In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread devastation caused by wildfires, Governor Kate Brown today established a new moratorium preventing residential evictions for non-payment and other no-cause evictions between September 30 and December 31, 2020.

Governor Brown took immediate action in March and April through executive orders to keep Oregonians housed during the pandemic. In the first special session of this year, the Legislature passed House Bill 4213, establishing a residential and commercial eviction moratorium through September 30, 2020, with a six-month repayment period. The Governor’s new executive order will help keep Oregonians in their homes until the Legislature can convene later this year to address housing issues.

“Every Oregonian deserves a warm, safe, dry place to call home,” said Governor Brown. “Since the Legislature passed House Bill 4213, thousands of people have been displaced by massive and devastating wildfires, and the global pandemic continues to make it difficult for many Oregonians, including Oregon's veterans and many families with children, to pay rent, through no fault of their own.

“Keeping economically vulnerable Oregonians in their homes has been critical to the State’s COVID-19 response throughout this pandemic. Having a safe and stable home allows individuals to practice effective physical distancing, helps facilitate quarantine and isolation, and helps to prevent families and individuals from being displaced from their homes into more crowded multifamily or congregate living conditions, where the virus can spread more easily.

“Housing is a critical human need, and, as we enter cold and flu season during a pandemic––and as many students learn remotely from home––it is absolutely critical that people not be turned out of their homes. While my action today will address the immediate issue of preventing residential evictions through the end of the year, it is my hope that, when the Legislature next meets, they will take up the larger issues we need to address regarding housing relief.”

EO 20-56 establishes a new, temporary residential eviction moratorium through the end of the year, due to the urgent need to prevent a wave of evictions during simultaneous wildfire and pandemic emergency response and recovery efforts. Both crises have had an acute and disproportionate impact on Oregon's communities of color, including Black, Indigenous, Latino, Latina, and Latinx, Pacific Islander, and Tribal communities, as well as families living in rural Oregon.

Added Governor Brown: "Many of the Oregonians most impacted by the pandemic and wildfire crises are those who can afford it least, and who have already faced housing discrimination and vast disparities in the availability of affordable housing. My action today will provide immediate relief, but we still have much work to do to address the systemic racism that lies at the heart of the affordable housing crisis in our country."

Many housing providers, especially small ones, have become uncomfortable with their lack of legal standing in their contractual relations with tenants, and these kind of executive orders call into question the ability of the state to impede contracts.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-09-28 15:47:47

Last Update: 2020-09-29 10:27:12

The City of Scappoose Economic Development Committee (EDC) is looking to fill one member and two alternate positions. The responsibilities of the EDC, as stated in the Committee bylaws, are as follows:

1) Design, develop, and promote an economic development strategic plan

2) Provide oversight and review of economic development marketing strategies and products

3) Enhance communication and understanding of economic development strategies, and build relationships between the local public sector, community, and business community

4) Act as a forum for sharing information on best economic development practices, current issues, and resources available for communities and businesses

5) Encourage connections and coordination with other local, regional, and state organizations working for the benefit of economic growth and enhancement of the local economy

6) Respond to additional matters relating to economic development as requested by the City Council

If you are interested in joining the EDC, please complete the Citizen Interest Application, which is located on the City’s website. 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: 2020-09-28 12:11:43

Last Update: 2020-09-26 12:53:11

Many people are fed up with Ted Wheeler’s handling of Portland riots. It doesn’t leave Portland voters much choice for mayor when opponent Sarah Iannarone is an open supporter of Antifa and refuses to condemn the violent antifa rioters. Portland uses a nonpartisan system for voting for mayor making it an open primary with the top two candidates advancing to the General Election if no one receives a majority of votes.

Sarah Iannarone claims that she is “ready to enact community-led plans to clean up the mess we’re in.” Accusing Mayor Wheeler of no leadership on civil unrest or public safety, she also is voicing the same anti-federal and anti-police platform.

