The meming of life
--Northwest Observer Meme Team| Post Date: 2020-07-24 20:24:53 | |
“Mandatory†guidelines issued late Friday afternoon
In a
notification that was sent only to “Faith Liasion†members (pastors, and other members of the faith community) and subscribers to the Oregon Health Authority Community partner outreach, Governor Kate Brown has issued stricter guidelines governing worship services.
This effectively ends church and allows live stream only. In the case of one church, since the pastor feels it is absolutely necessary to have his lips visible (for the sign language person and personal preference) he is cancelling “live†church and doing livestream only.
One observer noted that these restrictions were not announced during the Governor’s press conference on Wednesday, instead being held for a late-Friday-afternoon release, a time when news is released that its authors hope
will not get widespread coverage. Governor Brown has
tangled with faith communities already over restrictions placed on worship.
An unnamed legislator noted that the Governor always takes her mask off for her press conferences.
The text of the notice reads,
Hello Faith Leaders,
The Oregon Health Authority, at the direction of Governor Brown, has released updated guidance that may impact your faith community gatherings. New guidance will be in effect beginning today, July 24th.
There are two key areas noted in the order: changes to the statewide face covering mandate, and changes to maximum capacity limitations.
Here are a few highlights:
Face Coverings (includes masks and face shields):
- Face coverings will be mandatory for individuals 5 years of age and older for all indoor faith gatherings and, outdoors when 6 feet of physical distancing cannot be maintained.
- Previously, face coverings were required for ages 12 and older.
- All individuals attending indoor gatherings now need to wear face coverings (mask or face shield) at all times, even when teaching, preaching or singing. The only exemption is for someone playing an instrument requiring mouth to instrument contact.
- Note - if you are not holding an in-person event, but are simply live streaming or recording services without an audience, face coverings for teachers, preachers and musicians are not required as long as 6 feet of physical distancing is maintained.
Updated Gathering limits:
- Phase 1 Counties -
- Indoor & Outdoor faith-based, civic and cultural gatherings = 50 people
- Physical distancing of 6 feet between households must be maintained. To determine maximum occupancy, 35 square feet of space per person is needed in the room holding the gathering.
- Phase 2 Counties -
- Services at an indoor venue = 100 people (including staff & volunteers)
- Services at an outdoor venue = 250 people (including staff & volunteers)
- Physical distancing of 6 feet between households must be maintained. To determine maximum occupancy, 35 square feet of space per person is needed in the room holding the gathering.
Sector Specific Guidance & Resources:
- NEW! Face coverings website
- Phase 1 County faith communities, please utilize "Statewide Gatherings, Indoor Social Get-Together Guidance
."
- Phase 2 County faith communities, please utilize
- School aged camps and youth groups, please utilize "Summertime Day Camps."
You can find all guidance documents, FAQ's, signage and other resources on OHA's COVID-19 website.
You can find information about the Phased reopening plan and the status of your county on Governor Kate Brown's Safe + Strong website.
As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions.
In partnership,
Faith Liaison Team
--Staff Reports| Post Date: 2020-07-24 19:22:28 | Last Update: 2020-07-26 17:11:23 |
Rosenblum restraining order lacked “constitutional minimumâ€
In the first of what is expected to be a string of successive defeats for Oregon's Attorney General, U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman has issued a
14-page ruling on the unusual restraining order request filed on behalf of Oregon's Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum which was asking for federal agents to further verbally identify themselves while arresting rioting protesters in the ravaged downtown Portland Oregon.
Judge Mosman explains thoroughly in his ruling how the suit lacked a “constitutional minimumâ€, in that it presented little evidence as well as having extensive questions of legality. He also points out in the ruling that Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is seeming to suggest that “private kidnappings†may be prompted by the legal arrests made at the violent protests. In what can only be described as a legal smackdown, unbecoming of the State’s Attorney General, Judge Mosman admonished,
“...the state candidly admits that it does not have a shred of evidence that counter-protesters have ever, anywhere, kidnapped a protester or anyone associated with protests. Second, the asserted interest rests on an utterly implausible inference. The State’s reasoning is that counter-protesters, once they learn of seizures of protesters by federal agents, will dress up like police and go out on private missions to kidnap protesters. This despite the fact that such kidnappings are Measure 11 felonies in Oregon, punishable by mandatory minimum sentences of up to 70-90 years in prison.
