Well, I don't know about anybody else, but the sight of a "MORE G.D.O." poster (or any Channel 12 promo in any window) is enough to make me fly into an apopleptic rage.

I can see why people are angry.

Personally, I just wish the Schumachers would follow our CC&Rs re: a "reasonable" number of dogs (they live behind me). They have five -- who says they don't love animals?

"...Leonard, who's suddenly become the city's wildlife expert"

I would rather be the city's "Placement Coordinator" for 12 story parking garages along NW 23rd than deal with animal issues one more day.

Wait 'til the tram hits a blue heron...

Wait 'til the tram hits a blue heron...

One may crap on one of the towers, then they will get the land taken away and designated a "wetland" or "wildlife area".
That will show OHSU! (that they get treated like everyone else)

Maybe Schumacher should move to...(da Da DUM!)...Bridgeport Village! They could find safe refuge in that historic (sic) mall near their customer base. That'll show those darn hippies.

Mark Schumacher (don't know if its a father, brother or what relative) is on the board of the National Animal Interest Alliance, an animal use group headquartered in Portland that pretends to promote animal welfare. A favorite tactic it employs is to try to link anyone promoting animal protection with violence and terrorism. Patti Strand, the group's president, spread false rumors that a wife and mother involved in rescuing pound dogs, was demanding the release of dogs that had killed people. A lawsuit was threatened. Not sure of its status. Schumacher's tactics here have NAIA written all over them; NAIA is one business start-up Portland could do without imho. Good for Randy on this one.

This sounds like a problem that Metro could handle. They could enact a 2040 fur plan which would force a fur shop into each town center, thereby scattering future fur protesters away from Portland.

Or they could create an urban fur boundary, prohibiting fur shops or fur protesters inside the current Urban Growth Boundary. This would give those kids at Metro's outdoor schools something to do...

After reading and listening to both sides of this argument I keep coming down to the net effect - a legitimate business is being harassed and intimidated and the City is not dealing effectively with the cause of the problem. Regardless of Leonard's statements, it looks like just another example of efforts to compromise with mob rule in Portland. And I wouldn't be surprised to see Potter lead the critical mass folks in a drive by show of support for the demonstrators this Friday. That is if he's even in town.

Perhaps it's time for the Portland city council to take the bull by the horns (as long as it's done in a manner respectful to the boviners of course!) and decide which categories of business, although legal, are not now (or will in the future) be wanted by an existing or potentially significantly vocal minority of the the Portland mobsters. Those businesses would then be put on notice to begin planning their move out of town. Perhaps a small sales or cell phone tax could be enacted in order to assist them in their move. Certainly restaurants and food outlets providing meat or dairy products would be in that category but I'm sure that New Seasons, Natures, Wild Oats and the other chains would be more than happy to comply given their concern with Doing The Right Thing for our planet.

Anyone up for a foie gras festival in Pioneer Square? Don't worry, representatives of the city that works will be there to protect and serve - but don't wear fur.

Schumacher's feels that it must bait the protesters. It isn't one way harassment in the least. I have been paying attention to this one for years. Personally, I prefer to see people make their best arguments on the op-ed pages of a newspaper that represents a free press . So much for the market place of ideas angle when you've got the O for a daily. I can understand why people take to the streets-even outside the O's doors. God knows what it would take the gang at the O to get it. Groups like NAIA can get reporters to bury stories. At least we have blogs now.

Ah... Flag burning, critical mass, and fur protests. Little events that provide opportunities for folks to lump all left-leaning Portlanders together into one tidy bucket. Altogether now... (shake head), (make a 'tisk' sound), and (smirk).

Schumacher's is not the outfit which was caught with protected species furs on their racks, was it?

To be frank, the stuff in the photo of Schumacher's door looks like provocation to me. It recommends illicit assualt and battery on those engaged in completely legal expression of opinion. Given the heat generated, I imagine this is not a one-sided wish.

How's this for "baiting" protestors: a few weeks ago, a protestor was pepper-sprayed and physically assaulted by a *** private security guard. This same week, tensions were flared when the store posted naked pictures of female protestors and declared they should be tortured, skinned, and anally electrocuted (its not at all clear that the woman is of legal age). The following week, the protestor returned and was served with a restraining order (read: hello 1st Amendment). Years ago, *** had to pay out a hefty sum to an environmental canvasser he pointed a gun at.

There's not enough pepper spray to deal with those idiots.

By the way - next time those yayhoos are out there protesting, find out if any of them are wearing leather.

Hinckley-

"There's not enough pepper spray to deal with those idiots."

Torture, eh? I guess ol' GW isn't as far off from the American people as I thought...

"There's not enough pepper spray to deal with those idiots.

"...next time those yayhoos are out there protesting, find out if any of them are wearing leather."

I feel the same way about most anti-choice protesters at Planned Parenthood clinics, what with their tactics and in-your-face attitudes and all.

Next time someone should find out if any of them support the death penalty.

why is it theres always some nut in portland who feels compelled to educate me against my will. chances are, those who can afford a new mink coat probably had enough money to pay for a good education. how about this goofballs, if we need your help in making a buying decision we will give you a call. keep pandering randy... all these votes add up even the goofballs.

"Thad" - wear any leather?

I feel awful for the Schmachers. It's their business and they have a right to stand their ground and defend themselves against the professional protestors.

That said, I don't know why anybody would want to do business anymore within the city limits of Portland and Multnomah County, what with the "support" given by its elected officials. No wonder I make sure to live and do business safely outside of both jurisdictions.

