The Oregon Employment Department is announcing the availability of Disaster Unemployment Assistance for individuals who became unemployed, had their work hours substantially reduced or are unemployed self-employed individuals as a direct result of the wildfires and straight-line winds that have been taking place since September 7, 2020. They also must not qualify for regular state unemployment insurance, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, other extension programs, or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits. Assistance may be available to workers in Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, and Marion Counties.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance is a federal program that provides temporary unemployment assistance benefits to individuals whose employment or self-employment has been lost or interrupted or had their work hours greatly reduced as a direct result of a major disaster. The Oregon Employment Department administers the DUA program for the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, on behalf of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Individuals eligible for regular unemployment benefits or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance are not eligible for DUA.

DUA is available to eligible individuals for weeks of unemployment beginning September 13, 2020. Benefits for this disaster will be available until March 20, 2021, as long as your unemployment continues to be a direct result of the major disaster. You must file the application within 30 days after this announcement date. The deadline for filing a DUA claim related to these fires is October 23, 2020.

In addition to people who lost their jobs as a direct result of the major disaster, DUA may include individuals who:

• were self-employed and prevented from performing such services as a result of the disaster and the work or self-employment was their primary source of income,
• were unable to reach their job because of the disaster,
• were scheduled to and prevented from beginning work or self-employment in the disaster area,
• were unable to work due to injury as a direct result of the disaster, or
• became head of household due a death caused by the disaster,
• have applied for and used all regular unemployment benefits from any state, or do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits, or extension programs and remain unemployed as a direct result of the disaster.

Unemployment is a direct result of the major disaster if the unemployment resulted from:

• the physical damage or destruction of the place of employment;
• the physical inaccessibility of the place of employment due to its closure by the federal, state, or local government in immediate response to the disaster; or
• lack of work, or loss of revenues, if, prior to the disaster, the employer or self-employed business received at least a majority of its revenue or income from an business in the major disaster area that was damaged or destroyed in the disaster or an entity in the major disaster area closed by the federal, state, or local government.

To receive DUA benefits, all required documentation must be turned in when you file or within 21 days from the day your DUA application is filed. You will need to provide supporting documentation, including but not limited to, proof of employment at the time of the disaster, or proof of self-employment at the time of the disaster, and income information for tax year 2019. Specifically, required documentation includes a Social Security number and a copy of the most recent federal income tax form or check stubs, or documentation to support that you were working or self-employed when the disaster occurred. Documentation for the self-employed can be obtained from banks or government entities, or affidavits from individuals having knowledge of their business.

Affected individuals are encouraged to apply for DUA through the Oregon Employment Department (OED), which will first check if applicants can qualify for state unemployment benefits, PEUC, other extension programs or PUA benefits.

Applications for DUA are available online at www.oregon.gov/EMPLOY/Disaster. Your application may be mailed to the address listed below, or submitted online at unemployment.oregon.gov.

Application packets will be available at certain evacuation sites and WorkSource Centers. Please include the weeks you would like to claim in your initial application. More information is available on our public website and social media pages. For additional questions or to request an initial application, you can call: 503-570-5000

Contact Information:
Address: Disaster Unemployment Assistance Unit
875 Union Street NE
Salem, OR 97311

Telephone:
503-570-5000

Additional Information: www.oregon.gov/EMPLOY/Disaster
Submit your Application Online: https://unemployment.oregon.gov/


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-09-24 16:02:35

Last Update: 2020-09-24 16:59:47

Marie Garcia, the Legislative and Government Relations Manager with the Oregon Department of Corrections has provided a status update related to the recent wildfire crises. As of September 18, 2020, all adults in custody who were evacuated and relocated due to the wildfires have returned to their home institutions.

She goes on to provide detail:

On September 8, the Oregon Department of Corrections evacuated all employees and adults in custody from Oregon State Correctional Institution, Santiam Correctional Institution, and Mill Creek Correctional Facility and relocated them to the Oregon State Penitentiary – all in Salem – in response to the Beachie Creek (Santiam) fire. The total number of adults in custody evacuated from these intuitions was 1,370. adults in custody returned to Santiam and Mill Creek on September 10 and to OSCI on September 15.