I do not discount the animosity among these groups and had I been asked to assume that something would result in fist fights, or theft, or destruction of signs, or damage to vehicles, that would have made sense. But the idea that seizures by law enforcement will lead to kidnappings by private parties is a bridge too far.
I put in a similar category the State’s asserted interest in preventing a spate of cases in which protesters mistakenly think the federal agents who are seizing them are actually counter-protest kidnappers. Again, there is no evidence to support such an assertion. The State has not pointed to any instance in which a protester was subjected to state violence because she believed she was resisting a kidnapping. In both instances of a federal seizure it is either admitted or clearly visible that the agents’ uniforms say “Police.†The State further admitted at oral argument that, to its knowledge, counter-protesters have never dressed up as police. Draft.
Finally, the State’s asserted interest here fails the third prong of Lujan: redressability. The State’s requested solution to the kidnapping problem is to require actual federal agents to verbally identify themselves as such, presumably guaranteeing that they are the real deal. But if one is willing to go along with the State’s concerns about copycat kidnappers, it requires me to assume that such nefarious characters are willing to dress up like federal agents and willing to commit the very serious crime of kidnapping, but that they would blanch at the thought of identifying themselves as police. The requested remedy here is a linguistic Maginot line, of no use in the real world.
In light of billions of dollars in cuts to the state budget, Attorney General Rosenblum will have to defend how she is able to find the resources for such trivial -- and what appears to be politically motivated -- lawsuits.
--Staff Reports| Post Date: 2020-07-24 19:20:19 | Last Update: 2020-07-26 19:16:29 |
Claim that “unconstitutional activities†are “political theatricsâ€
In
a letter addressed to US Attorney General William Barr and Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, several legislative Democrats are demanding “immediate withdrawal of federal operatives from the City of Portland.â€
In an ironic twist, while the letter seeks to deflect expected criticism for being a political stunt, its diversion toward blaming the president for the “deadly pandemic†could itself be seen as political. The letter says,
“We refuse to allow our streets to be a playground for political theatrics intended to deflect attention from the president’s failure to control a deadly pandemic. We will not stand by while violent actions exacerbate conditions on our streets.â€
Interestingly, the letter seeks to defend its demand on constitutional grounds,
“Upon assuming office, we each took a vow to defend the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Oregon. We take that responsibility to heart. Confronted with clear evidence that federal agents are engaging in unconstitutional activities resulting in significant harm to individuals and our community as a whole, we are obligated to respond.â€
Article VI, clause 2 of the US Constitution, known as the supremacy clause, reads, “This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.†The letter does not describe specifically which actions it believes are unconstitutional.