Oh gawd, enough with the victimized-business syndrome in Portland already. Get some perspective and quit listening to Lars. Portland, and Oregon, rank near the top for least tax burden for businesses... look it up.

All we hear is sanctimonious preaching from Tim Boyle at Columbia Sportswear and others who have moved to Washington County. The real friction in their eyes has little to do with reality, but more to do with a ideology. Portland is liberal and it's retribution for not caving to every wild-west whim of the business-first crowd. So oppressed! So unfair! Don't kid a kidder guys.... North Plains looks tempting as a business center because you can get cheaper rent and you might not ever run into blacks, piercings, or gays. Portland is a den of SIN!

Hinkley-

You truly are a "fur" baiter if there ever was one. What does whether or not I wear leather have to do with anything (I'm not)? I never stated I was an animal rights activist, I merely happen to believe in the First Amendment (ever heard of it?). These folks are merely standing on the corner and giving their opinions on the fur industry. What's the problem? Schumachers can put plenty of literature and advertise about how the protestors are wrong (or maybe they are right...)

I'm not taking sides on the fur debate, I'm only taking sides on the legal debate. They can demonstrate, and if they break the law, they will get arrested.

I hope any further comments you have are directed at reasoning and not at baiting.

I'm totally supportive of freedom of speech - and while I support the rights of protestors to let their voices be heard, I hope the Schumachers use theirs too, utilizing every avenue at their disposal to make sure the protestors get arrested the millisecond the protest becomes illegal. I'm sure there's no end to various ordinances concerning noise, blocking sidewalks, littering, etc., which could be applied. Heck, obscure ordinances are dug out of the code every single day by city officials to pick on those they don't like!

One part of the 'Liars loves animal blood' story was that after what started as Liars lying about Randy and Liars lying about what Randy said to Liars, (Schumachers ... actions in combination with the actions of some protesters may lead to violence), then Schumacher bought advertising spots of Liars programming. It usually buys ads before Xmas ... but advertising fur coats in April ???

Liars told Randy that Liars' wife puddles in fear of wearing the fur he bought her downtown, lest someone recognize her dark side companion. At least, that's what Liars wife told him was the reason she won't wear the ten-year-old full-length nutria fur cape or whatever it is, in public.

Echoes of Liars mighty elk hunter story, using one of the illegal Hemstreet elk tags, Oct.'04, when a beater hazed a cow elk into close range for him, Liars wounded it, then it ran downhill a hundred meters or so and the guide got the kill. When Liars got there, he didn't know how to dress it out. And then wasted the hide.

But hey, see Sunday's paper. The Oregonian loves Liars.

And overall, the entire crusade to put a cross of business on Pioneer Square ... no, wait, wrong season ... crusade to resurrect business on Sunday ... no, wait, I can do this: the entire crusade led by Liars saying the Portland community is unfriendly to business, could blow back their own poor wording.

Business is unfriendly to Portland community aka people aka customers.
.

Tenskwatawa is on to something...PARTICULAR businesses are lauded as icons no matter what they do. But the commpetitive and regulatory climates are less than ideal. (An understatement; I almost said they suck).

p.s.

A picture in this morning's O-of a protester dressed like a sheep dog holding a sign that said Chinese cats and dogs are used in the American fur trade-reminded me of why the Shumachers and friends likely mock this crowd: it is easy to do. There are strong indications that AMERICAN cats and dogs are being used as raw material for the Chinese fur business: Why else would ORS 167.390(1) PERMIT trading in cat and dog fur if the animals were killed for another purpose-like at a "humane" shelter?
Anyone watching the shelters over the years since the 1989 scandal where pet cats were being euthanized under the cover of darkness would realize we never got to to the bottom of that problem. People who cannot see the obvious are easy to make fun of. They should be demanding the Oregonian look into this; it has the documentation.

Well, there are too many cats & dogs. Also, lots of cats eat native birds, endangering the species. Dogs can end up wild in rural areas and create packs, harassing and killing livestock.

These could be looked at as 'culling' measures, much like hunting licenses being issued for elephant hunting in Africa to keep their populations down before they destroy their own environments from overgrazing.

Justin,

Check out Defender's of Wildlife's study on what actually causes the decline of native songbirds-overdevelopment, breeding ground destruction. Cat's get scapegoated and as to numbers-no one knows exactly. But if its all about reducing populations, why isn't Oregon Humane Society taking the lead in promoting low cost spay-neuter?
"Culling" and not taking steps to protect people's pets can have a very high price tag. Recent jury verdicts attest to that. You are so into the "big picture" on the dog post, but not here; perhaps you don't realize that there is a relationship between what happens next door and what happens in the world. As good ol Wiliam Blake said, "A dog starved at its master's gate predicts the ruin of the state". What we do as individuals DOES matter and it does contribute to the quality of society.

p.s.

For balance on the elephant question, I recommend Matthew Scully's book, "Dominion; the Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals and the Call to Mercy", winner of an Atlantic Monthly Editor's Choice award as one of the 10 best books of the year (2002, I think). What drives me crazy about Portland, more than anything else, I think, is "progressives" who will not progress in their thinking.

Oh,sorry: I forgot to say that in 2000, right before President Clinton left office, he signed a bill proposed by the Humane Society of the United States, making trading in cat and dog fur-either exporting or importing-illegal. But legality doesn't seem to matter much to the "movers and shakers" in these parts.

Um, don't tell Big Tina, but her fur coat is as fake as her husband's hairpiece.