The grocery bag tax may have some unintended consequences. I've done my part saving the world with my two canvas bags, but those aren't enough to handle serious, restock the fridge and pantry, hundred dollar grocery shopping. The tax seems to incentivize (sp?) smaller purchasing; this may result in more trips to the store. And, judging by the packed parking lots at every grocery store I've ever seen in Downtown, NW, Burlington, Woodstock and Lake Oswego, its not like drivers aren't driving.

What's the environmental trade-off on reduced plastics consumption versus increased petrol consumption?

Sam Adams won because he had no credible candidate running against him. His timing was stellar. Look out, this is a guy who filed BK. How in the world can he manage the City of Portland?
A one termer.

I think Adams won because most Portlanders really have no idea what the City is up to. It doesn't interest most people.

So here's this young guy, looks pleasant, people correctly assume he's liberal, bonus points for being gay. And his name is known because he's been hanging around City Hall forever. Bingo, that's what it takes in Portland.

I hope he's a one termer, but that assumes that citizens pay attention to his track record in the coming years, which seems like a big assumption to me.

As for the plastic bag tax, just ban them. It's more to the point. Paper bas support our timber industry and quickly biodegrade. I'm sick of plastic bags bowing down my block, hanging in bushes or crushed by the curb. They never decompose.

Paper bags? What about the spotted owls? I thought that was the whole point of switching to plastic years ago? Or did that eco-fad run its course until they discover another billion barrels of oil and we all conveniently forget that bags come from this diminishing and toxic resource?