Homeland Security issued the following statement yesterday, “As they have for the past 54 straight days, violent anarchists continue to riot on the streets of Portland as federal law enforcement officers work diligently and honorably to enforce federal law by defending federal property and the lives of their fellow officers.â€
One Republican lawmaker, who asked not to be named pointed out that “All this is happening in a Democrat controlled state, in a Democrat controlled county, in a Democrat controlled city. Much of what is not being done to control these riots is what got President Trump to get elected in the first place.â€
The signers include:
Senate Majority Leader Rob Wagner, SD 19
Senator Ginny Burdick, SD 18
Senator Michael Dembrow, SD 23
Senator Shemia Fagan, SD 24
Senator Lew Frederick, SD 22
Senator Sara Gelser, SD 8
Senator Jeff Golden, SD 3
Senator James I. Manning Jr, SD 7
Senator Elizabeth Steiner Hayward MD, SD 17
Senator Kathleen Taylor, SD 21
Senator Chuck Riley, SD 15
Speaker Tina Kotek, HD 44
House Majority Leader Barbara Smith Warner, HD 45
Representative Diego Hernandez, HD 47
Representative Teresa Alonso Leon, HD 22
Representative Brian Clem, HD 21
Representative Maxine Dexter, MD, HD 33
Representative Margaret Doherty, HD 35
Representative Paul Evans, HD 20
Representative Julie Fahey, HD 14
Representative David Gomberg, HD 10
Representative Chris Gorsek, HD 49
Representative Ken Helm, HD 34
Representative Paul Holvey, HD 8
Representative Alissa Keny-Guyer, HD 46
Representative Akasha Lawrence Spence,HD 36
Representative Caddy McKeown, HD 9
Representative Mark Meek, HD 40
Representative Tiffiny Mitchell, HD 32
Representative Pam Marsh, HD 5
Representative Nancy Nathanson, HD 13
Representative Rob Nosse, HD 42
Representative Carla Piluso, HD 50
Representative Karin Power, HD 41
Representative Rachel Prusak, HD 37
Representative Dan Rayfield, HD 16
Representative Jeff Reardon, HD 48
Representative Andrea Salinas, HD 38
Representative Tawna Sanchez, HD 43
Representative Sheri Schouten, HD 27
The letter claims to be aligned with other elected Democrats, “including Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Congress members Suzanne Bonamici and Earl Blumenauer, Governor Kate Brown, our Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, and Portland’s mayor, Ted Wheeler.†The letterhead references State Representative Pam Marsh (D-Ashland) as the media contact.
--Staff Reports| Post Date: 2020-07-24 18:15:35 | Last Update: 2020-07-24 18:15:54 |
If agencies don’t hire, they get to keep the money
Editor’s note: This is the tenth in a multi-part series on the budget for the State of Oregon and where possible efficiencies can be found.
The Legislative Fiscal Office estimates that “[a]t any given time, roughly 10% to 15% of
authorized state positions are vacant. For example, as of August 10, 2016, a total of 4,812 state positions were vacant, representing 12% of all positions.â€
Surprisingly, the current practice of the State is to fund vacant positions, leaving the money with the agency, even if the position is not filled -- a practice that many consider to be unconstitutional.
Article III, Section 2 of the Oregon Constitution gives the Legislature all spending authority. It says, “The Legislative Assembly shall have power to establish an agency to exercise budgetary control over all executive and administrative state officers, departments, boards, commissions and agencies of the State Government.â€
With some constitutionally required exceptions, the budget process is a negotiation between the executive and legislative branches over establishing and funding priorities in spending. Some things have to be funded, because they are constitutionally required. For instance, the state has to have to have elections. But, we don’t have to have a prison system. We could just let all convicted criminals go. But we want to have prisons, so the Legislature allocates some money to the executive branch to build, staff and operate a prison system.
Most often, the Legislature gives the Executive branch -- in this case, the Department of Corrections -- broad discretion on how to run the prisons, but they only have discretion to operate a prison. Any other use of the money is unconstitutional. During the budget process the Legislature, in consultation with the Executive Branch, determined that they needed a certain level of personnel. If they fail to hire all the personnel available to them, they either find efficiencies or fall short of goals, but at the end of the day, they don't have the constitutional authority to re-allocate the resources.
Although agencies have grown accustomed to and dependent upon having this 10% to 15% buffer -- one might call it a slush fund -- some basic discipline could be imposed on agencies, and much of this money could be returned to the general fund to be properly, constitutionally allocated by the Legislature, or in harder time, cut from the budget altogether.
Savings: $500,000 million ore more biennially.
--Staff Reports| Post Date: 2020-07-24 08:00:00 | Last Update: 2020-07-06 22:37:54 |
Little did anyone know, little Katie would grow up to be Governor
--Northwest Observer Meme Team| Post Date: 2020-07-23 20:28:19 | Last Update: 2020-07-22 20:28:46 |
Can redistricting be done fairly with the wide political divide we face?
