We try hard not to be ironic or arcane.

[October 17th, 2007]

Multnomah County Sheriff Bernie Giusto could face serious professional handicaps if the state strips his law-enforcement certification but he fights for his job. The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training has asked Giusto to resign or face allegations he violated moral fitness standards by lying. If Giusto loses his certification, he’d probably lose his security clearance for the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, says FBI spokesman Mike Sweeney. Giusto also could lose his authorization to pull info from the state database of criminal records, says David Yandell, director of information management for the Oregon State Police. Doesn’t sound like much of a sheriff, does it?

So, where’s the first place Mr. Global Warming shows up after winning the Nobel Peace Prize ? In Portland…sorta. As first reported on WWire, former Vice Prez Al Gore made a very rare public appearance Saturday night at Basic Rights Oregon’s 25th annual awards dinner. As part of a film tribute to longtime gay-rights activist Terry Bean, Gore appeared (albeit briefly) on the big-screen TV at BRO’s gala in the Oregon Convention Center. Gore referred to Portland’s Mr. Bean, a major Democratic fundraiser, as a “good friend.” Bean’s reaction: “I was a little nervous getting all that attention, but it was a fun night.”

Portland’s orneriest commissioner , Randy Leonard, got into another tiff last week with the city’s Small Business Advisory Council. Leonard got ticked when the advisory group opposed a plan to get unsightly garbage cans off the sidewalks. Businesses were concerned about the cost (estimated at $18,000 apiece) of creating indoor space for their cans. But the commissioners have spoken, and an illegal-trash crackdown will begin soonish. “In six months,” warns Leonard, “I intend to unleash the pent-up bureaucracy.” Careful about paper cuts.

Thanks to a Seattle TV station, we know thieves are slipping through Portland International Airport. Since January 2003, PDX has reported 514 stolen property claims with a value of $193,489, according to KIRO. That makes PDX the 14th most theft-prone airport out of the nation’s 50 largest. KIRO quoted Homeland Security officials as “alarmed” by the findings and taking steps to increase security. Port of Portland spokesman Steve Johnson says the Port takes baggage security “very seriously” and encourages passengers to take valuables with them through security checkpoints. (The report is at kirotv.com/airports/13986486/detail.html.)

On Friday, Oct. 19, the Portland Marijuana Project is launching its perennial campaign to decriminalize ganja . (“Weeding Petitions,” WW , July 5, 2006). Campaign manager Parker Bell has asked the D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project for $70,000 to get this initiative on the ballot. The initiative would prohibit city cops from cooperating with the state or feds in dope cases, and allow possession of an ounce or less of “usable marijuana” (no stems?). The cops could confiscate anything above the legal limit, but they’d still have to leave you with that precious ounce.

Our “Ve have vays of making you talk” update on a federal “shield law” for reporters that’s making its way through Congress (“Shields Up,” WW , May 9, 2007): The measure co-sponsored by Oregon Reps. Greg Walden, David Wu and Earl Blumenauer is set to land on the House floor this week. Like most states, Oregon already has a “shield law” protecting journalists from disclosing their sources. This unique federal proposal does have one big, scary loophole—it would compel journos to reveal their sources in cases of terrorism or national security, which could conceivably put guys like investigative journalist Seymour Hersh out of business. Talk about blowback.