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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2012)
♦ 7 Street roots April 1, 2012 PR flacks make $1,400 a week to botch social media efforts BY USER C IT IZ E N J O U R N A L IS T he Willamette Week reported earlier this year that the average salary of 94 public relation “flacks” with eight agencies, including the City of Portland, Multnomah County, Metro, TriMet, Portland State University, the Port of Portland, Oregon Health and Science University and the Portland Public Schools, is $74,318. The group of 94 employees are thought to be very upset at the new BookFace timeline changes, where they spend most of their time. “It’s really upsetting,” says one flack with the County who was just getting to know BookFace after his kids taught him how to navigate the social media site because no one in his bureau had a clue about what is was. “Now, BookFace changes the format to this thing called a timeline. I’m totally confused. I miss the days when we could just put together a press release and fax it to the Oregonian and they would run it.” Even more upsetting is that one group can’t figure out how to control their institutions message on Twitter. “No one will follow us back, and only a few of us get the whole 140 character thing. It’s exhausting.” “After collecting more than $1,400 a week,” one spokesperson said, “our employees in the public relations department are having a hard time responding to reporters after spending so much time on social media sites. Does SR know what Pinterest is?” “We’re going to need to hammer out a pay raise if bureau directors ask us to go T on this thing called Instagram . People are still unclear about bow BookFace relates to Man with cane outpaces Portland Streetcar, raising more questions S T A F F R E P O R TS A Asked if he thought the city was wasting its time on a streetcar line on Portland’s Eastside, Shuffleton says, “Sure, if you want to be late to just about anything, then you’ll love it.” City officials say they absolutely love the three-years now,” says Jim “T he Shuffler” streetcar, but never use it. 61-year-old man tired of taking the Portland Streetcar realized he can actually walk faster to his destination than taking the trolley. “I’ve been taking that damn trolley for Tumbr and how Instragram is connected to Twitter, and if Pinterest is just a fad, or if anyone is still actually using Linked In. “People are extremely frustrated,” says one flack, “while frantically searching for a number on his flip phone. I just want a drink, and some time with my kids at my space.” Shuffleton. “It takes so long and those announcements drive me absolutely bat-shit crazy: ‘This stop is brought to you by some real estate company that I don’t know and frankly don’t care about.” Shuffleton is petitioning others in his building in Northwest Portland to ditch the streetcar and to walk instead. “My mother, who is 93, could outpace that 10-ton piece of crap,” says Shuffleton. INDEPENDENCE, from page 17 He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within. He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands. He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers. He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. “Portland’s streetcar is something we should all be proud of,” says Charlie Hales, former Portland City Commissioner and current mayoral candidate. “Living in Washington for the past few years, I came to realize how much I missed it.” Asked how often he commutes on the streetcar he says, “I don’t know, twice a year. It’s great!” Street Roots asked several riders how they felt about paying for the streetcar and Above, the Portland Streetcar to Portland State University which cannot keep up with Jim Shuffleton’s feeble, arthritic legs. most didn’t realize there was a fee. “You are supposed to pay to ride the streetcar?” said one woman. “I’ve never paid, or seen anyone pay for the streetcar in more than two-years of riding.” Officials with the city say they can’t afford to enforce people paying for the railline that is suppose to pay for the costs to maintain current and future streetcar lines. “We’re at a loss,” says a 22-year-old transportation staffer with hipster glasses at city hall. I’ve got my cane,” says Shuffleton. “I’m walking.” Street Roots is a proud partner with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest and Americorps. Seeing new faces selling Street Roots? Each week, more people sign up to become Street Roots vendors, and it's great to support new sales men and women. Please make sure you buy from badged vendors, confirming that they have attended the vendor orientation and are authorized to sell the newspapers. Vour vendor will thank you!
