On this day, April 16, 2013, a European court blocked Britain from extraditing a mentally ill suspect accused of trying to set up a terrorist training camp in Oregon. The European Court of Human Rights ruled that sending Haroon Aswat to a prison in the United States would breach his human rights due to the "severity of his mental condition." Aswat was arrested on a US warrant in 2005, and has been fighting extradition ever since.
Celebrated on the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when in the wake of the American Civil War, Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas.
If you’re locked up at home and can’t fight COVID-19, at least you can spend some time doing math.
Everyone is caught up with all the stress of dealing with the health and economic fallout of the COVID-19 outbreak. Perhaps it’s too early to start number crunching and doing some objective analysis. But if the state isn’t going to let me go to work, I’ll play the "idle hands" card and start the conversation.
Let me first say, it’s an awful disease. I can’t imagine the horror of suffering or dying from any respiratory disease. My heart goes out to those who have died and those who have lost loved ones.
Likewise, it’s an awful thing the government has done to the economy. May we all survive both.
It’s axiomatic to say this will be devastating to Oregon’s economy. How devastating is not yet known, but’s not inconceivable the impact might cause the state gross domestic product to take a hit in the range of 30 to 50 percent. In a state that is highly — perhaps disproportionately  dependent on income tax, such an economic hit will almost certainly impact government at the same rate.
So, at a time when revenues are certainly, reasonably expected to plummet, it’s fair to ask what steps the state is preparing to take to limit expenditures.
One of the industries that is arguably the most impacted, if not the most visible, is the restaurant and bar industry. This industry is host to much of the lottery activity in Oregon, so I would think it would be reasonable for the Oregon Lottery to quickly cut staff.
I asked them about their plans and received this response on April 28:
"Executive team staff are currently working to identify furloughs, layoffs and salary reductions in their areas. We’re looking for the right balance between fiscal responsibility and maintenance of critical work. Those plans should be finalized later this week, and communicated to staff shortly after that. We know the situation is constantly evolving, so our plans may need to adjust as new information becomes available."
In other words, we’re starting to start to think about possible reductions.
"Thank you for continuing to hold. The operator may offer you a position in the Employment Department, which will invalidate the claim for which you’re holding. To continue to hold, press 1."
There’s more hiring elsewhere in state government. In a May 1 press release, Gov. Brown announced her "contact-tracing plan sets a goal of training at least 600 contact tracers" (Emphasis mine). These contact tracers are not just your garden-variety, off-the-shelf contact tracers, either. The plan has "a focus on recruiting individuals with cultural and linguistic competence for the populations they serve," which certainly increases their price.
The headline for this post promised some math, which means I’m not going to get out of this article without doing some, so here goes. The Legislative Fiscal Office uses the figure of $250,000 per biennium as an estimate for the cost of hiring a new employee. That includes salary, benefits, overhead, a computer, a cubicle, a boss, etc., so if you divide the biennial cost by two, that means $125,000 per year.
Multiply that times 600 workers and you get a cool $75 million. That doesn’t even count the new Employment Department hires.
Just so you know, 1.75 percent of that $75 million or — even more math — over $1.3 million goes to union dues, just in time for the November elections.
Maybe we can just use the guys from the Oregon Lottery as contact tracers.
With a note of caution, Governor Brown said, "As we begin to slowly open up recreation sites, state parks, and ski areas, it is critical we ensure the health and safety of staff, volunteers, and the public. And that begins with each of us taking personal responsibility to be good stewards of our parks, and each other."
Reopening outdoor recreation areas will be a phased approach as it becomes safe for some communities and recreational providers to do so, and will change the way that Oregonians visit some familiar sites. Columbia River Gorge parks and recreation areas, as well as coastal areas that are not yet ready to welcome visitors back, will remain closed for now, while the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department coordinates with local jurisdictions and partners in Washington to determine the appropriate timing for reopening.
