James Belcher

@jamesbelcher.bsky.social

3822 Followers 4889 Following

Energy, democracy, and energy democracy. Portland, Oregon

"70+ Grassroots Climate Organizations Call on Democratic Leaders to Hold the Line on Permitting Reform and Stand with Communities, not Corporations"
"Disclaimer: Climate Justice Alliance does not endorse any type of candidate."
"Temperatures are rising early this week across NW OR & SW WA. Inland valleys will rise to the mid to upper 90s Tue & Wed, bringing Moderate to Major HeatRisk. There is a risk of heat-related illness for anyone spending time outdoors or without access to AC. Practice heat safety!"
A blithely chipper AI-animated monkey speaks in AI-cadence to promote Jamie Metzl's book about AI.
"'Civility' can pit you against an opponent who will happily fight dirty while insisting that you abide by Queensberry Rules." — ZZ Packer
Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod in HIGHLANDER, with meme text THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE
M 94 T 98 W 94 Portland, Oregon high forecasted temperatures, in Fahrenheit.
Andy Serkis as Kino Loy in ANDOR: "NO ONE IS GETTING OUT!"
text bubble from THE OATMEAL comic: "haha fuck no."
"Three California Minor Parties Will Have One Legislative Candidate on November Ballot" Posted on June 3, 2026 by Richard Winger https://ballot-access.org/2026/06/03/three-california-minor-parties-will-have-one-legislative-candidate-on-november-ballot/
Mother duck stands on a walkway supervising her duckling divers, who are navigating lilypads of various sizes.
"By another Douglas Adams pseudonym" on Fourth Doctor title card
"red-baiting noun red-bait·​ing ˈred-ˌbā-tiŋ variants often Red-baiting : the act of attacking or persecuting as a Communist or as communistic"
Project map showing line running under the Willamette and The Fields Park on the river's west side. The line then wends over a few blocks to an interconnection. On the east, the line leads to a substation in Albina. https://www.pacificpower.net/about/willamette-river-crossing-project.html
Left: Smiley face in yellow Right: Frowny face in light blue
"Three Minor Parties Have U.S. House Candidates on Washington Primary Ballot" Posted on May 25, 2026 by Richard Winger "Three minor parties are running candidates for U.S. House in Washington state. They are the Cascade Party, which has candidates in the 3rd and 4th districts; the Socialist Workers Party, in the 9th district; and the Union Party, which has one in the 10th district. "Here is the website of the Cascade Party. The state chair is Krist Novoselic. "Here is the website of the Union Party. "For the legislature, the only minor party candidates are one from the Cascade Party and three Libertarians."
Green dragon apple, whole, and one apple slice. Slightly darker green and slightly smaller than a golden delicious apple.
"'I’ll take common sense over expertise': Portland mayor candidly addresses business leaders about his aggressive homeless plan "Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler told members of the Portland Business Alliance that "so-called experts" had criticized his plan as inhumane."
Abstract op-art image of a zebra: White lines on a black background by Victor Vasarely
"California Secretary of State Posts List of Declared Write-in Candidates for June Primary" Posted on May 22, 2026 by Richard Winger "On May 22, the California Secretary of State posted a list of declared write-in candidates for the June 2 primary. See it here." https://ballot-access.org/2026/05/22/california-secretary-of-state-posts-list-of-declared-write-in-candidates-for-june-primary/
Enterprise 1701-D "I have a structured settlement and I need cash now."
"Autopsy: How Democrats Lost the White House"
Cover of Devo's Greatest Misses
Commenter ‪alwayssomthing.bsky.social‬ on Spanberger: "She’s one of them."
"DON'T PANIC" in large, reassuring letters from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
John Oliver talks next to a graphic that says "Hey, what the fuck is the deal with that thing?"
Chart showing support for impeaching Trump, with 88% of registered Democrats favoring impeachment. https://www.gelliottmorris.com/p/2026-04-22-strength-in-numbers-verasight-impeachment-polling
Disclaimer: Climate Justice Alliance does not endorse any type of candidate.
"Steve Maviglio Files Paperwork to Begin Circulating a California Initiative to Repeal Top-Two" Posted on May 11, 2026 by Richard Winger "On May 8, Steven Maviglio filed paperwork with the California Secretary of State to begin an initiative petition to repeal top-two. It would restore the California Constitution the way it was during the years 2002 through 2010. Qualified parties would have the right to place their nominee on the general election ballot. Each party would be free to decide whether to let independents vote in its primaries. "Here is the website for the initiative. It reveals that leading Democratic Party leaders, and also some Republican Party leaders, support the initiative. The initiative would be on the November 2028 ballot if it gets enough valid signatures. The current requirement is 874,641 signatures, to be collected in ten months." https://ballot-access.org/2026/05/11/steve-maviglio-files-paperwork-to-begin-circulating-a-california-initiative-to-repeal-top-two/
Opening scene from CUBE (1997): A man falls to pieces after being...cubed.
