Cascadia today: World Cup a tourism dud for Cascadia + 10k apply for Seattle social housing + Portland's queer saints
In case you missed it, yesterday I wrote about Jeremy Beausoleil Smith's campaign for Portland city council: he's a Gen Z democratic socialist and project manager at Portland State University who's supportive of Cascadia autonomy:
"Let's get the idea out there, a referendum or something to really get people thinking about: maybe Cascadia could be a thing, maybe we could actually do it."
Andrew Engelson
Do you appreciate Cascadia Journal's exclusive reporting on the ways the Pacific Northwest is pushing back against US fascism? If you have the means, please consider a paid subscription of just $5 per month. Each subscription helps me produce original reporting and opinionated notes on Cascadia's fight to build a more resilient and autonomous bioregion. And to those who already subscribe, thank you! --Andrew
Hotels vacant as World Cup arrives in Cascadia
CBC reports that hotel bookings in Vancouver are down significantly from this time last year, and officials are disappointed that the huge influx of tourism dollars that was supposed to arrive with the FIFA men's soccer championship have not materialized. Hotel bookings have also been disappointing in Seattle, KUOW reports, and the Seattle Times notes that short-term rentals such as Airbnb have also been flat. Turns out the expected tourism boost all across North America has been a bust – and no doubt sky-high-priced tickets and the Trump regime's xenophobic, racist border polices are to blame. Oh, and ICE is expected to ramp up in Seattle during the matches and a hotel worker's union in Seattle is preparing to strike. Fun times! ⚽
Portland city council fails to prevent job cuts
OPB reports that after a long debate, the Portland city council was unable to protect some 150 city jobs – including unarmed police responders and service providers for the unsheltered – that mayor Keith Wilson is trying to cut to deal with a $170 million budget shortfall. Progressive members of the council had proposed using interest earned from Portland's clean energy fund to save some of the jobs, but the measure was defeated 6-3. Time for more progressive members on the council, like Jeremy Beausoleil Smith.
10,000 apply for Seattle's first social housing project
Well, it seems Seattle's social housing program is popular. After SSHD announced its first mixed-income project, to be located near Pike Place Market – 10,000 people applied for the low- and middle-income units, Real Change reports. Meanwhile, the Tyee has a detailed interview with Colleen Harris, a housing density critic and former city councilor, who is again running for Vancouver mayor. The resident of the tony Kitslano district, Harris came in third in 2022 during her previous run. Harris wants to slow housing development and says residential towers are bad for mental health.
You know what's bad for mental health? Not being able to afford housing.
OR coastal gray whales depend on kelp
OPB has a detailed story about new research that finds a surprising connection between the health of gray whales off the coast of Oregon and the abundance of kelp.
“Through this project we are doing long-term monitoring of gray whale behavior, health, habitat to help us understand how whales cope with changes in habitat and prey, which could help us understand and anticipate their resilience.” --Marine biologist Leigh Torres
Portland's queer saints
In its Pride issue, the Portland Mercury profiles four LGBTQ icons from Portland's past and present, including writer and cartoonist Rupert Kinnard, labor rights activist and physician Marie Equi, and Katherine Paul, the Swinomish singer songwriter also known as Black Belt Eagle Scout.
Thanks for reading. Keep loving and keep fighting. --Andy