Guidelines for responsible outdoor recreation include:
Limit your recreation activities, and recreate only with people in your own household.
Check what’s open before leaving home. Your favorite trail or camp site may remain closed, or need to be closed on a temporary basis, to prevent crowding and protect public health.
Plan ahead and come prepared as service levels may be different than you are accustomed to.
Visitors may find limited restroom services available. Plan to bring your own soap, water, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper.
Bring a mask to cover your nose and mouth. Visit less crowded areas, visit during off-peak times, and have a back-up plan.
Not feeling well? Don’t go. If you have symptoms of a fever, cough, or shortness of breath, stay home.
Governor Brown has been under intense pressure for her heavy-handed, continual closure of the state, despite signs that the epidemic is on the wane.
Critics have also pointed out that, while there is a shortage of residential style toilet paper, due to people spending more time at home, there is a surplus of the industrial style of toilet paper -- of the kind found on larger rolls used by the industrial dispensers -- typically found at public institutions like parks.
In what some observers see as a response to the mounting pressure from Oregonians to open the state, Oregon Governor Kate Brown issued some very specific "prerequisites" for "enter[ing] phase one of Reopening Oregon."
The document, released to Oregon counties, outlines seven prerequisites must be met before a county or region can enter phase one of Reopening Oregon. These prerequisites include:
Declining prevalence of COVID-19
Minimum Testing Regimen, including being able to administer COVID-19 testing at a rate of 30 per
10,000 people per week.
Contact Tracing System, including a minimum of 15 contact tracers for every 100,000 people and the county must be prepared to contact trace 95% of all new cases within 24 hours.
Isolation Facilities including hotel rooms available for people who test positive for COVID-19 and who cannot self-isolate.
Finalized Statewide Sector Guidelines.
Sufficient Health Care Capacity which means that the region must be able to accommodate a 20% increase in suspected or confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations compared to the number of suspected or confirmed COVID19 hospitalizations in the region at the time
Executive Order No. 20-22 was issued.
Sufficient PPE Supply.
Health Regions are defined as such:
Health region 1: Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook, Washington, Multnomah, Clackamas
Health region 2: Yamhill, Polk, Lincoln, Benton, Marion, Linn
Health regions 3 & 5: Lane, Douglas, Coos, Curry, Jackson, Josephine
Health regions 6 & 9: Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Morrow, Umatilla, Union,
Wallowa, Baker, Malheur
Health region 7: Jefferson, Deschutes, Crook, Wheeler, Grant, Klamath, Lake, Harney
Oregon Governor Kate Brown begins to lose the "consent of the governed"
Well over one thousand protesters filled the steps and streets at the Oregon Capitol in Salem yesterday as people cried out for re-opening the state. One protester said, "We can't go on like this. I know lives are at stake, but if we continue to stay shut down, lives will be at stake from a different cause." Very few protesters were observed wearing masks.
The Northwest Observer is committed to civics education. In addition to providing historical and breaking news, we pride ourselves on providing relevant articles on civics. Indeed, civics is the framework needed to properly understand and provide context to the news we provide.
You can browse through a chronological presentation of civics articles, or look them up by topic interest, here.
The Northwest Observer is committed to bringing you in-depth news about what is really going on around you, not just the if-it-bleeds-it-leads click bait. If you have a tip or a suggestion for a series, please contact us at editor@northwestobserver.com. We're proud of the work that we've done.