On September 10, the Oregon Department of Corrections evacuated Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville to Deer Ridge Correctional Institution in Madras due to threats from the Riverside and Beachie Creek wildfires. At that time, the institution was determined to be in potential danger as these two fires threatened to merge. The total number of adults in custody evacuated from Coffee Creek was 1,303. The return trip spanned four days so the department could rely on internal resources, including a fleet of buses—the majority of which included restrooms. Meals, water, and hygiene items were sent with each adult in custody, and a supply truck returned Coffee Creek supplies that were taken to Deer Ridge during the evacuation. In addition, an ADA accessible portable restroom was dropped partway along the route, and portable restrooms were made available at Coffee Creek to mitigate any delay in processing adults in custody into the institution. Once Deer Ridge’s medium facility was vacated, adults in custody being temporarily housed in the minimum facility returned to the medium facility -- a move which was also completed on September 18.

The Department of Corrections is aware of the impact the decision to evacuate may have had on the spread of COVID-19 within its facilities and took precautions to mitigate the impact whenever possible. While social distancing is always challenging in a prison environment -- and made even more difficult in the midst of wildfire evacuations -- masks continued to be provided and encouraged among all adults in custody and employees.

As an agency, in this unprecedented time, life preservation was first and foremost in our priorities. Without executing these evacuations, significant loss of life may have occurred. As is the case with any type of evacuation, parts of the plan did not go as smoothly as we would have liked. DOC also did many things extremely well. We are still working through the final parts of these actions but as soon as things return to normal, and the agency is able to review all practices and procedures, we will put together an after-action report that will be available in anticipation of reporting to the appropriate committees during the December legislative days.

The Department has also provided a FAQ document.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-09-24 15:42:56

Last Update: 2020-09-24 16:02:35

The City of Scappoose Parks & Recreation Committee (SPRC) is looking to fill two alternate positions. The responsibilities of the SPRC, as stated in the bylaws, are as follows:

1) Advise the Scappoose City Council on parks and recreation matters

2) Support updates to the Parks Master Plan as necessary

3) Be the City’s ambassadors in developing and promoting parks and recreation activities

4) Act as a facilitator in community forums and a catalyst for the promotion and development of park and recreation activities,

5) Encourage building partnerships with other local, regional, and state organizations

6) Respond to additional matters relating to parks and recreation as requested by the City Council.

If you are interested in joining the SPRC, please complete the Citizen Interest Application and return it to Susan Reeves, City Recorder, at City Hall, 33568 E. Columbia Ave, Scappoose or by email at sreeves@cityofscappoose.org. Forms also available on line. The City will accept applications until the positions have been filled. Should you have any questions regarding the application, and/or, would like to receive a copy of the Committee Bylaws, please contact Program Analyst Huell White at 503-543-7146 or by email at hwhite@cityofscappoose.org.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-09-24 11:19:27

Last Update: 2020-09-26 17:42:14

House Speaker Tina Kotek released a statement on the September Economic and Revenue Forecast. “The substantial improvement in today's revenue forecast highlights the uniqueness of a recession brought on by a global pandemic. While we are in a better financial position than we expected to be, it is still an unpredictable road ahead, particularly without further federal relief assistance.

“Oregon and the country are still facing a deep recession that is disproportionately impacting lower-income communities. Income inequality is glaringly clear in this forecast. I am pleased that the Legislature took a measured approach to rebalancing the budget in August by strategically using one-time dollars to protect critical services that are essential to encouraging an equitable recovery.”

At the same time, Jay Kudlow took the podium at today’s President’s press conference with a different story. With charts and graphs, he explained the economic recovery. He showed that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the real median household income growth from the Census Bureau released last week was an increase of $6,000, 5-times higher in three years than under eight years of the Obama Administration. His response to an “A” shaped recovery, where only the top did well and the bottom did not do well, he says the lower income levels increased significantly higher than the top 1% or top 10%. Automobiles and housing are showing the highest sales in 14 years. “It’s a phenomenal increase in living standards.” He continued, “While living standards went up, poverty went down and inequality went down.” There isn’t any question we have more work to do on the recovery and unemployment particularly in targeted areas – getting back to school and working on COVID-19 related safety precautions and health precautions. Recovery is looking very good but may still do something to help the small business owners.