"Notice who he's painting a target on, once again. Trans people, particularly trans women. Furries, leftists. "Why are his demons all women and leftists and trans people? "This statement could have come out of the mouth of any 2010s era right-winger unchanged." —- Pic: "An influential white man, demanding that the site "clean house" of leftists, trans people, and furries, under the guise of preventing "torture."" https://bsky.app/profile/quatoria.bsky.social/post/3mkxdsfobos2i
"Oregon Governor "No endorsement ""The Mercury is forgoing an endorsement in the governor’s race until the general election. Realistically, this will come down to which Republican the incumbent governor Tina Kotek will face in November. None of Kotek’s Democratic challengers mounted a serious campaign, despite Kotek’s low polling among voters. In case you haven’t noticed, Kotek has soured many Oregonians with her constant need to court conservative interests, her efforts to torpedo Preschool For All, her narrow vision of what “prosperity” means for a state steeped in arts and culture, and her hyper focus on Portland. Kotek should take note, or risk losing the governor’s seat to a transphobic dud or an anti-abortion, climate change denier who thinks the answer to homelessness is more cops."
"Joining Mayor Johnson in signing the declaration are Mayors Katie Wilson of Seattle, Keith Wilson of Portland, Karen Bass of Los Angeles, Ras Baraka of Newark, Jacob Frey of Minneapolis, James Solomon of Jersey City, Satya Rhodes-Conway of Madison and Dorcey Applyrs of Albany. "The Haymarket Declaration ​'commits participating mayors to pursue local actions which protect the First Amendment and the right to peacefully protest and organize; advance workers’ rights and economic justice; lower costs and defend essential services; expand access to good-paying jobs; build safer communities through prevention and trust; defend immigrant communities; protect voting rights and local elections; and align public spending around shared values.'” https://inthesetimes.com/article/brandon-johnson-may-day-struggle-for-labor
Flyer for KBOO's MAY DAY MARATHON: Friday, May 1st 12AM-8PM THE SOUNDTRACK TO THE RESISTANCE Big image of headphones over a grayscale background of people protesting.
Mayday, Mayday, May Day Friday’s emergency signal from the working class. Maya Ragsdale April 29, 2026 People gather to mark the May Day, International Workers' Day in Chicago, Illinois on May 1, 2018. (Photo by Bilgin S. Sasmaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
"Louisiana Governor Says He Will Suspend May Congressional Primary so Legislature Can Redraw U.S. House Districts" Posted on April 30, 2026 by Richard Winger "On August 29, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry told Republican U.S. House candidates that he will suspend the May 16 congressional primary so as to facilitate the legislature’s passing a bill drawing new district boundaries. This was not a public announcement, but such an announcement is now expected for May 1. "No minor party or independent candidates for U.S. House qualified this year under the existing requirements, which includes an unconstitutionally early February deadline for minor party and independent candidate petitions. Presumably if new districts are drawn, filing will be re-opened and new candidates can qualify." https://ballot-access.org/2026/04/30/louisiana-governor-says-he-will-suspend-may-congressional-primary-so-legislature-can-redraw-u-s-house-districts/
Comments Pomona College Invites Eight California Gubernatorial Candidates Into Debate D Frank Robinson on April 27, 2026 at 8:33 pm said: "Yes, government ballot censorship of candidates encourages private censorship of candidates. That’s the spill over from a fascist police state."
Pomona College Invites Eight California Gubernatorial Candidates Into Debate Posted on April 27, 2026 by Richard Winger "On Tuesday, April 28, Pomona College will host a California gubernatorial debate. All candidates who have been at 1% in the polls and who are on the ballot are invited. See this story. Eight candidates will debate. Butch Ware, the Green candidate, had been at 2% in several polls, but he is not included because he is not on the ballot, even though he will be a declared write-in candidate." https://ballot-access.org/2026/04/27/pomona-college-invites-eight-california-gubernatorial-candidates-into-debate/
Chart showing Environment, Economic, and Social sides of a triangle, the middle of which says Sustainable Development From Munasinghe, 1994
Jambi from PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE: "Meka leka hi meka hiney ho"
Pace chart showing average pace per mile needed to run a 2hr marathon: 4:35.
Dictionary definition of crypto-fascist: One who has secret fascist sympathies but is not an avowed fascist.
Lawrence O'Donnell
Multicolored hand silhouettes putting ballots into a ballot box.
