"Understand Portland's noise control ordinance, which makes it a crime to operate a sound producing device in such a way that it is plainly audible 100 feet or more from the source."

There was a five person brass band playing on the corner the other day.

Musicians love rules.

The more patronizing the better.

The arrogant, Big Brother-like assertion that the citizens downtown, presumably in some kind of Congress assembled, have agreed to the City's terms & appointed the Cops as judge, jury and executioner is chilling:

"The Downtown retail, residential and office community have agreed: ...
* In the event of a dispute, to abide by the decision of the police or a volunteer mediator appointed as a result of this agreement."

(Note, in passing, that the Congress of Musicians did not agree to this police appointment.)

How about a simple ordinance with clear objective standards? There's probably one or two on the books already, if they were only enforced. Naw, that's not 'progressive" - better to assert that Solomon has brought the sides together.

Maybe weird ain't all it's cracked up to be.

You think that's bad, check the rules for taking a picture, or producing motion-picture, or video of any civic entity, including parking structures.

How much more can I take? How much more can we take? I haven't worked in years, full-time watchdogging, and raising awareness. The time is simply upon us. Drastic action must be taken. There is a 'type' and it's readily identifiable because it so loves it's uniform.

Don't hire them, don't talk to them, don't do business with them, don't help them, just ignore them. Maybe we can starve them out.

How many musicians do you really think were party to that "agreement"?

I have the Southwest Corner office in the American Bank Building, 7th floor.

If you have spent 60 minutes (and I assure you, it goes on longer than that) listening to the bucket drummer guy, unable to hear the speakerphone on your telephone, you have just reached the 9th circle of hell. Then there were the guys with the portable sound system, singing the same song over and over, right by the Nines.

Most of this stuff doesn't qualify as 'music' folks....it is simply noise.

Don't get me started on the trumpet player who has only one mode - staccato.

For the last year and a half, I have been trying to work with SOMEONE about the Portland Musicians Agreement. Seems, as far as I can figure out, it's a 15 year old ordinance, that is no longer maintained. I got in trouble playing on the waterfront park back in 2008 and have kept correspondence with a guy at the parks dept trying to figure out if there is a way that we can get some things changed.

However, the Portland Business Alliance no longer maintains their part of the agreement. Seems this is an old, orphaned agreement. I follow it to the "T" when I am playing downtown just so that I don't have to worry about getting into trouble.

I really would like to get together with someone that wants to make some change. Especially with their currently trying to change the homeless regulations downtown again.