Education Freedom in Oregon.A multi-part series on what would happen if the state were to adopt an education freedom platform. (March 2024)
2024 Legislative Referrals A multi-part series on legislative referendums scheduled for the November 2024 election. (September 2023)
Oregon Habitat Conservation Plan A multi-part series on the Oregon Department of Forestry's Habitat Conservation Plan and how it impacts wildlife and communities. (September 2023)
Tina Kotek, 2022 A multi-part series on Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek, her past and her future – as well as where her political ambitions might take her (August 2021)
Direct Democracy in Oregon A multi-part series on the history and process of the initiative and referendum process in Oregon.(August 2021)
Measure 11 A multi-part series on Measure 11 and its impact on crime. This series is adapted from letters written to the legislature by Kevin Mannix, the author of Measure 11.(March 2021)
A Fed Up Oregonian A multi-part series which is a reprint of a letter from a desperate gun owner and her thoughts on the current proposals in the legislature. (February 2021)
2021 Tax Legislation A multi-part series exploring tax measures before the Oregon Legislature during the 2021 session (February 2021)
2020 Ballot Measures A multi-part series exploring all four statewide ballot measures for the November 2020 election (October 2020)
Candidate Comparison A multi-part series based on the work of the Oregon Abigail Adams Voter Education Project (September 2020)
Voter Fraud A multi-part series exploring voter fraud and the Oregon vote-by-mail system. (August 2020)
Tone Deaf A multi-part series recounting how the party in power is thwarting the will of the people. (August 2020)
School Reopening A multi-part series analyzing the latest version of the school re-opening guidelines and the prospects of schools re-opening in the Fall. (July 2020)
The State Budget A multi-part series on the budget for the State of Oregon and where possible efficiencies can be found. (June 2020)
The Northwest Observer loves history. In addition to providing civics education and breaking news, we pride ourselves on providing interesting articles on the history of the region -- especially how it impacts the legal and political situation today. Indeed, history provides the context needed to properly understand the news we provide.
One of the problems with the media, is that in addition to holding the means of communication (they get to say what they want, when they want to, in the way they want to), but they also hold the rule book for what constitutes responsible journalism. When confronted with accusations of bias, they flip open the rule book and push back with rules made up on the fly to justify their agenda-driven behavior at any given moment. Don't believe me? Just step over here to the website for the Grey Lady, the New York Times, where you will find the handbook for ethical journalism.
I'm glad that such a handbook exists, but it has no place being owned, managed and warehoused on the website of the New York Times. It should inspire the same outrage that people have when incumbent elected officials enact weak ethical rules for themselves. Or when union teachers sit in rubber rooms -- collecting a paycheck -- because the organization that represents them doesn't want them touched.
Bias in the media matters. Watch this clip. It's only 43 seconds long.
Pretty outrageous stuff. Can you see anyone in the current legacy media asking such a similar softball question of President Trump? Press interactions with President Trump look more like this kind of badgering, that's more directed as cutting into his credibility than getting at facts:
I could multiply examples. They're easy to find. Information is important. We're not getting it from the legacy media.
Effective May 1, elective and non-urgent procedures are allowed.
Amidst mounting pressure that she open the State of Oregon to economic activity, Governor Brown has issued an executive order permitting elective and non-urgent medical procedures, starting May 1.The order reads "On or after May 1, 2020, elective and non-urgent procedures across all care settings that utilize PPE are allowed, but only to the extent they comply with guidance or administrative rules issued by the Oregon Health Authority."
In the same executive order, the Governor extended her guidelines for visitors to medical facilities, saying "I continue my delegation of authority to the Oregon Health Authority to provide guidance, which may be revised from time to time, regarding limitations and screening requirements for visitors to hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers, based on best practices, to ensure the safety of patients and health care workers, and to slow the spread of COVID-19."
The Governor has claimed the authority to regulate this activity under the Oregon law that describes public health emergencies, claiming that her order "is a public health law, as defined in ORS 431A.005, and may be enforced as permitted under ORS 431A.010. Additionally, any person found to be in violation of this Executive Order is subject to the penalties described in ORS 401.990."
You can read the text of this law here.
--Staff Reports
The Northwest Observer is committed to civics education. In addition to providing historical and breaking news, we pride ourselves on providing relevant articles on civics. Indeed, civics is the framework needed to properly understand and provide context to the news we provide.
You can browse through a chronological presentation of civics articles, or look them up by topic interest, here.
