🌱 New Portland Taxes + Portland Voters Unhappy

Happy Lunar New Year, Portland! It's the Year of the Tiger, so let's switch on Beast Mode as we go into this new week. Here's what's happening today.

First, today's weather:

The rains return today, and the high temp is just a chilly 42.

Here are the top five stories today in Portland:

1. A long-awaited analysis of the internal dynamics of the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) has revealed a culture hampered by distrust, accountability issues, and poor leadership. The 80-page report was authored by an independent law enforcement investigatory agency called the OIR Group, which the city has relied on in the past to evaluate police shootings. (The Portland Mercury)
2. As we look to tax season, those earning higher wages in the Portland metro area are preparing to pay two new personal income taxes. They are Metro’s Supportive Housing Services tax and Multnomah County’s Preschool for All income tax. Richard Sohler, managing attorney for Sohler Whitman, points out that depending on where you live, you could be paying just one of the taxes, or both. Both taxes only apply to those earning at least $125,000 a year as an individual or $200,000 if you're filing jointly. (OregonLive)
3. A ban on flavored tobacco products in Washington County was reversed, but one business said the damage is done. "It’s been rough. And I feel wronged-I feel like the county commission did something that was very wrong," said Christopher Ferreira, owner of Oregon Vape Shop in Hillsboro, who had to say goodbye to his store. Ferreira said those products brought in 90% of his revenue. (KATU)
4. A recent study among Portland voters has revealed pessimism and frustration is reaching all-time highs. The study was conducted by consulting group DHM Research and released Monday by the Portland Business Alliance. The study to weigh voter approval, or lack thereof, in the City of Portland is conducted on a yearly basis. Results released found 88 percent of Portland voters feeling the quality of life is getting worse in the city. This is a significant rise from the 49 percent who reported feeling the same way in 2017. (KPTV)
5. It's one of those sentences that you almost don't want to type lest you somehow jinx things. A new forecast by researchers from Oregon Health Sciences University says that the state could reach peak hospitalizations by February 6. OHSU Office of Advanced Analytics Director Peter Graven says that the good news is the result of Oregonians taking things like masking requirements and getting boosters seriously. (Portland Patch)

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Today in Portland:

• Join Portland Audubon for their webinar, The Fascinating Lives of Song Sparrows. Have you ever listened closely to the Song Sparrows in your neighborhood? Did you know one of our most common backyard birds is an incredible vocal genius? Or that your neighborhood Song Sparrows sound different than the ones in another part of town? Join Brodie to learn more about these fascinating little brown birds. You’ll study the fascinating lives and incredible vocal performances of one of our most common avian neighbors. 6:00 - 7:00 PM.
• For a chill evening of acoustic music, check out Songwriter Sessions at the Atlantis Lounge in North Portland. Hosted by Christopher Worth and Jacob Westfall, they will feature some great local singer-songwriters. The first part of the night showcases artists playing one song each, then a featured artist presents a longer set, followed by more artists. It’s a great listening room environment and all are welcome. All ages for the first hour. 7:30 - 10:30 PM
• Tomorrow's Verse in NE Portland will host an open bluegrass jam tonight. Come listen to some of the area's best bluegrass artists jam unplugged. This will be a traditional style Bluegrass circle, where people can join in as much as they’d like. Standard Bluegrass instruments like, guitar, mandolin, dobro, fiddle, and banjo are welcome, but if you’d like to join in on other stringed or folk instruments please contact Rich, either prior to the jam or on jam night at Tomorrow’s Verse. 7:00 - 10:00 PM.
• Who says Tuesday can't be a dance night? If you're in the mood to shimmy, get on over to Candy in downtown Portland for 22 & good 4 U! Come ready to dance the night away to music from the likes of Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo! Get your tickets online. The music starts at 9:00 PM.
• Portland band The Apricots will be playing at the Doug Fir Lounge. The Apricots are an emerging Portland project serving their own sweet, glossy sounds that are hard to pin down. Their music is influenced from all directions, from indie rock to alternative funk while finding their center in sweet-like-honey harmonies. Also performing will be La Fonda and Lo Steele. Tickets available online. Doors open at 7:00 PM.

From my notebook:

• Portland Trail Blazers: This is a work of art. THIS IS A WORK OF ART. 🤌 (Instagram)
• Portland Trail Blazers: 30 degrees way too cold 🥶 (Instagram)
• Travel Portland: Throwback to two years ago and one of the most epic Portland sunrises ever! #ThisIsPortland #PDX #PDXNOW #TravelPortland #TravelOregon #PortlandOregon #HereForPortland (Instagram)
• Visit Lan Su to experience the most colorful and joyous Chinese festival during the garden’s two-week Chinese New Year celebration. In accordance with the Lunar Calendar, the Chinese New Year celebration of the Year of the Tiger, begins on February 1, 2022 and ends February 15, 2022. The festival features cultural performances, festival decorations, and craft activities, audio tours, Year of the Tiger Scavenger Hunts and much more. (Portland Society Page)
• Local artist Mike Bennett has a new display, this time in Directors Park. Each and every animal in there is made from reclaimed wood and recycled house paint! And it looks even cooler at night. (Instagram)
• Moving and adapting to what continues to be a long-lived pandemic, the annual Portland Winter Light Festival returns Friday with more than 100 illuminated works of art spread out over much of the Portland metro area. In 2021, the pandemic prompted the festival to pivot to a “(non)Festival” in 2021, offering walk-by installations and no hands-on activities throughout the city. The 2022 version, running Feb. 4-12, is more of a hybrid, with a DIY approach to seeing outdoor installations mixed with scheduled events including an Illuminated Bike Ride and Silent Disco. (The Oregonian)

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That's your Tuesday and the start of a new year! The Year of the Tiger is about making big changes, so this will be a year of risk taking and adventure. I wish you all that big tiger energy. Take those risks, but meet me back here tomorrow and we'll talk all about Portland.

— Dominic Anaya

About me: Doctor, educator and now a writer/artist, I'm just chillin' in Portland, OR with my wife, our ferrets, our chickens and our goats.