Enter Joseph Whitcomb asking Portland if they want an alternative, he is stepping up to run a write in campaign for Mayor of Portland. “Tired of the violence and destruction,” he says he is seeking "justice for all" and "equality for all!"

Joseph Whitcomb was born and raised in Portland, married with four daughters and five grandchildren, a degree in Criminal Justice, CCP, OCDL, and rides his mountain bike to work. He’s a rural Oregonian at heart camping, hiking, bicycling, and loves the outdoors. He has worked 23 years in the Materials Department Audit group.

Whitcome says, “I consider myself a conservative, I support our constitution, our law enforcement, and our military. God, Family/Friends and Country. My values have come from these 3 areas of my life. I want to see them strengthened and not diminished. I am running for Mayor because I see these 3 areas being attacked and that saddens me!” He is asking Portlanders who want an alternative to write-in "Joseph Whitcomb" under Mayor of Portland.

One of the drawbacks to the "top two" finishers election system is that you may not get much of a choice between the two, especially in a city with lopsided registration. Voters then have to resort to write-ins to vote for someone different.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2020-09-28 09:11:03

Last Update: 2020-09-28 09:28:22

While it might appear to community members that the City of Portland has stopped its cleanup work, the truth is that Homelessness and Urban Camping Impact Reduction Program Performance Measures has never stopped responding to reports during this pandemic. In fact, they have actually been dispatching cleanup vendors more often to assist with trash, debris and biohazard removal. They also spend a great deal of time coordinating with outreach and service providers at various locations in town to assist with various issues.

Whenever individuals in the community submit a reports to HUCIRP regarding a campsite of concern, that report automatically creates a work assignment for a crew with lived experience to go to the reported area, engage with people that are present, pick up camper-identified garbage and conduct an assessment of the area. In July alone, they removed 550,000 pounds of garbage from the community.

HUCIRP encourage community members to continue reporting (once a week regarding any given site) as that will help to ensure that crews are regularly visiting the location to remove trash and biohazardous materials. It will also help to ensure that the City has a current assessment of the conditions in the area.

The best place to report campsites to us is via just one of the following methods:

1)Campsite Report Form

2)PDX Reporter

3)Calling Information & Referral: 503-823-4000.

If you are interested in learning more about what the response to reports looks like, please check out this video

If you have questions regarding a campsite, please send an email to reportpdx@portlandoregon.gov.

If you are interested in learning more about the process for campsite removals, please see this blog

Please note, any and all issues of criminal activity must be reported to the Portland Police.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-09-27 12:07:06

Last Update: 2020-09-27 12:45:42

Measure 26-218 is a local Metro ballot measure which authorizes Metro to impose a payroll tax not to exceed 0.75% on employers with 26 or more employees beginning in 2022.

According to Metro, projects would include a light rail line in the Southwest Corridor between downtown Portland and Washington County, a rapid regional bus network, bridge replacement and repair, sidewalks and pedestrian crossings, off-street biking and walking facilities, and traffic signal and intersection upgrades. It would also fund several additional transportation programs across the region, such as youth bus and MAX passes, walking and biking projects near schools, bus reliability, transition of buses from diesel to electric and low-carbon fuels, retention of affordable housing and addressing potential displacement along transportation corridors.

Some of the persons, unions and companies that could possibly benefit from contracts funded by Measure 26-218 are:

• HDR is an international company that specializes in engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services. They have donated $15,000.
• Local 48 Electricians PAC donated $100,000.
• David Evans and Associates is a Portland-based engineering company that led the engineering effort on the failed Columbia River Crossing project. They donated a total of $30,000.
• Stacy and Witbeck is a heavy civil construction company, specializing in transit infrastructure. They donated $160,000.
• AECOM is an infrastructure consulting firm. They donated $15,000.

This is a full list of major donors to Get Moving PAC.

