A counter-protest dwarfs those opposing bond and levy on May ballot

A Wednesday morning protest outside City Hall drew just a handful of people opposed to the $548 million Portland Public Schools' construction bond measure.

It did, however, draw a counter-protest of dozens of school supporters who waved signs and chanted slogans to passing traffic just across Southwest Fourth Avenue.

North Portland activist Richard Ellmyer had organized his bond/levy protest via his online campaign, www.goodgrowthnw.org .

'The PPS Tax Hike Is NOT About Kids,' Ellmyer wrote in e-mail missives. 'It Is About ADULT MISMANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS And Making A Buck At Taxpayers Expense.'

Bond supporters, organized as the Portlanders for Schools campaign, have organized and gathered contributions for months. They're now nearing the $1 million mark.