matt tuckerbaum
LightNews LightNews
banner
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
matt tuckerbaum
@mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
1K followers 390 following 940 posts
Portland | housing | urbanism | climate | liberalism that builds | liberation & justice for all
Posts Replies Media Videos
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
Compare + contrast
STATEMENT FROM MATT MOBERG, CHAPLAIN OF THE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES IF YOU'RE A CHURCH POSTING PRAYERS FOR PEACE AND UNITY TODAY WHILE MY CITY BLEEDS IN THE STREET. MISS ME WITH THAT SOFTNESS YOU ONLY WEAR WHEN IT COSTS YOU NOTHING. DON'T DRESS AVOIDANCE UP AS HOLINESS. DON'T CALL SILENCE "PEACEMAKING." DON'T LIGHT A CANDLE AND THINK IT SUBSTITUTES FOR SHOWING UP. TONIGHT AN ICE AGENT TOOK A PHOTO OF ME NEXT TO MY CAR, LOOKED ME IN THE EYE AND TOLD ME, "WE'LL BE SEEING YOU SOON." NOT METAPHOR. NOT HYPERBOLE. A THREAT DRESSED UP IN A BADGE AND A PAYCHECK. PEACE ISN'T WHAT YOU ASK FOR WHEN THE BOOT IS ALREADY ON SOMEONE'S NECK. PEACE IS WHAT THE POWERFUL ASK FOR WHEN THEY DON'T WANT TO BE INTERRUPTED. UNITY ISN'T NEUTRAL. UNITY THAT REFUSES TO NAME VIOLENCE IS JUST LOYALTY TO THE ONES HOLDING THE WEAPONS. STOP USING SCRIPTURE LIKE CHLOROFORM. STOP CALLING YOUR FEAR "WISDOM." STOP PRETENDING JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED BECAUSE HE PREACHED GOOD VIBES AND PERSONAL GROWTH. YOU DON'T GET TO QUOTE SCRIPTURE LIKE A LULLABY, WHILE INJUSTICE STAYS WIDE AWAKE. YOU DON'T GET TO ASK GOD TO "HEAL THE LAND" IF YOU WON'T EVEN LOOK AT THE WOUND. THERE IS A KIND OF PEACE THAT ONLY EXISTS BECAUSE IT REFUSES TO TELL THE TRUTH. THAT PEACE IS A LIE. AND LIES DON'T GROW ANYTHING WORTH SAVING. THE SCRIPTURES YOU LOVE WEREN'T WRITTEN TO KEEP THINGS CALM. THEY WERE WRITTEN TO SET THINGS RIGHT. AND SOMETIMES THE MOST FAITHFUL THING YOU CAN DO IS STOP PRAYING AROUND THE PAIN AND START STANDING INSIDE IT. IF THAT MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE-GOOD. GROWTH ALWAYS IS. STATEMENT BY PRES. + MRS. OBAMA The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault. Federal law enforcement and immigration agents have a tough job. But Americans expect them to carry out their duties in a lawful, accountable way, and to work with, rather than against, state and local officials to ensure public safety. That's not what we're seeing in Minnesota. In fact, we're seeing the opposite. For weeks now, people across the country have been rightly outraged by the spectacle of masked ICE recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that seem designed to intimidate, harass, provoke and endanger the residents of a major American city. These unprecedented tactics -which even the former top lawyer of the Department of Homeland Security in the first Trump administration has characterized as embarrassing, lawless and cruel-have now resulted in the fatal shootings of two U.S citizens. And yet rather than trying to impose some semblance of discipline and accountability over the agents they've deployed, the President and current administration officials seem eager to escalate the situation, while offering public explanations for the shootings of Mr. Pretti and Renee Good that aren't informed by any serious investigation -and that appear to be directly contradicted by video evidence. This has to stop. I would hope that after this most recent tragedy, administration officials will reconsider their approach, and start finding ways to work constructively with Governor Walz and Mayor Frey as well as state and local police to avert more chaos and achieve legitimate law enforcement goals. In the meantime, every American should support and draw inspiration from the wave of peaceful protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country. They are a timely reminder that ultimately it's up to e…
January 26, 2026 at 12:42 AM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
Very conveniently located for them!
A screenshot of a satellite view of a block within downtown Portland, with a red arrow from the Porter Portland hotel across the street to the Goldberg Jones - Divorce for Men office.
January 13, 2026 at 11:17 PM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
That’s unnecessary. I have been patiently addressing your comments and questions in a format with limited characters. These are straightforward cases that are clearly addressed in the legally required design standards. You can Google to learn more, here’s a start:
