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You loved the 7 wonders of Oregon, but you'll hate these 7 non-wonders [The Oregonian, Portland, Ore. :: ]
[July 22, 2014]

You loved the 7 wonders of Oregon, but you'll hate these 7 non-wonders [The Oregonian, Portland, Ore. :: ]


(Oregonian (Portland, OR) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) July 22--Terry Richard is setting off on a noble effort to name the 7 best hikes in the 7 Wonders of Oregon, as chosen in a Travel Oregon Marketing campaign. And while Oregon has so much wonder to offer, the cynical reaches of our minds couldn't help but come up with the less-than-wondrous things about Oregon, the non-wonders if you will.



We sought out gripes and complaints about our fair state, drawing on politics, entertainment, and a certain touristy doughnut shop. After some group brainstorming, and plenty of kvetching, we present to you our official list of the 7 Non-Wonders of Oregon.

Love them? Hate other things more? Tell us about it in the comments.


1. Cover Oregon Oregon's public health insurance marketplace rankled folks from the start, but when its overly twee ads turned into a malfunctioning nightmare, there was little to salvage from the twisted wreckage, making Oregon the laughing stock of the national health care debate.

2. Voodoo Doughnut What started as a quirky Portland staple has turned into an overcrowded tourist trap. Instead of figuring out how to make better doughnuts, Voodoo has focused its efforts on expanding to Denver and ensuring that everybody flying out of PDX has a pink box in hand.

3. The Cyclist vs. Car War Cyclists don't like drivers. Drivers don't like cyclists. The conflict has led to a deluge of unnecessary vitriol that is reaching critical mass. When you find yourself asking whether or not you should help a road-raging cyclist after a crash, you definitely have a problem.

4. PERS It might not have as much national attention, but Oregon's miserable Public Employee Retirement System is just as broken. After the 2008 financial crisis left the pension system with a $16 billion unfunded liability, lawmakers shuffled their feet on reform, which has now landed at the desk of the Oregon Supreme Court. Let's just hope John Oliver doesn't get his hands on this one.

5. Portlandia While it's a spoof on Portland, residents around the state should face-palm at the aggressively quirky IFC comedy, which has inextricably linked itself to our state for decades to come. "You're from Oregon? Oh like, Portlandia, right? Put a bird on it! Haha!" Ugh.

6. Snow Panic While our state brethren in higher-elevated areas know nothing of snow panic, those of us in the city know it well. We had a veritable crisis in Portland this past winter when a whopping 5 inches of snow fell over three days, shutting down schools, businesses and even -- GASP! -- brewpubs.

7. Bland City Nicknames There are a few Oregon cities with good nicknames -- I'm looking at you, Phoenix "The Other Phoenix" Oregon -- but most are just miserable. We have, for example, "Where Oregon Begins" (Ontario), "A Place Where Families and Businesses Thrive" (Forest Grove), "It's Easier From Here" (Lebanon), "Proud History, Bright Future" (Springfield) and "A Place to Call Home" (Tigard). Please allow Terry Richard to re-nickname you all.

--Jamie Hale ___ (c)2014 The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) Visit The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) at www.oregonian.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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