Date	Donor	Amount
09/21/2020	Headlight Technologies	$5,000
09/21/2020	OTAK, Inc	$7,500
09/20/2020	James Fuiten	$5,000
09/20/2020	Leah Riley	$1,000
09/20/2020	James McGrath	$1,000
09/14/2020	Titan	$5,000
09/13/2020	Steve Naito	$2,500
09/13/2020	Brad Hart	$10,000
09/11/2020	Harper Houf Peterson Righellis	$1,000
09/11/2020	Friends of Bob Stacey (13836)	$9,500
09/11/2020	Affordable Housing for Oregon (19368)	$4,299
09/11/2020	David Evans & Associates, Inc.	$30,000
09/08/2020	HDR	$15,000
09/08/2020	UFCW Local 555	$10,000
09/08/2020	LTK	$5,000
09/06/2020	Elizabeth Faulkner	$1,000
08/30/2020	Matt Miller	$5,000
08/28/2020	Communications Strategies	$1,000
08/28/2020	Professional & Technical Employees Local 17	$1,000
08/28/2020	Insulators International PAC	$2,000
08/24/2020	Local 48 Electricians PAC (4572)	$100,000
08/21/2020	William Shields	$2,000
08/14/2020	Stacy and Witbeck, Inc.	$150,000
08/14/2020	David Evans & Associates, Inc.	$10,000
08/03/2020	Herb Fricke	$1,000
07/31/2020	Cement Masons Local 555	$5,000
07/27/2020	Warren Rosenfeld	$5,000
07/09/2020	OTAK, Inc	$1,500
07/06/2020	Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters	$10,000
06/29/2020	WSP	$10,000
06/17/2020	American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon	$25,000
06/03/2020	Recology	$5,000
05/02/2020	American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon	$1,000
04/30/2020	Burns McDonnell	$5,000
04/30/2020	Ian McHone	$5,000
04/12/2020	UFCW Local 555	$10,000
04/12/2020	200 Market Associates LP	$10,000
03/30/2020	HNTB Corporation	$10,000
03/20/2020	Jesse Jackson	$5,000
03/20/2020	Rachel L Bruce	$5,000
03/20/2020	Affordable Electric	$5,000
03/20/2020	Jeff Moreland	$5,000
03/20/2020	Chicks of All Trade	$5,000
03/20/2020	Just Bucket Excavating	$5,000
03/20/2020	Raimore Construction	$10,000
03/16/2020	Parametrix	$10,000
03/12/2020	Stacy and Witbeck, Inc.	$10,000
03/09/2020	Walsh Construction Company	$5,000
03/09/2020	AECOM Technology Group	$15,000
01/28/2020	Transportation Yes (14743)	$5,000

--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-09-27 11:57:37

Last Update: 2020-09-27 13:21:46

OHA announced it had selected nonprofit organizations and tribal governments from throughout the state for health equity grants to address the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Oregon’s tribal communities and communities of color. The grants total $45 million, and a full list of the awardees can be found here.

OHA announced the availability of grant funding and opened for applications to not-for-profit organizations statewide and Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes and the Urban Indian Health Program on Aug. 18. OHA received hundreds of applications and has funded 205 organizations and tribes. Requests totaled close to $170 million, and not all applicants could be funded.

“We look forward to partnering with these remarkable organizations and communities, who do such vital work to serve their communities,” said Patrick Allen, OHA director. “We are deeply aware how these organizations’ linkages and knowledge of their communities and the challenges they face are so important to bringing resources to help. We look forward to the collective work to continue to meaningfully address the systemic racism and structural inequities that have caused so much health disparity, especially relating to COVID-19.”

The grants focus resources on communities most disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and programs that will address health and economic disruptions, food insecurity and housing, and safety and violence prevention, among other aspects of need.