Screenshot of a Google summary response about disability egress standards for buildings without power: “Key Egress Components without Power Building codes and accessibility standards (such as the ADA and International Building Code (IBC)) require specific features for accessible means of egress to function during power loss: • Areas of Refuge (AoR): These are fire- resistance-rated and smoke-protected spaces, typically located at an exit stairway landing, where occupants unable to use stairs can await rescue by emergency responders. • They are a standard component of emergency response procedures; fire departments check these locations first for individuals needing assistance. • Communication systems within an AoR must also have a standby power source. • Note: Areas of refuge are generally not required in buildings equipped throughout with an approved automatic sprinkler system. • Elevators with Standby Power: In buildings with four or more stories above or below the exit discharge level, at least one accessible means of egress must be an elevator with standby power and emergency signaling devices. These are specifically designed to remain operational during an outage for use by…” Continued screenshot of Google summary: “ Horizontal Exits: This method involves exiting from one fire compartment of a building into another adjacent compartment that is protected by fire-resistance-rated assemblies (walls, doors, etc.). This allows occupants to move to a safe area on the same floor and await further instructions or assistance. • Egress Doors: Automated doors used as part of an accessible means of egress must either have standby power to operate or stay open in a power-off mode. Manual doors must have compliant hardware that can be operated with one hand and without excessive force. • Emergency Lighting and Signage: All components of the accessible means of egress, including exit signs and the path of travel, must be adequately illuminated by emergency lighting that activates during a power failure, ensuring visibility and guidance. Fair Housing Act (FHA) Considerations The Fair Housing Act also mandates specific design and construction requirements for new multifamily housing with four or more units built for first occupancy after March 13, 1991. These rules ensure the built environment does not inherently discriminate against people with disabilities, and they include requirements for an accessible route to and through the dwelling.”
December 30, 2025 at 4:03 AM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
Yup, we should take the first step by changing the alignment of the tunnel to track Broadway starting at NE 33rd, joining up with Yellow in the Rose Quarter / Albina. It should be the alternative that gets Albina the resources and connection it deserves, instead of more freeway.
A Portland MAX system map that has a tunnel aligned to Broadway from NE 33rd, intersecting with the Yellow line in Albina/RQ. Also, a N-S alignment from CTC to PDX, single Blue line from Gresham to Hillsboro, a Yellow line connection to Vancouver, a East 28th Ave subway, and a Foster-Powell line to downtown.
December 22, 2025 at 3:10 PM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
We've got a number of those too
December 17, 2025 at 7:43 AM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
yes, and maintain commitment to hiring Black contractors - other ideas: build the MAX tunnel and start it running under Broadway around 33rd, so that Rose Quarter / Albina becomes a stop; run High-Speed Rail to Seattle down one half of I-5 and make the Portland stop in Albina
A screenshot of a map of the northern part of Portland's Central City. Crayon lines show a purple (red and blue) MAX line tunnel running under Broadway from NE 33rd and crossing under the Broadway bridge, rather than the current alignment through Lloyd district and across the Steel Bridge
December 10, 2025 at 10:53 PM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
It’s been that way for a while, but not always. It used to be one lane each way, with trees in large planting strips (and maybe a median) that protected pedestrians. Compare and contrast these photos from the same spot, looking at the building that now holds Joe Bike.
Photo from the early 1900s of Cesar Chavez Blvd in Portland, Oregon. Looking north from SE Lincoln on the west side of the street. A large planting strip with trees sits between the sidewalk and Chavez, which appears to just have one lane in each direction. Photo from the 2022 of Cesar Chavez Blvd in Portland, Oregon. Looking north from SE Lincoln on the west side of the street. The planting strips and trees are gone, the road is two lanes in each direction, and there is no protective buffer for pedestrians or street design elements to slow cars down.
December 3, 2025 at 12:52 PM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
I’m really stuck on this quote from CA Jordan: Firing Hisserich was “informed by the gravity of this moment, with competing housing, homelessness, and budgetary crises.”

