Dealing with the good and the bad in Portland, Ore

Editor’s note: Columnist Robert Eringer traveled up the coast this week to Portland, Ore.

Only a handful of states within the U.S. have no state income tax.

And only a handful of states have no sales tax — a tax that often surges by a city and/or county sales tax.

For instance, California’s base sales tax is 7.25%. But add city and county sales tax in Santa Barbara, and you pay 8.75% on almost all purchases, from a mug of joe to a six-figure automobile.

If you are willing to relocate, like so many Californians are doing lately, here is how to beat the system by avoiding (not evading) both state and sales tax and thus enabling you to save a lot of brazhort (a real consideration these days if you are fed up — as many are — with how Uncle Sam and state treasuries appropriate your money.

Oregon in the Pacific Northwest may be the best deal going, and that isn’t limited to the state’s inexpensive real estate prices.

When a server delivers your check at an Oregon restaurant, you can hardly believe your eyes.

You glance at the tab and go, “This can’t be real — they must have forgotten something.” But no, it’s all there, fair prices absent a steep percentage for tax.

Compare, say, a $10 cocktail (not happy hour) to the $21 charged by the gougers along Coast Village Road in Montecito, which, with tax and tip, tops out beyond 25 bucks.

But there is a way to lessen your tax burden and preserve your savings without even residing in the Beaver State.

Live in Vancouver.

No, not Canada.

This Vancouver is in Washington state, situated across the river from Portland, offering awesome views of the mighty Columbia River along with the

Stumptown city skyline.

If you reside in Vancouver, you pay no state income tax because the Evergreen State does not demand one.

For your consumer needs, whether groceries or sundries or clothes or jewelry or gasoline, simply cross the Interstate Bridge and minutes later you are in The Beaver State — great shopping and no sales tax. However, this caveat…

STUMPTOWN SLUMP

I love Portland. As cities go in the United States, I’ve always thought it is one of the best.

But this town is not easily making a rebound from COVID closures and the riots of 2020.

It isn’t just about homeless camping out in tents or without tents. It is about homeless incidents.

My first morning in town I opted for coffee at Starbucks in Pioneer Courthouse Square, the hub of downtown Portland. Bad move. No tables and chairs. Not even a shelf to stand by for enjoying one’s latte. This, apparently, is Starbucks’ answer in big cities for dealing with the homeless, who would otherwise invade the premises and camp out all day.

(I recommend Case Study Coffee Roasters.)

As I walked into Starbucks, a disheveled adult male was in the midst of a major wig-out with staff over some misperceived slight. A lone security guard (no commercial establishment operates without one or two, often

Horse Sense

as doormen) stood up to the angry, loud and abusive tramp, nose to nose, and had every right to toss him out the door, having asked him politely to leave and being told, “Make me, a—hole.” But you can’t blame him for not actually pushing him out the door and risking his safety because It’s not like the cops in this town would back him up.

Makes me think of the old Amex ad campaign “Don’t leave home without it.”

In Portland, sorry to say, don’t leave home without pepper spray.

Later, I stopped into Azar, my favorite chocolate shop, within The Heathman, a four-star hotel on SW Broadway. The owner told me hers is the only chocolate shop in town to survive the lockdown and riots. Now it’s LOCKED-IN. She unbolted the door for me to enter. It is otherwise locked, she says, because of “homeless incidents every day.” The day before, she told me, a homeless woman had run in, grabbed the tip jar with a few bucks in it and run out, leaving behind her coat and sleeping bag.

Not very smart in this winter’s chill. But as local business owners will tell you, mental illness is a large part of the problem.

Aside from the homeless, downtown streets are mostly quiet and deserted, not too different from my last visit here in July 2000 at the height of the protests and rioting. (I had to see what was going down for myself to believe it — and quite an appalling spectacle it was.) But at least now the shops are open instead of boarded up and plastered with graffiti. (That is, those that still exist; many commercial premises were vacated during COVID and remain in search of new tenants).

But where are the shoppers?

When I popped into Nike’s flagship store, it had more staff (including two security doormen) than customers, the number of whom I could count on one hand.

The town I once nicknamed Sneaker Ville (Adidas is also headquartered here) is sadly in need of a new soul, even if one feels sorrow for the countless lost souls wandering aimlessly through city streets.

Some redemption comes in the form of Domaine Serene Wine Lounge. Their premier wine — ordered by the glass or flight and served in a truly serene setting — does wonders around 5:33 pm to brighten the glumness outside.

Greater Idaho Movement

48-21. That is the Idaho House of Representatives’ vote in favor of allowing discussion over a large swath of eastern Oregon joining their state, having adopted this resolution: “The Idaho Legislature stands ready to begin discussions with the Oregon Legislature regarding the potential to relocate the Idaho/Oregon state boundary, in accordance with the will of the citizens of eastern Oregon, and we invite the Oregon Legislature to begin talks on this topic with the Idaho legislature.” Legislation has already been introduced in Oregon that would require, if approved, to enter talks

Working in Hollywood as a stunt child, Monty Roberts shares some fascinating stories about when he was eight years old and played Elizabeth Taylor in the film National Velvet. He also discusses how he helped South American polo ponies get trained using a non-violent approach. Wade Walker, DVM at the Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center, explains some new technology to help analyze a horse’s asymmetry. At Happy Endings Horse Sanctuary, C.C. Beaudette-Wellman discusses the unconditional love that we share with our animals.

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Theft cost thrift store thousands in damage and lost goods

BREAK-IN

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Bernardi said. “She went for very particular items, our high end, but specific! She knew what she wanted! Vintage desirable clothing, custom vintage jewelry and one particular piece in one spot that she really wanted, an odd item.”

The thief stole several T-shirts, included a Dodgers starter tee; two Los Olivos day in the country tees; a 9/11 memorial tee; a yellow ribbon tee with the ribbon and American flag that says “Tony Orlando” in a gold signature; a purple tee with flowers that looked painted on; another purple tee that had Halloween patches/embroidery and a black chase authentics tee.

“We sell those T-shirts anywhere from $30 to $60 each,” she said. “There was rare one-of-akind vintage clothing that can’t be replaced. At

Please see BREAK-IN on A8