There is a long history of
gerrymandering in drawing political districts. As the population shifts and grows, redistricting has become a political tool of the party in power.
Census counts are used to determine the allocation of seats in Congress, the number of electors in the Electoral College and hundreds of billion dollars of federal spending. It is also used to redistrict Oregon’s House and Senate districts.
On the national level,
President Trump signed an order to prevent illegal immigrants from being counted in redrawing of voting districts. The census currently does not either include a citizenship question, or a question about legal immigration status. The order says that for the purposes of reapportionment, "it is the policy of the United States to exclude from the apportionment base aliens who are not in a lawful immigration status.
"Today’s action to exclude illegal aliens from the apportionment base reflects a better understanding of the Constitution and is consistent with the principles of our representative democracy," Trump said. "Although the Constitution requires the persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed, to be enumerated in the census, that requirement has never been understood to include in the apportionment base every individual physically present within a State's boundaries at the time of the census," the order says.
Oregon’s increased population would indicate an additional representative. However, President Trump’s memo to agencies says that states that enacted sanctuary laws to shield illegal aliens from capture by federal authorities, and that thwart the enforcement of federal laws should not be rewarded with increased representation in Congress. According to the memo, one state has an estimated 2.2 million illegal aliens, who, if counted in the apportionment, would give the state two or three additional congressional seats. Once the apportionment is calculated, the president will transmit the final determination to Congress.
What Oregon does with the numbers to redistrict has always been contentious. Oregon’s
Initiative 57, People Not Politicians, attempts to take politics out of the process by amending the Constitution to repeal legislative redistricting process and create a congressional/state redistricting commission with equal number of Democrats, Republicans, and others. The measure says, “Election Day is when Oregonians exercise their right to vote and make their voice heard, and the people of Oregon need an independent commission to draw fair and impartial districts so that every vote matters.â€
Gerrymandering is actively at work in automatic voter registrations and building low-income apartments aimed at conservative districts. Six states including California and Canada have appointed nonpartisan commissions to draw the redistricting maps. Oregon’s initiative goes a step further requiring equal representation, unlike the six states who often appoint ‘nonpartisan’ commissioners with partisan opinions. But they are still experiencing closer elections indicative of some merit.
Can taking census and redistricting be done fairly with the wide political divide we face? Leaving the process to legislators would be a definite ‘NO.’ But, passing Initiative 57 gives it a fighting chance.
--Donna Bleiler| Post Date: 2020-07-23 18:46:24 | Last Update: 2020-07-23 19:41:12 |
Destroying the property of others is not how we achieve justice
Editor's note: This first appeared in the author's personal blog. Public workers no longer are required as a condition of employment to be a member of or pay dues to a union. You can find out more at www.OptOutToday.com
Writing a letter the day following hand surgery ranks right up there with having a root canal, but some things need to be said--sooner rather than later.
Before getting to the meat of this letter, I'd like to preface it by saying that some years back SEIU did provide some (uncoordinated and clumsy) assistance regarding some office issues. This led to my return to the union under the rationale that they were a necessary evil. (You can read a little about my union ambivalence at the following links:
BEFORE,
AFTER and a little concerning the
EVENTS themselves.) I should further disclose that I have even served briefly as a union steward--working to help ensure state employees were treated (and represented) with fairness rather than a disdainful bias. Let's face it, state supervisors and Human Resource departments have a great deal of power, and sometimes the worker needs someone in their corner. With SEIU, however, it's their actions outside the office that truly make it more difficult with each passing day to support them--particularly regarding
BLM.