“While OHA relationships with many of these groups have existed in the past, this grant program represents a deepening and a broadening of the partnership,” said Leann Johnson, director of OHA’s equity and inclusion division. “In some cases, the partnership is new. But whether new or existing, the relationships with these groups, the funding of their work, and their knowledge of the needs of their specific communities are the keys to breaking the hold of structural and systemic racism and oppression. We’re grateful for the work these organizations have engaged in already and will look to learn further from their wisdom.”

To learn more about this program, please visit https://www.oregon.gov/oha/covid19/Pages/equity-grants-covid-19.aspx


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-09-26 18:15:37

Last Update: 2020-09-26 18:41:26

By now, the image of child climate activist, Greta Thunberg is familiar to everyone, though it seems her star power is slipping. Children are time-honored mascots for any political agenda for which they can be marshalled, and Oregon Governor Kate Brown is no stranger to this tactic. In her response to California Governor Gavin Newsome's proclamation on zero-emission vehicles, Brown invoked the children.

"We have heard loud and clear from Oregon’s youth that climate action is their top priority—and it is the next generation that will pay the greatest price if we fail to answer their call. When zero-emission vehicles are widely used, we can support economic development, public health, and the environment all at the same time. I will be following the California requirement and looking into policies here in Oregon to accelerate transportation electrification."

It's one thing to ask kids for their opinions -- though one wonders how much value that has when actually making policy decisions. It's another to give kids their opinions and then ask them for it.

How does this happen? The largest public employee union in the state, the Oregon Education Association, also happens to be a leading voice for climate activism. They have your children captive for most of the day, and while they might fall short on educating your child on actual knowledge, rest assured, your child will go home trained as a climate activist. Ask Governor Brown.

The even more radical American Federation of Teachers, who boasts on their webpage of passing a "resolution supporting a Green New Deal, which combines strategies to tackle climate change, economic inequality, and environmental racism."

This resembles a pattern and a plan: Union activists take over the curriculum in public schools and feed it to the children, and then these same union activists point to the sage wisdom of these same children as the justification for public policy, to be enacted by the politicians they fund.

Governor Brown is not unconnected to these public employee unions. When she last ran for Governor, received donations of $100,000 on two occasions just during the current political cycle from the Oregon Education Association. The American Federation of Teachers - Oregon gave her $20,000 an increase over the another $10,000 in campaign cash given her during the previous election cycle.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-09-26 12:53:11

Last Update: 2020-09-26 14:11:53

Editor's note: The following was released by Oregon Secretary of State Bev Clarno

Wildfires in Oregon
The families and communities affected by the devastating wildfires across Oregon are in my thoughts and prayers. Know that our team at Secretary of State stands ready to help in the long-term recovery efforts to come.

For any Oregonians displaced from their home and concerned about voting in the General Election this November, rest assured we are working closely with local election officials to ensure you receive your ballot. More information specific to the wildfires and voting is available here.

Elections in Oregon
A lot has changed in our world in 2020. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, much of how we live our lives has been turned upside down. In Oregon, however, one significant thing hasn’t changed: how we vote. Oregon has been conducting elections entirely by mail for over 20 years. Pandemic or not, it remains as effective, safe, and popular as ever.

I am thankful for the increased civic engagement this presidential election year. At the same time, misinformation can spread rapidly and we dedicate this newsletter to sharing trusted information about our elections process in Oregon to ensure you register to vote, get your ballot, vote your ballot, return your ballot, and make your voice heard.

Voter Registration
The essential building block of elections is the voter roll of registered voters. To register to vote in Oregon, you must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of Oregon, and at least 16 years old. If you are not yet 18 years of age, you will not receive a ballot until an election occurs on or after your 18th birthday.

The easiest way to register to vote or update your registration is to go to your trusted source oregonvotes.gov. All eligible voters may also register by paper form available in many government offices or through their county elections office. The deadline to register for this year’s General Election is October 13.