Senate Majority Leader Rob Wagner release his statement on federal response:

“I continue to be disappointed by Congressional inaction and their failure to provide further pandemic relief to individuals and states. State and local financial support would help our efforts to keep Oregonians housed, safe and able to access health care.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2020-09-23 17:25:34

Last Update: 2020-09-23 17:33:28

The 2020 Oregon revenue forecast was announced today on the second day of autumn, and it seems Oregon has a positive $2 billion dollar ending balance from general and other funds.

This may seem somewhat surprising to some Oregonians that we are seeing such economic activity, but considering that Oregonians have at least received some federal assistance from the Trump administration, it may have been effective enough to help the dire situation imposed on Oregonians by Kate Brown's mandated lock-downs.

Senator Brian Boquist (R-Dallas) and Senator Dennis Linthicum (R-Klamath Falls) issued the following joint statement:

“The revenue projection shows we are $2 billion ahead, even with the political pandemic, wildfires and Governor Kate Brown’s horrific policies that destroy the livelihoods of hardworking Oregonians and leave bureaucrats untouched.

“The state is not facing grim numbers thanks to President Trump and federal assistance. Governor Kate Brown and Democrats will twist this fact to raise taxes that benefit their special interests on the backs of the dwindling middle class, and low and fixed income Oregonians, despite record setting revenue streams flowing in from personal and corporate income tax collections. The current disparities are thanks to decades of Democrat failures.

“Governor Brown cares only about consolidating her own power, while inciting lawlessness and embracing anarchy and chaos. She has failed to protect and support law enforcement as they put their lives on the line each day, except when she needs them, as the governor rolls through the state with an entourage of fully-armed security.

“Portland was labeled an anarchist jurisdiction by the federal government, complete with the threat to cut federal funding, which compromises the very entity that provided the revenue stream that has saved the state from bankruptcy. Governor Brown would rather watch Oregon burn and its citizens waste away than be a true leader and work with the federal government.”


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-09-23 16:25:40

Last Update: 2020-09-23 16:30:07

Editor's note: Oregon Abigail Adams Voter Education Project equips voters with information on how candidates stand on issues through a questionnaire process featured in comparison guides.

Three candidates for Congressional District 3 are running against Democrat incumbent Earl Blumenauer. Republican candidate Joanna Harbour, Libertarian Josh Solomon, and Alex DiBlasi of the Pacific Green party are all vying to represent the northern metro area taking in Portland and Gresham.

Rep. Blumenauer co-signed the Green New Deal introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, claiming 100% energy from a mix of “clean renewable and zero-emission energy sources” by 2030. “I am fighting for solutions to long-term issues like protecting and expanding Social Security and Medicare, making sure we’re ready for the jobs of the future, dealing with our housing crisis, and promoting a Green New Deal to combat the climate crisis.” He wants to abolish ICE, institute universal background checks, keep assault weapons and high capacity magazines out of public space, and make sure unscrupulous gun dealers are held accountable to the law.

When you look at what is happening in Portland spreading to other parts of the state, change is what voters are looking for. Habour, an attorney, believes in constitutional law and wants to correct issues with the justice system. She says she is “not a politician by the classic definition. I believe in keeping my promises and speaking the truth. I will not say whatever it takes to get elected.” She will fight to combat sex and human trafficking, find solutions for homelessness, make tax cuts permanent, find solutions to better forest management and supports Second Amendment rights and religious freedom. She believes in legal immigration, term limits and a balanced budget.

Solomon says, “to protect the liberty of the individual is to protect the liberty of our nation.” He wants to promote indigenous land management techniques including controlled burns, invest in alternative energy technologies, protect our First Amendment rights and prevent internet censorship, and end the wars in Syria and Afghanistan.