According to the groups, those harms potentially include: - Arbitrary denial of entry and risk of arrest, detention, and/or deportation of non-US nationals—even those with prior authorization from the US government; - Expanded restrictions and limitations on travel and entry into the United States, given the Trump administration’s ban or severe restriction on entry of people from 19 Global South nations; - Invasive social media screening and searches of electronic devices as part of admission to the United States; - Violent and unconstitutional immigration enforcement, including racial profiling and other discrimination by law enforcement; - Suppression of speech and protest and increased surveillance; and - Serious risk of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and in some cases, death, while in immigration detention facilities or custody.
Virginia Bill Becomes Law to Allow Local Option for Ranked Choice Voting for All Local Elections Permanently Posted on April 22, 2026 by Bill Redpath 10 The bills were HB630 and SB176. According to an email from Upvote Virginia: “The first pro-RCV legislation in the country since 2023 has now passed in Virginia! Today, both chambers of the General Assembly voted to accept Gov. Spanberger’s technical amendments to the bills, concluding the process of the bill becoming a law. This bill extends the local RCV option to elections for any local governing body and removes the sunset date, making this a permanent option for cities, counties, and towns. The new law will go into effect July 1, 2026.” https://ballot-access.org/2026/04/22/virginia-bill-becomes-law-to-allow-local-option-for-ranked-choice-voting-for-all-local-elections-permanently/
Imperial security droids from ANDOR.
"California Secretary of State Removes Butch Ware, Green Party Gubernatorial Candidate, from Ballot; Ware Sues to be Reinstated" https://ballot-access.org/2026/03/19/california-secretary-of-state-removes-butch-ware-green-party-gubernatorial-candidate-from-ballot-ware-sues-to-be-reinstated/
Pie chart: The Cost of Militarized Rivalry with China $3.4 trillion total, with the Navy & Marines accounting for more than a trillion, half a trillion each for the Army and Air Force/Space Force, $850B for other defense agencies, and another ~$400B for various construction projects, intelligence, and the DOE. As a point of comparison, the State Department's share of the spending was $1.85B.
Our Demands to Build the Society We Deserve: - Stop the billionaire takeover corrupting our government. - Protect and defend Medicaid, Social Security, and other programs for working people. - Fully funded schools, and healthcare and housing for all. - Stop the attacks on immigrants, Black, indigenous, trans people, women and all our communities. - Invest in people not wars.
"When I hear on the DNC from other members who say to me, 'When you talk about Israeli genocide, that’s anti-Semitic, it makes me uncomfortable,' I said, 'You know what makes me uncomfortable? That genocide is actually taking place. And it makes me equally uncomfortable that you won’t admit it or even want us to talk about it.'" James Zogby
Amy Green ‪@amygreensastrology.bsky.social‬ "ohhh I see. I've been duped. Ok I'll look into that" 8:04 AM · Apr 15, 2026
"Virginia Governor Signs National Popular Vote Plan Bill" Posted on April 13, 2026 by Richard Winger "On April 13, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed SB 322, the National Popular Vote Plan bill. Virginia is the first state to join the compact since Minnesota joined in 2023. "The Governor waited until the very last day. The bill had passed the legislature on February 25."
"Arizona Green Party Continues to Suffer from Insincere Candidates" Posted on April 15, 2026 by Richard Winger "According to this story, the Arizona Green Party this year is again suffering from insincere candidates running in its primaries. This is an old problem for the Arizona Green Party. It shows once again that small qualified parties ought to have the ability to nominate by convention." https://ballot-access.org/2026/04/15/arizona-green-party-continues-to-suffer-from-insincere-candidates/
Single panel from Doonesbury for May 3, 1973 At a butcher, a man in a suit and tie stands next to a customer, who introduces him to the proprietor (Schmidt). Guy in suit: Well, let me just take a look at it... Customer: Mr. Taylor here is from the First City Bank, Schmidt. He's giving me a meat loan.
Screenshot from the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition site: https://pircoregon.org/data-and-updates/weekly-updates/2026-3-31 Aerial view of people spelling out WE KEEP US SAFE at the most recent NO KINGS protest in Portland Oregon. "Just a reminder for us all "Photo credit: photo by Adam West, installation by Micheal James Schneider "Thank you to the tens of thousands of Oregonians who showed up this weekend at No Kings and Palm Sunday vigils this weekend. We do keep us safe, and we are so proud to be in this with you all. See you for the GENERAL STRIKE MAY 1, 2026"
Taylor Unswift ‪@10tgibs.bsky.social‬ "Members of the Oregon Education Association met Friday and Saturday for our PAC Convention and 75% of participants voted not to endorse a gubernatorial candidate. We are sending a message to our electeds and candidates: no longer will you be able to do the bare minimum and get our support." 7:35 PM · Feb 28, 2026
"It's a burger. On a pizza. We took a Detroit-style pizza and built a burger on top. A miniature beef slider patty on every slice, topped with American cheese, shredded lettuce, our burger sauce and dill pickles, and a tiny little bun." https://everout.com/portland/events/you-asked-for-it/e235164/