Voters’ Pamphlet
An Oregon election tradition is the voters’ pamphlet. The voters’ pamphlet is mailed to every residential address in Oregon and is designed to assist voters in participating in the November 3, 2020, General Election. It will arrive in your mailbox between October 7-9. It contains educational materials to help you navigate the election, and also has candidate statements and measure arguments to help you learn more about what will be on your ballot. Inside the back cover is a paper registration form so that those that are not registered can see that the election is coming up and they can return the form to register before the registration deadline.

Paper Ballots
All registered voters in Oregon are automatically mailed an official ballot and a ballot return envelope with prepaid postage. Voting by mail leaves a paper trail — a critical feature for exposing fraud.

Ballots can be returned by mail and no longer require a stamp. When returning your ballot by mail it should be mailed not later than October 27th to make sure it will get to the election office in time to be counted. We are fortunate to have a continued strong partnership with our local United States Postal Service to ensure support for our elections. Voters can also take advantage of hundreds of official dropsites throughout the state to return their ballot in person by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Another reassuring feature to our system is that you can track your ballot in My Vote.

County Election Officials
We are very fortunate to have 36 County election officials and their teams as our essential partners in administering the election at the local level. Their efforts strengthening our election system are year-round, but they step up on Election Day to process and tabulate all of the ballots. They are the true heroes of the election.

They have adjusted to the pandemic to ensure extra safety precautions and are experts in handling the significant volume of paper ballots to be verified, extracted, sorted, and tabulated. Oregon supports transparency and you can contact your county elections office to observe the election process.

While unofficial results begin to be posted soon after the 8 p.m. deadline on Election Day, counties have 20 days to certify official results to the state. This period allows election teams to complete the tallying of ballots, resolve any ballots that have been challenged, and conduct post election audits.

Vote By Mail
Oregon is very fortunate to have over four decades of experience administering our elections with Vote By Mail. It has allowed us to expand access to the ballot and ensure election integrity. We continue to have a strong relationship with our local USPS officials to ensure that our Vote By Mail system is effective and efficient.

We and our County election official partners remain a trusted source of election information and all voters are encouraged to use oregonvotes.gov or your county election website to help answer or follow up on any questions they may have.

I will end with a challenge to all of you to vote in this General Election by November 3rd so that Oregon can lead the nation in voter turnout and your voice will be heard. Oregon has and continues to blaze new trails in expanding access to voting. Other states are beginning to follow our Vote By Mail example, but let’s prove to the nation that our citizens are engaged and committed to democracy!


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-09-25 17:50:08

Earlier on Friday, Representative Bill Post (R-Keizer) released the following statement on Governor Brown’s recent executive order and the ongoing violence in Portland:

“Oregon’s political leadership is so narrow-minded. The governor should have made this executive order long ago. This weekend, what is being called a “right-wing” group will be protesting in Portland, and now she wants to defend the community? The “right-wing” groups being referenced do not have a history of violence in Portland, unlike some of the “left-wing” groups that have been protesting since May. There have been violent nightly wars in Portland for over 100 days with loss of life and heavy destruction of private and public property. Where was the concern then? Our political leadership only sees the enemy they choose to see and ignores the facts.

I strongly urge Governor Brown to extend this executive order to stop these anarchist riots from continuing as they have been since May.”


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-09-25 13:10:21

Last Update: 2020-09-25 19:32:07

In a race in which integrity plays a great role, the Secretary of State's race is seeing some donor activity that is raising eyebrows with some observers who are calling into question how the size of the donations may have an impact on the performance of the candidate, should she land the role of Secretary of State.

Democrat Shemia Fagan recently accepted a $50,000 donation from Governor Kate Brown's political action committee. While it's not unusual for cash to flow between PACs during an election year, it's troubling to some that one of the main functions of the Secretary of State is to audit executive branch agencies -- overseen by none other than Governor Kate Brown.

Another conflict of interest that's developing is that Fagan's campaign is almost wholly funded by public employee union political action committees. One of these, Service Employees International Union -- the largest public employee union among Oregon state workers -- has funded her campaign to the tune of over a quarter of a million dollars. Again, these are executive branch employees whose work will be audited by the Secretary of State.