DiBlasi asked the Portland City Council to write a resolution creating a legal definition of “Sanctuary City” to protect immigrants from ICE. He supports establishing nationwide, locally run, civilian police oversight review boards to ensure justice is served against officers who abuse their authority. He supports his Green Party’s Green New Deal eliminating fossil fuels going to 100% renewable energy by 2030. Revitalize the economy through localization and infrastructure projects, create a Universal Basic Income program, reduce the military budget by 50%, and establish a Universal Healthcare program.

Who will make the best representative for We The People?




--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2020-09-23 08:56:16

Last Update: 2020-09-30 10:55:18

In the shadow of seemingly interminable riots and lawlessness in Portland, the House District 37 race in the suburban cities of Tualatin and West Linn is highlighting the contrasting the views of West Linn Pharmacist Kelly Sloop and first-term incumbent Rachel Prusak (D-West Linn) on the role of police in public safety.

Prusak voted for all of the "police reform" legislation, largely seen as unsupportive of police. Nearly all of the bills contained a tribute to Black Lives Matter in the "whereas" section of the bill, a move that some lawmakers found offensive and unnecessary.

She has also taken $5,000 in donations from the American Federation of Teachers-Oregon, a group that has supported the effort to -- in their words -- "...disarm, defund and ultimately abolish police forces." Sloop describes Prusak as "out of touch with the fabric of our district."

The Democratic incumbent Prusak's website doesn't mention public safety or the issues with violence in Portland. She does have a section on Racial Justice where she says, "Black lives matter. The dehumanization of Black, Indigenous, and people of color in this country has caused more pain, violence, and death than we can ever fully quantify. I see it clearly from a public health perspective: it is slow motion violence." In contrast, on her website, the Republican challenger Sloop says "My opponent is supported by extreme groups that want to defund and even abolish local police."

Voters in West Linn and Tualatin have a clear choice on the issue of public safety this year.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-09-22 21:00:30

Last Update: 2020-09-22 21:30:03

--Northwest Observer Meme Team

Post Date: 2020-09-22 17:19:50

A Republican senator in Oregon is expressing concern about the Oregon Department of Education's failure to get Oregon students back in schhol and back to learning.

Senator Dennis Linthicum (R-Klamath Falls) claims the arbitrary COVID-19 education standards enacted by Governor Kate Brown and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) will impair access and harm students’ success.

Some rural Oregon communities will be reopening schools for in-person instruction for 3rd grade and younger children, excluding older students.

“What is the difference between a 3rd grade student and a 4th, 5th or 6th grade student?” asked Senator Linthicum. “After all, each grade level will interact with their teachers and other students and, one could argue, older children have a decidedly better capacity for exercising more caution and care about their environment. Governor Brown and OHA will be the ones responsible for denying education access for those most vulnerable, and they are ruining the chances of success for those who are excluded.”

Senator Linthicum continued, “The arbitrary decision regarding one grade level verses another cannot be justified. Why are some students given opportunity to learn in-person when they live in specific geographic locations, but not others? This is a capricious policy.

“According to the CDC, COVID-19 poses low risks to school-aged children and teachers, therefore getting students in school must be a priority. The governor has failed to open in-person public education for all Oregon students, and is making it harder to seek alternatives through online charter schools and private school education. These education opportunities are critical to Oregon’s future and it is shameful to see our children’s education politicized.”


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-09-22 16:09:23

Last Update: 2020-09-22 16:37:27

Editor's note: Oregon Abigail Adams Voter Education Project equips voters with information on how candidates stand on issues through a questionnaire process featured in comparison guides.

Candidate for House District 31 Brian Stout is challenging incumbent Brad Witt, his 9th run to represent Columbia and portions of Multnomah and Washington Counties.

Three major issues to Oregon voters are the economy, safety and education. Witt voted to increase taxes and fees including the corporate gross receipts tax, voted for a natural gas investment recovery fee, and to reduce the kicker. He voted against cap and trade, but supported a prohibition on hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas exploration and production. Stout said he would vote no on these issues and says as a business owner he “defends small businesses from unreasonable regulations and taxes.”