We are cooked if they don’t recognize that these are the same crisis, not competing ones.
“Last month, City Administrator Michael Jordan announced that Hisserich was on paid administrative leave, writing that the decision ‘was informed by the gravity of this moment, with competing housing, homelessness, and budgetary crises.’ Wilson oversees Jordan's office.”
November 22, 2025 at 10:11 PM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
Anyone have AEA access? This seems like an important paper:

“We find that the introduction of collective bargaining rights [for police] significantly increases the number of civilians killed by police, particularly among non-white civilians, while having limited effects on officer safety.”
Collective Bargaining Rights, Policing, and Civilian Deaths Jamein P. Cunningham Rob Gillezeau AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL: ECONOMIC POLICY (FORTHCOMING) Abstract Using an event-study design, we examine whether states' introduction of duty to bargain requirements for police unions led to meaningful changes in civilians killed by law enforcement. We find that the introduction of collective bargaining rights significantly increases the number of civilians killed by police, particularly among non-white civilians, while having limited effects on officer safety. Our results indicate that the adoption of bargaining rights for law enforcement can explain 14 percent of all non-white civilian deaths by legal intervention between 1959 and 1988. Given our findings, the idea that police unions exacerbate violence is empirically grounded.
November 20, 2025 at 2:36 PM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
Kristof’s recent column (I was hate-reading) about Portland really captured the moderate lib mindset and how much it works from the same assumptions as Trump.

The actual Trump Derangement Syndrome is opposing him cause you hate him, not because what he does is terrible.
“In 2020 too many Portlanders did take the bait when Trump sent in federal forces to confront protesters in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing, leading to violent clashes. In retrospect, those well-meaning protests didn't advance racial justice, but they did damage both Portland and the Democratic brand. Lawlessness took hold, and homicides soared through 2022.”
November 11, 2025 at 6:51 AM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
They want violence and spectacle. They want to feel big.

We’ll give them what they deserve, which is mocking and ridicule. Make them feel small and pathetic.

Make this their Portland theme song.

