the dozens of other illegal newsracks that can be found all over the city. Where can normal people (not us, obviously) go to get at least the biggest offenders removed, cleaned up, or replaced? What information should be relayed to whom, and how? How bad does a violation have to be for the city to get involved? We know what we did in this case, but it would be nice to know what's going to be the most efficient and effective avenue to keep the sidewalks as clear as the law requires. We'll write more on this topic once we have that information -- if not before.

And there's more to consider. Is the Portland law requiring the right things? What should the city code say about streetside newsracks? Well worth further discussion.

Anyway, we would be remiss if we did not thank the Trib and the O for what has been done so far in our test case.

Here's a neat Portland-area blog that might be easy to overlook.

Have you heard? There's a major ongoing crisis in the condition of the streets, bridges, and traffic signals of Portland, Oregon.

Well, if you live here, of course you've heard. How can you not have heard, when the city's transportation bureaucrats have begun harping on this issue at every turn, as of a few weeks ago? Here's a mailer that's been sent out to every postal customer in the city. Our copy of this 8½-by-5½-inch two-color document arrived on Friday:

As if that weren't enough, on Saturday we got a robo-call telling us we needed to attend the meeting on this emergency, Tuesday night in our part of town