Witt voted to require employers to notify employees of ICE investigations, and prevent courts from asking immigration status and notifying ICE. He supported the bill to request Congress de-nuclearize the U.S. Stout said he would vote no and supports the work of ICE. He says, “we should enforce constitutional laws before forcing sanctuary status laws.”

In the area of education, Witt voted to include in all curriculum’s contributions from every minority group such as immigrants, LGBTQ, disabled and women. He voted for mandated vaccination with no exceptions and ban those from schools that don’t comply. Stout said he would vote against forced vaccinations and would vote against curriculum mandates to include minority group contributions.




--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2020-09-22 15:06:24

Last Update: 2020-09-21 09:24:09

In the wake of alawsuit filed by several Oregon businesses shuttered by order of the Governor, House Republican leader Christine Drazan has commented on the lawsuit. “The governor has exercised her authority without moderation or consideration. While the governor has the authority to protect public health, Oregonians have the right to demand equal treatment and compensation for their losses.

“Oregonians do not owe the governor their livelihoods, as she continues to move the goalposts in the fight against COVID-19. It’s past time for accountability.

“The governor has issued arbitrary, at times contradictory, standards for different communities and groups, handpicking winners and losers for who will be protected from devastating economic impacts, and who will bear the brunt of her orders. If she will not operate with an even-hand toward all Oregonians, then the citizens of Oregon will exercise their authority to call her to account.

“This lawsuit would not be necessary and could still be averted if the Governor would treat all businesses fairly.”


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-09-22 12:06:00

Last Update: 2020-09-22 12:13:26

The Oregon Department of Transportation has issued a press release describing the requirement for a variance for any sign that is greater than 12 square feet and is visible from a state highway. Most political field signs are 32 square feet. The rules were posted recently on the ODOT website. Persons, including political campaigns, who wish to place signs greater than 12 feet can apply to ODOT for a temporary variance.

Though the rules have been in place for years, they haven't been enforced, or have only been enforced on a "complaint driven" basis. According to ODOT,

• Signs may not be posted on Oregon state highway right of way. That includes trees, utility poles, fence posts and natural areas along highways, surrounding intersections and interchanges, etc. Signs are also prohibited within view of a designated scenic area.
• Private property: If a sign can be seen from a state highway, it must meet certain requirements.
• New signs must be 12 square feet or less.
• No compensation may be exchanged for the right to place the sign or the message displayed.
• The signs must be posted on a temporary basis (60 days or less) and may not be on a permanent base.
• No flashing or intermittent lights, animated or moving parts are allowed.
• Signs must not imitate an official highway sign or device.
• The sign must be posted on private property and may not be accessed or placed from the right of way.

ODOT's sign program is located in the Salem ODOT offices, and has some level of responsibility for controlling all signs that are visible to state highways throughout Oregon. Their response to temporary sign placement is generally “complaint” driven. In an effort to stem a majority of complaints, ODOT often issues a press release around election time, to help answer questions and to provide information for those who are placing signs. ODOT's release was in response to citizen complaints the department has been receiving recently. One legislator said he suspects that the group Progressive Yamhill is responsible for the bulk of the complaints.

The temporary sign process was changed by the Legislature in May of 2007, in response to the Oregon Supreme Court decision in December of 2006 that held that the Oregon Motorist Information Act (ORS 377.700 through 377.844 & 377.992) was unconstitutional in its permitting requirements. Since that time, the sign program has increased the time a temporary sign is allowed to remain in place from 90 days to 120 days in response to citizen concerns about signs for seasonal businesses. Also changed was the restriction only allowing a variance for size, or time. The OAR now allows a sign owner to request a variance for both, the larger size, and extended posting time, for the same sign. Other than those two changes, the ORS and OAR have remained largely unchanged since they were implemented in 2007.

Stepped up enforcement of these regulations is thought to impact Republicans more than Democrats, because Republicans are more popular in rural areas that are good locations for large political signs.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-09-22 08:34:29

Last Update: 2020-09-22 10:56:01