The other part of my background is that I almost pursued a police career before I changed professional directions in my late 20's towards state government. Over the preceding years, I attended countless training sessions and ridden-beside police officers as a volunteer observer from Yakima to Seattle. I understand police officers (usually), and I've seen many really good ones along with a few that probably shouldn't have been wearing that badge. While, of course, "all lives matter, black lives now," the problem with BLM as an organization has a lot to do with the its the people it draws and its
stated beliefs. This is an organization that supports the fairy tale of subjective vs objective sexual identities, opposes the nuclear family, and stands in stark opposition to law and order--e.g. defunding of police. Whatever nonsense its supporters believe at any given moment, they demand those in positions of power--from mayors to police chiefs--show BLM unearned respect and honor, kowtowing to the organization by taking a knee, for instance. This isn't an organization aimed at racial justice, but an enterprise aimed at reweaving the social fabric in its own image and taking power away from the people.
When SEIU members posted on social media today about forming a barrier between rioters and city police and federal law enforcement, I voiced my opinion that this was foolish. My voice was met, of course, with profane responses from SEIU members who must believe that their role as members is to help BLM damage our cities and injure or kill our police officers. This is nothing short of a grab for power, and BLM should be recognized as something like a fascist organization using force and intimidation to silence those who oppose its siren call for "justice."
I've witnessed injustice, and when I do I take constructive action. This is something we can all do. Tearing down buildings and destroying the property of others, however, is not how we achieve justice...but anarchy.
For these reasons, then, I've decided to resign union membership diverting precious resources from an organization that no longer represents my values.
--Staff Reports| Post Date: 2020-07-23 16:50:26 | Last Update: 2020-07-23 21:14:58 |
Freedom Foundation sues Governor, OHA
The
Freedom Foundation, which filed a lawsuit earlier in July challenging Washington’s mandatory mask rule, on Wednesday requested an emergency stay with the Oregon State Court of Appeals to prevent Gov. Kate Brown from imposing a similar edict in the Beaver State.
“Governors in left-leaning states all over the country are making up the rules as they go – and ignoring the procedural rules their own state laws set up,†said Jason Dudash, the Freedom Foundation’s Oregon director.
The Freedom Foundation
filed the court action on behalf of three individuals who object to the mandate that they wear masks. In addition to Brown and the state of Oregon, the challenge names Oregon Heath Authority Director Patrick Allen, who on June 30 issued the so-called “Statewide Mask, Face Shield, Face Covering Guidance,†which outlines the face covering requirements.
Freedom Foundation’s challenge points out that the “guidance†is an administrative rule — and the creation of such a rule must follow the procedural standards set forth in ORS 183. These standards include notice of the proposed rule, publication of the rule, 21 days advance notice to allow public input, and a fiscal impact statement.
The challenge argues that not only does the mandate violate state statue, it also violates the wearer’s First Amendment rights.
--Staff Reports| Post Date: 2020-07-23 16:43:13 | Last Update: 2020-07-23 16:45:25 |
President Trump responds to the violence in Portland
Governor Kate Brown tells the President to stop playing politics, stop calling law enforcement secret police, and likens his leadership to a dictatorship. She calls on the President to get his officers off the streets in Portland. Mayor Ted Wheeler said the President is trying to look strong for his base, and Pelosi call them “Storm Troopersâ€.
While President Trump met with GOP leaders, he answered question about federal officers in Portland. “We’ll have more federal law enforcement. In Portland, in three days they have done a fantastic job in a very short period of time. No problem. They grab them, a lot of leaders in jail. These aren’t protesters, these people are anarchists. These are people that hate our country and we’re not going to let it go forward. I’ll tell you what, the governor, the mayor and the senators are afraid of these people. That’s the reason they don’t want us to help them, they’re afraid. I actually believe they may be physically afraid of these people. We didn’t just go there right away; we went there after 51 days we said we can’t let this happen anymore. But these are anarchists, the politicians are afraid and that’s why they say we don’t want the federal government out there. This is worse than Afghanistan by far.â€
Filmmaker Ami Horowitz said on Hannity that a four-square block area around the federal building was under siege taken over Tuesday night when he was in Portland. About 5,000 onlookers were there cheering them on. “Media malpractice of how protesters are portrayed and how people view them in the media is said to be all kumbaya brother, they’re just sitting there having a good time, people singing and dancing. The reality is that hundreds of people were attacking the federal building. By attack, I mean they had hammers, steel pipes and were setting fires to burn the building down with all the people in it while the ‘peaceful’ protesters are exhorting them on – cheering them on. They weren’t aghast at what was happening. They weren’t saying, hey guys you shouldn’t be doing this. They were supporting these people who were trying to burn the officers alive in the federal building. So, to say it’s a mostly peaceful protest, it’s not true at all and that is part of the problem.â€
Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany responds with the President’s authority under U.S. Code 40-1315 to deputize agents in protection of federal property, investigate and pursue criminal acts. To date, the agents in Portland are only protecting federal property according to Chad Wolf, acting director of Homeland Security.
Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod said, “It is sickening to watch as phony leaders pander to the violence in Portland. I refuse to turn a blind eye to the violence and lawlessness each night. What Portland Democrats fail to understand is if you give an inch to these violent anarchists, they will take a mile, and they won’t stop. They want to perpetuate the idea of a ‘civil war’ to further isolate Oregonians from one another. Peaceful protesters are welcome, but the second violence and lawbreaking occurs, it is up to elected officials to support the law enforcement officers that put their lives on the line to keep citizens safe in unstable situations. Democrats have refused to do this and have failed all Oregonians by pandering to the violence.â€
All the talk from the Governor and Mayor that federal agents shouldn’t be in Oregon leaves every city, large and small, vulnerable to unchecked violence. Portland is a big target, and it’s spreading to Eugene and Salem. If Portland is overrun, and that’s already a liberal city, they won’t stop there. Death from COVID-19 will pale in comparison to civil unrest. Law and order is sure to be a priority in the upcoming elections.
--Donna Bleiler| Post Date: 2020-07-22 19:48:33 | Last Update: 2020-07-23 18:46:24 |
The right to bear memes shall not be infringed
--Northwest Observer Meme Team| Post Date: 2020-07-22 15:07:15 | Last Update: 2020-07-22 14:07:37 |
Gun sales will continue to rise
Governor Kate Brown responding at her press conference to questions on federal agents’ actions in Portland, said she doesn’t approve of President Trump’s tactics, and he must remove his agents. But, she did acknowledge that property destruction has to stop. Her answer is that she will be looking into a new system of training law enforcement. This, after the special session earlier this month passed police reform bills. One might wonder what was the plan behind those bills if she is yet to look into police training.
Meanwhile, outside the Gresham City Council stands a flag pole that once flew ‘Old Glory’ but now supports the Black Lives Matter flag. The City Council unanimously approved flying the flag with the official logo of a radical Marxist "Black Lives Matters" group. One must ask if they even researched the distinctive "three yellow stripe" flag Gresham is flying to know it is the same flag sold on the Marxist group's website.
The Multnomah County Republican Party has taken objection to Gresham City Council. "We as Republicans, the party of Lincoln, obviously have no objections to promoting messages of racial equality," says Chairman James Buchal, "but these City Councilors are tarnishing the City of Gresham by flying the flag of a radical Marxist organization hostile to all fundamental American values."
Buchal said they firmly oppose the BLM group's website message that "police don't keep us safe". "We reject the idea that bad actions by bad officers define policing in America, and we reject the idea that systemic racism requires massive 're-education', censorship of opposing views, and punishment for dissent in the Marxist fashion."
A
demonstration in support of Gresham Police is planned for July 22 at 6 p.m. outside the Gresham City Hall Council Chambers. Organizers said, “we want our police to know we support them.†They encourage people to bring a thank you note to give to officers.
One thing that Oregon needs is a strong police force, local and state, and leaders that support them. Without that, gun sales will continue to rise.
--Donna Bleiler| Post Date: 2020-07-22 14:40:39 | Last Update: 2020-07-22 14:58:37 |
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