youtu.be/xcreXLtqFBY?...
President Trump posted on social media: “At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists. I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
September 27, 2025 at 3:32 PM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
This is the key to making Trump&Co’s corruption relevant to the average voter: he has lawlessly extorted the nation’s biggest companies, and for what? Not to make the average American better off. Just to increase his own wealth and power. cc @adambonica.bsky.social
fortune.com/2025/09/21/b...
Excerpt from a Fortune article that says, “CEOs told us they still believe in the promise of the U.S. and its capitalist system, but it's hard to ignore the Trump administration's drift toward a quasi-socialist statism, seizing ownership from private shareholders, dictating staffing, and selectively blocking moves into strategic markets based upon politics and kickbacks. Nearly three-quarters of CEOs surveyed said they were confident that U.S. free-market capitalism can compete with China's socialist market economy in the global Al contest, and they expressed a near-unanimous discontent as the Trump administration has veered away from the capitalist system.”
September 22, 2025 at 3:24 AM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
You desperately need to get help. No one in their right mind would classify talking to someone this way as criticism. She is not here to bear the burden of your instability and self-loathing.
September 10, 2025 at 11:03 PM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
COVID vaccine availability: another high profile case where Oregon health policy is botched. What are we doing here? Will there ever be effective management that delivers basic health services effectively? @robnosse.bsky.social
An OPB headline from Sept. 3 that says “Oregon, Washington, California form health care alliance to protect vaccine access” A map of COVID vaccine availability from Sept. 9 that shows Oregon as one of only four states (Utah, West Virginia, and Maine) that still requires a prescription for a COVID vaccine and doesn’t have CVS locations that can provide prescriptions on-site
September 10, 2025 at 4:15 PM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
I drove under the Bridge Apartments, four 32-story apartment buildings spanning the 12-lane Cross Bronx Expressway the other day.. why is the narrative today that we can’t build anything of any size on top of highway caps?
August 21, 2025 at 2:04 AM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
It sounds extreme for an institutionalist, but the reality was more severe than we tend to remember. The individuals should’ve gone to prison and the entire Republican national party structure should’ve been demolished.
August 5, 2025 at 1:33 AM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
These are my ideas.. first is light rail + subway, second adds in BRT, all built around the idea that frequency is good enough that transfers are trivial
Screenshot of a Metrodreamin transit plan for the Portland Metro area, with subway and light rail lines running: St Johns to Gresham, Vancouver to Lake Oswego, Woodlawn to Oregon City, Concordia to Milwuakie, Swan Island to Parkrose TC, Clackamas TC to PDX, Johnson Creek to PDX, Troutdale to Hillsboro, Hillsdale to Tigard, and Downtown to Gresham A build on the previous Metrodreamin screenshot that includes BRT lines on Division, Cesar Chavez, Foster / Hawthorne, Columbia, 15th, Sandy, 82nd, and 122nd
August 4, 2025 at 5:53 AM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
been looking for a clever name for what my fam does during Portland springtime and @waiterich.bsky.social just came in hot with “bloomstrolling.”

way better than doomscrolling.
Close-up photo of a large bush with hot pink flowers with thin petals
April 23, 2025 at 3:34 AM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
AWS is a very profitable part of their business, but the vast majority of their revenue still comes from the combination of online stores + physical stores + ads + seller services + Prime. Opt out of that and you undercut them significantly.
A chart ranking the contribution to Amazon’s overall revenues from each of their major businesses: Online Stores represents the biggest revenue stream, then Third-Party Seller Services, then Amazon Web Services, then Advertising, then Subscription Services, then Physical Stores, and other.
February 26, 2025 at 5:05 PM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
Signs of life
February 19, 2025 at 10:08 PM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
P:NW Board Prez @amb.fyi kicks it off, discussing the opportunity to help people have shelter from the storms we’re facing, from climate to rising fascism.
Aaron Brown delivers opening remarks A large crowd at the APANO community space to discuss opportunities to advocate for housing with the Oregon Legislature in session
February 15, 2025 at 9:48 PM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
The zoning is different than the example that kicked off the thread, but I’m hoping to see more options like this one at 22nd and SE Caruthers come online:
Six 2bd/2ba units that sold for ~$400K each, with shared yard space and secure outdoor bike parking, in a very walkable area
A three-story building with six 2 bed and 2 bathroom homes. A light-filled living space off of a modern kitchen A ramp up from the street leads to secure bike parking units and stairs up to the homes on the second and third floors
February 6, 2025 at 5:56 PM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
I think the only real solution there is to create more viable alternatives to getting to the west side of the hills with a tunnel and links in from Vancouver, SE, and Milwaukie
January 18, 2025 at 8:16 PM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
If they don’t define the information environment broadly enough - and focus only on “news” - they will miss critical insights. They’ll be searching for the proverbial keys only under the light of their own lamp.
A sketchplanations image that shows two people and a street lamp. One person is on their hands and knees feeling the ground in the area that’s lit by the street lamp, the other is standing at the edge of the lit area. The person at the edge says “Lost your keys?” and the other responds, “Yeah, I lost them over there but the light’s better here.”
November 26, 2024 at 6:24 PM
mrtuckerbaum.bsky.social
Unfortunately it’s truly a terrible site.
November 16, 2024 at 4:48 AM