Fagan came under fire during the primary when an email from fellow Democratic lawmaker Alyssa Keny-Guyer was leaked expressing disappointment over the sources of Fagan's campaign money. Keny-Guyer said, "In addition to the obscene amounts of money from so few sources going into your campaign, now there is an Independent Expenditure cleverly called OREGONIANS FOR BALLOT ACCESS, made to 'appear' neutral since it offers one example of an endorsement for Mark and two for Jamie. No surprise, it is the first website that appears when you google any of the three candidate names."

Insiders are looking back at the 2016 election for Secretary of State when the highly partisan, left-leaning activist labor lawyer Brad Avakian lost to Dennis Richardson, a candidate with a legislative track record for integrity and fairness. Speculation is that this election might be a repeat, where voters may lean toward the candidate who can present a case that includes personal integrity.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-09-25 12:59:47

Last Update: 2020-09-24 20:32:33

The Oregon Senate has confirmed Governor Kate Brown’s appointment of Bend executive Maurice Henderson to the Oregon Transportation Commission. Henderson will succeed Martin Callery of Coos Bay. Henderson has extensive experience in transportation and mobility issues, serving currently as Senior Director of Government Partnerships at Bird, a provider of shared electric scooters. Henderson will join the commission on October 1, 2020; his first OTC meeting will be October 22, 2020.

“Maurice has broad experience in mass transit, urban mobility, intergovernmental partnerships, and innovative transportation technologies that will be valuable to the commission as we implement our new Strategic Action Plan,” said Robert Van Brocklin, chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission. “We look forward to welcoming him and getting him involved in the commission’s work,” Van Brocklin added.

“I’m passionate about the mission of the Oregon Transportation Commission,” Henderson said. “I look forward to expanding the conversation about Oregon’s transportation future and the actual creation of mobility options for people throughout the state as the commission establishes state transportation policy in alignment with Governor Brown’s vision,” Henderson said.

Henderson’s background includes:

Bird, Senior Director of Government Partnerships (February 2019 to present)

TriMet, Chief Operating Officer

City of Portland, Chief of Staff and Director of Strategic Initiatives

Portland Bureau of Transportation, Assistant Director

Henderson holds a bachelor's degree in Leadership Studies and a master's degree in Public Administration and is a member of the inaugural class for the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-09-25 11:39:37

Last Update: 2020-09-25 13:10:21

Earlier this month, Friends of Kelly Sloop requested an official investigation with state elections officials alleging that Rep. Rachel Prusak hid campaign donations that were routed to her husband who accepted cash for a documentary film about her that was released this year.

“My opponent released a campaign video promoting herself filmed by her husband, Billy Louviere,” said candidate for State Representative Kelly Sloop. “State elections laws are clear. Rep. Prusak or a member of her family cannot accept cash for campaigning without reporting it publicly,” said Sloop.

Prusak’s husband, Billy Louviere, solicited $6,000 in donations to make this campaign film that Prusak has since used in her fundraising efforts.

“It’s unacceptable that Rep. Prusak is breaking the law and hiding her campaign donors. She’s not above the laws that everyone else must follow,” said Sloop.

To-date, most of Rep. Prusak’s campaign cash has come from special interest groups, large corporations, international pharmaceutical companies, Portland-based political action committees, and even out-of-state political action committees.

Roughly three quarters of the money raised by Friends of Kelly Sloop is from individual and local donors. Sloop has been endorsed by dozens of local organizations, small business owners, community leaders and others from the district. These can be viewed at www.kellysloop.com/supporters.

You may view the text of the filed complaint here.

Kelly Sloop is a West Linn native and former PTA president. She and her husband Mike have three children. Sloop has been a registered pharmacist for over 30 years. She is running for Oregon House District 37 to represent West Linn and Tualatin.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-09-25 10:32:08

Last Update: 2020-09-25 11:39:37